Her Majesty The Queen welcomed into Pall Mall by Club Chairman Wilfred Andrews in 1957
Sir Jackie Stewart discussing his 1969 World Championship winning Matra with Her Majesty in 2019
The Royal Automobile Club is hugely proud of its Royal patronage. It began with King Edward VII and continued when Her Majesty The Queen became our Patron in 1952.
Whilst perhaps better known for her passion for horses rather than horsepower, she maintained a keen interest in the Club and visited many times. Her most recent visit was on 13 June 2019 when I had the great honour of welcoming her to Pall Mall for a lunch to celebrate the 80th birthday and lifetime achievements of Club Vice-President Sir Jackie Stewart.
After the detailed preparations, it was with equal measures of trepidation and immense excitement that we awaited her arrival, but we had no cause to fret. Her natural warmth immediately put all of us who were lucky enough to be presented to her at ease, whilst the remarkable breadth of her knowledge ensured that there was no shortage of conversation. She took time to meet both guests and staff, demonstrating her interest in all facets of the Club’s operations and bringing huge smiles to those fortunate enough to meet her. It was a day that none of us shall ever forget.
It was not, of course, the first time our Patron had been to the clubhouse. Her first visit as monarch was in 1957, when she came to mark the Club’s Diamond Jubilee. It tells us something about the length of her reign that on that occasion she was presented to six of the Club’s founding members. Her Majesty returned in 1972 to celebrate the Club’s 75th anniversary; the more eagle-eyed among you may have spotted the plaque marking the event next to the entrance of the Cocktail Bar.
The Queen was a huge inspiration to us all, a monarch who defined the notion of service and served the nation and its people to her utmost. She was a unique symbol of continuity and reassurance, from those great state occasions and her memorable ‘we will meet again’ broadcast in the darkest days of the pandemic, to her recent encounter with Paddington Bear. We will miss her greatly.
We are now entering a new era and, on behalf of the Club, I would like to offer His Majesty The King our very best wishes at this difficult time and for the future.
Ben Cussons Club Chairman
It was with great sadness that the Club marked the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Chairman has written to His Majesty The King to express the Club’s condolences.
Before that, despite the extreme warm weather and travel disruption, members continued to flock to the clubhouses in record numbers throughout the summer. Activity in almost all areas returned to, or even exceeded, pre-pandemic levels; the demand for overnight stays, dining and golf all surpassed 2019, the Club’s events have been well attended and our Activity Groups have been extremely busy. Work is also well underway on a much-needed facelift for the Club Room, restoring it to the standard it deserves.
On staffing, I’m pleased to say that we have considerably reduced the number of vacancies despite the severe shortage of staff across the hospitality sector. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all our colleagues who joined us over the summer including, in particular, two new members of the senior management team: Jonathan Brown as Director of Operations and Robert Birchall as Finance Director. Both are already making a significant contribution to the success of the Club.
In October we will have the honour of hosting the FIA World Motor Sport Council at Pall Mall, bringing influential delegates from around the world to the ‘spiritual home of motoring’. This will be followed by the Club’s London Motor Week, which is gearing up to be a classic and will, for the first time, include an Art of Motoring exhibition in Sotheby’s Bond Street gallery. As always, the week will culminate in the world-famous RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, on Sunday 6 November.
We will also celebrate of 60 years of James Bond on screen, host a Halloween walk for our Woodcote Juniors and enjoy Fireworks Night at Woodcote Park, which is already a sell-out. We are fast approaching what is undoubtedly my favourite time of year: Christmas – and I look forward to seeing many of you dancing at our Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties, singing along at the carol concerts or enjoying your favourite dish in the restaurants.
The Club is not immune to the economic challenges we are all facing but, with prudence and careful planning, I have no doubt that the Club will continue to provide you with a wonderful haven where you can dance, sing, enjoy your pastimes, improve your fitness or eat a little too much from the Christmas menu – or however it is that you choose to enjoy your club.
Daniel PereiraThe Club members, journalists, enthusiasts and experts who have contributed to this issue.
CLUB DIRECTORY
For more contact information visit www.royalautomobileclub.co.uk
THE ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB
Chairman, Ben Cussons 01372 229628 chairman@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
Chief Executive & Club Secretary, Daniel Pereira 020 7747 3237 daniel.pereira@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
CENTRAL RESERVATIONS
For accommodation and dining. Open Monday to Friday 8.00am-8.00pm and 9.00am-5.00pm at weekends.
020 7747 3474 reserve@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
MEMBERSHIP
01372 229600 members@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
ACCOUNTS
01372 229608/9 accounts@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
MOTORING
01372 229288
motoring@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
PALL MALL
89 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HS 020 7930 2345
Hall Porter 020 7747 3267
Sports Reception 020 7747 3365
Simms Centre 020 7747 3349
Banqueting 020 7747 3386
Events 020 7747 3441
Library 020 7747 3398
Post Office 020 7747 3266
WOODCOTE PARK
Epsom, Surrey KT18 7EW 01372 276311
Cedars Sports 01372 229266
Golf Reception 01372 229245
Walled Garden 01372 229257/8
Shop 01372 229248
Banqueting 020 7747 3386
Events 01372 229230
PELL-MELL & WOODCOTE MAGAZINE
Editorial and Advertising 020 7537 6565
pellmell@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
advertising@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
Published on behalf of the Royal Automobile Club by Luxury London Media Ltd.
ANNABEL HARRISON
Managing Editor of Pell-Mell & Woodcote since 2018, Annabel is a freelance writer and editor with 16 years of multichannel experience. In this time, she has worked with a wide range of brands and publications across the luxury lifestyle, retail, education and publishing sectors.
ANNA SOLOMON
Anna is Deputy Editor of Pell-Mell & Woodcote magazine, and Assistant
Editor at Luxury London magazine and luxurylondon.co.uk. She has written for various other publications in the fields of fashion, hospitality and travel.
MARIA DOULTON
Maria is founder of The Jewellery Editor and has 20 years’ experience as an author and journalist in the field of watches and jewellery. Her work has appeared in The Financial Times, The Telegraph Luxury, The Economist and other publications.
GILES CHAPMAN
Giles is an award-winning journalist and author, with 55 car and motoring-related books to his name. He created the Royal Automobile Club’s Motoring Book Of The Year Awards, and is an expert in collectable cars and artefacts.
JAMIE LAU
Jamie is a specialist food photographer whose work appears regularly in Waitrose Magazine, Time Out, Eurostar Magazine, and publications for ASOS, John Lewis, Bloom & Wild, Marks & Spencer and many more.
JOHN EVANS
John trained to be a concert pianist before becoming a car salesman. He went on to edit car, caravan and classical music magazines before becoming a freelance journalist specialising in motoring and music. He is Pell-Mell & Woodcote magazine’s Motoring Editor.
MARK BAILEY
Mark writes about sport, health, fitness, travel and adventure for The Daily Telegraph, The Financial Times, Men’s Health, Cyclist, Runner’s World and other national titles. Prior to this he was the Features Editor for Sport magazine.
TIMOTHY BARBER
Timothy is a freelance features writer and editor, specialising in wristwatches, luxury and culture. He writes for the likes of Wired, The Daily Telegraph, The Financial Times, Spear’s, Mr Porter and Rolls-Royce, among many others.
JENNY LINFORD
Jenny is an established food writer, member of the Guild of Food Writers, and author of more than 15 books including Garlic, The Chef’s Library and Great British Cheeses. Her work has appeared in The Financial Times and in Time Out’s Eating Out guides.
MARTIN BURTON
Martin is an established photographer who contributes striking and original portraiture and reportage for the Club, having done so since 2005. He continues to work with leading figures from business and the arts.
Jota Director David Clark explains why the company is facing its toughest test yet
To Brighton: Five To Look Out For We catch up with some of the motorists taking part in RM Sotheby’s Veteran Car Run
the Club has an exciting visit planned
A Jewel In Chelsea’s Crown
We pay a visit to the
Hospital Chelsea and its resident Pensioners
The Club’s Executive Chef talks us through new organic menu options
Centre of Excellence
An interview with Rugby World Cup winner
Greenwood
Future Proof
Professor Yvonne Rogers on the fascinating future of AI 74 A Small Renaissance
How the art of micromosaic is enjoying a comeback in the jewellery world
The winter activities for our youngest members
Communicating changes to the Highway Code 104 Classifieds Goods and services on offer from other members
Curiosity
This trophy was awarded in 1934, but what for?
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 Thursday 1 December.
Pell-Mell & Woodcote
My copy of the magazine just arrived and the usual high-quality and weighty tome it is.
However, I do wonder whether, like me, other members might like to have access to this virtually rather than the physical copy, saving significant cost to the Club and to the environment?
Michael
Llewelyn-JonesThank you for your kind comments about the quality of Pell-Mell & Woodcote.
Most members prefer to receive a printed copy of the magazine which they can browse at their leisure, but it is also available online. You will find this one and all the recent editions on the Club website in the ‘About the Club’ section (once you have logged in).
If anyone no longer wishes to receive a printed copy, please amend your mailing preferences in the ‘My Account’ area of the website – or email the Communications Team (communications@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk) and we will make the change for you.
Martin Brown Head of Communications
Just picking up on Cathy Adams’ complimentary letter in July’s PellMell, with which I heartily concur, can I ask what is being done to protect established trees on the Woodcote estate?
Walking round the golf courses, I have noticed how many trees are the victims of creeper. It is well known that creeper is bad for trees and will hasten their demise especially when the leaves of the tree become smothered.
I am sure that labour resources might not stretch to dealing immediately with this issue, but if we plant new trees, which are so important for the environment, who is going to look after them?
Michael GibsonOur Estates and Greenkeeping Teams at Woodcote Park periodically inspect our trees within the estate. This inspection takes note of any disease, limbs that could be in danger of falling and the growth of vines such as ivy in order to protect the tree.
All tree management on the estate is conducted with specialist advice and in accordance with Tree Protection Orders where appropriate.
May I also take this opportunity to remind members that we are planning the next stage of the Members’ Arboretum, to be planted this winter? Any member who is interested in sponsoring a tree should email communications@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk for more information.
Jonathan Brown Director of OperationsI strongly disagree with Colin Ferguson’s demands that a jacket and tie be a requirement for all the main rooms in the Club. There has been increasing recognition in recent years that jackets and ties are not worn regularly by many professionals, particularly the younger generation that the Royal Automobile Club is dependent on for its future membership.
If the Club is primarily a leisure facility for relaxation, is it really sensible to expect people to dress up if they want to spend their evening reading a book in the Club Room or having a light supper in Brooklands? The future is surely smart casual by default with exceptions for formal environments such as the Great Gallery. Anything stricter acts as a deterrent to many members like me from spending more time in the clubhouse.
Incidentally, the two other illustrious institutions Mr Ferguson cites – The Savoy and Claridge’s –do not have dress codes, with The Savoy’s website even stating, ‘You are more than welcome to wear jeans provided they are in good repair’. Having had lunch at The Savoy recently I can assure him the widespread presence of denim did not dampen anyone’s spirits.
Michael PeetThe dress code at Pall Mall always elicits strongly held views from our members. The revised dress code which came into effect on 1 September aims to strike a better balance whilst ensuring that members, guests and other visitors dress in a manner appropriate to the Club and our beautiful clubhouse. A tie is not required anywhere in the clubhouse and a jacket is only required in the Cocktail Bar, Drawing
Room and Great Gallery – although many members choose to wear a jacket and tie by preference. You are welcome, therefore, to read a book in the Club Room or enjoy a meal in the Brooklands Room in a pair of chinos and a polo shirt, for example. Denim, however, is not permitted.
Daniel Pereira Chief Executive & Club SecretaryAs a member who spends a fair amount of my time in Amsterdam, I was delighted to see that the Koninklijke Industrieele Groote Club (Royal Industrial Club) has been added to the list of reciprocal clubs we can visit. Having often passed the building which is situated right in the middle of the Dam Square, I shall make it my business to request a letter of introduction for my next trip to the Netherlands.
Perhaps it might be helpful to have on the Club website somewhere we can let other members know about our experiences of visits to the various reciprocal clubs?
Nicolas Fenton
I hope you enjoy your next visit to Amsterdam and I look forward to hearing your feedback.
Although we don’t feel that a Tripadvisor-style forum would be appropriate, we are always very keen to receive feedback from members after any visits to a reciprocal club: please email members@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk. We will also be looking, next year, at whether we can provide more information on reciprocal clubs on the website based on the feedback we receive.
Genevieve Griffin Head of MembershipTennis
I was wondering if the Club has reached any conclusions regarding the potential for Padel tennis at Woodcote Park?
As a semi-regular Padel player, I think it would be an excellent addition – the game is accessible to all ages and abilities, with an emphasis on doubles play. Padel popularity is growing rapidly, and nearby Epsom LTC have capitalised on this well.
I recognise the competition for space with other facilities – I also play tennis and golf, so wasn’t calling for anything drastic!
Any update on the latest thinking would be great.
Peter Bolton
Thank you for your letter. I know this is an issue of interest to a number of members.
The Board decided in 2019 that there should be no decisions on further major development at Woodcote Park for at least two years after the Walled Garden had opened – which will be Easter next year. It was felt to be important to have this time to assess the impact of the Walled Garden on the use of Woodcote Park as a whole.
It has also been decided not to proceed with building Padel courts in isolation, only as part of an overall plan for Cedars Sports. Building the courts would involve considerable expense and also require the reconfiguration of other facilities to create the space necessary.
I will update members next year on the further development of the facilities at both Woodcote Park and Pall Mall.
Daniel Pereira Chief Executive & Club Secretary
In memory of Paddy Hopkirk MBE, who passed away in July, the Chairman has chosen this photograph of the legendary driver guiding his Mini Cooper S to victory in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally.
OCCASION
1964 Monte Carlo Rally
SUBJECT
Paddy Hopkirk and his Mini Cooper S on Monte Carlo’s harbour front
CREDIT
LAT Photographic
PADDY HOPKIRK WILL always be remembered as the man who, along with his co-driver Henry Liddon, won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in a Mini Cooper S – a tiddler against the mighty 4.7-litre V8 Ford Falcons. He played down his contribution but few were in doubt that a superstar had arrived and he instantly found himself and his little Mini on every front page and even celebrated at the London Palladium.
Hopkirk often said this period was the making of him but, while some in his position might have been changed by such success, the Belfast-born legend – who learned to drive in an invalid carriage and who was a keen racer from the start – remained approachable,
warm-hearted and generous with his time throughout his long life.
In addition to his many race and rally wins, he founded a successful business, established and was patron of several charities and went on to be a Vice-President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club. However, to those who had the pleasure of his company, he was a man who could light up a room with his energy and personality while, to those he was closest to, he was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He will be missed but, here at the Club and far beyond, never forgotten.
Paddy Hopkirk MBE: 14 April 1933 –21 July 2022.
by John Evans
Photography by Martyn Goddard
LIKE ITS NAMESAKE, the Cobra that occupied the rotunda in July mesmerised members with its captivating looks and ability to strike with devastating effect. Known as the Black Flag Jack Sears Cobra, the V8-powered roadster, registration number 39 PH, entered motor racing folklore when, during the 1964 Ilford Films Trophy Race at Brands Hatch, it was driven to victory despite being black flagged and so sent to the pits. As the rest of the field raced by, Jack Sears, the car’s driver, saw red not least because, in his opinion, the black flag had been incorrectly awarded.
Sears had assumed that, following a crash in practice involving one of the leading drivers, he could occupy third place on the front row and did so (team owner John Willment later claimed he saw an official wave Sears into position). A grid marshal disagreed and told Sears to move back but it was too late and the race started. As Sears crossed the line at the end of the first lap he was directed to the pits.
“When I was told to go, I was white with rage,” recalled Sears. “I charged through the pits shaking my fist at every official.” When he restarted Sears soon began lapping at record speeds. He eventually overtook Jackie Stewart’s Lightweight E-type Jaguar to win by four seconds, declaring the race, “the greatest I ever drove”.
TYPE
Two-seat
roadster racer
ENGINE
Ford 289 V8 4.7
CARBURETTORS
4 x Weber downdraught
SUSPENSION
Transverse leaf front and rear
STEERING
Rack and pinion
BRAKES
Discs all-round, in-board at rear
Club member Gregor Fisken, the car’s present owner, says that with podiums at races including Le Mans and Goodwood, not to mention Brands Hatch, 39 PH has the greatest European race history of any racing Cobra, and is a pleasure to drive. “People think Cobras must be a handful. This one is not!”
Following his election to the Board at this year’s Club AGM, Richard Arman has been selected as the new Chairman of the Woodcote Park Committee.
Having grown up in Ashtead, Richard’s association with the Club dates back to his time as a ‘Junior Sports Member’, which included braving the only pool then available at Woodcote Park, which was outdoors.
Most recently, before retirement, Richard was the Director of Development (UK and Ireland) at the InterContinental Hotel Group. During his long career in the hospitality industry
Full details of all the opening times over Christmas and the New Year can be viewed on the Club website. In summary:
Pall Mall
The clubhouse is closed from 4.00pm on Friday 23 December until Monday 2 January, with the exception of the sports facilities and the Club Room which are open from Wednesday 28 December until Saturday 31 December with reduced hours.
Woodcote Park
The clubhouse and the bars and restaurants are open over much of Christmas and the New Year except when there are special events taking place. Please check the website for the details for each outlet and we recommend booking in advance.
The golf courses, Cedars Sports and the Walled Garden are all open every day except Christmas Day, but with amended hours.
he worked for a range of major hotel companies, such as Best Western and Choice Hotels International.
Since re-joining the Club in 2015, Richard has contributed his considerable expertise by serving on the Working Groups for the refurbishment of the Brooklands Room, the Derby and Oaks Rooms at Woodcote Park and, now, the bedrooms at Pall Mall. He has been a member of the Woodcote Park Committee since 2019.
A sports enthusiast, Richard also knows his way around a golf course and a tennis court and, like many fellow members, has a penchant for classic and vintage cars.
An amended code for dress and standards at Pall Mall came into effect at the beginning of September, when the summer dress code period ended.
The amended code primarily sets out in greater detail how to meet the requirements which have been in place since 2021, providing additional clarity for members and for staff. The two main changes from the previous code are that:
• denim is no longer permitted anywhere at any time, except to transit between the entrance and the sports changing rooms or your bedroom
• while polo shirts are still permitted (except in the Cocktail Bar, Drawing Room and Great Gallery); they must not be multicoloured.
There are also some amendments to the requirements for footwear to ensure it is of an appropriate standard.
In general, members, their guests and any other visitors to Pall Mall are expected to dress suitably for the Club environment: smartly and with a degree of formality appropriate for the time of day and occasion.
Members are also reminded that:
• outerwear and luggage must be left in the cloakroom or your bedroom (or a banqueting room if the event organiser agrees)
• mobile phones and tablets may only be used in silent mode except in the phone booths on the ground floor, in the Simms Centre Communications Room, in meeting rooms or in your bedroom
• laptops may only be used in the Simms Centre, the Library and in pre-booked banqueting rooms and bedrooms
• headphones and earbuds are not permitted anywhere except in the gym (and in the areas where laptops may be used).
Further information is available on the Club website and in a leaflet available from the Reception desk at Pall Mall. If you have any questions, please email communications@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk or ask a member of staff.
Thank you to the 374 members aged between 18 and 35 who completed the survey about activities for Young Members.
The results are now being carefully considered by the Young Members Committee and will inform the programme of activities for 2023, more about which will be announced soon.
Amsterdam is the location for the latest addition to the Club’s reciprocal network.
The Koninklijke Industrieele Groote Club is located in the centre of the city and was awarded its royal title
in 2013 to mark its centenary. It provides a range of facilities for dining and for meetings.
Information on all the reciprocal clubs available to members can be found on the Club website.
A weekend of sunshine and wind in June brought an exciting finish to both the Men’s and Ladies’ Club Championship Competitions.
The Men’s Club Championship concluded with an eagle on the 18th for a total 140 over the two rounds. Congratulations to Max French.
The Ladies’ Club Championship was not settled over the 36 holes, with Natanje Holt, Jo Atkins and Giang Chatelan making the playoff. It took three further holes to determine the winner, with congratulations to Natanje Holt.
Many congratulations to all the 2022 Club Champions:
• Men’s Club Championship Winner – Max French
• Ladies’ Club Championship Winner – Natanje Holt
• Men’s Senior Club Championship Winner –Martin Vertigen
• Ladies’ Senior Club Championship Winner –Cherry Hughes
Eighty ladies took part in the Ladies’ Invitation Guest Day on Tuesday 5 July. Played on the Old Course with a shotgun start, the ladies played in teams of four with the best two stableford scores counting on each hole. There was a buffet lunch and a prize presentation in the Cedar Room after the golf.
Pictured with our Lady Captain Maggie Simkins are Sy Salim, Roo Goswamy and their guests Bassey Dunbar from Sundridge Park and Gabriella
Campanale from Richmond Golf Club, who won the competition with 107 points.
Two days later it was the turn of 40 male Golf Pass Holders and their guests to enjoy 18 holes on the Old Course. This was followed by a buffet lunch and a prize presentation in the Cedar Room.
John Nunn and his son Jeremy Nunn from Cuddington Golf Club, who was his guest, won the Old Course better ball stableford competition with 44 points.
It was a first for the rotunda display when, in August, the prime spot in Pall Mall was occupied by a racing simulator instead of a car. Prodrive has partnered with Ian Callum, one of the world’s foremost automotive designers, with the aim of creating a piece of furniture that would take pride of place in any home or venue.
The sculpted carbon monocoque floats beneath a striking canopy of 16 birch layers, encased in a lacquered gloss black finish. Club member and Prodrive Chairman, David Richards, had the idea to create this striking piece of home sculpture: “I wanted something that married technology with contemporary furniture, something you would be proud to have on display in your home, like a grand piano, rather than tucked out of the way. I’m proud of the result; it’s something that would not look out of place in a gallery of contemporary art.”
As announced in July’s edition of Pell-Mell & Woodcote, the Segrave Trophy has been awarded to Robin Shute for being the first and only British driver to have claimed overall victory in the Pikes Peak hill climb in Colorado. Since that was published he has won the race a remarkable third time.
In August, Robin was welcomed to Pall Mall to receive the trophy from Club Chairman Ben Cussons. In his acceptance speech he said: “Receiving this prestigious award is a huge honour. There are so many great names amongst the past winners and, as someone who has a passion for speed records, I have an enormous amount of respect for Sir Henry Segrave and everything that he achieved. To win a trophy awarded in his honour is very special.”
The trophy is named after Sir Henry Segrave – the first person to hold both the land and the water speed world records, although the latter would cost him his life in 1930 – and is awarded for ‘outstanding skill, courage and initiative on land, water and in the air: the spirit of adventure’.
The centenary of the 1922 TT motor race was marked in June with an event organised by Club member Vivian Bush. It featured more than 70 vintage Bentleys, plus 1920s Sunbeams, including the 1922 winning Chassagne car and Sir Henry Segrave’s, which was forced to retire from the race.
In 1922, fledgling manufacturer W O Bentley posted a last-minute entry of three ‘production chassis’ cars for the RAC’s Tourist Trophy – held on the Isle of Man as road racing was prohibited on
the mainland. The resulting second, fourth and fifth places, against Grand Prix Sunbeams and Vauxhalls, kick-started the Bentley reputation for speed and reliability. That year proved to be the last Manx TT car race as the course was deemed too dangerous for the ever-increasing speeds.
The line-up in June included EXP2, the oldest remaining Bentley in the world; it was registered in 1921, 18 months before the first customer car was delivered. Used for pre-race practise in 1922, a century later it carried the island’s Lieutenant Governor for a parade lap of the 37.75 mile circuit.
Mr Michael Halliden
07/01/1943-18/01/2022
Mr Alun Jones
17/10/1923-25/01/2022
Mr Raymond Brown 17/02/1938-16/02/2022
Mr Peter Woolf-Skinner 09/07/1935-28/03/2022
Mrs Elisabeth van Odijk
01/02/1949-01/04/2022
Mr George Mount
13/10/1996-10/04/2022
Mr Timothy Waller
30/12/1946-03/05/2022
Mr Douglas Hampson
22/10/1946-21/05/2022
Mr Montague Northcott
25/04/1931-23/05/2022
Mr Phillip Hyde
02/10/1945-04/06/2022
Mrs Marilyn Ishani
13/09/1949-12/06/2022
Mr David Barham JP DL 06/10/1926-19/06/2022
Mr Peter Clifton-Gould 10/06/1944-21/06/2022
Mr Rodney Yates
07/06/1937-01/07/2022
Mr David Worskett 05/05/1952-10/07/2022
Mr Samir Abujamra 02/07/1935-14/07/2022
Mr Derek Hughes
01/08/1932-15/07/2022
On 25 June nine hardy souls took to the Solent on speedy RIBs to photograph the ‘Round the Island’ race, with upwards of 1,200 boats on the water including some classic yachts. Hoping for calm waters, sunshine and a slight breeze we headed out from Lymington to catch the early starters.
The required early images were obtained and as the fleet moved towards the Needles we followed. Resting on the tide in heavier water we waited and were duly rewarded with many interesting shots. Lunch beckoned and so we set off to Cowes, encountering the final stragglers on the way and earlier faster boats crossing the finish line.
A dash to Ryde followed and a colourful afternoon session with the main fleet of some 1,000 boats rounding the east point of the Isle of Wight: into the homeward stretch, spinnakers billowing, some ripped, others sinking into the sea with tiring crews attempting recovery.
A fast journey through rough waters back to Lymington made certain that everyone received a good salty taste of the sea, bringing to an end a wonderful day.
Ed Horne, a 67-year-old regular member of the Club’s Swimming Group, completed a solo swim of the English Channel on 8 July, making his way from Abbotts Cliff, Dover, to Wissant in northern France in 15 hours and 51 minutes and raising around £25,000 for charity.
Ed started in the dark at 3.47am, reaching terra firma in France at 7.38pm that evening. Sea conditions were generally fair but somewhat choppy in the north east shipping lane. Ed was mentored by Kevin Murphy, a septuagenarian, better known as ‘The king of the Channel’ having swum it 34 times.
This was Ed’s third attempt to swim the Channel, making the success even sweeter. His previous two attempts had ended after 13 and 14
hours respectively.
Putting the swim into context, whilst more than 6,000 people have climbed Everest, only about 2,200 people have ever swum the Channel. The oldest was 73 years old, just six years older than Ed, which makes him almost certainly among the oldest 15 people to complete the swim.
The Provenance of a Bronze Bull Keen-eyed visitors to the Club Room in Pall Mall may have spotted a new trophy in the cabinet by the chess sets. This wonderful bronze was generously donated by our reciprocal club the Real Casino de Madrid when its chess team visited in June.
Our Spanish friends fielded a team of 10 players for our inaugural inter-club match, with a format of two 45-minute games of 10 boards. We took a 7-3 lead by the halfway stage but the second half was much closer, with Richard Hughes landing the win in the second half by drawing the crucial match against Casino’s top board José Ignacio Herrero (right). The Club’s players, who performed exceptionally well, winning both their games, were Svetlana Broussova, Scott Samuel, Mike Rolfe and Henry McWatters.
At a dinner in the Terrace Room that evening, ‘El Torito’ was presented to Chess Chairman Henry McWatters by José Manuel Gonzáles Moreno, Vicepresidente del Real Casino de Madrid. The beautiful sculpture is by Isidore-Jules Bonheur.
On one of the hottest days of July, Woodcote Park chess players hosted a friendly chess fixture against some of the stalwart chess players of Pall Mall.
A shady scenic venue at the front of the clubhouse was found to meet the exceptional weather conditions and the dress code somewhat relaxed for this outdoor occasion – as Pall Mall’s match captain Rob Matthews showed in his shorts while leading his team to a 4-1 victory.
The Film Society arranges for films to be shown on a regular basis at both Pall Mall and Woodcote Park. 2022 has proved to be an extremely busy and successful year, with more than a dozen screenings scheduled to take place across both clubhouses over the course of the year, and with record attendances for films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Cinema Paradiso
The Film Society has a full schedule of events planned for 2023, including films such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Il Postino.
For the latest information on forthcoming screenings at both clubhouses please visit the Activities section of the Club website.
vs. the Honourable Artillery Company CC
On a sunny Wednesday in Battersea Park, the Club lost the toss and was put into the field by the HAC, one of our strongest opponents. The Club’s team started strongly, with Oskar Denby bowling with good pace and accuracy and putting the HAC top order under real pressure.
Mid-way through the HAC innings a good crowd of the Club’s Young Members arrived to cheer the team on, leading to some inspirational fielding, in particular a couple of outstanding
stops from Duncan Wallace.
Skipper Tristan Caviet rotated the bowlers with Tom Weston and Freddie Joyce bowling tightly which, combined with some great glove work from James Mitchell, restricted the HAC to a total of 143.
The Club’s openers Magnus Pierre and Tristan Caviet got off to a flying start with 44 off the first four overs, with each boundary being cheered by the crowd. Tristan and Magnus both made their 30 before retiring and the boundaries and cheers kept coming with Nick Havers closing out the chase for the Club!
The Billiards Committee was delighted to host the Summer Finals Night on 10 June.
Christian Harris won the Snooker Singles Handicap tournament, beating Giles Gleave in a well-fought final. Prizes were also awarded to:
• Billiards – winner Tom Watling, runner-up Russell Prior
• Doubles Snooker – winners Graeme Lewis and Simon Wilson, runners-up Stewart Cowley and Declan Tiernan
• The Pall Mall Cup – winner Giles Gleave, runnerup Declan Tiernan.
Pictured below are some of the winners receiving their prizes from John Veness, Chairman of the Pall Mall Billiards Committee.
For more information and to book, please visit the Club website or contact the Central Reservations Team by emailing reserve@royalautomobileclub.co.uk or on 020 7747 3474. All prices are based upon VAT at 20%.
Club Shops and Online Shop
Festive Gifts
If you’re starting to think about Christmas, then look no further than the Club Shops in the clubhouses and online for gifts for family and friends. With something for everyone, whatever their age, choose from Club crested presents and family board games to Club wines, champagne and hampers.
Club Cellar
Stock up your cellar with your favourite Club wines and spirits, whether it’s a Club champagne
to accompany your canapés or a Club port to complement your Stilton cheese. Home delivery is available for all cellar items.
Club Larder
The Club’s larder is fully stocked with all you might need for a real feast this Christmas, from sweet treats and preserves to cheese selection boxes, charcuterie and chutney. Pre-order your festive food, including turkeys, smoked salmon and Christmas puddings, ready for collection at a time that is convenient to you.
For further information please visit the online Club Shop or email the team at shop@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
Tuesday 1 November until Wednesday 30 November
Woodcote Park: all outlets
Members can choose from a selection of Grandes Marques champagnes – including Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Lanson and Veuve Clicquot – at an exclusive Club price to enjoy with your meal.
Prices start at £45.00 per bottle or £12.50 per glass. Please note that bottles must be consumed on the Club premises.
Tuesday 8 November, 6.00-9.00pm
Pall Mall: Committee Room
Thursday 10 November, 6.00-9.00pm
Woodcote Park: Cedar Room
This is the ultimate pamper night that will leave you looking positively glowing, as well as giving
you a few ideas for Christmas or birthday gifts for loved ones. The evening includes a drinks reception, a presentation from TEMPLESPA, a personalised skincare consultation or mini treatment and a goodie bag.
Members and guests: £25.00
To book, please visit the events page on the Club website or email events@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
Tuesday 15 to Wednesday 23 November Pall Mall: Great Gallery
Celebrate the game season with our seasonal tasting menu designed by the Club’s Executive Chef, Matthew
From Thursday 24 November Pall Mall and Woodcote Park
Sit back and let the Club’s team of expert chefs do all the hard work this winter as they cook up a storm in the kitchen. Enjoy a delicious two or three-course menu in the Club’s restaurants, featuring a delicious combination of seasonally influenced dishes.
Great Gallery Lunch Menu
Two courses: £53.00
Three courses: £63.00
Great Gallery Evening Tasting Menu
Five-course tasting menu: £85.00
£135.00 with matching wines
Brooklands Lunch and Dinner Menu
Two courses: £37.00
Three courses: £44.50
Brooklands Children’s Menu (Under-12s)
Two courses: £12.00
Three courses: £15.00
Marshall. Matthew’s passion for catching and cooking game can be seen in the menu, featuring some of the finest produce sourced at the height of the season.
Five-course tasting dinner menu: £80.00
Five-course tasting dinner menu with wine pairing: £130.00
Stirling’s Lunch and Dinner Menu
Two courses: £40.00
Three courses: £45.50
Fountain Lunch and Dinner Menu
Two courses: £37.00
Three courses: £42.50
Fountain Children’s Menu
Two courses: £9.00
Three courses: £13.00
19th Hole Lunch and Dinner Menu
Two courses: £30.00
Three courses: £35.00
Throughout December
Pall Mall: Cocktail Bar and Drawing Room
Woodcote Park: Stirling’s and Hurricane Bar
Visit Pall Mall or Woodcote Park in December to enjoy one of our new seasonal cocktails. They will be specially created by our expert mixologists with delicious, Christmas-influenced flavours.
Prices from £15.00
Wednesday 7 December
Woodcote Park: Cedar Room
Join the final Dining Club of the year, hosted by Executive Chef Matthew Marshall and his brigade, for a special themed evening. Guests will enjoy a four-course themed gastronomic tasting menu with matching wine pairings. Includes an arrival drink, a glass of wine with the first course and petit fours and coffee.
Members: £89.00
Guests: £99.00
Throughout December
Pall Mall: Cocktail Bar and Drawing Room
Woodcote Park: Lounge
The Club’s delicious Christmas Afternoon Tea will be served in the comfortable surroundings of the Club Room and the Drawing Room at Pall Mall and the Lounge at Woodcote Park. Enjoy a choice of traditional sandwiches and home-made cakes with a festive twist, plus scones and mince pies accompanied by a choice of teas, infusions or coffees.
Afternoon Tea: £35.00
Afternoon Tea with a 125ml glass of Charles Heidsieck Brut NV champagne: £45.00
Available for 2023 and 2024
Pall Mall and Woodcote Park
Whether you choose to celebrate your wedding in the heart of the city or the Surrey countryside, the Club’s experts are poised to provide everything you need to ensure perfection on your special day.
With a licence for civil ceremonies at both clubhouses, including outside at Woodcote Park, you can choose to mark the whole occasion in the exclusivity of one venue, or you can celebrate post-ceremony with a reception to remember.
Wedding Fayre
Saturday 28 January
Woodcote Park: Cedar Room
Are you planning your special day or maybe know someone who is? Join us at Woodcote Park for some ideas to help you create the perfect day as we showcase weddings at the Club.
For more information or to arrange a meeting with the Club’s Wedding Coordinator, please email banquetingwp@royautomobileclub.co.uk
Friday 25 November
Club Shops and Online Shop
This Black Friday, shop both in store and online with discounts of up to 50 per cent on selected gifts.
Available all year
Pall Mall and Woodcote Park
Treat yourself this winter with a spa break that will bring back your sparkle.
This package includes a 25-minute treatment, threecourse dinner, full English breakfast and overnight stay.
Pall Mall from £332.00 per room per night
Woodcote Park from £262.00 per room per night
Prices are based upon two adults sharing a double standard room at the member rate. This package is only available Sunday to Thursday at Woodcote Park.
For more information or to book, please contact the Central Reservations Team at reserve@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk or on 020 7747 3474 and quote ‘Spa and Stay’.
The next Club Sale will take place on Wednesday 4 January, offering members the chance to book overnight stays at discounted rates.
Full details will be announced nearer the time.
For 20 years Jota has been winning trophies in endurance racing. Now it faces its toughest test yet. Club member and Jota Director David Clark invited us behind the scenes at this remarkable company.
Words by John Evans Photography by DPPI Production for Jota Sport and Olgun Kordal
TEN PODIUMS IN the past nine years at the 24 hours of Le Mans, the most gruelling motor race in the world. By any measure, that’s success. Remarkably, it’s been achieved by a small but tightly knit motor racing team located in premises on a farm deep in the Kent countryside. A vast organisation operating out of a multi-million-pound complex in sight of Silverstone it is not.
The day I meet Sam Hignett, co-founder of Jota, and his business partner, and Club member, David Clark, there’s a quiet and steely focus about the place. The team is fresh from victory at Le Mans in June, its third LMP2-class win at the legendary 24hour race, having also won in 2014 and 2017.
Jota’s achievement, in a field of 26 cars, puts them 19 points clear of their nearest rivals in the FIA World Endurance Championship with, as this was written, only two more races, Fuji and Bahrain, remaining. In the workshop is one of the McLarens, number 38, that the team took to eighth place in the other championship that
Sam Hignett co-founded Jota (the name inspired by the Lamborghini of the same name) with friend and fellow racing driver John Stack.
Jota contests, GT3, at Spa 24 Hours just a few days earlier. In a field of 66 cars it was the highest placed McLaren.
Success breeds success but on the evidence of my visit, it clearly doesn’t go to the heads of the calm technicians who help make it happen. Between races, some of them have taken the opportunity to enjoy their summer leave, so perhaps things aren’t quite as intense as they must be with a race looming and all hands on deck. Even so, seeing the technicians who remain tending to some of the most extreme and complex racing cars in the world, I can’t believe that, with the exception perhaps of the pit garage, things ever get too heated.
“Efficiency is the key to everything we
Previous spread: Jota on its way to victory in the LMP2 class at this year’s Le Mans
This page: Racing around the clock at Le Mans is all in a day’s work for Jota, the endurance specialists
To outsiders, the upper echelons of the sports car racing world can be a confusing place, characterised by obscure abbreviations such as LMP2 and GT3. They stand for something but what?
In fact, LMP stands for Le Mans Prototype, a class of race car designed to compete in the World Endurance Championship. Unlike a Formula One car, an LMP car has an enclosed cockpit and all-enveloping bodywork. Some are faster than F1 cars, at least in a straight line. There are three LMP classes: entry-level LMP3, LMP2 and LMP1. In 2021, LMP1 was renamed Hypercar to reflect the introduction of hybrid systems. From next season, it is joined by LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h), also for hybrid racers. GT3 is a championship for grand tourer racing cars that are based on production models. Jota, for example, fields a pair of heavily modified McLaren 720S sports cars. Other manufacturers competing in the class include Mercedes, Porsche, Audi and BMW. GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE), comprising multiple one-hour races and endurance races lasting up to 24 hours, is the foremost championship in GT3 and Spa 24 Hours, the pinnacle of the GT3 calendar.
do,” says Hignett. We’re sitting in his office, an unpretentious space for a man, still only in his 40s, who has achieved so much in the 22 years since he co-founded Jota (the name was inspired by the Lamborghini of the same name) with friend and fellow racing driver John Stack. Hignett has been endurance racing since his student days (he studied materials engineering at university), at the wheel first of a Honda Integra and later a Renault Clio V6 Trophy. In 2002, he and Stack purchased
an SR2-class Pilbeam to compete in the FIA Sportscar Championship, finishing second overall in the SR2 championship.
Over the following years Jota’s trophy cabinet began to fill, thanks to successes in endurance racing notably with Zytek, whose factory team they ran, and in racing series including the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. Other race partnerships included those with Charouz Racing Systems and manufacturers Aston Martin and Mazda, while in 2017 they joined forces with Jackie Chan DC Racing
to run two Oreca 07 LMP2 cars in the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship.
Engineer, racing driver, team owner and deal maker (as an independent company, sponsorship is key to Jota’s survival) Hignett, along with David Clark who came on board in 2010, spins many plates but rarely drops any. Jota’s dedication to efficiency in everything it does – from its cars’ aerodynamic efficiency to the efficient working practices of the team – is the primary reason for that but there are others, too.
They include consistency, which Hignett believes has been key to Jota’s success. “We’ve stuck with endurance and sports car racing. It’s what we do and have done since the company was formed. It means we understand the circuits and the cars completely and can build on our experience with each passing season. Had we chopped and changed race series, things might have turned out differently.”
Consistency in staffing is another factor Hignett believes has contributed to Jota’s success. “We have fantastic staff retention. Of course, our location far from Northamptonshire and the racing teams who constantly poach each other’s people
means they face fewer temptations but we strive to create an atmosphere and a way of working that encourages them to remain.”
On that point, Hignett believes very firmly in giving people responsibility. “Not only do they learn their craft but they also learn to take responsibility for their actions. It’s about empowering people and making them self-motivated.”
Equipping the team with the right tools for the job is a given but Hignett goes further
Technology
by encouraging his engineers to explore and devise technical solutions for themselves.
“In the main office we have three 3D printers. Any time an engineer conceives a solution for a technical problem, they can use a printer to produce the component for testing. Why wait for solutions when we have the answers right here at Jota?”
Hignett’s last ingredient for success is, of course, fostering a happy working environment. Later, down in the workshop, I sneak a glance at a whiteboard among the cars and components. On it, someone has scrawled the title, ‘The Wall of Philosophy’.
I’m keen to see what insights Jota engineers can share. Among the lighter-hearted snippets of wisdom (‘If you aren’t first, you’re last’ and ‘Just because you boil the kettle twice, it doesn’t mean the water is twice as hot’) are pearls including ‘Make sure your words are better than silence’ and, one that’s pertinent for an organisation confronting the unpredictable on a daily basis, ‘Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.’
Next season, that pearl could prove invaluable as Jota moves up from the LMP2 class in the FIA World Endurance
Championship to the top tier: Hypercar. From 2023 this class permits two types of endurance car: LMH and LMDh. Both are very specific hybrid cars combining an electric motor with an internal combustion engine. Jota, an independent team remember, will be fielding a Porsche 963 in the LMDh class against the likes of car makers BMW and Porsche.
“This is the pinnacle; the class every ambitious team strives to enter,” says Hignett. That Jota can do so is thanks, in particular, to the company’s partners, Tom Wagner and Greg O’Hara, who, with their investment companies, are also the new owners of vehicle rental giant, Hertz. They are also closely involved with Singer Vehicle Design, which modifies Porsche 911s to an incredibly high standard. “It is a three-year deal with an option for a further two years that gives us the security and sustainability we need to succeed,” explains Hignett.
Still in the workshop my attention is drawn by a partially dismantled LMP2 car. It’s Jota’s development car and, like all LMP2 cars, it is an Oreca 07 powered by a Gibson 4.2 V8. A veteran of past campaigns (it took pole at Le Mans in 2016, where it also finished second in 2017, and scored victories at Sebring and Fuji) it’s fresh from Jerez where it was engaged in development work for a major tyre company, as well as for Jota’s assault on Bahrain in November where the combination of high track temperatures and an abrasive surface are similar to those found at the Spanish circuit. Perhaps Hignett should have added ‘attention to detail’ to his recipe for success. Elsewhere, that detail is evident in another string to Jota’s bow: its engineering services division. Located close by, it is home to some of the most advanced metal cutting machines imaginable, producing perfectly shaped and calibrated components for major car manufacturers and their burgeoning electric vehicle programmes. “This business grew out of our race work,” says Hignett. “There’s not a lot we can’t make.”
As Jota ponders its move into endurance racing’s coveted Hypercar class, that talent for self-reliance should prove invaluable.
MEMBERS ENJOYING THE sunshine at Woodcote Park on 21 July were delighted, and a little surprised, to see 15 beautiful veteran cars chugging past the Fountain Terrace. The pre-1905 vehicles were all setting off on the Club’s inaugural Summer Veteran Car Run, which took them on a 40-mile route around Surrey.
Now imagine more than 300 of these remarkable cars streaming out of London and through the Sussex countryside to Brighton, each with its own unique story. Here are five to look out for on the big day.
John Dennis at the wheel of his 1902 Dennis Tonneau, a car he has driven on the Brighton Run no fewer than 61 times Photograph: Rob Cadman
The RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run takes place on the first Sunday in November. Five of the intrepid motorists tell their story.
Words by Giles ChapmanFor decades, parents across Britain have been asked by inquisitive children why so many refuse lorries and fire engines are called Dennis. Why not Colin, Percy or Fred? In fact, John Dennis was the founder, in 1895, of the company that made the vehicles. Dennis vehicles continue to be produced but while the Dennis clan is no longer involved, the present John Dennis and his 1902 Dennis Tonneau keep an astonishing tradition going. “I’ve done the Run 61 times in the car since 1959,” he says. “In fact, I’ve done it 63 times because the first two were as a passenger with my dad in the same car, and I was still in short trousers!”
The Tonneau is something of a kit that
Dennis’s ancestors assembled. The majority of the chassis was made by France’s Lacoste et Battmann and the engine by De Dion of the same country, while the Guildford-based Dennis company built the capacious body. “It’s probably the most common style of bodywork on the Run. A tonneau is a four or five-seat open car so if it rains, you just get very wet. I’d say about ten of my Runs have been really bad weather days.”
Dennis has five other veteran cars but knows the Tonneau’s limitations like the back of his hand. “It’s only three quarters of a turn lock-to-lock, so the steering is extremely direct. The brakes are not brilliant but that’s par for the course. Then again, you’re only doing 20mph. The car is really not bad for a trade-in that spent 25 years languishing in a corner of the Dennis factory and was somewhat cannibalised for spares.”
The spectacle of the Veteran Car Run in full force leaves an indelible impression on a young mind. On icy Sunday mornings in his childhood, Henry Lawson’s father would take him to the roadside near Brighton where they would watch the old cars roll into town on the last leg of their journey. Subconsciously, Henry was determined to be a part of the Run one day although, in one unexpected way, he already was…
“In about 2000 I told my wife Lindsay I’d like to buy a veteran car that would suit the whole family and, when I happened across a twin-cylinder MMC, it seemed ideal,” he recalls. “A year later, Nigel Parrott, a veteran car horse-whisperer who is a genius at making them run properly, called me and said the only surviving four-cylinder example was also for sale, so I bought that one too. Although it was just four miles
from my house, I hadn’t known it existed!”
The family has entered both MMCs on the Run numerous times, although the first car has since been sold. Lawson says old hands decried his 1903 model (its chassis frame and body are made of wood) as practically undriveable but Lindsay has proved them wrong. “It’s taken a woman’s touch to get it to work properly and become one of the fastest cars on the event.” One year, one of the couple’s three sons drove it in the Run. “We’ve all had enormous fun,” says Lawson.
In researching his cars, he was shocked to discover he is related to Harry Lawson, the British businessman and motor pioneer behind the MMC marque. “He’s the entrepreneur/fraudster/visionary –depending on your point of view – who organised the original Emancipation Run in 1896 and the chap who founded MMC. I love to think about that as we cross the M25 at Redhill and leave the suburbs behind us.”
Meet Boanerges, affectionately known as Bo; a venerable mechanical steed that’s been in the same custodianship since 1934. The hefty, five-seater James & Browne probably enjoys more outings – often weekly – than any other veteran in the country and has been driven in the Run by more amateurs than any comparable car.
This is because Bo is the mascot of the City and Guilds College Union at London’s Imperial College. Each year on the Run, the Chair enjoys the privilege of taking the wheel, no matter how inexperienced he or she is. In 2021 it was Andrew Beggs and for 2022 it’s Ben Stevens.
“Every Wednesday afternoon we meet up to keep Bo maintained and drive him about,” says Beggs, a graduate in computing. “That’s why we think he’s the most driven veteran car on the Run. We’ll go to the pub in him, get fish and chips and do tourist things around London. It’s great fun.
“When I did the Run last year I’d never driven him before. You need two people up front so that one of them can manage the throttle that is mounted on the steering wheel. Both have to work in sync.” This year, Stevens, a mechanical engineer, is taking charge of Bo, again with no experience of it. “We’ll just have to make it up as we go along,” he admits. “I’m hoping to get some practice but he’s currently in pieces.”
Other members of the team travel in the Student Union minibus, crammed with tools, for back-up. A day’s adventure is, accordingly, always guaranteed.
The University’s association with the Run goes back decades. Striped college blazers are de rigueur (with jumpers and hoodies underneath) and once Bo is safely on his trailer and under a tarpaulin in Brighton (assuming he makes it – in 2021 he conked out in Crawley), a hearty dinner is in prospect, where Bo is toasted with the club tipple: vintage port.
“The more you do the Veteran Car Run, the more interested and involved you get in the whole event.”
Not much escapes the notice of the most ardent spectators on the Veteran Car Run and the fact this Columbia doesn’t billow blue smoke or make a racket like a Victorian cotton mill betrays its virtuous secret: it’s a zero emissions electric pioneer.
Vanessa Tjega drove it in 2021, when it turned out to be quite an experience. “The car was pretty reliable, although we had a bit of an issue near Crawley; not with the electric motor but with the brakes. It was a little bit scary. The brakes faded away and it wouldn’t go into gear either, so we just had to slow right down. My navigator John was very encouraging. He said there was no rush and we should let people overtake. So I did and then everything seemed to
start working properly just before we got into Brighton!”
Owned by Tjega’s adoptive father Bernard Holmes, the Columbia has tackled the Run five times. In 2022 it’s the turn of another family friend to take the tiller. “They are really eager and I’ll be teaching them the controls,” explains Tjega. “Everyone has to get an opportunity. The more you do it, the more interested and involved you get in the whole event. Even my friends have developed a keen interest in veteran cars after they saw me driving.”
Fortunately, whatever challenges the Columbia throws at its rookie driver this year, ‘range anxiety’ (a fear that the battery will run out) will not be among them. In its guise as the Tesla of its times, it can do the whole 50-mile stint on a single charge.
To the casual observer, the 1901 Mors belies its once high-tech status. “It’s an outstanding car; a really special bit of kit that was state-of-the art for 1901 and a very good performer for its year,” declares Club Chairman Ben Cussons, who settles down into its buttoned leather driving seat as comfortably as his favourite armchair.
He has lost count of the number of times he’s driven on the Run. “I’ve been lucky to drive a wide variety of cars over the years, each with their own idiosyncrasies”. The RAC 1 registration number marks the Mors out as a true Club treasure. “The Club bought it 30 years ago because it needed an appropriate car to take part in the Run. That was before my time but it was an inspired choice: you can’t get a better early car. It was just as advanced as the leading Mercedes of the time, with a fourcylinder, in-line engine in front rather than underneath, pneumatic tyres and a steering wheel instead of a tiller. It’s effectively the layout that became the modern car.”
The Mors may not be too quirky but driving it needs conjuring skills. You use your left leg on the clutch, steer with your left hand and change gear and brake with your right hand. An extra pair of hands for the manual brakes and throttle would help. “You just have to plan ahead and anticipate,” Cussons explains. “It’s quite a quick car. It would be easy to get down to Brighton in no time if you had an early start number but I love to take my time. There are 364 long days to wait for another chance to enjoy it.”
The RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is taking place on Sunday 6 November, starting from 7.02am on Serpentine Road, Hyde Park, London, and arriving in Madeira Drive, Brighton between approx. 10.00am and 4.30pm.
For many of our members, Christmas markets are an integral and hugely enjoyable part of the festive countdown; don’t miss out on a trip to Bath’s seasonal event this year and Woodcote Park’s own Christmas Emporium
Words by Annabel Harrison
AS WITH SO many of our favourite festive traditions – decorating a tree, opening advent calendars, enjoying mince pies and cooking a turkey on Christmas Day – the history of Christmas markets in Europe stretches back centuries. The first record of Vienna’s December Market is from as far back as 1298 – its residents were allowed to hold a Krippenmarkt during Advent – while open-air street markets can be traced to Germany, with the first Christkindlmarkt taking place in Saxony in 1384. Only meat was on offer at the earliest of these events but, as they grew, everyday goods became available, then seasonal treats, decorations and crafts too – and often festive cheer was provided by singing and dancing.
A big boost in popularity came in the 16th century, when German Protestant reformer Martin Luther suggested in his teachings that Christ’s day of birth was a more appropriate day for gift-giving than other saints’ days; Christmas presents and festive markets have been part of our festive period ever since.
Some of the largest in Europe today include the Christkindlmarkt in Vienna, with around 200 chalet-style stalls, and the equivalent event hosted by the beautiful
city of Bath, with more than 150 stalls. So, mark the start of December with a Club trip to the spa city, with its market celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. You’ll start the day with a champagne brunch at Pall Mall then travel by coach to Bath. The market organisers promise a “magical, festive experience”, to the soundtrack of community choirs and local bands, and Blue Badge guide Kim Dewdney will be on hand to paint a knowledgeable picture of the city’s picturesque streets and illuminated buildings. You’ll have plenty of time to browse the hundreds of chalets, adorned with twinkling lights and stocked with handmade jewellery, personalised gifts, festive food and drinks, and much more.
Closer to home, for many, is Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland – one of London’s biggest, and longest running, Christmas markets with 100 stallholders, an ice rink, rides, shows, Santa’s Grotto and Giant Observation Wheel. This is an event for those who embrace Christmas in its brightest, most excessive and joyous form; its neon lights can be seen by those flying over the city. The Southbank Centre’s twinkling riverside offering is also very popular, as is Covent Garden’s; you’ll find festive markets
in Leicester Square, Borough Market, Tower Bridge, Greenwich and Kingston too.
In the South East, Winchester Cathedral’s offering is very popular. Oxford has a special quality all year round and it’s worth a visit at Christmas in particular; charming, historic Broad Street will be lit up for the event and last year featured a traditional carousel and local singers and musicians, while nearby Blenheim Palace boasts an after-dark illuminated trail and the Kingdom of the Snow Queen, as well as a Christmas Market within its Great Court.
For a weekend away, head to the historic city of York, full of Christmas cheer; take in Santa sightings, traditional services, a pantomime and be part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of the St Nicholas Fair, along Parliament Street and in St Sampson’s Square. For a Welsh festive experience, Cardiff’s event is proud to support hundreds of artists and craftspeople, encouraging ‘in action’ demonstrations to show off and preserve their skills, many of which are generations old.
As with so many of our favourite festive traditions, the history of Christmas markets in Europe stretches back centuries.
Last but not least, and closest to home, is the extremely popular annual Woodcote Park Christmas Emporium, taking place this year on Saturday 19 November. Members with places booked will be able to explore the Cedar Lawn marquee from 11.00am to 1.30pm or from 1.30pm to 4.00pm.
Local stallholders will be selling everything from beautiful jewellery and fine wine to handmade homeware and gifts. Children will be delighted by a visit to Father Christmas and his elves at their grotto in the clubhouse, and extra festive cheer will come in the form of mince pies, mulled wine and warming pulled turkey baps.
Whether you’re visiting us at Woodcote Park, heading to Bath or enjoying one of the UK’s many markets this year, Merry Christmas to one and all!
For information about the Club trip to Bath’s Christmas Market on Thursday 1 December, please turn to the Events section of this magazine.
Ahead of its annual Christmas performances, the Club Choir’s Chair and Musical Director share details about the preparation required for this festive favourite – and explain how members can become involved.
Words by Annabel HarrisonWHEN THE CLUB Choir started in 2012, it had a ‘no auditions required’ policy and this hasn’t changed, confirms its Chair, and original member, Sally Fish. “This is to encourage members to come along and sing, perhaps for the first time in decades.” This sentiment is echoed by the Choir’s Musical Director Ian Holiday, who took up his position at the start of 2020, having joined the Club the year before. “We are
adamant that everybody who wants to sing should be able to, so we don’t have an audition process. Please come along and just enjoy singing with us.”
The highlights of the year are the Christmas Carol Concerts, which are the chief reason for the Choir’s existence; members are simply asked to commit to some rehearsals and the performances themselves. “We have a weekly rehearsal
at Pall Mall and another at Woodcote Park, on different evenings,” Ian explains. “I run the same rehearsal twice, so people can attend either, or both if they’re really keen. Attendance isn’t mandatory but the more people who attend a minimum of one a week, the better results we can expect.” Ian also does a recording of each part and makes these available to members so no one is left behind if missing a rehearsal is unavoidable.
Both Ian and Sally agree that enthusiasm is the key to the success of the performances, now and in the past. “Historically the Club had invited external choirs to perform,” Sally points out, “but after canvassing our own members we realised there was sufficient interest to form our own.”
And what a lovely time of year to be singing Christmas carols en masse in the warmth and comfort of the Club. “There’s a certain excitement about getting together again each November,” continues Sally. “Seeing old friends and welcoming new faces, knowing there is a five-week challenge ahead, culminating in three performances across the two clubhouses. By the time we are ready to perform, the atmosphere is electric and there is a certain thrill of singing to an audience of friends and relatives.”
In order to achieve this result, Ian’s four decades of experience stand him in good stead; these include being part of the Manchester Cathedral Choir, directing and conducting numerous church choirs and choral societies, and being Director of Music at three schools, including Epsom College where he taught for 27 years. He prepares early. “By the time the 2021 concerts took place, I had a provisional programme for 2022! We do some well-known carols and then I try to pick a few items that are more challenging; I like people to be surprised at what they can achieve. At the first rehearsal, they might think ‘I can never do that’. But then they can and do, and there’s a real sense of accomplishment.”
When it comes to opportunities for singing at the Club, other than the Christmas performances, the choir’s singing workshops are very popular, Sally confirms. Four times a year, members and their guests
Singers may attend rehearsals at both or either clubhouse. It is hoped that singers will be able to perform at all three Christmas events.
Pall Mall (6.45-8.45pm)
Tuesday 8 November
Wednesday 16 November
Tuesday 22 November
Thursday 24 November
Wednesday 30 November
Wednesday 7 December (Rehearsal 4.30pm, Carol Concert 6.00pm)
Woodcote Park (7.30-9.30pm)
Wednesday 9 November
Tuesday 15 November
Wednesday 23 November
Tuesday 29 November
Thursday 1 December
Thursday 8 December (Rehearsal 4.30pm, Family Sing-along 5.00pm, Carol Concert 7.15pm)
meet to learn to sing a three- or four-part song together, followed by a buffet supper and wine. “For about one in five or six of the people attending these, it is their first time singing with us,” says Ian. “We’ve never had the same group of people twice.”
In the meantime, “put the Christmas rehearsal dates in your diaries and simply turn up at the first one – it’s that easy,” concludes Sally. “The Choir Committee will work very hard to put you at ease and make sure you enjoy the social side of the concerts as much as the singing itself.”
Please tick ‘Choir’ on your mailing preferences in the ‘My Account’ area of the Club website to ensure you receive details of the rehearsals and workshops. Information is also available in the ‘Activities’ area of the website.
In the summer, Jonathan Brown took the reins as the Club’s new Director of Operations; what are his priorities and what does he like most about the Club?Words by Annabel Harrison by Jamie Lau
WHEN WE SPEAK, Jonathan Brown is just six weeks into his new role – but there are already two qualities about the Club that have really struck him. “Passion and partnership,” he says decisively. “Even during the recruitment process I could feel the passion that everybody has for the Club and their enthusiasm for working together. I have now met lots of members and staff and that passion for the Club is clear amongst them all, along with the strong sense of partnership; it’s fantastic to see the way the members and staff interact together. It is obvious that nurturing that partnership is essential to enable us to provide the Club that members want.”
Jonathan is in charge of all the operations within both clubhouses, ensuring that the teams excel when it comes to service. “We aim to deliver excellence in everything we do, to encourage members to come back time and time again. I think the clubhouses do provide a home from home, and a refuge of sorts from the outside world, whether members are coming into Pall Mall from the busy streets of London for a drink in the Cocktail Bar or going to Woodcote Park for a swim, a round of golf or a visit to the Walled Garden. We’re incredibly fortunate that the early members of the Club had the vision to create two clubhouses which are distinctly different but both fantastic – and the investment in recent years has brought them both up to a very high standard with an amazing range of facilities.”
Jonathan came to the Club from the five-star Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa where he had spent five years; prior to that role he had senior management roles in other established luxury hotels such as The Grove and The Athenaeum. “When I heard about the opportunity at the Club,” he says, “it immediately appealed to me. I have a luxury hospitality background and I’d been looking for a new challenge. The industry as a whole has been through an extraordinary two years and, having come through that, there was something niggling at me to try something slightly different.”
Both the Club’s history and its business model appealed to Jonathan, as well as the fact that the Club’s hospitality and service elements are similar to the luxury establishments he has managed before, with the added benefit of a club setting. “The combination made it very attractive. And I’m a people person: I have really enjoyed getting to know our interesting, diverse membership.”
As he familiarises himself with the Club and its members, Jonathan’s priorities are to learn as much as he can about the organsiation and about what members want, and to ensure that the staff are able to deliver to the standards they and the members aspire to. He is looking forward to bringing his passion for the industry to the Club: “I’m very lucky in my career to have worked in some quite spectacular establishments, which will help me when working with the team to deliver excellence”. Expect to see Jonathan around both clubhouses soon if you haven’t done so already; he schedules time in his diary at least once a day to go on a walkabout. “Please do come over if you see me; I’d like to introduce myself to as many people as possible. That allows me to deepen my understanding of the Club, and also to be of service to members in whatever way I can.”
Is he glad he applied for the role? “Yes. 100 per cent. The Club is a very special organisation and I’m honoured to be part of it.”
With the Christmas dinner party season approaching, Pall Mall’s Head Chef Ben Gielen suggests two recipes that members can enjoy making at home.
Words by Jenny Linford
THE CLUB’S RESTAURANTS are noted for their way with game, with the chefs’ skills in this area much appreciated by members. For Ben Gielen, Head Chef at Pall Mall, cooking game meat is something to look forward to each year. “The joy of it is that when it comes into season – which is a brief one – it offers completely different flavours. In the kitchen we always enjoy putting a twist on our special menu each year. It’s great to be able to work with such a range of game.”
For members who are looking to cook game at home, Ben recommends venison. “It has a great flavour, which isn’t overpowering, and it’s very straightforward to cook. You don’t even have to marinate it unless you want to.” For a stunning dinner party treat – and possibly an alternative Christmas lunch – he recommends fillet of venison.
“It’s one of the softest you can have, even softer than fillet steak. It just melts in your mouth. Do make sure that you serve it rare or it becomes dry.” For a classic marinade, Ben suggests sweating a mixture of carrots, onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary until softened, adding red wine, bringing to the boil, then setting it aside to cool. Use this as an overnight marinade for venison steak or fillet, then pat the meat dry and cook it. When it comes to game birds such as pheasants, Ben is a firm advocate of brining overnight before cooking. This prevents the pheasants from being dry. “Brining pheasant helps keep it juicy,” he confirms. Pheasant is a good bird for game novices too, “as it’s a little stronger than chicken, but not hugely gamey”. Game pairs very well with fruit, as Ben’s recipes demonstrate.
Roast Pheasant with Autumnal Fruit and Vegetables and Calvados Sauce
Serves 4
2 whole pheasants, plucked and cleaned
Roasting juices from the pheasants
1 onion, peeled
1 celery stalk
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of purple carrots
1 small pumpkin, quartered, seeds discarded
4 plums
4 apples
Small bunch of rosemary
Handful of thyme sprigs
40g honey
Butter
Olive oil
100ml Calvados
500ml double cream
Salt and pepper
(continued overleaf)
For the brining liquid:
5 litres water
1 kg salt
Few stalks of thyme and rosemary
4 star anise
2 cinnamon stalks
1 tbsp black peppercorns
The day before you cook the pheasants, brine them. Place all the brining liquid ingredients in a large casserole dish. Wash the pheasants in cold water, then add them to the brining liquid, making sure they are submerged. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
The next day, preheat the oven to 180°C and put an oven dish in to heat through.
Dice the onion and celery into small pieces. Reserve a little of each for the stuffing. Chop the parsley. Reserve the chopped parsley stalks for the stuffing. Quarter one of the apples and reserve. Halve, core and stalk two apples. Using a large, heavy-based frying pan, fry the apple halves briefly in 20g butter and 20g honey until glazed. Place the glazed apple on an oven tray and reserve. Set aside the frying pan, without cleaning it. Rinse the brined pheasants and pat dry. Season the pheasants well with salt and pepper. Stuff the birds with the reserved onion, celery and parsley stalks, rosemary and thyme.
Place the reserved apple quarters in the preheated oven dish. Add olive oil to the frying pan used for glazing the apple and heat through. Add the pheasants and brown them quickly on all sides.
Place the two pheasants on top of the apple pieces in the oven dish. Roast for one hour until cooked through. Test the birds by using a heat probe; you want the thickest part to reach 72°C. Cover with foil when they are cooked and rest for 10 minutes.
While the pheasants are roasting, prepare the accompaniments. Place the pumpkin quarters on an oven tray. Drizzle with olive oil and add a few sprigs of thyme. Roast for 15-20 minutes until softened; if they start colouring, cover with foil. Dice one apple and reserve it for the sauce. Halve the plums and remove the stones. Add the plum halves flesh side down to the oven tray with the
apples. Roast the fruit in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Peel the carrots, leaving them whole, and blanch them in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and roast them in a pan with 20g butter and 20g honey and a touch of salt until cooked through.
Make the sauce, using the same frying pan you browned the birds in. Add in the diced apple, onion and celery, rosemary and thyme and sweat over a low heat until softened. Add in the Calvados and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Add in the roasting juices from the pheasant and the cream. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes to reduce. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley leaves.
Cut the pheasants into pieces and add them to the Calvados sauce. Serve with the roast pumpkin, apples, plums and carrots.
Venison Fillet with Braised Red Cabbage, Sautéed New Potatoes and Redcurrant Sauce Serves 4-6
1 red cabbage, quartered, cored, finely sliced
2 Bramley apples, peeled and diced
½ bunch of thyme
3 tbsp brown sugar
500ml port
2 cinnamon sticks
4 tbsp redcurrant jelly
1 venison fillet, 1kg in weight
50g runny honey
50ml soy sauce
1 kg new potatoes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Olive oil for frying
30g butter
200ml veal jus
1 punnet of redcurrants
Salt and pepper
First, cook the red cabbage. Place the cabbage, apple, a few sprigs of thyme, brown sugar, 250ml port, 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly and the cinnamon sticks in a pan. Cover and cook over a very low heat until the cabbage is very soft.
For a stunning dinner party treat – and possibly an alternative Christmas lunch – Ben recommends fillet of venison.
Alternatively cook in a covered ovenproof pan in the oven at 150°C for one hour.
Mix together the honey and soy sauce. Coat the venison well with the mixture. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Meanwhile, simmer the potatoes in a pan of boiling water until they are soft enough to put a paring knife through with almost no resistance; drain. Cool the potatoes under running water, pat dry and halve them.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the marinated venison fillet into two even pieces, season well and pan-fry, browning
on all sides. Transfer to ovenproof dish and roast for six minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing to serve.
Heat 20ml olive oil in a large frying pan. Add in the potatoes and fry until they’re lightly coloured on one side. Turn them over. Add in the garlic, 30g butter and a few sprigs of thyme. Fry until nicely golden brown and season with salt.
To make the sauce, pour the remaining 250ml port into the roasting pan used for the venison and mix in the remaining redcurrant jelly. Cook briskly on the hob until reduced to a syrup. Add the veal jus and reduce to the desired consistency, then add in the redcurrants at the last minute.
Serve the venison with the red cabbage, new potatoes and redcurrant sauce.
Ahead of a tasting event with Sandeman in November, we explore the history of port and find out why the Club’s Head Sommelier recommends we broaden our often seasonal palate.
Words by Timothy BarberSUCH ARE THE well-ordered lead times for Pell-Mell & Woodcote that I find myself writing about port, something I’ve nearly always consumed in a state of cheesefortified merriment in November and December, at the height of the August heatwave. I may as well be talking about mulled wine and mince pies while sipping daquiri sun-downers. But Yves Desmaris (right), the Club’s Head Sommelier, assures me that in my seasonal bias I’m not alone. He says you’ll see barely any port decanted in the Great Gallery during the spring and summer months, while of course it flows in ever greater quantities as Christmas approaches, matched by the lorry-loads of Stilton it invariably accompanies, and no doubt the excuses bountifully wheeled out the next morning (since blaming port for the effects of the epicurean excesses that precede it is a tradition as time-honoured as passing the decanter to the left).
Traditions are there to be observed and enjoyed; and indeed, port’s sweet, mellow richness – whether delivered in the luxurious intensity of a vintage ruby, or the caramel beauty of an aged tawny – really does make it a wonderfully hearty way to close out a blow-out. But is it possible that the limited, habitual nature of our port consumption can leave us blunted to its variety and complexities?
Yves, whose current recommendations from the Club cellar include the velvety greatness of Taylor’s 1985 vintage, now truly coming into its own, and Graham’s single vineyard Quinta dos Malvados from 2004,
avows that this may be so. “I think people don’t always know how much choice there is, and how much variation you can find between different styles and ages,” he says. “Even if you’re just having it with cheese, the way different ports work with different cheeses can be a lot more intense and nuanced than people often realise.”
Maybe, though, the later into a meal one gets, the less sensitivity for nuance one tends to muster; at least Club members can rely on Yves to make a spot-on selection either way.
George Sandeman, the eighth-generation scion of one of the industry’s most celebrated shipping dynasties and marques, notes that port’s positioning at the back of both the meal and the year is at least better than the days when it was being downed in pubs in brim-full schooners as an alternative to undrinkable French wine. Nevertheless, for those tantalised by the true breadth of
the fortified wines made in Portugal’s Douro Valley, Sandeman is on a mission to reveal their mysteries – as he’ll be doing at Pall Mall on 28 November.
“I’m a great believer in showing people the diversity – there are other cheeses than Stilton, and other ports than vintage,” he enthuses. “At the moment, more and more young producers are coming in, making their own styles and interpretations. As a region, the Douro Valley has an enormous diversity of terroir and microclimates, meaning you get huge variations that are very much influenced by the region. It’s a world to discover.”
Sandeman points out that in other countries port is drunk differently. The French like to chill it and enjoy it as a sweet aperitif; in Portugal itself it can be both aperitif and dessert wine, also chilled (in particular, Sandeman recommends experimenting with white port as an alternative to the likes of sweet dessert staples like Sauternes or Tokaji); in America, where traditions weigh lightly, anything goes (I remember being served marvellously refreshing port & tonics in a rooftop bar in Manhattan, not that you’d probably want to try that with anything significantly aged or cherished).
But it is, of course, British character and entrepreneurialism that stamped itself
across the Douro region centuries ago and gave us port as we know it, as the names of so many of its most famous marques –Sandeman, Graham’s, Taylor’s, Cockburn’s, Warre’s – attest. In the 17th century, fuelled by a boycott of French wine during the Anglo-French wars, British importers turned towards the wines of their ancient trading partner, Portugal, and in particular those from the country’s northern Douro region, exported via the coastal city of Porto, giving the wine its name. Here, a brandylike spirit known as aguardente began to be added during the cask fermentation process, ostensibly to help preserve the wine for maritime export. This created a fortified wine that was sweeter, stronger, and with a higher alcohol content. The British discovered a taste for it, and so established an industry, and a cultural exchange, that is today worth around €800 million annually, and rising.
To the newcomer, though, port, with all its categories and sub-categories, can be a daunting and even contradictory subject to explore. There is the classic ruby port, blended from wines of various ages and origins into a given house style; the ever-
popular tawny, made from wines aged in barrels for years or decades, giving it its mahogany colour and deep, complex flavour profiles; vintage port, declared only a few times each decade and delivering prestige bottlings that keep developing for decades more; and LBV (late bottled vintage), a somewhat more affordable alternative to vintage, made from high quality wine of a single year that’s barrel-aged for four to six years before bottling.
Those are the headliners, but connoisseurs will know that a host of further styles – rosé, white, colheita, crusted, garrafeira, single quinta vintage – awaits those prepared to put the stilton to one side and let the wine do the talking.
Which simply leaves the question of how to serve it. Decanting is never a bad decision: for ports that have spent a long time in the bottle, it helps to separate out the sediment, while older ports in particular benefit from the aeration, especially if served at the correct temperature. And on this point, Sandeman is emphatic: chilling really is best. “I like to put my ruby ports in the cold for an hour or more before serving, and the tawnies I enjoy well chilled. The advantage is that it reduces the volatility of the alcohol, allowing inherent aromas to come through and be enjoyed. If it’s too cold, you can warm it by cradling the glass in your hand for a couple of minutes.”
Ah, the final element: the glass. Plenty of members will no doubt have encountered (and may still be harbouring) the small liqueur glasses once considered the norm; if so, it’s best to leave them to one side. “Since 2001 the evolution of wine glasses has been massive, and today we recommend that a medium size white wine glass can be ideal. Of course, it’s important to get the dose correct, and normally a serving of 5-6cl is sufficient. In this way, one can swirl and observe the colour and intensity, and inhale the aroma creating anticipation for the flavours which follow.”
Please visit the Club website for further information about the tasting event with George Sandeman on 28 November.
Ahead of a members’ visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, find out more about its history and meet some of the Chelsea Pensioners who live there.
Words by Timothy Barber
THIS MUST BE what they mean by ‘military precision’. I’ve never seen so much clutter – or what for most civilians would fast become clutter – organised with such discipline and exactitude, as when standing in the little room that Dave Godwin now calls home. Dave, 70, spent 25 years in the Royal Military Police, and his quarters – or ‘berth’ – are stuffed to the gills with the pictures and ephemera of a Forces life: photographs of regiments and units, Union flags, medals, mementos, regimental wall shields, more flags, family souvenirs. Everything in its rightful place, everything absolutely spotless. On a rack by the door, I count 16 pairs of shoes, each of them polished to parade ground perfection, save for the running shoes in which Dave is currently training for his next half-marathon.
“I arrived on my first day at 11 o’clock, had my pictures up on the wall by 5 o’clock and I was in,” he says. A Liverpudlian who speaks at an absolute clip, he is never short of a punchline. “Once I found out beer was £2.20 a pint, I was settled in forever!”
Photography by Martin Burton
Chelsea Pensioners David Godwin and Monica Parrott in one of the original berths. Today’s berths are somewhat bigger but sit behind the same wooden panelling.
That was in 2019: the day David Godwin, a former Company Sergeant Major who went on to forge a second career as a solicitor, became a Chelsea Pensioner –committing himself to life in the support and care of the historic institution for Army veterans, the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Since visiting 40 years previously, he’d hoped it would become his home one day. “I came here in 1979 when I was in the Military Police, and I thought: that would really suit me. Once I retired, I knew I’d be getting to that stage where one day I’ll need help,” he says. “I was ready.”
The Chelsea Pensioners, unmistakeable in their scarlet jackets, medals and black hats (peaked ‘shako’ style for normal days, tricorne for official occasions), hold a familiar and deeply cherished place within the fabric of British life. We see them marching out past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday; on duty at the Chelsea Flower Show and elsewhere; or out and about in SW3 and beyond; and we perceive in them the best of ourselves, of our heritage and our values. In the public consciousness, they embody
A Chelsea Pensioner commits him or herself to life in the support and care of the historic institution for Army veterans, the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
ideals that can seem fleeting elsewhere: duty, valour, patriotism, experience and resolve, not to mention dignified remembrance. “When I’m wearing this,” Dave says, pointing to his scarlet jacket, “I’ve never had to ask for a seat on the bus, put it that way.”
But if our affection for the Chelsea Pensioners is strong in the abstract, then public knowledge of who and what they actually are, and what the mission of the Royal
Hospital is, seems flimsier. Misconceptions include the idea that Pensioners are all male (women have been admitted since 2009); that they always wear their ‘scarlets’ (day-today dress is a less formal blue uniform, and, as in the army, civvies from 4.30pm); and
rather more importantly, that becoming a Chelsea Pensioner is invariably the crowning glory of the longest and most decorated military careers.
In fact, anyone of pension age who was a soldier in the Army, no matter how short their service (including National Service and Territorial Army veterans) and able to live independently on arrival may apply, – so long as they are free of any financial obligation to support a spouse or family. It is not for officers, unless they served at least 12 years in the ranks first, nor for Navy or RAF veterans.
Current residents include veterans of conflicts ranging from World War Two to Iraq. The state retains their military pensions; but, in return, accommodation, food and medical care are all provided. And, of course, so is comradeship: often, becoming a Pensioner is not so much a reward as a rescue.
I meet Monica Parrott, a sergeant in the Women’s Royal Army Corps in the 1960s, who thereafter spent 30 years as a psychiatric nurse. After running a small residential care home of her own, economic problems left her facing hardship. “I ended up losing my home. But I went to a do for army veterans, and saw two women there wearing their scarlets. And I thought, I wonder if they’d have me?” she says. “It was my salvation. A lot of people have got divorced or bereaved, they haven’t much money, and they’re wondering, is this it? Is this my life? But as a Chelsea Pensioner, this is where happiness begins again.”
The Royal Hospital, occupying 66 acres of prime riverside real estate, was founded in 1682 by Charles II. Overlooking the central quad known as Figure Court (with an incongruous golden statue of Charles, reimagined by Grinling Gibbons as a Roman Emperor), a huge Latin inscription lays out its mission: In Subsidium Et Levamen Emeritorum Senior Belloque Fractorum – ‘For the succour and relief of those broken by age and war’.
The Hospital (in the old sense of the word, meaning charitable accommodation) was to be a symbol of royal generosity and compassion, but was so huge an
undertaking that it took a decade to raise the funds and to build. Today it costs approximately £20 million a year to run; half of this is met by MOD funding and the rest comes from fundraising and commercial activity (such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the Masterpiece art fair and other events), and investment returns.
The Hospital is the work of Sir Christopher Wren, and among the architect’s greatest masterpieces. The long corridors (or ‘wards’) that Wren designed were lined with individual berths, just six feet square, each containing a bed and a box for belongings. Today’s berths are slightly more generous, with ensuite bathrooms and a little more space. But they sit behind the same woodpanelled divides, which bear the original pegs from which hang the famous scarlet coats. The broad ‘Long Ward’ hallways are flooded with light from Wren’s enormous windows. His sensitivity as an architect is evident: the steps leading to the upper wards are wide and shallow, worn from 330 years of weary old legs pacing them.
Able-bodied Pensioners are encouraged to help to run the place: as guides, administrators, museum staff, gardeners. There’s a thriving lawn bowls society, a band,
a Mess-style bar, activities and functions; though, in their twilight years, many Pensioners prefer to take things quietly and slowly. Eventually, the Margaret Thatcher Infirmary, a modern hospital wing built in 2009, is the expected ‘final posting’ of a Pensioner, where end-of-life care is provided. On that subject, there seems to be a stoic acceptance in keeping with the forthright military attitude; as is the banter that flies thick and fast among Pensioners as they walk around the grounds, or stand
waiting for lunch in the magnificent dining hall where Wellington once lay in state, or pass each other on mobility scooters provided by the Earl of Cadogan. “It’s like the M6 round here sometimes,” says Dave as Colin Thackery, the singing Chelsea Pensioner who won Britain’s Got Talent in 2019, motors past.
Almost everything about the Royal Hospital Chelsea is military in style, from the uniforms to the fact that the Pensioners are organised into companies overseen by ‘Captains of Invalids’ and an over-all Regimental Sergeant Major (a retired
Able-bodied Pensioners are encouraged to help to run the Royal Hospital Chelsea: as guides, administrators, museum staff, gardeners.
officer). Really, this is simply tradition: there are no ranks, and no orders. All are equal. But for Pensioners like Dave and Monica, it is a culture that they understand, and that fits them; as it did the tens of thousands of Chelsea Pensioners who have preceded them over three centuries.
“Nobody has any authority over me here, but we have a military ethos,” says Dave. “We like it, and that’s why we come.”
The exceptional care delivered at the Royal Hospital Chelsea is made possible by the generosity of its many friends and supporters. The Hospital is raising funds for a much-needed upgrade to its Infirmary; for more information visit www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/donate
Members might have noticed organic options appearing on the menu; the Club’s Executive Chef explains why.
Words by Jenny Linford by Jamie Lau
WHEN IT COMES to the food that members are offered at both clubhouses, a great deal of care is taken to source ingredients responsibly and, wherever possible, from local suppliers – whilst also ensuring that quality remains paramount.
The menus in the Brooklands Room and the Fountain Brasserie change every month, with members accustomed to seeing new dishes appearing, partly based upon what is in season and suited to the time of year. Three organic choices have been added recently: a half chicken, a rib eye steak and a salmon fillet, all cooked on the grill. “We know that animal welfare is an issue that members care about,” says Matthew Marshall, the Club’s Executive Chef. “As a Club, our job is to offer members a choice, so we wanted to provide some organic options which weren’t available before.”
Organic certification in the UK means high welfare standards for livestock. Organic chickens, for example, are reared in smaller flocks than free range chickens, have continuous daytime access to outdoor
“I’ve made sure that we’re sourcing meat, poultry and fish which is not only organic but also of excellent quality and flavour.”
ranges planted with suitable vegetation amongst which they can forage, are not routinely treated with antibiotics and are fed an organic, non-GM diet.
For Matthew, ensuring that only high standard ingredients are used in his kitchens is a priority. “An ingredient can be organic without necessarily tasting great so I’ve made sure that we’re sourcing meat, poultry and fish which is not only organic but also of excellent quality and flavour.”
The focus on organic sourcing is part of a larger overall picture at the Club, which saw the Board approve an Environmental,
Social and Governance strategy in March. As part of this, Matthew confirms, “we’re working towards purchasing as locally as possible, ideally within a 50-mile radius of each clubhouse. The aim is to reduce our transportation footprint to a low level and offset the remaining emissions as we work towards becoming net zero.”
The farm where the Club’s organic beef and chicken comes from is in Surrey, just 30 miles from Pall Mall. With local sourcing in mind, the spacious grounds at Woodcote Park are seen as an important resource too; the Club has started to plant a herb garden in the Walled Garden to supply the kitchens and there are also plans to reintroduce bee hives later this year. “It would be wonderful to be able to offer members honey for breakfast which comes from our own bees,” observes Matthew.
“We’re starting with these three organic menu options,” he concludes, “which will cost more, but not a lot more. It will be interesting to see what the take-up is. What we really need from members is feedback. We want to understand what our members desire and see how we can fulfil those needs. For us, it’s very much about offering choices and seeing what the response to those choices is.”
Ahead of his appearance at the Club’s annual Rugby Dinner, Will Greenwood MBE discusses how his life outside the game shaped his success on the pitch.
Words by Mark BaileyMANY PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES accomplish great success but few achieve sporting immortality. As a member of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winning team, Will Greenwood is one of the elite few who have permanently etched their names into sporting folklore. Playing alongside Jonny Wilkinson, Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio, the 6ft 4in centre scored five tries at the tournament in Australia, finishing as England’s joint leading tryscorer. A year later, the Blackburn-born athlete was rewarded with an MBE from Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace. And, as we approach the 20th anniversary of England’s famous World Cup win, the success of Greenwood and his teammates has lost none of its lustre. England’s 2003 triumph remains the nation’s only Rugby World Cup victory. It represents the elusive goal which the current England team is striving to emulate at the 2023 World Cup in France. And it still sparks a kaleidoscope
of golden memories among fans. “I can be in a place where I think there’s no way anyone will recognise me and suddenly someone says: ‘I was there in 2003!’” reveals Greenwood, 49, who lives west of London with his wife Caroline, and their children, Archie, Matilda and Rocco. “People say: ‘Thanks for everything. It was amazing!’ Or: ‘I can remember exactly where I was when we won!’ It is lovely to have that impact on people’s lives.”
Such longevity is rare in the sporting world. But Greenwood’s broader life experiences are what he is keen to share with members when he attends the annual Rugby Dinner at Woodcote Park in February. In 1994, he earned a degree in Economics from Durham University and between then and 1996, when rugby was still an amateur game, he worked as a trader for Midland Global Markets, later part of HSBC. In 2018,
“People say: ‘I can remember exactly where I was when England won [the Rugby World Cup]!’ It is lovely to have that impact on people’s lives.”
in memory of his son Freddie – who was born prematurely in 2002 and tragically died just 45 minutes into his life – Greenwood trekked to the North Pole to help raise more than £750,000 for Borne – a charity which researches premature childbirth. And since November 2020, he has been the Chief Customer Officer at the London office of software firm Afiniti.
“I’ve got a reasonable backlog of scar tissue from a variety of different expeditions, careers, sporting achievements,” explains Greenwood. “From walking to the North Pole, to co-writing a book on leadership
Overleaf: Greenwood about to score a try for England during a Five Nations match against Wales at Twickenham in 1998 (Professional Sport/ Popperfoto via Getty Images)
Above: Greenwood scores a try during the 2003 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match against Wales in Brisbane
[World Class: How to Lead, Learn and Grow like a Champion] to being a dad of four, I have experienced a lot. When I visit the Club, I hope to link these experiences to some of the strategies we put in place with the Rugby World Cup team. But the key to all this lies in not taking myself too seriously. I am still the kid from Blackburn who grew up eating Pot Noodles!”
As Greenwood progressed in the amateur era, he only ever saw rugby as a “fun activity” rather than a possible profession. His father Dick had played for, and later managed, the England rugby team, but made his living as a teacher. As a young adult, Greenwood squeezed in games for London club Harlequins around his work duties. But as soon as the sport turned professional in 1996, he committed to rugby full-time.
Greenwood remains convinced that his formative experiences off the pitch shaped his success on it. He describes his time studying, and playing rugby, at Durham as a “launchpad” for his ambition, self-discipline and teamwork – although he jokes that he “studied rugby and played economics”. And his work in a chaotic London trading pit in the mid-1990s taught him how to make rapid decisions under pressure – an invaluable attribute on a rugby pitch.
“Any experience outside of your core skillset really does enhance you as a player,” he explains. “Having a breadth of knowledge can help you to become a specialist. It sounds counterintuitive, I know. But exploring different sports, ideas, coaching patterns and life experiences is what helps to create the best athletes on the planet.”
During his England career, Greenwood was coached by Sir Clive Woodward, whose focus on leadership and TCUP (Thinking Correctly Under Pressure) is now legendary. Elite psychology fascinates Greenwood. “For my book on leadership, I got to interview 80 to 100 people who were leaders, winners and champions to try and understand any common themes. And at the heart of great success is immense ‘teamship’. Our World Cup win was built on teamship, complementary skillsets, the celebration of difference and togetherness.”
Greenwood earned 55 caps for England and scored 31 tries. He was selected for three British and Irish Lions tours, in 1997, 2001 and 2005. He made 107 appearances for Harlequins, with whom he won two European Challenge Cups, and 151 for Leicester Tigers, with whom he won two Premiership titles. But he says England’s swashbuckling build-up to the 2003 World Cup was his best period in the game.
“In the summer of 2003 we played New Zealand and Australia and we won both games away, in Wellington (15-13) and Melbourne (25-14),” he recalls. “On the back of our (42-6) victory against Ireland in Dublin [to seal the 2003 Six Nations Grand Slam], it was special. We won three massive away games against three of the best teams – and then we won the World Cup in Australia. The other major titles England have won – the Football World Cup in 1966, the Lionesses at the Euros [in 2022] and the Cricket World Cup in 2019 – were at Wembley and Lords. So to be able to do stuff on foreign soil is so difficult.”
Greenwood, who retired from rugby in 2006, remains a passionate fan. He is looking forward to the 2023 Six Nations in February, even though England have struggled in recent years. “They had a decent victory in Australia in the summer,” he notes. “But the last time we played France and Ireland we were beaten. So, third in the northern hemisphere is probably a decent summary of where we sit.”
He works as an analyst for Sky Sports and writes a regular column for The Telegraph, but he will be equally happy to discuss bikes and motors with members at the Rugby Dinner. “I enjoy cycling,” he says. “I rode the [190km] route of the first stage of the Tour de France when it went from Leeds to Harrogate in 2014. And this year I cycled in Switzerland for a charity called Street Child. I like cars too and I am a huge Land Rover fan. When you have a big family and dogs, they are just the greatest car.”
To find out more and book a place for the Rugby Dinner, please turn to the Events section of this magazine.
A Club member and a multi award-winning proponent of future technologies, Professor Yvonne Rogers, who this year was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society, is at the forefront of advancements in artificial intelligence.
Words by Peter Jenkinson and Annabel Harrison Photography by Martin Burton
AS FAR AS job titles go, ‘Professor of Interaction Design’ is one that, for most of us, probably requires some explanation. So here we go: ‘Interaction Design’ refers to ensuring that digital products, systems and services meet the needs of their users. In other words, the design of technology that can enhance our lives.
In addition to holding the post of Professor of Interaction Design at UCL since 2011, Yvonne Rogers is also a Director of UCLIC (University College London Interaction Centre), Deputy Head of the Computer Science department at UCL, and
one of the authors of the definitive textbook on human-computer interaction, which has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide. Who better, then, to ask about current progress on ‘human-centred AI’?
When she’s not pioneering future technologies, Professor Yvonne Rogers can be found at Pall Mall, where she is a member of both the Bridge and Photography Groups and a regular user of the pool. When we met, in the clubhouse of the Royal Automobile Club, what subject could we start with other than the impact of AI on the motoring world?
Self-driving and autonomous behaviour in cars are two developments which have been making headlines of late. The talk is usually about how we might remove the driver, but Yvonne’s approach is different. “We should be looking at how we can enhance the driving experience; how can we augment it,” she argues. “Of course, we’ve had parking assistance for a while, but it could be greatly improved, and we’ve enjoyed having our windscreen wipers automatically deploy when rain starts – but what about driver and passenger comfort?” As examples, she suggests sensors in seats which automatically adjust for comfort (detecting if you haven’t moved for a while and managing the seat position), changing the climate control in the car if it detects it is has become too stuffy, playing music appropriate to your mood or providing route guides to explain where you are passing through.
“We should be looking at how we can enhance the driving experience; how can we augment it? What about driver and passenger comfort?”
There’s so much more that AI can do to improve car safety too: “There’s a lot that can be done on hazard identification – alerting drivers to other road users and knowing the difference between those and static objects, for example. Technological advancement in this area is moving on apace. Displaying driving information on
heads-up, on-windscreen displays rather than looking down at oversized tablets is another technology that is better suited to the needs of the driver and one I’m a real advocate of.”
Healthcare is another area where there is enormous potential for AI to make a difference, including helping doctors to diagnose from a distance with much more accuracy than they can currently. “Presently, we have wearables that can assist with diagnosis but we can take this much further. For example, there is an app called SkinVision which can be downloaded by anyone, who can then take a photo with their smartphone of a blemish on their
skin to check whether it is a lesion. The app compares the photo with millions of images on its AI database to assist with the diagnosis. There is also new camera technology where a patient can swallow a miniature capsule which will send two images per second of your intestine to a computer, alleviating the need for an endoscopy. It is much easier to administer, less uncomfortable and considerably cheaper. Initiatives like these,” says Yvonne, “will both help make health services more efficient and provide a better experience for patients.”
Anyone who has suffered a delay reconnecting with their luggage in an airport this summer will be pleased to hear that there is lots of scope for AI to help there as well. “It could be deployed to identify our suitcases more effectively and lead us to them (or them to us) – saving hassle, time and money. There’s also a trial at Heathrow of a system which can rapidly scan 250,000 bags a day for animals or animal products to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.”
Other applications for AI include facial recognition for crime prevention or investigation: a huge move on from blurry CCTV images. In retail environments shoppers could use AI to guide them to their preferred products using analysis of what they’d bought or browsed previously – an example of augmenting the shopping experience. AI can also help people make their selection when there is a myriad of choices. For example, instead of having to
AI technologies are opening up new possibilities in many sectors, from transport and healthcare to shopping and security.
agonise over what to make for a dinner party, an AI-enabled personal assistant can help you decide based upon a combination of your guests’ dietary requirements, what is seasonal and what you like to cook.
AI technologies are opening up new possibilities in many sectors apart from transport, healthcare, shopping and security. “The advances could be transformative in many areas of our lives,” concludes Yvonne, “as long as we focus on how people will benefit and how it can empower them as well as on the technology in itself.”
Above: New camera technology where a patient can swallow a miniature capsule
Below: AI could be deployed to identify suitcases more effectively
Ahead of a Club event at Sicis Jewels in November, we find out more about the fascinating history of micromosaic and how this small but perfectly formed art is enjoying a colourful comeback.
Words by Maria DoultonFROM A HAND-BUILT Aston Martin Valkyrie to an evening gown stitched in a Parisian couture atelier, there is an enduring love for objects where the value lies not solely in the materials but also in the artistic input of highly skilled artisans. In the inevitable march forward of mass luxury, a micromosaic jewel honours the old-world standards of quality, with a contemporary twist.
In this unusual but increasingly appreciated genre of jewellery, the star is not a gemstone but a miniature ‘painting’ made up of thousands of speck-sized coloured glass tiles; a brilliantly hued green and violet quetzal bird choker, a menacing skull pinkie ring or a cartoon-like tiger pendant. At an Evening with Sicis Jewels: Masters of Micromosaic in November, we will be discussing how this rare art was almost lost forever, were it not for a handful of pioneering jewellers nurturing its revival.
Micromosaics are an evolution of the Ancient Roman technique that involved placing together thousands of marble and stone tiles to create opulent and highly detailed scenes. Their vibrant colours are the best-preserved examples of Roman art and so mosaics are often referred to as ‘eternal paintings’. The word mosaic derives from the medieval Latin musaicus, as early mosaics were often dedicated to the muses. Micromosaics first appeared in the 18th century, when large-scale mosaics fell out of fashion. The artisans – who were mainly employed in Rome’s religious buildings – supplemented their dwindling income by creating miniaturised versions of their mosaics to sell to private customers; imagine a richly adorned floor mosaic from Pompeii shrunk down to the size of a postage stamp. These portable works of art caught the magpie eyes of aristocratic young men on their Grand Tour around Italy, making
them the quintessential souvenir. The artist Giacomo Raffaelli (1753-1836) is considered one of the main exponents of this era and cleverly incorporated them not only into table tops and objects but also into jewels. One of his most famous works is the Doves of Pliny (on display at the British Museum in London) which features the Capitoline Doves from a floor mosaic discovered in 1737 at Hadrian’s villa near Rome.
By the beginning of the 1900s, our love of micromosaics had faded and all but disappeared as the seductively sleek lines of Art Deco swept through the world. But, fortunately, the late Sir Arthur Gilbert compiled one of the largest collections of micromosaic objects in the world. He donated his collection to the nation in 1996 and key pieces are displayed at the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Galleries at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, offering us a glimpse into the dazzling past of this art.
The base ingredients for glass mosaic,
Micromosaics caught the magpie eyes of aristocratic young men on their Grand Tour around Italy.
whether to cover the walls of a palace or to adorn a bracelet, are identical. Silica or sand is blasted at 1,400 degrees in furnaces to create glass that is coloured by adding different minerals. The Italian company Sicis, which makes tiles both large and small, has patented a process for adding ground minerals such as diamonds, rubellite, jade, peridot, sapphires and even gold to enhance the vivacious colours.
For micromosaics, the tiles are made molten again and hand-pulled into slender glass rods from which the tiles are filed. Thousands of these glass tiles are picked up one by one, with tweezers, and applied to a paste then tamped down into a frame. The specific tones and textures of the tiles are created to exactly match the design and, like an artist’s palette, the tiles can be made in an almost infinite number of colours, translucent, opaque or opalescent, textured or smooth.
At the vanguard of this revival is Sicis Jewels, an off-shoot of Sicis which is famed for its glorious large-scale mosaics used in luxury interior design. Gioia Placuzzi, as Creative Director, has brought an exciting modern style to mosaic jewellery, with a bold use of colour in creations that marry intricate details with luscious gemstones. Geneva-based Vamgard is another name that stands out in this revival. The company brings together ancient techniques with cutting-edge materials, including titanium and carbon fibre, creating masterpieces of such intricacy that it is difficult to tell they are micromosaics at all.
Silica or sand is blasted at 1,400 degrees in furnaces to create glass that is coloured by adding different minerals.
Others experimenting with gemstone micromosaics include Istanbul jeweller Sevan Biçakçi who has created a series of jewels; the Solemn Shield ring features an intricate micromosaic of the reddish gemstone thulite and diamonds. Alessio Boschi, the Roman-
born jeweller based in Bangkok, brings beautiful classical references to his jewels; the detail of the Narcissus and Medusa rings was realised by Roberto Grieco, an artist who worked for years as a master of micromosaic at the Vatican.
And, as if any more affirmation were needed that micromosaics are in vogue, Gucci’s 2022 high jewellery collection, Hortus Deliciarum, evokes the romance of the 19th century Grand Tour and include, you guessed it, micromosaics.
For more information about the Evening at Sicis Jewels event on 2 November, please visit the Events section of the Club website.
Woodcote Junior membership – for children aged up to twelve – is open to the children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of Full Members.
As well as the classes and activities listed below, Woodcote Juniors enjoy free of charge use of the Walled Garden and Cedars Sports.
Christmas
‘Elf on the Shelf’ will run daily throughout December with prizes at the end of the competition.
A Christmas picture competition will run daily throughout December with prizes at the end.
We will also be holding a Christmas Arts and Crafts Weekend, where Woodcote Juniors and their guests will be able to make their own Christmas decorations and cards. The date will be announced in WJ News.
Multi-Activity Camps
Each day will include a wide range of themed activities, allowing your children to try new things, as well as enjoying their favourites.
Depending upon their age group, they will be able to take part in multiple sports skills and drills, arts and crafts, dance contests, joke contests, quizzes, obstacle courses and daily challenges. The days will be varied and there will be something for everybody to enjoy.
Monday 19 December
9.30am-4.30pm for 5 to 8 year olds
10.00am-12 noon for toddlers
Tuesday 20 December
9.30am-4.30pm for 7 to 10 year olds
Wednesday 21 December
9.30am-4.30pm for 5 to 8 year olds
10.00am-12 noon for toddlers
Thursday 22 December
9.30am-4.30pm for 7 to 10 year olds
Friday 23 December
9.30am-4.30pm for 5 to 8 year olds
Full Day camps: £40.00 per day for Woodcote Juniors and £48.00 per day for non-WJs
Half Day camps: £21.00 per half day for Woodcote Juniors and £25.00 per half day for non-WJs
Toddler camps: £10.00 for Woodcote Juniors and £12.00 for non-WJs
For further information or to book, please email bookwalledgarden@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk (please note that we will not be taking bookings over the telephone).
On Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February a Valentine’s Day Arts and Crafts Table will be available all day.
Multi-Activity Camps
All arrangements are the same as for the Christmas camps.
Monday 13 February
9.30am-4.30pm for 5 to 8 year olds
10.00am-12 noon for toddlers
Tuesday 14 February
9.30am-4.30pm for 7 to 10 year olds
Wednesday 15 February
9.30am-4.30pm for 5 to 8 year olds
Thursday 16 February
9.30am-4.30pm for 7 to 10 year olds
Friday 17 February
9.30am-4.30pm for 5 to 8 year olds
10.00am-12 noon for toddlers
Swimming lessons are provided for children aged from 18 months upwards. However, currently they are all fully booked.
To be added to the waiting list, please email CarolineL@royalautomobileclub.co.uk with details of your child’s name, age and ability, their membership number if they are a Woodcote Junior and a telephone number where we may contact you.
In the Walled Garden
Tiny Tadpoles (four months to four years) There are various classes according to age and ability Wednesday and Friday mornings.
Junior Training (advanced swimmers stage 5+)
Thursday 6.30-7.15pm
Group Lessons
Saturday mornings
One-to-One Teaching
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons
At Cedars Sports
Groups (advanced swimmers)
Saturday mornings
Junior Training (advanced swimmers stage 7+)
Wednesday evenings
One-to-One Training
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings
Junior golf is a great way for younger members to become more involved in the Club and to receive the encouragement they need to develop their skills. It is for anyone under the age of 18.
To use the courses without an adult being present junior players must hold a Junior Golf Pass or have been assessed by a member of the Golf Team as having an appropriate standard of play and an understanding of the rules and etiquette of golf.
Junior Pass Holders with an official handicap have the same rights of access to the courses as other Golf Pass Holders. All other juniors and their guests have the same rights of access to the course as other non-Pass Holders.
Woodcote Juniors receive complimentary access to the Coronation Course with an adult member, following the appropriate assessment.
Becoming a Junior Pass Holder brings with it a range of opportunities for all levels, including access to advice from the Club’s Professionals, weekly group coaching, the chance to meet other junior members in a social learning environment and the opportunity to enter Club competitions.
Coaching Clinic
Junior golf coaching takes place on the driving range from 2.00 until 3.00pm each Sunday under the guidance of a PGA Professional.
These group coaching sessions are a great way to learn the game of golf, create friendships and, with each session, see your skills improve as you learn about all aspects of the game from driving to putting.
Junior Golf Pass Holders: complimentary Woodcote Juniors: £10.00
To book, email golf@royalautomobileclub.co.uk or call 01372 229245
At Woodcote Park
Mini Squash (beginners)
For juniors aged 5 to 10 taking their first steps on a squash court and learning hand-eye coordination skills and the basics of holding and swinging a racket in a fun environment.
Saturdays 9.15-10.00am
Junior Squash (beginners and improvers)
This class is aimed at juniors aged 10 to 13 who have the ability to hit a squash ball consistently and already have the skill to start to have three or more shot rallies.
Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Junior Squash (intermediate and advanced)
Open to any junior who can consistently hit a good squash shot, is starting to understand the game of squash and is keen to improve both technical and tactical aspects of their game.
Saturdays 11.00am-12 noon
At Pall Mall
Mini Squash (beginners)
For juniors aged 7 to 10 taking their first steps on a squash court and learning hand-eye coordination skills and the basics of holding and swinging a racket in a fun environment.
Saturdays 9.00-10.00am
Junior Squash (beginners and improvers)
This class is aimed at juniors aged 10 to 14 who have the ability to hit a squash ball consistently and already have the skill to start to have three or more shot rallies.
Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Junior Squash (intermediate and advanced)
This class is aimed at juniors aged 14+ who have a good basic knowledge of squash and are able to construct rallies and play full matches.
Saturdays 11.00am-noon
WJs / Junior Members: £10.00 per session, Non-WJs / Non-Juniors: £12.00 per session
For more information please contact: Woodcote Park: Oli.Pett@royalautomobileclub.co.uk Pall Mall: Simon.White@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
Saturdays, 9.15am to 10.00am
Saturday 5 November to Saturday 10 December Cedars Sports
For children aged 3 to 5, the pioneering ActivKids natural exercise programme helps to develop children’s fundamental movement skills (FMS), as well as improving fitness and inspiring a love of exercise and movement. Children learn skills through play, active games and exercise that can be transferred across different sports.
For further information and to book, please email cedarsreception@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
Why not let the Club take the strain of organising your child’s birthday party so that you can enjoy it almost as much as they do?
Based in the Gardener’s Cottage and making full use of the facilities in the Walled Garden, we will create a party for up to 15 children tailored to your requirements.
Please email ellie.mccormack@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk to enquire about availability or speak to one of our team members whilst on site.
Prices start from £19.50 per head.
Party Packages
Walled Garden Party
Access to the Walled Garden open play areas.
Party room hire.
Food from our birthday menu range. Music in the party room. Hot drinks tokens for the adults.
Epic Party
Walled Garden Party plus two activities of your choice, party invitations, treat table, party host and a complimentary Woodcote Junior ‘bring a friend’ voucher.
The ballet lessons at the Club follow the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus and we have been entering students into RAD exams for the past decade.
New joiners are very welcome to come and join us in our relaxed, friendly and fun environment. Classes start from Year 4.
Please contact Jenni Hay at jenni@jhballet.co.uk
Saturdays, 10.15am to 11.00am Saturday 5 November to Saturday 10 December Walled Garden MUGA
Saturday football is for children aged 5 to 8.
S4K football classes provide an exceptionally high quality of technical coaching for children, using a fusion of Spanish Tika-Taka, Dutch Coerver and Brazilian Futsal techniques. You will see your child develop significantly over the term.
Woodcote Juniors £45.00 for the six-week course, Non-WJs £55.00
Please email bookwalledgarden@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk to book.
Tactics, skills and fun with our tennis professionals for players aged 5 to 16.
Mini Tennis
Saturdays
9.00-9.45am: 5 to 8 years 9.45-10.30am: 9 to 12 years
Woodcote Juniors
£7.50 per session Non-WJs £9.50 per session
Junior Tennis Academy
Six-week course
£85.00 for the course.
For more information please email barry.hewer@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk
To book please email cedarsreception@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk
Hayes Parsons’ Head of Private Client, Richard Moxon, is a long-standing member of the Royal Automobile Club and has many years’ experience creating tailored insurance solutions.
If you would like to talk with Richard, please use the contact details below to arrange a meeting at your home or at either of the clubhouses.
Richard Moxon Cert CII
Head of Private Client
0117 930 1658 | 07771 904 202 r.moxon@hayesparsons.co.uk
Hayes Parsons Insurance Brokers is an independent, Chartered insurance broker for private clients. Our experienced team understand your lifestyle and can help source bespoke insurance for your most treasured possessions.
We work with a select group of insurers who have the flexibilty to adapt to complex personal risks, including high net worth homes, classic cars, supercars, fine art, jewellery and wine as well as luxury watches.
Events listed on the following pages which have not previously been advertised will open for booking at 10.00am on the following dates:
Tuesday 11 October – Bookings open for new December events
Tuesday 18 October – Bookings open for January events
Tuesday 25 October – Bookings open for February events
Bookings should be made via the Club website.
If you are unable to book via the Club website you can make a booking by emailing the Events Team at events@royalautomobileclub.co.uk
Please note, however, that bookings received by email may not be processed as fast as the online bookings, which are recorded automatically.
Your email booking request will be acknowledged within five working days.
Bookings must be made in writing. We cannot accept bookings via the telephone.
All guests must be accompanied by a Full Member.
If a guest price is not shown, this indicates that the event is for members only.
If a child price (WJ/Non-WJ) is not shown, then the event is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.
If we do not receive written instructions for charging another member, all places at the event will be charged to your account.
To ensure as many members and guests as possible have the opportunity to enjoy the events programme, please
make any cancellations as soon as possible. We will always endeavour to resell cancelled places. However, if we are unable to sell your place(s), your account will be charged the full amount unless you have cancelled at least 14 days in advance.
Most motoring events and some other events have a longer cancellation deadline and this will be clearly stated on the event cancellation terms. Events may sometimes be cancelled or postponed due to circumstances beyond our control. We will give you as much notice as possible.
You can receive 10% off the price of an overnight stay at Pall Mall with selected events, indicated by this symbol.
offer applies
Please note: this offer is subject to availability and T&Cs
You can receive £40.00 off the price of an overnight stay at Woodcote Park with certain events, indicated by this symbol.
Please note: this offer is subject to availability and T&Cs
A Trip to Bath Christmas Market
Mall
Thursday 1 December, 10.00am-8.00pm
After pressing pause on a full-scale market for the past two years, Bath Christmas Market is back. Step back in time and discover the wondrous world of Christmas in Bath. It’s a place where the scent of Christmas dances through the air, traditional artisan makers line the streets and festive cheer can be found round every corner. Join our Blue Badge guide as she walks you through the narrow streets of Bath, and come home with much more than just presents.
M: £95.00 G: £110.00
Includes: Champagne brunch at the Club and return coach transfers with a Blue Badge guide
Dress code: Smart casual (sensible footwear advised)
Ladies’ Christmas Lunch
Woodcote Park
Thursday 1 December, 12.00-3.00pm
Pupils of the celebrated Yehudi Menuhin School will present a programme of solos and chamber music to entertain the guests at the Ladies’ Christmas Lunch. Programme details are yet to be confirmed but they will include at least one ‘showpiece’ from the 19th century which was written especially for this kind of event. Pupils of all ages and nationalities will take part, and there will be music to suit a wide range of tastes. The Yehudi Menuhin School is a specialist music school based in Cobham, Surrey, and counts Nicola Benedetti, Tasmin Little and Nigel Kennedy among its alumni.
M: £39.00 G: £44.50
Includes: Welcome drink (additional drinks can be purchased on the day), two-course lunch and entertainment
Each member may bring one guest. Please note that invitations for this event will go out on Thursday 3 November and will be available to book online from Friday 4 November.
Monday 5 December, 7.00-10.30pm
For more than 170 years Maison Pol Roger has been producing exceptional Champagne. Currently in the hands of the fifth and sixth generation, family and independence are at the heart of the brand. The Pol Roger style is one of inimitable quality, purity of fruit and fine bubbles – Sir Winston Churchill was famously a Pol Roger fan, and drank it to both celebrate and commiserate. Join James Simpson, Master of Wine and Managing Director of Pol Roger, for an evening of sparkle; he will lead you on a journey through the Champagnes produced by this legendary house.
M: £140.00 G: £160.00
Includes: Champagne reception, tasting with pairing canapés followed by a two-course dinner with wine
Dress code: Smart
Join the Christmas Party: Mysterious Masquerade
Woodcote Park
Friday 16 December, 7.30pm-midnight
Upgrade your work Christmas party and bring colleagues to Woodcote Park. Enjoy a welcome glass of champagne, a three-course dinner, music and dancing. And why not wear a mysterious masquerade disguise?
M: £75.00 G: £86.00
Includes: Champagne reception, three-course dinner, DJ and dancing (wine is not included, but can be ordered on the night)
Dress code: Black tie, masks optional
Woodcote Park
Wednesday 7 December, 9.00am-12.00pm and 2.00-5.00pm
Join gift wrapping expert Jane Means for a fun and inspiring masterclass. You will learn how to wrap every kind of gift perfectly, whatever the shape, size or occasion. Jane has wrapped for luxury brands, including Selfridges, Chanel, Dior and Harrods, for 26 years and will share all of her handy tips and tricks. You will leave the course with a new skill and take home all of your wrapped creations.
M: £65.00 G: £75.00
Includes: Gift wrapping masterclass, refreshments and a glass of champagne
Dress code: Smart casual
Carols at Woodcote Park
Woodcote Park
Thursday 8 December, 6.45-8.15pm
An annual festive favourite! Start your evening with some mulled wine and mince pies in the Lounge. Next, join the Club Choir in the Cedar Room to sing classic carols and get your festive season off to a merry, musical start. This event is complimentary, but booking is essential.
Includes: Mulled wine, mince pies and a carol concert with the Club Choir Dress code: Casual
Pall Mall
Friday 20 January, 7.00pm-midnight
Burns Night celebrates the life and work of the great Scottish poet Robert Burns. It is typically celebrated with a supper on or around his birthday, 25 January – and might be the only occasion where it is de rigueur to raise a toast to a sheep’s stomach. On 20 January, the celebrations are coming to Pall Mall – tuck into some haggis, neeps and tatties, and other traditional Scottish fare, as the Club celebrates Scotland’s best-loved bard. The haggis will be traditionally piped in before attendees are invited to take to the dance floor for the ceilidh.
M: £129.00 G: £149.00
Includes: Champagne reception, four-course dinner including haggis, accompanying beverages and entertainment
Dress code: Black tie
Woodcote Park
Thursday 19 January, 7.00-11.00pm
Presenting an evening of sultry jazz – from classics such as The Nearness Of You to upbeat swing hits like Come Fly With Me, plus some modern tunes with a jazzy twist.
Jon Hickman will be on piano and vocals and accompanied by jazz drums; you’ll be amazed at the sound that just two musicians can create.
M: £65.00 G: £70.00
Includes: Welcome glass of champagne, two-course dinner, cash bar, relaxed jazz music
Dress code: Smart casual
Pall Mall
Tuesday 24 January, 12.45-5.00pm
When people think of Jewish London they often think of Whitechapel and the East End – but that is only a small part of London's Jewish history, and the West End also has much to offer. Join us as we pay a visit to the West London Synagogue – the flagship for the British reform movement – to enjoy its gilded mosaics and the bronzed ladies’ gallery. Our walk back to the clubhouse will take us past a memorial to a man who saved more than 100,000 Hungarian Jews from deportation and death in Nazi concentration camps, London squares associated with Jewish charities, and across a zebra crossing with particular Jewish connections. And, seeing as we’re the Royal Automobile Club, we'll discover a site connected to motor racing and the ‘Bentley Boys’.
M: £68.00 G: £78.00
Includes: Visit to West London Synagogue, walking tour with Blue Badge guide, a glass of champagne and afternoon tea at the Club
Dress code: Smart casual
Pall Mall
Thursday 26 January, 6.30-8.00pm
The use of crystals, gemstones and metals to aid health has been around for thousands of years, but has recently encountered a surge in popularity. From the introduction of the copper bracelet in the 1970s to the use of rare minerals and healing crystals, the health benefits of such practices are just being realised. Join Reiki master and crystal healer Reeya Avani as she explores the power of gemstones and how they can help emotional, physical, and spiritual health. During the evening, Reeya will introduce crystal healing, explain how to choose ones that are right for you, and finish with a short positive mindset session.
M: £33.00 G: £39.00
Includes: Welcome drink, talk followed by Q&A, canapés and Club wine after the presentation Dress code: Smart casual
Pall Mall
Wednesday 25 January, 12.00-2.30pm
As a Bronx-born Oxford graduate with an encyclopaedic knowledge of rock and pop music, Paul Gambaccini is a unique character (and that is before you consider a near half-century radio and television broadcasting career and exploits as a comic book writer and collector). Join him at January’s ‘Lunch with…’ to talk tunes, editing both the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles and Albums, and his long-running, and ultimately successful, legal struggle with Scotland Yard.
M: £86.00 G: £98.00
Includes: Drinks reception, two-course lunch with Club wine, discussion Dress code: Smart
Louis Jadot Wine Tasting
Pall Mall
Monday 30 January, 7.00-10.00pm
From the tip of Chablis to the toe of Beaujolais – from regional to village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines – Louis Jadot produces Burgundy and nothing but Burgundy. Louis Henri Denis Jadot founded the business in 1859; one of his key aims, as well as making top-quality wines, was to build a significant vineyard base. This vision remains core to the business today. Louis Jadot is headed up by Pierre-Henry Gagey, son of André Gagey, who was entrusted with the management in 1962 by Madame Jadot following the tragic death of her son, Louis Auguste Jadot. Pierre-Henry is a passionate believer in terroir, allowing the wines to present the very essence of Burgundy.
M: £130.00 G: £150.00
Includes: Welcome drink, wine tasting and canapés, followed by a two-course dinner and wine
Dress code: Smart casual
Comedy Store at the Country Club Woodcote Park
Sunday 29 January, 7.15-10.30pm
They say laughter is good for the soul, and this event guarantees a good laugh. The Comedy Store was opened in 1979 in Soho by Don Ward and Peter Rosengard, and to this day promises to make you ‘laugh until you cry’. So, get the tissues ready and join us at the country clubhouse, where three of London’s finest Comedy Store comedians will provide entertainment after dinner. Please note that this event is not suitable for those under 18 years, or for the faint-hearted.
M: £70.00 G: £81.00
Includes: Two-course dinner with Club wine and comedy show
Dress code: Smart casual
Woodcote Park
Thursday 2 February, 7.00-10.30pm
Domaines Ott was founded in 1912 by Marcel Ott, an agricultural engineer from Alsace. The wine has been farmed organically from the beginning; cultivation techniques are practised using natural fertilisers and manual debudding. The grapes are hand-picked, followed by strict sorting, a delicate pressing process and a super-short maceration to produce the beautiful, light colour. These are just some of the reasons why this wine has acquired the reputation of being one of the ‘finest vintage rosés in the world’.
M: £125.00 G: £144.00
Includes: Welcome drink, three-course meal and wine tasting
Dress code: Smart
Woodcote Park
Wednesday 1 February, 6:45-10.15pm
Gather your team, choose a name, and brush up on those general knowledge skills. Quiz nights at the Club always promise spirited member rivalry – get stuck in this quiz night in the 19th Hole. Of course, the ultimate prize is the glory, but winners will also be awarded a bottle of Club wine per person. Attendees will also enjoy a two-course meal, with a cash bar available. Teams should be no less than four people and no more than eight.
M: £40.00 G: £46.00
Includes: Two-course dinner and quiz, cash bar available
Dress code: Casual
Pall Mall
Wednesday 8 February, 5.45-8.30pm
Discover one of the world's largest independent lending libraries, steeped in more than 180 years of history and housing a fascinating collection of over one million volumes, arranged within 17 miles of shelving! The London Library has hosted many interesting members, including five Poets Laureate and 11 Nobel prize-winners, and continues to provide an inspiring workplace for both well-established and emerging writers. This tour will include a chance to get lost in the book stacks and learn about the history of both the organisation and building, as well as a display of some of the Library’s treasures from its special collections.
M: £55.00 G: £65.00
Includes: Guided tour of The London Library, display of Library treasures, champagne and canapés in the Pall Mall clubhouse
Dress code: Smart casual
Pall Mall
Friday 3 February, 6.30-9.00pm
You never know until you try. The pairing of cheese and sweet treats is a favourite at Paxton and Whitfield, the historic cheesemonger that has been around since 1797. During this tasting you will try some of Paxton’s best-selling products, including traditional Scottish shortbread, Italian fig balls and the delicious pear and vanilla confit. All will be expertly paired with fantastic artisan cheeses.
M: £70.00 G: £80.00
Includes: Cheese tasting with pairing sweet treats and accompanying beverages
Dress code: Smart casual
Valentine’s Ball
Woodcote Park
Friday 10 February, 7.30pm-midnight
For some, 14 February means a romantic date night and exchanging Valentine’s Day gifts with your significant other. For others, it’s a holiday dedicated to indulging in lots of chocolate (your one true love!). Whether you’re single or partnered, everyone knows that Valentine’s Day is a great time for romance, so why not join us for what is set to be the most romantic night of the year at Woodcote Park? Tables for this event will be in groups of eight to ten.
M: £95.00 G: £110.00
Includes: Champagne reception, live music, three-course dinner with Club wine
Dress code: Black tie
Canapé Academy Woodcote Park
Thursday 9 February, 6.30-8.30pm
Join the Club’s Executive Chef, Matthew Marshall, for a hands-on canapé academy. Matthew will demonstrate how to make canapés and you will work alongside him making your very own! The event will finish with canapé tasting and a glass of champagne whilst having the opportunity to discuss your creations with fellow members.
M: £60.00
Includes: Hands-on canapé making with Executive Chef Matthew Marshall, canapés, champagne Dress code: Casual
An Opera Valentine in the Great Gallery
Pall Mall
Sunday 12 February, 6.30-10.00pm
Swoon to an evening of arias and duets about love from the English Touring Opera, which presents this Valentine’s treat. The award-winning company will deliver moving performances that prove that nothing does romance quite like opera.
M: £175.00 G: £199.00
Includes: Champagne reception, four-course dinner, wine and performance
Dress code: Black tie
WJs: DISCO TOTZ’s Superhero Party Woodcote Park
Thursday 16 February, 3.00-5.00pm
Sometimes a party just needs a real-life superhero! This is the perfect party for all the children that love to save the day. Join us for dancing, bubbles, party games, props, rhythm sticks, bongos and DISCO! Learn all the hero dance moves – swing like Spiderman, waltz like Wonder Woman and boogie like Batman before refuelling your superpowers with some party food. Let's go save the world on the dancefloor!
WJ: £21.00 Non-WJ: £25.00
Includes: Interactive party games, disco and party food
Dress code: Superhero costumes encouraged but not essential
Pall Mall
Monday 20 February, 7.00-10.00pm
Come and taste some exceptional cuvées from one of Champagne’s last independently-owned and run houses. Champagne Henriot has been in the hands of the Henriot family for eight generations, since Apolline Henriot founded the maison in 1808. The founding vineyards on the Montagne de Reims were planted exclusively with Pinot Noir, then, in 1880, Apolline’s great grandson married Marie Marguet, also of a vineyardowning family. Plots in Avize, Chouilly and Mesnil-surOger became part of the House of Henriot, and were planted exclusively with Chardonnay. The dinner will be hosted by Cyrille Harmel, Export Director at Maisons and Domaines Henriot. Originally from Champagne, Cyrille has since returned to the region, where his love and passion for champagne continues.
M: £150.00 G: £175.00
Includes: Welcome drink, masterclass champagne tasting and canapés, followed by a two-course dinner and pairing champagnes
Dress code: Smart casual
Pall Mall
Saturday 18 February, 1.00-2.00pm
Join author and illustrator Rob Biddulph for a fun-packed hour. Rob helped everyone stay creative in lockdown with his #DrawWithRob videos – now you can join in live with one of his famous draw-alongs! Learn about Rob’s journey from budding artist to award-winning picture book creator, Guinness World Record holder and author of the Peanut Jones series. It is such a treat to have Rob come to the Club to teach you how to draw one of his characters with his easy step-by-step instructions. All drawing materials will be provided.
WJ: £15.00 Non-WJ: £18.00
Minimum age: 5
Includes: Interactive presentation, draw-along session
Dress code: Smart casual
Annual Rugby Dinner with Will Greenwood MBE
Woodcote Park
Wednesday 22 February, 7.30-11.15pm
Will Greenwood is one of England’s greatest-ever rugby players. In a professional career that spanned 11 years and 55 international caps, he established a reputation as an unsurpassed mid-field playmaker. The second highest international try-scoring centre of all time, Will was an integral part of England’s victorious World Cup campaign of 2003. Since retirement, he has gone on to establish himself as one of the foremost voices in the rugby media; he is a renowned analyst and one of the most intelligent and entertaining characters in the game.
M: £105.00 G: £120.00
Includes: Champagne reception, three-course dinner with Club wine, rugby discussion with Will Greenwood and Q&A Dress code: Black tie
Lunch with Lawson Muncaster, City AM Founder
Pall Mall
Tuesday 28 February, 12.00-2.30pm
When Lawson Muncaster and Jens Torpe decided to create a newspaper three decades ago, much was against them – not least the internet’s impact on the publishing industry. Today, City AM is an established part of the media landscape, with a now 16-yearold and still going strong print edition boasting 100,000 copies and 400,000 readers a day, and a website launched in 2014. As a founder of the company, Lawson can talk uniquely about the goings-on at City AM since 2006. Hold the front page and join him at the ‘Lunch with…’ table in February.
M: £86.00 G: £98.00
Includes: Drinks reception, two-course lunch with Club wine, Q&A Dress code: Smart
A Night of Laughter with the Comedy Store at Pall Mall
Pall Mall
Friday 24 February, 7.00-10.30pm
The Comedy Store has been a mainstay for comedians at the top of their game, as well as a champion for up-and-comers, since 1979. This event presents The Comedy Store’s Best in Stand-Up show. Three of the best comedians currently working on the UK scene will come together to give the Mountbatten Room a night it won’t easily forget! Expect adult themes and taboo-busting belly laughs and join us for what promises to be a special night of Pall Mall laughter.
M: £79.00 G: £93.00
Includes: A glass of champagne on arrival, two-course dinner with Club wine, comedy show
Dress code: Smart casual
To book any of these events, please visit the Club website.
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy Pall Mall
Tuesday 15 November, 7.00pm
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy was born out of one man’s mission to turn back the tide of extinctions amongst Australia’s native species. Starting in 1991 with one property in Western Australia, Martin Copsley began a journey which would lead to the creation of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and the creation of a new model for conservation. It has grown to become the largest private owner and manager of land for conservation in Australia protecting wildlife in 31 different sanctuaries covering an area greater than three times the size of Wales. This presentation by Lizzy Crotty from AWC will give a fascinating insight into the work being undertaken, and there will be extensive use of photography for those who appreciate great imagery. The subject should appeal to everyone concerned about the management of the environment in increasingly challenging times and, especially, the techniques used to manage an enormous area of land.
M & G: £5.00
The Chess Circle Christmas Dinner Pall Mall, The Committee Room
Wednesday 14 December, 7.00pm
Chess players and their guests are invited to celebrate Christmas with a champagne reception and festive Christmas dinner complemented by wine.
M & G: £74.00
Includes: Glass of champagne on arrival, three-course meal and Club wine
Reinvent Your Garden – with Emphasis on Drought-Tolerant Plants: a Zoom presentation by Tamsin Westhorpe
Thursday 10 November, 7.30pm
Tamsin Westhorpe is the Director of Stockton Bury Gardens in Leominster, which has been in her family for six generations. She is an author and experienced horticultural journalist, an RHS judge, and enthusiastic lecturer. She has published Diary of a Modern Country Gardener and she runs the podcast Fresh from the Pod Her talk will include tips on rejuvenating borders, plants that are useful in every garden, and filler plants, all with a nod to coping in hotter and drier conditions.
M & G: £5.00
Annual Swimming Dinner
Pall Mall
Thursday 10 November, 7.00pm
The Swimming Committee would like to invite you to its Annual Dinner with four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, Chrissie Wellington OBE. Chrissie is a former professional triathlete: she was the first British athlete to win the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in 2007, and went on to win it a further three times, in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Chrissie was undefeated in all 13 of her races over the Ironman distance and still holds the official world record for the distance. Come and hear Chrissie talk about her personal and professional story as well as the work she is doing today to improve participation in physical activity.
M: £58.00 G: £68.00
Sub-Aqua Christmas Dinner
Pall Mall
Friday 9 December, 7.00pm
The Sub-Aqua group would like to invite you to its annual Christmas dinner. No doubt there will be many conversations about this year's amazing events, and we will also announce plans for 2023. Everyone is welcome.
M: £72.00 G: £80.00
Pall Mall Book Club Christmas Dinner
Pall Mall, the Library and St James’s Room
Monday 5 December, 6.30-10.30pm
The Pall Mall Book Club meets on the first Monday of every month to discuss a new book from a wide variety of contemporary literature. Whether you are a first-time or a regular attendee, all Club members (with guests) are welcome. This year we celebrate our fourth Christmas Dinner with early drinks in the Library and a discussion of the month’s selection, followed by some fine Christmas fare in the St James’s Room.
The book on the night will be Mother’s Boy by Howard Jacobson, where the Booker Prize winner reveals with his trademark humour how he became a writer through exploring belonging or not belonging, being both English and Jewish.
The evening is always lively, informative, and often surprising in its range of views.
M & G: £74.00
Includes: Arrival drinks, three-course dinner, Club wine, and discussion
Dress code: Smart
Woodcote Park Afternoon Book Club
Woodcote Park
The group meets on the third Thursday of each month, from 5.00 until 6.00pm
Each month, two books with a connection (the theme, setting, author or genre) are discussed and members may read either or both. Books are suggested by all and chosen via an online survey:
Thursday 19 January
Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes Look at Me by Anita Brookner
Thursday 16 February
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
Thursday 16 March
Free Love by Tessa Hadley
At the Table by Claire Powell
Thursday 20 April
We Had To Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Thursday 18 May
The Captains and the Kings by Jennifer Johnston Troubles by J G Farrell
Thursday 15 June
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
Drive Your Plough Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
For more information please visit the Activities section of the Club website.
Rehearsals for Carol Concerts
This year the Club Choir will once again be singing at both the Pall Mall and Woodcote Park Christmas Carol concerts, on Wednesday 7 December and Thursday 8 December respectively. Rehearsals at Pall Mall start on Tuesday 8 November at 6.45pm and at Woodcote Park on Wednesday 9 November
at 7.30pm. We are delighted to welcome new singers to the Choir and no audition is required. Rehearsals are held in the evenings with many choir members staying afterwards to socialise, so we look forward to seeing you, whether you are new to the choir or a regular participant.
For more information or to let us know that you would like to take part, please email choir-support@ royalautomobileclub.co.uk.
As the 2022 singing workshops at Pall Mall and Woodcote proved so popular, and prompted numerous requests from members for further similar events, the Club Choir is planning the following in 2023:
Pall Mall
Monday 6 March
Wednesday 5 July
Woodcote Park
Thursday 11 May
Thursday 14 September
During the event, we will be learning to sing one song in just over an hour, followed by a delicious buffet supper and wine. Members and guests are welcome and there are no auditions required to join. We look forward to singing with you.
All details will be confirmed by email so please ensure you have ticked ‘Choir’ on the ‘Mailing Preferences’ page of ‘My Account’ on the Club website.
ISSUED BY THE Minister of Transport in pursuance of section 45 of the Road Traffic Act 1930, and available for the princely sum of one penny, the Highway Code made its first appearance in 1931. It ran to 21 pages, of which only 18 were needed to carry the advice (compared to the current version which in hard copy runs to well over a hundred).
The original Highway Code made no mention of vehicles having mirrors, nor did it have images explaining the meaning of road signs – they didn’t come along until the second edition in 1934. And, of course, it was only available as a hard-copy booklet.
There have been multiple updates to the Highway Code over the years, both to its content and its format – today’s readers can access the code free of charge online
or choose an app version to download for their smartphone.
A number of important additions have been made to the Code in 2022 – could the authors of the original Code have imagined that, as a result of one of those additions, it now anticipates the arrival of self-driving vehicles onto our roads? Other changes this year are aimed at giving greater protection to pedestrians and cyclists, including advice on who has right of way at junctions.
The trouble with making changes to the Code is that once they pass their driving test many drivers don’t revisit it until they are helping a friend or family member learn to drive. That’s why, in addition to providing input when changes to the Code are being developed, the RAC Foundation also lobbies for those changes to be widely communicated. A key part of ensuring drivers follow the rules of the road is to make sure they know what those rules are.
The Department for Transport offers a free online service through which anyone can register to receive email updates (or even tweets) when Code changes are made.
Meantime, aside from all the detail in the latest Code, the words right at the start of that very first version still resonate as excellent advice for today’s drivers:
Always be careful and considerate towards others. As a responsible citizen you have a duty to the community not to endanger or impede others in their lawful use of the King’s Highway.
Remember that all persons – pedestrians, cyclists, persons leading, riding or driving animals and the drivers of motor or horsedrawn vehicles – have a right to use the highway and an obligation to respect the rights of others.
Bear in mind the difficulties of others and try not to add to them.
The Club’s free online classified advertisements can be seen on the Club website: just look for ‘Retail and Classifieds’ in the main menu after you have signed in. Please email communications@royalautomobileclub.co.uk to arrange an advertisement on the website or in Pell-Mell & Woodcote. Magazine entries are charged at £50.00 per edition and the deadline for the next edition is Thursday 1 December.
Mauritius this Christmas?
Well-appointed, lovely, large 5,000 sq ft villa in the North of Mauritius, 13 minutes’ drive from Grand Bay, four minutes’ drive to the nearest quiet beach. Available for two-week periods early December to mid-January. Price includes Wi-Fi, electricity, water, gas, maid and gardener. GBP 400.00 per night.
Email: jlmaukes@gmail.com Tel: +230 5257 7776
Spacious Five Bedroom Villa Close to Marbella
Spacious villa (five bed, four bath) with private swimming pool and gardens located on private Urbanisation close to the sea and a few minutes from Marbella. Golf, tennis and swimming club, and gym all close by.
Email: dsegal@sky.com
Tel: 07917 771169
Luxury Waterfront Six Bedroom Cotswold House
Luxury waterfront six-bedroom, six-bathroom home in the Cotswolds near Lechlade set in 850 acres of countryside. Golf, tennis, swimming, spa, gym, paddle boarding and biking all close by. Available to rent throughout the year including Christmas and New Year.
Email: karenpaulinelewis@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 07950 464419
Waterside Self-Catering Holiday Cottage in Cornwall
Creekside Cottage is a well-appointed four-bedroom family home on the banks of Mylor Creek with stunning views across the water and open Cornish countryside beyond. An easy walk (or paddle) to Mylor Sailing School, slipway access and private foreshore for kayak, SUP or dingy. An idyllic setting for families, friends and their dogs to enjoy.
Email: nigelandjacquie@mylorcreekside.com
Tel: 0777 5676435 www.mylorcreekside.com
4.2 litre, six-cylinder engine. Commissioned in deep blue coachwork with claret interior trim. Having covered only 790 miles from build, this beautifully hand-crafted Suffolk SS100 is in stunning condition. Dry stored from new, it has never seen rain. This showwinning vehicle also has a detailed file covering the full engine specification. Offers in the region of £105,000.
Email: ed@ehjjenkins.co.uk Tel: 07770 750753
For sale, a set of Aston Martin wheels and tyres from a 2016 Rapide S, which have only covered circa 10,000. These cost over £7,000 new without the tyres. Excellent condition, photos available on request. £2,250.
Email: pcooperfciob@gmail.com Tel: 07766 122511
Club member Ben Costello, a freelance musical director, singing teacher and adjudicator, offers singing lessons at his studio in Surbiton (or can make home visits by arrangement). He teaches all ages in a variety of styles ranging from classical to pop and musical theatre. Ben also really enjoys working with adults who may be exploring their singing potential for the first time! He has full DBS clearance and is an ISMregistered teacher.
Email: maestrocostello@gmail.com Tel: 07889 659324 www.bencostello.com
Your personal documentary accompanied by your most important digital media, professionally archived, catalogued in a library, and protected by a trust. Have your story, home, or family history filmed by a cinematographer and future-proofed by archivists. The Not Forgotten Trust will catalogue and preserve it to ensure your legacy is accessible for generations.
Email: support@not-forgotten.com Tel: 07776451565
www.not-forgotten.io
Bespoke admin services through a resourceful and friendly approach, with the aim to facilitate your personal or professional affairs, whether that be dealing with a backlog of paperwork, resolving IT issues, arranging tradespeople, or managing diaries. Should you like to discuss further, do not hesitate to get in touch. Services can be agreed on a monthly or ad hoc hourly basis, tailoring a package that suits your circumstances. Email: flavia@flaviacataldo.com Tel: 07498 290945 www.linkedin.com/in/flaviacataldo
Have you been looking for ages, but not found the perfect artwork yet? We help you find artwork to bring your walls to life and enhance your home, to reflect your personality and become the space you love to be in! We work closely with handpicked artists who create a fantastic selection of artworks. Artwork available to buy online, viewed by appointment in Ewell or brought to your home.
Email: carol@caigerart.com Tel: 07828513885 www.caigerart.com
Club Librarian Trevor Dunmore presents a mystery.
THE INSCRIPTION ON this cup says: RAC Veteran Car Run, London to Brighton, 1934, Team Prize. Pretty straightforward, you would think: another cup fished out of the Club’s vast collection of trophies along with a clear description of what it was awarded for.
In fact, we have no idea where this cup has been languishing for the past 88 years, and not much of an idea what the recipients did to receive the accolade.
The mystery started with a message posted on the Club’s Facebook page by A J Parkes Ltd, a trophymaking company based in Brisbane, Australia: “About a year ago someone dropped this into our warehouse in a bag – no note, didn’t talk to anyone, just left it and never came back”. The company kindly offered to donate this silver-plated pint tankard, made by Walker and Hall of Sheffield in 1933, to the Club.
According to a report at the time in The Autocar, the winning team was made up of three Panhard Levassor
cars driven by J M Turner (an 1899 model), J A Turner (1902) and A C Fairtlough and O Bertram (1904). Two other Panhards completed the Run that year but do not appear to have been part of the team.
However, we don’t know what the prize was awarded for. On 2 November 1934 – just before that year’s Run – The Autocar reported that “some alteration has been made to the team prize, which will no longer be decided on average speed, in fact average speed will be ‘taboo’ altogether”. Tantalizingly, the report doesn’t go on to say what the “alteration” was.
Perhaps the cup was awarded for some form of meritorious performance, such as the fewest mechanical issues? If any reader has the answer, we look forward to hearing from you! We would also be delighted if anyone could shed any light on how the cup made its way to Australia or, indeed, provide any information on where it has been for the past 88 years.
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