Phyllis Court Club

Club News Summer 2014

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Inside this issue

Regatta Gallery 4-7

Club Room Refurb 8

Riverside Pavilion 10

Forthcoming Events 11

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Inside this issue

Regatta Gallery 4-7

Club Room Refurb 8

Riverside Pavilion 10

Forthcoming Events 11

Chairman’s WelcomeI don’t think I have ever seen Phyllis

Court looking more immaculate

than when I arrived early on the

Wednesday morning of Regatta

this year. The lawns were pristine,

the flowers on the riverbank in full

bloom, the hanging baskets a sight

to behold and to top it all our new

Riverside Pavilion stood there in all

its magnificent glory awaiting the

arrival of Members and their guests.

And so it continued for five days.

I judge the success of Regatta not

just by the financial results but also

by the enjoyment of Members and

by these measures this year was

a huge success. Provisional profit

(yet to be finalised) was around

£180,000, slightly down on last year

as expected but none the less very

satisfactory. Equally important was

the obvious enjoyment of Members

who were clearly very pleased to be

able to entertain their guests at such

a prestigious event.

The only cloud was the behaviour,

particularly on Saturday, of a small

number of members’ guests which

was not up to the standard that we

have come to expect. Fortunately

it was only a small number but

nevertheless it did spoil the occasion

for some Members and did disquiet

some of the staff. We intend to take

action in future to ensure that such

disruption does not happen again.

The Riverside Pavilion was a great

attraction and proved popular both

during the day and with the evening

activities. The external appearance

and internal spaciousness has

attracted glowing praise from

all who have used it and it is fast

becoming one of our most popular

venues for Members’ individual

events, Interest Groups and external

functions.

All Members have been individually

notified that we have been granted

planning permission to build the

proposed Health and Fitness

Centre. There is a huge amount of

work to be done before any proposal

can be put before Members but

working parties have already made

a start and Members will be updated

on their progress through special

bulletins, “In Touch” and reports in

the Club News.

A part of historyIn keeping with the Regatta theme

and facts we take a look back at the

Clubs News published in 1998.

An excerpt;

Behind the Scenes at Regatta

The awnings and marquees have

been dismantled and taken away;

the crowds have disappeared.

Within just a few days, it’s as if the

Regatta has never been. Phyllis

Court is back to normal. Gardeners

are again mowing the flawless green

sward; Members are tapping mallets

and balls on the croquet lawn. The

transition has been seamless.

Over the five days of Regatta

Henley’s own country Club has

been agog with activity. From

early in the morning until late at

night - and sometimes well into the

next morning - staff have beavered

away to ensure that Members and

their guests can enjoy themselves

at the Club’s premier event of the

year. An additional 150 staff are

taken on over the Regatta. These,

together with the permanent

staff, all have their allotted task

- the chefs, waiting staff, glass

clearers, washers-up, Pimms’ stick

preppers. This year 4991 lunches

and 4600 teas, comprising 2500

salmon portions and 1000 lbs of

strawberries were consumed over

the five day period, along with 1129

evening menus. In addition, regatta-

goers quaffed 4020 pints of Pimms

and 1380 bottles of Champagne

as well as huge volumes of wine.

Regatta 2014

Over the five days we welcomed 8148 guests to Phyllis Court Club,

477 visitors to our Riverside Pavilion hospitality boxes and sold:

H 2209 Lunch Rapide

H 600 Sauvignon Blanc Bottles

H 653 Bottles Champagne

H 1128 1/2 pint Pimm’s

H 1155 Jugs Pimm’s

H 200 Bottles Rose

H 1551 Scones

H and...1513 Programmes

An additional 120 staff were employed to help

over the Regatta week.

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Regatta 2014

Regatta 2014 Evening Events

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The Inaugural Dinner proved such a success with Members eager to dine in the new Riverside Pavilion that the Club

took the unusual step of running it for a second night during the first days of Regatta. The gourmet menu created by

head chef Tarik Ramjaun included delicious summer dishes of Lobster Bisque, Smoked Chicken Terrine, Lemon Sorbet,

Roast Fillet of ‘Angus’ Beef and a delicious Vanilla Panna- Cotta. 105 Members on the Wednesday evening and 97 on

the Thursday enjoyed a late Summer’s evening on the river along with the opportunity to experience the fantastic new

Riverside Pavilion.

Riverside Pavilion Dinner Wednesday 1st July and Thursday 2nd July 2014

Jazz Evening Friday 4th July 2014

The Friday of Regatta saw the ever popular Jazz Evening return with an enticing three course dinner of Chicken Liver

Parfait followed by Roast Sea Bass Fillet, finished fittingly with the summery dessert of English Strawberries with Vanilla

Sable. The grand 6 piece band took 183 Members and their guests on a Jazz journey playing music from over 100 years

for all to enjoy.

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Regatta 2014 Evening EventsRegatta Ball Saturday 5th July 2014

The Ballroom once again hosted the annual Regatta Ball,

the room was decorated with elegant damask duck egg

blue linen and ivory and green floral arrangements for

the table centres including great white hydrangeas, white

delphiniums and fresh mint to add a subtle aroma. Cracked

mercury tea lights were scattered around the tables which

added a gentle glow to the overall ambiance. Entertainment

was provided by Todd Miller and the Joe Loss Orchestra.

118 Members and their guests were treated to a delicious

menu of Tea-Smoked Mackerel Tian and Roast Fillet of

Angus Beef followed by a sumptuous Rich Chocolate Torte

which kept everyone going until the firework display and

the dancing had come to an end!

To view more pictures from the Regatta week visit

www.pccmembers.org

Remember we are now on Facebook and Twitter

so please ‘like’ us on Facebook (Phyllis Court

Club) and follow us on Twitter @PhyllisCourt

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Regatta Results and Moving Forward in Autumn

As this summer edition of Club

News shows, we had wonderful

weather and a great time at Regatta

this year with strong support from

Members and guests plus a welcome

contingent from reciprocal clubs

which made the Saturday one of the

busiest days on record. On that day

636 were catered-for in the Lunch

Rapide alone, and all other catering

and spectating areas were full.

Over 200 Members enjoyed the

formal dinners held in the Riverside

Pavilion on the Wednesday and

Thursday evenings, and the take-up

of Isis Lounge places on Wednesday,

Saturday and Sunday was up on last

year.

Jazz on Friday night was a sell-

out and the transformation of the

Ballroom for Saturday night by the

florist and banqueting teams brought

much delight.

Henley Festival week saw full use

of the Riverside Pavilion with a bar

facility on the Upper Deck and full

dining below with the choice of early

and late sittings.

Looking forward, the list of

forthcoming Club events appears on

page 11, but may I commend to you in

particular the concert and dinner on

Friday 17th October with the King’s

Singers.

For autumn the menus in the

Orangery, Dining Room and Club

Room will evolve to take advantage

of all the warm and rich British foods

in season including game, sea fish,

sweet root vegetables, woodland

mushrooms, apples, pears and soft

fruit berries – delightful comfort food

indeed.

On-line booking of the Orangery

and Dining Room is now on a much

improved platform, as is booking

of the ‘sporting venues’ (tennis,

snooker, croquet). The scope of on-

line booking increases this autumn

to cover a number of Club events and

for 2015 Regatta ticket booking on-

line will become an option.

As ever, you can keep abreast of

all Club news via In Touch which is

published by e-mail each Tuesday and

Thursday. There will be a new look for

it from October to tailor it to viewing

on tablets and iPhones. To ensure

your correct e-mail contact address is

on the distribution list please contact

emma.forster@phylliscourt.co.uk.

Club Room Refurbishment The Club Room, with its discreet atmosphere, is perfect for

lunch or dinner where diners can enjoy fine food and wine

and a private dining experience. The Club Room is currently

in the final stages of a refurbishment which has included new

lighting and decor to brighten the room and a new service

entrance/exit.

Parties of up to 10 can dine with the ‘A La Carte’ menu.

Larger numbers (up to 20) may dine from a set menu or a shortened ‘A La Carte’ menu. The Club Room can be booked

via Reception. It would be ideal for private entertaining for small birthday or family celebrations.

Our Head Chef, Tarik Ramjaun, can offer a bespoke menu service and would be delighted to meet with hosts in advance

to produce something especially for their occasion. Barry Eaton and his team very much look forward to welcoming

you.

Reservations may be made through Reception on 01491 570500 or rcpn@phylliscourt.co.uk

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Henley Festival 2014This year Phyllis Court celebrated

the annual Henley Festival by hosting

the ever popular ‘Dining Room-

on-Thames’ in the new Riverside

Pavilion. Over the five nights of the

Festival, Members and their guests

were treated to a menu including

dishes such as Treacle Cured Salmon,

Pan Fried Seabass, Teppanyaki Grilled

Fillet of Angus Beef and Pimm’s-

marinated English Strawberries.

The Riverside Pavilion provided the

perfect spot to listen to the Festival

line-up with this year’s Floating Stage

performers including Bryan Ferry,

Joss Stone, Burt Bacharach and The

Jacksons.

Whilst enjoying drinks on the balcony

as the sun went down diners were

able to play ‘spot the roving artworks’

with Monet and Van Gogh roaming

across the water.

As in previous years the Sea Cadets

played a crucial role transferring

Members by boat from the Club to

the Festival and back again, with the

money raised going to support their

organisation.

Finally, the Lords of Lightning created

a spectacular night-time display

across the water using four million

volts of electrical power as they

duelled one another from podiums as

the fireworks filled the sky and many

boats filled the river.

The sun set on another year’s Festival

and we look forward to hosting you

again next year!

Health Club UpdateCouncil is very pleased to advise

Members that Planning Permission

to build a Health & Leisure Centre

has now been received from SODC.

As usual there are a number of

conditions but none are considered

onerous. A series of working parties

is being set-up to take the project

forward to the next level. These

working parties will work in parallel

on both the financial and operational

aspects of the scheme with a view

to formulating a comprehensive

business plan covering build and

running costs, market research

and financing options and cost. The

working parties may seek input from

Members as their work progresses.

The business plan will then be

submitted to outside experts for

independent scrutiny and stress-

testing as to its viability. With this

approach it is anticipated that the

timescale for submission to Members

can be brought forward from the

end of 2015, but Council will be in a

much better position to give a more

definitive view on this at the Open

Meeting on 13th November 2014.

Council will not put any proposal

to Members unless confident of its

financial viability and that it is in the

best long-term interest of Phyllis

Court Club. Members will appreciate

that this is only the very first stage in a

long process, but Council is delighted

to have reached this point.

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Contemporary, Fresh and New...The Riverside Pavilion This pavilion was originally built for

the Regatta in 1913. In the last one

hundred years it has undergone a

number of upgrades and renovations

and the latest, which was completed

at the end of June this year, has

proved an absolute triumph. The

sympathetic way it has been carried

out using the most modern of

materials embodies the ethos of

Phyllis Court; is to keep the best of

the old while embracing the best of

the new.

The renovations which started in

October 2013 were completed at

the end of June 2014. Initially the

building was stripped out and old

materials were recycled. Over the

coming weeks Architen Landrell (the

same company who installed the

Millennium Dome roofing structure)

installed a new high tech fabric

tensile roof system. The following

months saw the top deck glazing

completed, paved and carpeting laid

down. Once the landscaping of the

Northern and Western elevations

had been completed in June all that

was left to finalise was the new

kitchen extension and lift.

We hope it will be the jewel in the

crown of the Club and, indeed, of

Henley, for many years to come.

View step by step weekly progress pictures of the redevelopment on our website gallery; www.pccmembers.org

Drilling of piling mat October 2013 Upper Deck carpeting May 2014

Roof removal October 2013

Upper Deck paving May 2014

Kitchen complete June 2014Exterior landscaping May 2014 Exterior decoration June 2014

Completed Riverside Pavilion July 2014

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARYTuesday 16th September

One Year Members Dinner

7pm in the Ballroom

Dress Code: Jacket and Tie

A lovely dinner hosted

by the Chairman

to congratulate all

Members who have

first anniversary

of Membership in

2014. It’s a great

opportunity to meet

fellow Members who

have recently joined

and to compare notes

on enjoyment and what

Interest Groups others have enjoyed becoming a

part of.

Members will enjoy a drinks reception, a

welcome from the Chairman and a delightful

three course dinner.

Friday 17th October

Classical Concert and Dinner

with The King’s Singers

7pm for 7:30pm in the Ballroom

Dress Code: Black Tie

The King’s Singers are a British “a cappella” vocal

ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after

King’s College in Cambridge, where the group

was formed by six choral scholars. In the 1970s

and early 1980s after great success at home they

began to reach a wider international audience

until today the ensemble travels worldwide

for its performances, appearing in around 125

concerts each year, in Europe, the U.S. and the

Far East. In recent years the group has enjoyed

several UK appearances in the Royal Albert Hall

Proms, and concerts as part of the Three Choirs

Festival and City of London Festival.

With a discography of over 150 recordings, The

King’s Singers have garnered both awards and

significant critical acclaim, including Grammys.

In June 2013, the group’s contribution to

classical recording was recognised when they

were selected to join the Gramophone Hall of

Fame.

The King’s Singers are a class act, instantly

recognisable for their spot-on intonation,

impeccable vocal blend, flawless articulation of

the text and incisive timing.

They are currently working a on a performance

tailored specifically for Phyllis Court Members.

Saturday 1st November

Bonfire Night

6.30pm Bonfire lit, 6.45pm fireworks in the

Paddock and Supper in the Ballroom at 7.30pm

From 6.30pm Guy

Fawkes will be ready

with the Bonfire lit and

at 6.45pm the amazing

firework display will

fill the sky over the

Paddock. Members

and their families

will be able to enjoy

warming Winter Soup

and Hot Dogs from our

stand in the Paddock.

Alternatively you can head indoors for an

informal supper in the Ballroom.

All events can be booked 6 weeks in advance at the Main Reception:

Tel: 01491 570500 Email: rcpn@phylliscourt.co.uk

Phyllis Court ClubMore than just a Club, it’s a way of life

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Set along the banks of the river in Henley-on-Thames within 18 acres the Club offers Members a unique environment in which to enjoy a diverse range of Club events, Interest Groups and the

opportunity to make new friends.

Summer Opera - Learn to play Tennis - Wine Tasting - Regatta - Fine Dining - Jazz

The Riverside Pavilion is a fantastic venue set on the finish line of the famous Henley Royal Regatta with spectacular views along the Thames. Our Members benefit from discounted room

hire in all rooms.

Next Open Evening: Wednesday 17th September from 6.30pm

Members who successfully propose a new Member this year will be entered into a special draw made from all 2014 Proposers and the name chosen will have the value of their

membership subscription for 2015 re-imbursed.

There are also quarterly draws throughout the year for Members who successfully propose new Members whereby the Member/s chosen receive a complimentary dinner at

the Club.

Keep on proposing!

For further Membership details please visit

www.pccmembers.org or call us on 01491 570510

Club News is produced and published by Phyllis Court Club,

Marlow Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 2HT

Tel: 01491 570500

www.pccmembers.org