70th Birthday Party

This joyful celebration was held
Friday 8th June 2018
at
The Art Workers’ Guild, London,
the birthplace of the Faculty.

We celebrated the Faculty’s 70th birthday in style with a party at our birthplace, the Art Workers’ Guild, in Bloomsbury, London on Friday 8 June. The partygoers arrived happy and ready to renew old friendships and make new ones. There was a sense of connection and joy throughout the evening.

The hall was decorated in real party style with balloons and candles, the centrepiece was the extravagant 3-tiered cake decorated as a cityscape and night sky complete with constellations — the latter created with a little artistic licence.

After the welcome from President Cat Cox, Nick Campion (honorary Diploma Holder) talked about THE (as opposed to “the”) Faculty and its significance in providing excellence in astrological education. Melanie Reinhart, a Diploma Holder and Faculty Patron, described the joy of her role; whilst Julia Parker, another Patron and Diploma Holder for over 50 years, sent a video message from Australia wishing the Faculty well and with a very positive attitude towards the growing acceptance of astrology. Cat concluded the speeches with some thoughts about the future and how the Faculty is responding to the current technological advances.

Then, to the food! Chef Fred Dickieson’s menu was dazzling and innovative, full of surprises and delight. His ten canapés were inspired by the planets from the Sun to Pluto (excluding Chiron). Uranus, ever disruptive, was served last – a cleansing granita that cleared the palate to make ready for the delicious cake. If you need a caterer for your event, you can reach Fred Dickieson at Fred Does Food.

While the cake was being cut, we watched What The Faculty Means To Me, a six-minute video filmed at Faculty Open Day in March 2018, featuring twenty-one people answering that question. The film was greeted with spontaneous applause. Here it is for your enjoyment:

Thank you to everyone involved in creating such a memorable and happy evening. Here’s to THE Faculty’s next 70 years!

A Message from Diploma Holder and Patron, Julia Parker

Words from Past President Clare Martin

Enjoy these photos from the party. Click any to enlarge.

The Menu

The food for the party was prepared by Chef Fred Dickieson, who created a very special menu for the occasion. It comprised ten canapés, relating to each of the planets from the Sun to Pluto. The cake truly was a remarkable piece of edible art! Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed Prosecco, red and white wine, and soft drinks. Thanks to Iain Simpson for the food photography! Check out his other work at Shot By Maverick. (Do you think he’s got some Chiron connection?)