……..and the winner is Laura Naldini! Congratulations Laura, it was quite a difficult quiz so well done!  You win a one week free standard course at the school here in London. We know you have been here before so we look forward to welcoming you again. Click here for more details.  

As you know, SGI is based in Central London, close to Oxford Street and Regent Street. Our neighbourhood is known as Fitzrovia, a district with a wonderfully long and colourful history. Here's the second in the series about SGI's fascinating local area.

American music legend - Bob Dylan –  first ever London and European appearance at the King and Queen pub, Foley Street, Fitzrovia. The King and Queen is a traditional small English pub, just a five minute walk from the school and a place where SGI regularly holds student quiz nights and social events in the upstairs room. What many people don't know is that the 'upstairs room' of this modest English public house was the setting for the first ever appearance in London and Europe of the world-famous American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The evening, in late December 1962, is remembered by Martin Carthy, a well-known English folk singer at the time:

“There was a regular Friday night folk club upstairs at the pub and I remember, while I was singing a song, there was this guy who I'd seen on the cover of some magazines sitting near the front in the audience. I finished a couple of songs, walked over to him and said, "You're Bob Dylan"!

It seems Bob was reluctant at first but eventually he performed three songs. Carthy remembers 'he had fabulous presence and a great sense of comedy',
 Now, above the bar of the pub, there is a row of portraits of English Kings and Queens through the ages. Except at the very end of the row, where there is a framed black and white photo of Bob Dylan, the music legend, performing for free in the pub's upstairs room, nearly fifty year's ago.

Our specialist evening courses for people living and working in London are incredibly popular. All classes start at 6.30 and are usually held twice a week. Here are the next start dates.

• Business English: Tuesday June 8th; Tuesday July 6th
• IELTS: Monday June 7th; Monday July 5th
• Cambridge FCE: Monday June 28th
• Pronunciation: Tuesday July 6th
• General English: Monday June 7th ; Monday July 5th
• Academic Writing & Study Skills: Tuesday June 8th  

Please check the website for full details on all our evening courses

There are some great events going on in May in and around London…..below is a small selection

	Greenwich Beer and Jazz Festival 2010 27 - 31 May 2010 Celebrate the summer at the Greenwich Beer and Jazz Festival, hosted at the Old Royal Naval College. Now in its third year, the festival is a five-day celebration of London's great tradition of brewing real ales. The Old Royal Naval College itself has a rich history of brewing beer too.
	State Opening of Parliament 25 May 2010 The Queen conducts the State Opening of Parliament.
	Alicia Keys live at the O2 25 - 26 May 2010 See award-winning R&B star Alicia Keys live at The O2. She's performing in London for two nights only.

Know more London events at our Visit London page