Phyllis Court Club

Club News February 2015

GALLERY OF

FESTIVITIES AT

THE CLUB

2015 CLUB

IMPROVEMENTS

AND PROJECTS

YEHUDI MENUHIN

SCHOOL CONCERT

& OTHER

2015 EVENTS

Page 2 Page 3

WELCOMING RECENT JOINERS

Geoffrey Brown

Julie Brown

Audrey Backer

Robin Coates

Janni Coates

William Douglas

Tristan Elby

John Gilbart

Adrian Glenn

Simon Hughes

Tim Holley

Penny Holley

David Hopkins

Carole Jackson

David Jolly

Jacqueline Jolly

Violet Lawrence

Stanley Packham

Sandra Chambers

Jean Roche

Jeremy Reeve

Sally Reeve

Elaenor Ringer

Richard Slogrove

Mark Beard

Charlotte Steventon

Beth Spelman

Brian Wadsworth

BEDROOM MAKEOVER

Over the last two years many of the

Club’s standard bedrooms have been

refurbished and bedroom bookings

have increased since. To maintain

the level of standard the oldest

bedrooms, 5, 6, 16, 17 and 18 will

have a make-over beginning on 2nd

February. Rooms 5 and 6 will be

transformed into stylish boutique

bedrooms with ‘5’ renovated from its

current colour scheme to terracotta

and ‘6’ a pale blue colour scheme.

Room 16 will follow the same

theme as the previously refurbished

bedrooms by incorporating dark

wood furnishings but will be updated

with soft furnishings in raspberry and

cream colours. Oak wood furnishings

will modernise bedrooms 17 and 18

along with a floral colour scheme

of lilac and pale greens for the soft

furnishings. All five rooms will have

new radiators, patio doors and

windows as well as improvements to

the bathrooms.

The work is due to be completed by

30th March but keep an eye on our

social media pages for updates on the

progress of the renovations.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

HAT BANDS

Changing a hat band is an easy way

to get a brand new look out of an

older hat and an ideal token gift.

They are available from Reception

for £9.75 each.

To view the full list of Club

merchandise please visit the ‘Club

Shop’ page on the website in the

‘Member Login Area.’

www.pccmembers.org

New Club GroupThe Quad Club

Page 5

ExploringInterest Groups

Page 7

Forthcoming Events

Page 10

Page 4 Page 5

CHAIRMAN’S FAREWELL

The “new look” festive events which

took place at the end of last year

proved to be very popular. The

Motown Evening, Casino Royale

New Year’s Eve Party, and New Year’s

Day Brunch were all fully booked.

Christmas Day lunch in the Pavilion

overlooking the Thames was also full

and was a very enjoyable experience!

As promised we made a “go, no go”

recommendation about the health

& fitness facility in plenty of time

before the Annual General Meeting.

The decision by Council not to

proceed with the current plan was

made known to Members last month.

Much work had gone on behind the

scenes examining every possible

alternative and I am most grateful

to my colleagues on Council and to

the members of the various working

groups for all they have done to assist

the Club with this project.

This report is my swansong since by

the time of publication my tenure

as Chairman will be coming to an

end. It has been an interesting and

personally very rewarding three

years and I hope Members will feel

that during that time the Club has

moved forward, embracing new

ideas but retaining the essence of

our traditions. I am not disappearing

since I will continue to be a member

of Council, so I look forward to

meeting up with you all regularly.

My sincere thanks for all your

support, encouragement and

constructive criticism.

With winter behind us we can now

look forward to the better weather

and enjoy the Club in all its spring

glory.

CHARITY ACTION GROUP

The Charity Action Group is

delighted to announce that £25,300

was raised for the Club’s charities in

2014.

Many thanks for the generosity of

PCC Members.

Following the AGM in January the

CAG presented cheques to the

chosen charities.

Thames Valley and Chiltern Air

Ambulance received £17,650.

Chiltern Centre supporting

Disabled Children received £7,650.

RECIPROCAL CLUBS - HOME AND AWAY

The St James’s Club

St. James’s was founded in 1825 and

is based in the heart of Manchester.

The Club has three function rooms

available for private hire as well as a

hot-desking suite for professionals

looking to conduct small meetings,

check email messages or finish work

in a quiet environment. St. James’s

Club offers Reciprocal Members

discounted rates on accommodation

thanks to their partnership with two

superb Manchester hotels close-by.

The Vancouver Club

Established in 1889, The Vancouver

Club is a place to dine, relax and

connect on the Canadian West

Coast. The Club is elegant, informal,

distinguished and comfortable. All

rooms are well equipped and rates

include a continental breakfast

buffet. During a stay at the Club,

guests are invited to use all facilities

available within the clubhouse which

include cardio and weight training

equipment along with a steam room.

2015 CLUB PROJECTS

The new year brings with it new

projects for the Club house

and grounds. The Phyllis Court

Foundation has sponsored a

definitive survey of the grounds and

environs of the Club and this will be

the ‘design guide’ for the evolution

of the grounds to reflect the historic

parkland setting of the manor house

in its unrivalled Thames-side setting.

The first part of a major project to

renew the jetties and moorings on the

River Front is under way in the first

quarter of the year, with the current

moorings being renewed up to the

footbridge, with wider walkways

and improved service connections.

The Pond has been given special

attention over the winter to improve

the perimeter pathway and the

quality of the water area. There will

also be continued drainage work in

and around the car parking areas.

The Finlay Drive barrier is to be

improved, with the ability to be

opened on demand by use of the

membership card in order to give

access out and through to New Street.

The exterior of the Club house

around the Finlay Suite will be re-

painted in Spring, and the planting

of new trees will be an on-going task.

Inside, five of the bedrooms will be

given an extensive make-over, as will

the Reception desk and the nearby

access points to the Dining Room

and the Gentlemen’s cloakroom.

Pond improvements began in

November 2014

The Reception area will be

refurbished in 2015

NEW CLUB GROUPThe Quad Club is in addition to

our Interest Groups and, to begin

with will be run in-house by the

Club management. Its focus is to

encourage Members within the 35

– 60 age bracket to come, socialise,

have fun and ultimately use the

Club through specific events and

initiatives hosted throughout the

year. We have lots of exciting plans

and are keen to receive any feedback

from Members within this bracket as

to further thoughts and initiatives

we could run. For more information

please contact our Membership

Manager at

abigail.lamb@phylliscourt.co.uk

From left to right: Mark McGeown and Nikki James (Air

Ambulance), Paul Barrett and Emma Lerche-Thompson (Chiltern centre), Diana Pearman (CAG Chair) and Anne Jones (PCC Council)

Page 6 Page 7

EXPLORING YOUR INTEREST GROUPS

Family History

THE FAMILY HISTORY SECTION –

WHAT’S HIDING IN YOUR FAMILY

TREE?

At one time Genealogy was simply

finding ancestors’ names. Now it

includes not only finding out who

they were but also how they lived.

We are flourishing with 125

members meeting monthly on a

Monday morning at 10am to hear

speakers on a wide variety of family

history topics. Why not look at the

programme on the Notice Board and

come along one Monday?

The Section also runs walk-in sessions

each Wednesday afternoon when

members are helped by experienced

family historians, as well as running

training workshops and visits to the

National Archives at Kew.

On Monday 11th May we are

organising an exciting new whole

day venture led by an experienced

speaker, exploring servants’ lives

in the big houses (how accurate is

Downton Abbey?). Then after lunch

we will find out what we can learn

about their lives from historical

records. Open to all Phyllis Court

Members. Please put the date in

your diary now.

Theatre Group

The Theatre Group is one of the most

successful interest groups of the

Club.

We enjoy a wide variety of very

popular West End shows, and include

trips to the Royal Opera House, the

National Theatre, the Watermill

near Newbury, Chichester Festival

Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon R.S.C.,

and other Regional theatres.

We endeavour to select as varied

a programme of shows as we can,

choosing comedies, straight and

classical plays and current musicals,

(last year we went to 7 plays, 5

musicals and 2 ballets).

This year we have already got lined up

a mixed selection of ballets, plays and

musicals. We are fortunate to engage

the services of an excellent coach

company and are driven from Phyllis

Court Club direct to the theatre, and

home again in comfort.

New members are always welcome.

Tennis

The best way to keep fit in 2015, and

have fun doing it, is to join the Tennis

Section! We have an active and social

group of all ages and tennis abilities.

We play all year round and have the

only tennis courts in Henley with

lights for evening play.

On Tuesday and Sunday afternoons

we have Social Tennis with an

organiser on hand to make sure all

attending have a good hit. You do

not need to sign up in advance, just

arrive a few minutes before the start.

Always an enjoyable afternoon and

great way to meet people.

If you feel that you may need a few

lessons, we have a highly experienced

coach, Richard Knight, who can work

with you individually or as part of a

group. You can contact Richard on

07803 607896 or

richardknight00@gmail.com

For players with a competitive

spirit we have club “round-robin”

tournaments held throughout the

year, which combine good sport and

great company. We have organised

barbeques and lunches after many of

the tournaments.

Contact Membership Secretary Suzi

Taylor for information:

suzimtaylor@gmail.com

For more information on all the

Club’s Interest Groups please

visit www.pccmembers.org/

membership_interest_groups or

visit the ‘Member Login Area.’

MEMBER PROFILE: LINDA KEY

Tell us about yourself

Linda Key was born in Exeter but

moved to the London area in 1982.

Linda has lived in Henley on Thames

with her partner Simon since 2012.

What made you decide to become a

Member of Phyllis Court Club?

Having attended the Royal Regatta in

2012 in the Stewards enclosure, we

could see the amazing venue ’Phyllis

Court’ and decided to investigate.

What do you do for a living and what

does it entail?

Having worked in the Beauty industry

all of my career, firstly for Estee

Lauder and then at Procter & Gamble

I moved to become Sales Director for

Coty Prestige, working with amazing

brands such as Marc Jacobs and

Calvin Klein. Four years ago I decided

to set up my own business, ‘Linda Key

Connections’ which had always been a

dream of mine. My company’s biggest

client is The Fragrance Foundation

UK – a non-profit making educational

trust.

As a foundation it also raises money

for charity, raising £21,000 for

our industry charity Look Good…

Feel Better at our last event. This

September we supported the Phyllis

Court Mother & Daughter dinner

held in the Riverside Pavilion which

was a great Club event.

What do you enjoy in your spare time?

My spare time is really precious to me

and most important is spending time

with Simon and our two cats Dolly &

Daisy. We have made many friends

in the town and have wonderful

neighbours so we socialise and dine

out a lot!

What Interest Groups are you a Member of at the Club and what do

you get out of them?

Simon and I joined the Wine Circle

and spent a lovely weekend on a trip

to the Hotel Terravina in the New

Forest and enjoyed a wine tasting with

Master Sommelier Gerard Basset

OBE. More recently we have joined

The Quad Club which is being run

by the Club’s Membership Manager

to provide more events aimed at the

35yr – 60yr group.

What do you enjoy doing whilst at

the Club?

I would like to encourage Members to

meet more regularly perhaps evening

drinks once a month and hope this

will perhaps be something The Quad

Club is able to do with the Pop Up Bar

initiative.

Have you visited any of our Reciprocal Clubs and if so which

ones?

As I am in London 2 – 3 days a week I

have had meetings at the Lansdowne

Club, which is very nice, welcoming

and well located.

What has been your favourite Club

event to date and why?

It has to be the Regatta, I love that

Phyllis Court applies the Regatta

Dress Code to keep it really special.

Next year I would like to invite some

friends to join me as guests, and

hopefully encourage them to become

members.

What event are you looking forward

to the most in the next few months?

We are very excited as our really

good friends are getting married in

the Riverside Pavilion, the setting is

gorgeous!

Favourite part of the Club?

The grounds and the terrace are

stunning. I would like to see the

upper deck of the Riverside Pavilion

perhaps used as a destination point

for that 6pm cocktail, I think a lot of

current members would use this and

it would also draw in new members to

the Club.

3 reasons for a Prospective Member

to join the Club?

1. The experience at the Regatta.

2. 6pm Cocktails in the Riverside

Pavilion.

3. For the younger prospective

member I think the new Finlay and

Quad Club’s will add much more

value, which is great.

Things that would enhance your membership and enjoyment of the

Club?

1. I really would like to see the Club

expand the program in the long term

so that it is also tailored for a younger

member, this is so important for the

future of Phyllis Court.

2. Dancing classes to include Salsa,

and American smooth. Our very own

‘Phyllis Court does Strictly!’

Red Riding Hood Children’s Pantomime

Saturday 20th December 2014

A very fun and noisy affair with a

very familiar special guest as Father

Christmas handing out a lot of presents

to a lot of very excited children. A swift

exit to feed the reindeer made way

for the ever energetic performers to

leap into action on stage and capture

everyone’s imagination with a fun twist

on Red Riding Hood!

A wonderful family event

yet again with the Phyllis

Court Club Singers leading

guests in real festive cheer

on Christmas Eve. Mince

pies and mulled wine added

to the occasion with a lovely

dinner for those that stayed

afterwards.

OJ’s Soul Band Motown Tribute Dinner and Dance

Saturday 20th December 2014

With an American Buffet on offer guests

had the choice of Steak Tenderloin in

Brioche Buns, Southern Fried Style

Chicken Drumsticks, Mac & Cheese with

of course some Mississippi Mud Pie for

good measure. OJ’s Soul Band known as

the UK’s leading Motown Band, played

some great tunes from various artists

and got lots of guests up and dancing

into the night.

s sOur very own Oddjob

greeted guests as they

stepped into the Club on

New Year’s Eve. With Q

and his gadgetry scattered

around reception and

a very glamorous Miss

Moneypenny at the desk, it

was almost like being in the

film itself. The lounge was

transformed with classic

Bond posters, playing cards

and plenty of diamonds.

Guests enjoyed Martinis

served by Daniel Craig

himself (several of him in

fact) before making their

way into the Ballroom. A

fun menu featuring dishes

such as From Russia with

Love Salmon, and Die

another Day Chocolate

Torte ensured guests were

well fuelled for the Cabaret

dancing, casino cards tables

and most importantly the

stroke of midnight!

Casino Royale New Year’s Eve Party

Wednesday 31st December 2014

Christmas Eve Carols and Supper

Wednesday 24th December 2014

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LIGHT FRUIT CAKERecipe from Tarik Ramjaun,

Phyllis Court Club Head Chef

Mothering Sunday is all about

enjoying comfort foods and

indulging quite unashamedly in a

little nostalgia. So, with that in mind,

here is a delicious and lighter version

of a Fruit Cake. I used to make it for

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea whilst

working at one of the large hotels in

London. I’m sure it will not only be

mothers that enjoy this favourite!

The cake can be topped with royal

icing, after it has soaked up a tipple

or two of sherry, for the truly classic

look.

Ingredients:

450g Mixed Sultanas, Raisins or

Currants

100g Glacé Cherries (halved)

75g Mixed Peel

125ml Sherry plus 75ml for soaking

into cake once cooked

Soak above ingredients in 125ml of

sherry overnight or until absorbed

175g Butter

175 Soft Brown Sugar

4 Eggs

100g Self Raising Flour

100g Plain Flour

25g Ground Almonds

Half Teaspoon Mixed Spice

Pinch Salt

400g Royal Icing

Method:

Cream together the butter and sugar

until pale, beat in the eggs.

Fold through the sifted flours,

ground almonds, mixed spice and

pinch of salt.

Pour into a medium sized lined cake

tin or loaf tin and bake in the centre

of a pre-heated oven for around 30

minutes at 160c until cooked (knife

inserted into the centre of the cake

should come out clean).

Rest for a few minutes before

turning out onto a baking rack.

Prick the top and evenly pour over

the rest of the sherry or similar

alcohol. Cool completely and cover

with rolled royal icing if desired.

Chef’s Tasting Notes:

Best enjoyed with another

glass of sherry!!

FORTHCOMING EVENTS - SAVE THE DATEAnnual General Meeting

AGM at 5.30pm

Followed by Supper in the Ballroom

The Finlay Club Midsummers Dinner

All Junior Members are welcome to join this dinner in the Riverside Pavilion and bring guests

along, a great way to celebrate Midsummer!

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

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

The Quad Club Pop Up Bar

Short for ‘quadragenarian’ this new Club creates the chance for

Members between 35 – 60 years to come and enjoy drinks and

tapas together in a fun, relaxed and informal setting.

Classical Concert with the

Yehudi Menuhin School

Once again the Club are proud to present the

fantastic Yehudi Menuhin School Concert showing

the very best of young British classical talent.

Mothering Sunday Lunch

A very popular Club event and a wonderful way to celebrate Mothering Sunday with your family.

All Members are welcome to attend and can book via the Club Reception for the lunch.

30 Year and Over Membership Lunch

A dinner to thank long-standing Members for their continued support of the Club. Members will

be sent invitations to attend and must confirm their booking via the Club Reception.

Easter Sunday Lunch

A great way to spend Easter weekend relaxing with family and

friends over a lovely lunch and a fun Easter Egg Hunt for the

children!

10 – 19 Year Membership Dinner

A wonderful dinner especially for Members who have been at the Club for 10 – 19 years

continuously.

St George’s Afternoon Tea

The annual celebration for St George’s Day is an opportunity to

enjoy a wonderfully patriotic Club Afternoon Tea.

with the PCC Singers!

STAFF FUNDThe response from Members

to the Fund for 2014 has been

wonderfully generous with over

£70,000.00 raised. 72 staff each

received an equal share of the fund.

The Fund is an independent entity

recognised by HMRC and is entirely

separate from the Club business.

As such, no National Insurance

deductions are made on the pay-

outs, only income tax, so the net

result is much improved for all.

The Fund receives payments

from Members, Interest Groups

and external users at any time

of the year and pays out to Staff

at various stages of the year.

The Club Staff are most grateful

for the largesse from Members

and they look forward to being of

continued service in the year ahead.

Page 12

STAFF INSIDE VIEW

KATRINA SANTOS

EVENTS EXECUTIVE

You’ll find me….

in the sales office.

I can help you with...

booking a conference, special event or Wedding.

My favourite Club cocktail is…

cocktails wouldn’t be my first choice

at the bar. I always choose either

a glass of Prosecco or the Chilean

Sauvignon Blanc.

Previously I have worked at…

Monkey Island Hotel in Bray, The Sir

Christopher Wren Hotel and Oakley

Court Hotel in Windsor.

On my days off you’ll find me…

searching for a new home or enjoying a Costa coffee – my favourite coffee is a vanilla latte.

My favourite dish at Phyllis Court Club is…

Braised Chicken served with ‘Anya’ Potatoes and Spring Onion and Chive Salsa. I have a sweet tooth so I would pick the Apple, Pear and Cinnamon Crumble for dessert.

I wanted to work at Phyllis Court Club because…

it is a unique venue in a lovely setting.

Don’t tell anyone but…

Although my name suggests I am not actually Portuguese, but my husband is from Madeira!

JAMES NELSON

NIGHT PORTER

You’ll find me….

at Reception on the night shift.

I can help you with...

almost anything from serving at the bar to helping with enquiries.

My favourite Club cocktail is...

I prefer a neat Brandy rather than a cocktail!

Previously I have worked in...

a variety of engineering jobs before joining Phyllis Court Club in 2003.

On my days off you’ll find me...

on my allotment and I am also involved with a number of ex-service organisations including Chairman of Henley Dunkirk Veterans.

My favourite dish at Phyllis Court Club..

the sandwiches are very nice but my favourite dish would have to be Roast Pork with all the trimmings.

I wanted to work at Phyllis Court Club because...

I enjoy meeting different people with diverse interests.

Don’t tell anyone but...

I love tinned rice pudding, still not as good as my Grandmother’s of course!

Phyllis Court Club

Club News is produced and

published by Phyllis Court Club,

Marlow Road, Henley-on-Thames,

Oxfordshire, RG9 2HT

T:01491 570500

www.phylliscourt.co.uk

Editorial Contact for Club News is

Emma Forster

Marketing Executive

T: 01491 570514

E:emma.forster@phylliscourt.co.uk