London Fortean Society

 31 May 2012: Mermaids uncovered! 7.30pm for 8pm start. £3/£2 concessions A merman yesterday Join Paolo Viscardi (Horniman Museum) and Ross MacFarlane ( Wellcome Library ) for an evening exploring the history, cultural context and scientific probing of mermaids. The evening will be structured around mermaid specimens collected by Henry Wellcome, with details of recent research into their construction and provenance carried out at the Horniman and Buxton Museums. Paolo and Ross will lead you on a journey spanning thousands of years and half the planet, touching on the origins and evolution of mermaids and the fakery, misidentification and publicity that has shaped our understanding of these fascinating, if fishy, fabrications. Each evening begins with the Fortmanteau, our monthly summary of strange news stories We meet the last Thursday of each month (usually) upstairs at the Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EX. Tubes: Liverpool Street, Aldgate, Al

Our friends at the London Cryptozoology Club have been in contact with their forthcoming events. Contact details for the LCC at the end! Tuesday 8th May Venue: The Empire Room, The Lamb, 94 Lamb Conduit Street, London WC1N 3LZ Time: Arrival from 6.30; start at 7.30 Admission: £2 (Limited places so please email/phone in advance to reserve your place) Current Developments in Bigfoot ‘Research’ A presentation and discussion exploring new trends in Bigfoot study, habituation scenarios and the very nature of ‘research’ Tuesday 12th June Venue: The Empire Room, The Lamb, 94 Lamb Conduit Street, London WC1N 3LZ Time: Arrival from 6.30; start at 7.30 Admission: £2 (Limited places so please email/phone in advance to reserve your place) The Case for Thylacine Survival in Tasmania into the 21st Century A presentation and discussion into whether the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) still exists in Tasmania, 70 years after its presumed extinction. Tuesday 17th July Venue: Crystal P

 Shakespeare mask from Carta Alta  26 April 2012: Was Shakespeare Shakespeare? 7.30pm for 8pm start. £3/£2 concessions From Sigmund Freud to John Michell to Derek Jacobi, many have doubted whether Stratford’s most famous son is the author of his plays, their theories leading to fascinating alternative views of English history. On the anniversary of the baptism of William Shakespeare we have three expert speakers. Dr Ros Barber is a writer, poet, creative writing tutor and the author of Writing Marlowe As Writing Shakespeare: Exploring Biographical Fictions. Jerry Glover is an independent researcher, and has contributed to Fortean Times since 2001 including the Bard Wars article October 2011. Susan Sheridan is a board member of the Francis Bacon Research Trust, a writer, actor and the original Trillian from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series. Each evening begins with the Fortmanteau, our monthly summary of strange news stories  We meet the last Thursday