The Greek Press Association’s dinner on 4 March 2015,  proved to be a first class gathering of philhellenes and distinguished  London Greeks, confirming its status as one of the top annual social  occasions in the capital.

Distinguished guests who gathered at a stronghold of Greek cuisine, the Lemonia in Primrose Hill, included guests of honour Geoffrey Robertson QC,  author Artemis Cooper and well known economist Vicky Pryce, as well as  former Labour minister Dennis McShane, lawyer Eleni Meleagrou, Channel 4  News Economics Editor Paul Mason, Mike Cooke Director at GFK Research,  Stratos Chatzigiannis, President of the Hellenic Bankers Association and  of course the Ambassador of Greece Konstantinos Bikas and the Cypriot  High Commissioner Evripides Evriviades.

Mr Robertson, who is head of the Doughty Street Chambers and the team that is preparing the case for the return of the Parthenon  Marbles from the British Museum to the New Acropolis Museum in Athens,  spoke passionately about his objective.

Asked to present her biography of the great travel writer Patrick  Leigh Fermor titled ‘An Adventure’, Artemis Cooper described his wartime  exploits in Crete and his life in the Mani, where he lived for over  forty years. “Although he was unmistakably British,” she said, “he felt  more relaxed, fulfilled, and alive in Greece than he ever did in his own  country.”

Vicky Pryce, whose daughter Georgia was also present, also presented  her new book titled ‘It’s The Economy Stupid’, while rejecting unfair  stereotypes of her fellow Greeks.

The Greek diaspora and British Greek contingency at the event also featured academics such as Eleni Bazigou (Imperial College) and Prof. Chris Pitelis (University of Bath),  economist Danae Kyriakopoulou, Greek consul Soteris Demestihas, the  Press Officer of the Greek Embassy George Dardavillas, Nick Hajinikos of  Kallinos Communications, John Kyriakides, owner of London Greek Radio, members of the Embassy’s Education Office, Dr Filippos Mavroskoufis (Harley Street dentist and President of the Macedonian Society), Dimitris Monioudis, President of the Hellenic Engineers Society, Theo Theofilis (shipping), George Spantideas, Senior Intelligence Consultant at Critical Publics, Athena Paris (property management), Takis Pappas (shipping),  journalists Byron Karydis (LGR), Theopi Skarlatos (BBC), Chloe Hadjimatheou (BBC), Thanasis Gavos (SKAI), Mary Zagoritou, photoreporters Chryssa Panoussiadou (ANA) and Lefteris Pitarakis (AP), Markos Kiessioglou of Reload Greece and the President of the GPA, who was warmly congratulated and thanked  by all the guests for a very successful and very enjoyable evening.

In her welcoming speech, the President said that the Association aims is  to bring together Greek, Greek Cypriot and British journalists and  develop a strong and productive co-operation among them; also, to  encourage the UK Greek residents to become more interested in British  politics.