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2018 London

The 2018 Punch Club meeting was hosted by Declan Cahill in London from 10 to 12 October.


Members and their guests were accommodated in central London at Durrant's Hotel (pictured right).

On the evening of 10 October, the whole group made their own way to Clapham for dinner and wine, chez Cahill, returning to the hotel by pre-arranged taxis after the meal.


On 12 October, the accompanying persons travelled to the Churchill War Rooms. These rooms were the underground nerve centre where the British government directed the Second World War. Visitors can now walk the top-secret corridors and glimpse what life would have been like during the tense days and nights of the war.

Club members remained at Durrant's Hotel for the first scientific session in which the following presentations were given:

THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER - Regatta Room Durrant's Hotel
Pardeep Kumar Royal Marsden Hospital urology
Netty Kinsella Facilitators & barriers to active surveillance. The key to prostate cancer
Lord David Owen Cabinet's finest hour

In the afternoon, the members & their guests walked to the Wellcome Collection specifically to view the exhibition "Living With Buildings" but also to explore the rest of the Collection. The Collection is a museum and library based at 183 Euston Road, London, displaying a mixture of medical artefacts and original artworks, exploring "ideas about the connections between medicine, life and art".


In the evening, the black-tie Club dinner was held in the Indigo Room of the Soho Hotel. After the meal, some members attempted to utilise the casually-placed gymnasium equipment outside the Indigo Room, whilst others somehow tracked down TV & Radio personality Zoe Ball who was staying at the hotel.

A few photos of the dinner & after-dinner activity are displayed below. Click on an individual image to view it in full-screen, then use the "Back" button on your browser to return to this page

If you have any additional images from this meeting which you would be happy to see displayed alongside the images above, please contact the Web Editor by email


On 12 October, the accompanying persons enjoyed a guided tour of the West cemetery at Highgate Cemetery - an unforgettable experience for anyone who has been fortunate enough to visit. Meanwhile, Club members had their second scientific session at the hotel, during which the following presentations were given:

FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER - Regatta Room Durrant's Hotel
Ros Eeles What do we need to know about prostate cancer genetics in 2018 going forward?
Ravi Barod Kidney cancer Inc.
John Withington Clinical leadership in VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) times

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