Your Letters

Letters can cover any aspect of Club life which you think would be of interest to other members. As a thank you, a bottle of champagne will be awarded to the writer of each letter published. Please send your letters to pellmell@royalautomobileclub.co.uk The deadline for the next edition is Friday 26 August.

Gardens and Woodland at Woodcote Park

I just had to sing the praises of the team of Gardening Group members who have been conducting the most informative and interesting walks around Woodcote Park, and of the gardening staff.

My tour, led by Nicky, brought a whole new appreciation of the planned tree planting and woodland management, including the safety considerations and how eco-environments are being developed. For example, how dead trees are being left standing (when safe to do so) for a host of creatures who require aloft dwelling.

The Gardening Team does a wonderful job ensuring that plants are happy in their places and on planting new spaces to make them look attractive all year round. A ‘must see’ are the meadow flowers amongst the arboretum adjacent to the lake. Very pretty indeed.

Well done and thank you to all involved.

Cathy Adams

Thank you for your kind comments. Our hard-working Gardening Team, working closely with the Club’s Gardening Group, has transformed the gardens and woodland at Woodcote Park in recent years. The Group’s regular tours are always popular and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members who generously give their time to lead them.

Moses Solomon Resident Manager, Woodcote Park

Hair Tonic

Amongst the pleasures of using the men’s changing rooms at Pall Mall is the availability of hair tonic. It can tame even the most unruly mop after a vigorous workout in the gym. It makes one wish it was available at home. Is there anywhere we can buy this magical liquor?

Stewart Cowley

I am delighted to hear that the hair tonic in the changing rooms at Pall Mall is working so well for you. The product is ‘Original Eau de Portugal’ by Pashana. We are not currently planning to add it to the Club Shop’s range but it is readily available from many online retailers.

Margaret Kavanagh Resident Manager, Pall Mall

Skiing

I am not sure I deserve the plaudits I received in the last edition of Pell-Mell & Woodcote for the Club skiing trips I ran, but thank you to all the members who made them so memorable.

Skiing is an individual activity but also hugely social when with a group of like-minded people experiencing the joys of exercise and stunning vistas. There’s nothing quite like breaking for lunch and a glass of something looking out over the world with Club friends.

To those of you who have not skied before, don’t hesitate to take it up at any age: it’s the most exhilarating experience. Even if you don’t do it, make sure your children learn to ski at the earliest possible age. I promise you you’ll be in their good books forever more!

Peter Hartley

Thank you, on behalf of the Club, for all you have done to enable members to enjoy the slopes together. I am also delighted that you will remain engaged with the Club’s skiing trips in the future. More details will be shared with the membership soon.

Daniel Pereira Chief Executive & Club Secretary

Dress Code at Pall Mall

The dress code at Pall Mall has, in my opinion, been relaxed too far and needs to be revisited. One example being, if one luncheons or dines at, say, Claridge’s or The Savoy, the expectation is that gentlemen wear jackets and ties and ladies dress commensurately. In my other clubs, the dress code is strictly jacket and tie throughout and at my golf club in the members’ lounge and dining room.

Our Great Gallery and Brooklands restaurants and the Cocktail Bar are elegant rooms as are most areas of Pall Mall. When I invite guests to the Club, I insist that they wear jackets and ties. Thus, to see members wearing polo shirts during the summer months spoils the sense of elegance and occasion.

Is it not the time to revert the dress code to jacket and tie in the Great Gallery, Brooklands, Cocktail Bar, Drawing Room, Club Room and Library? The Club is about traditions in behaviour and attire and a sense of great pride in its elegant surroundings and facilities.

Colin Ferguson

The Pall Mall Committee reviewed the dress code last summer and decided to implement a simpler arrangement with the aim of balancing the changing behaviours of members, in terms of how they dress for work, with the tradition and elegance of the clubhouse. This came into effect in October.

While the code sets some minimum standards – either a suit or smart long trousers with a collared shirt or polo shirt tucked in, for example – it also asks members to “dress appropriately for the Club environment, time of day and occasion”.

We recognise that some members are not adhering to the dress code at the moment. The Pall Mall Committee is reviewing the arrangements and we will update members later this year if there are any changes as a result.

Daniel Pereira Chief Executive & Club Secretary

Staff Turnover

One of the pleasures of belonging to a club such as ours is getting to know the staff but I now find that, with the odd exception, I rarely seem to see the same person twice in the bars and restaurants.

Is there a problem with staff turnover or am I just unobservant?

David Lowe

The hospitality sector is traditionally one with a high level of staff turnover, although the Club has always performed better than average. As you say, the familiarity between staff and members is one of the defining elements of the Club, providing a warm and friendly welcome.

As you are probably aware, there is a major shortage of staff across the hospitality sector – not just in the UK but internationally – and this is exacerbating turnover issues at the moment and is likely to for some time to come.

We are taking a wide range of measures to recruit new staff and are constantly working hard to retain the wonderful people we have at the Club. This includes regular monitoring of pay levels to ensure they are competitive, providing an excellent benefits package and investing in staff training and facilities.

Debra Baker Head of People

Pall Mall Dress Code for Children

We had occasion to visit Pall Mall in March, having booked lunch in the Brooklands Room. As we made our way into the Club we were told that our grandsons were inappropriately dressed and therefore would have to leave. They had polo shirts and tailored shorts on as appropriate for a hot sunny day.

We were embarrassed at having to leave the Club having promised them a happy experience. Our experience at the Club that day was brought about by a lack of reasoned initiative on behalf of the staff.

A member

I am sorry for the inconvenience and embarrassment you and your family experienced during your visit to Pall Mall. The staff involved were correct to apply the dress code but I am sorry to hear that we were not tactful with our approach.

The dress code explains that it applies to anyone aged seven or above and states that “men should wear either a suit or smart long trousers” and that shorts are not permitted “other than as sportswear in (or travelling to or from) the sports and spa areas”.

I very much hope we will be able to welcome you and your family to Pall Mall again soon and hope this issue will not deter you from visiting again with your grandsons.

The dress codes for both clubhouses can be viewed in full on the Club website.

Daniel Pereira Chief Executive & Club Secretary