Saturday, February 22nd – Candlemas 2025

When: Saturday, February 22nd, doors open: 19:00 
Where: 
Emile van Leenen’s Pianos, Lammermarkt 59, 2312 CM, Leiden

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of music, poetry, presentations, and quizzes as we welcome you to the Society’s Annual Candlemas festivities every February. This years celebrations will be held on the evening of 22nd February, 2025 – you won’t want to miss it!

It promises to be a fantastic blend of fun, delectable food, and refreshing drinks, providing the perfect opportunity to mingle with both familiar faces and new members in a laid-back atmosphere. It’s more than just an event; it’s a chance to warm your spirits and banish those winter blues.

If you’re feeling inspired, we invite you to contribute to the festivities! Whether it’s reading a poem, organizing a quiz, giving a talk, performing a monologue, or playing music, your unique talents are welcome. Reach out to Xuan Wang at xuan.wang@vu.nl if you haven’t yet shared your interest to contribute to the festivities (don’t forget to cc the Secretary mailbox at secretary.OCNL@gmail.com).

As always, our traditional venue, Emile van Leenen’s Pianos at Lammermarkt 59, 2312 CM in Leiden, will play host to this exceptional evening. Convenient (paid) parking is available at Parkeergarage Lammermarkt (Molen de Valk) nearby, and the venue is just a leisurely 10-minute stroll from Leiden Central Station. Doors open at 7pm and proceedings start at 7.30pm.

Get your tickets before the 19th February! Save the date, spread the word, and get ready for an evening that promises to be nothing short of magical!

Warm regards,

The Committee of the Oxford & Cambridge Society of the Netherlands

When: Saturday, February 22nd, Doors Open: 7pm
Where: 
Emile van Leenen’s Pianos, Lammermarkt 59, 2312 CM, Leiden
Ticket Price:
 16 EUR pp

Sunday, February 9th – Winter Walk with Wicher – Rhenen to Veenendaal West

When: Sunday, February 9th, 11:00 onwards
Where: 
Rhenen to Veenendaal West

Join us in the new year for a winter walk led by society member Wicher. We’ll begin our journey at Rhenen train station and make our way through the town center to the expansive forests of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park. Midway, we’ll reach the lofty Elsterberg (62.5m!) where we can enjoy a scenic view (weather permitting) and pause for a brief picnic. From there, we’ll continue through the rolling, historic Amerongen Forest, concluding our walk at Veenendaal-West train station. 

There are no restaurants on the route, so feel free to bring a snack to share! Sign-up using link below to be part of the Society’s first Nature walk of 2025!

As always, the first drink will be courtesy the Oxbridge Society NL (coffee, tea or any other drink).

Meeting Point: Outside Rhenen Train Station

Friday, January 31st – Interactive Talk over Lunch with Chair of Commercial Anglo Dutch Society, Jennie Monon – “How to Make Good Decisions at Key Times in Life”

When: Friday, January 31st, from 12 – 3:30pm
Where: 
Grand Café Living,  De Boelelaan 1111G, 1081 HV Amsterdam

As we start 2025, the Oxbridge Society NL would like to invite you for an insightful talk in Amsterdam. Whether you are a current student, recent graduate, someone thinking about a career switch or weighing up a big life decision take this opportunity to be part of an interactive talk over lunch with Jennie Monon. 

Jennie is an entrepreneur with international corporate managerial experience. She is the founder of MEC – an executive coaching business as well as being the Chair of the Commercial Anglo Dutch Society – a networking group for business people. Originally from Scotland, Jennie has lived in the the Netherlands for over a decade. Before founding MEC, Jennie had a successful career in HR, working in both multinationals and start ups in the USA, the U.K. and Continental Europe. She has worked in businesses ranging from Banking to Computer hardware and Applications Development. Jennie is currently working on a book on how to make successful decisions at key moments in your career and life and this will be the subject of her talk.

The lunch and talk will be run in parallel in a very relaxed atmosphere (Dress Code: Business Casual) with ample opportunity for questions and interacting with Jennie. This will last between 12 – 2:30pm with an opportunity to continue networking after. Lunch is included in the price of the ticket.

When: Friday, January 31st, from 12 – 3:30pm
Where: 
Grand Café Living,  De Boelelaan 1111G, 1081 HV Amsterdam (15min Walk from Amsterdam Zuid)
Prices:
 Member 36 EUR |First Time Attendees and Guest of Members 39.5 EUR 

Booking deadline & cancellation policy: The last day for obtaining tickets is January 24th. Please note that ticket cancellation is also only possible until this date for a refund (minus the booking fees). Tickets may well be cancelled after, however, there will be no refund. We will also operate a waitlist, so these types of cancellations may be refunded if a suitable replacement is found.

Saturday, January 18th – Amsterdam Light Festival Walk

Date: Saturday, January 18th
Time: 17:00 onwards
Place: Meet at Central Station, Amsterdam

Did you miss out on tickets for the Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise? Fret not, for members wanting to brave the unpredictable Dutch weather and the winter cold, we will also be leading a walking tour of the light festival artworks. The walking route is about 6.5km which we will enjoy at a leisurely pace led by a fellow Oxbridge alum with access to the map where the installations are located. At the end of the walk you are welcome to join us for a warm beverage or drink (first drink courtesy of the Oxford & Cambridge Society) to warm up.

Due to the nature of the event and to keep the group size manageable, the number of tickets is very limited. Hurry get your tickets before they’re gone.

See you there.

When: Saturday, January 18th, 17:00 onwards
Where: 
We meet at Amsterdam Centraal which will also be the starting point

About the Amsterdam Light Festival: Amsterdam Light Festival has been a yearly tradition for the last 12 years, lighting the city in the darkest months of the year. This year’s edition is special, as it coincides with Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary. For a whole year, all over town, residents, districts and institutions commemorate and celebrate the unique spirit of Amsterdam. To celebrate Amsterdam750 with light, art and each other Edition 13 has the theme of Rituals. Rituals have traditionally helped us through all kinds of transformations; from past to future, from winter to summer, from youth to adulthood. Light plays a vital role in many rituals, as a vibrant symbol of joy, energy and life. We use fireworks to usher in the new year, candles to commemorate, and midsummer fires to welcome the solstice. Light adds something mystical and sacred to a ritual like no other element can. And rituals unify. Rituals bring people together.

https://amsterdamlightfestival.com/en