Events for your Diary

Organisation: Southwark & Bermondsay CF
Event: Christmas Drinks with Syed Kamall MEP
Date: Monday 4th December
Location: TBC - London Bridge Area
Contact: Melissa Bean at: southwarkconservatives@googlemail.com


Organisation: Conservative Way Forward
Event: Political Journalists' Question Time With Camilla Cavendish (leader writer, The Times), Janet Daley (The Daily Telegraph), Jo-Anne Nadler (broadcaster, writer & author of 'Too Nice to be a Tory'), Patrick O’Flynn (Chief Political correspondent, Daily Express) & Peter Oborne (Daily Mail & Evening Standard)
Date: Wednesday 6th December, 18:15 for 18:45 until 20:30
Location: Wallacespace, 2 Dryden Street , London WC2E 9NA
Tickets: £10 (£5 for CWF Associate Members & free for full-time students with ID)
Contact: Gary Mond at: gary@conwayfor.org.uk


Organisation: Croydon CF
Event: Christmas Party
Date: Friday 15th December, 19:30
Location: The Little Bay Restaurant, Selsdon Road, Croydon
Tickets: £18
Contact: Simon Hoar at: simonjameshoar@hotmail.com


Organisation: Conservative Future
Date: Tuesday 19th December, 18:00
Event: Christmas Drink Reception with Rt Hon Francis Maude MP
Location: The Sterling, The Gherkin, 30 St.Mary Axe, EC3A 8EP
Contact: Sarah Southern at: sarah.southern@conservatives.com

Croydon CF Christmas Meal

Croydon CF's Vice Honourary President Cllr Simon Hoar wants a Christmas party so badly that he booked the best restaurant in Croydon.

Described by 'The London Eating Guide 2005' as; 'One of Croydon's hidden gems' this place is guaranteed to get all of our membership coming out on a cold winter's night.

Location: The Little Bay Restaurant, Selsdon Road, Croydon
Date: Friday December 15th
Time: 7.30pm

Dress: Smart and sexy!
Price: £18 a head (£5 deposit before December 31st and remaining amount to be paid on the night)

To make a reservation or if you need more information please e-mail Simon Hoar at: simonjameshoar@hotmail.com

Meeting Thatcher at the CWF Dinner

Last night Conservative Way Forward (CWF) hosted their Annual President's ball at the Dorchester ballroom in London.

It was a magnificent event and at the beginning of the evening Lady Thatcher walked around the champagne reception where she was greeted by some of the guests. Myself and some fellow London South CF members managed to talk to her for quite a while and during this time the photographer managed to get a picture of us all with her.

After the meal Dr. Liam Fox MP spoke and it was brilliant- I bet there were a few people in the room kicking themselves by voting for Cameron in the leadership elections. The end of his speech was rounded off by thunderous applause with the majority of the hundred CF guests standing up.

To finish the evening off there was an auction that raised over £24,000.

This was an excellent event and next year London South will aim to get at least thirty members along.

CF Women's Conference

On Saturday, Conservative Future held a woman's conference at CCHQ and as one of the few female Area Chairs in the UK I felt obliged to attend. The delegates came from as afar as Edinburgh and Devon and we all seemed to get on really well.

Even though I've been in Conservative Future for over seven years I learnt a lot. The conference was interesting and even though I was a little late I still managed to hear the new CF executive speak. Mark Clarke who is the new CF Chairman is really changing CF for the better. He seems to be addressing female issues that most male members have previously ignored.

Our aim of setting up three new branches across London South by May 2007 is strongly supported by Mark and his executive.

The Casino Royale Ball

Last Friday, Croydon Conservative Future held a ball at the Hilton hotel in Croydon. Over one hundred guests attended and they came as far as Exeter, Hull, Edinburgh and Lancaster.

The theme was, 'Bond' and this event coincided with the release of the Casino Royale film.

After a few glasses of wine and magic tricks everyone was called to be silent as the after dinner speaker Richard Ottaway MP spoke. He regaled the room with a few jokes and one of them caused a raised eyebrow on an older guests face! However this was soon rectified as the live band starting playing 40s jazz music that pacified the older people. They took to the floor and waltzed and tangoed so well that I was ashamed of my 90s style-dancing!

The casino opened after dinner and at the end of the evening three prizes were awarded to the people who made the most amount of money on both the roulette and poker tables. Thanks to Badsha Quadir, Mr and Mrs Pelling and Conservative Way Forward for donating these prizes.

It was a brilliant event enjoyed by all and I would just like to thank my loyal executive for making it all happen- especially Cllr Robert Askey and Cllr Simon Hoar.

For those that would like to view the event's photographs with the possibility of buying one, please contact our photographer; Cllr Simon Hoar at: simonjameshoar@hotmail.com

A Big Welcome.....

Over the next year this will be home to London South CF.

London South is made up of twenty seven constituencies and with over three hundred members, this makes us one of the largest CF groups in the UK. We currently have three CF branches within London South and are looking to increase this number by at least 100% in the next six months.

This blog will list our coming events and it will also detail useful information about the main party, Conservative Future and our affiliation organisations.

Feel free to comment on any of the posts written here and I hope that you find this a comprehensive and useful tool to use over the next year.

Clare Hilley
Area Chair for London South CF