East India, Devonshire, Sports & Public Schools Club Newsletter | View Online

East India, Devonshire,
Sports & Public Schools Club
Newsletter

23 May 2023


What's in this week's newsletter

  • Message from the secretary
  • EPICS
  • Rowing
  • Arts
  • Polo
  • Shooting
  • Jazz
  • Rugby at Twickenham
  • Upcoming events
  • East India Express
  • Wine for home delivery

The distinctive camel trophy set off from the club with the EPICS for a golfing tour of Kent; it is pleasing to report that it has come home with them too, following another win against the Reform Club; golf captain Alan Botterill and the camel are flanked by (left to right) Sachin Gupta, Nik Haukohl, John Braithwaite, Ben Hurworth, James Bell, Graham Naisbitt and Ray McGhee

Message from the secretary

The club's AGM took place last week. Having utilised an online voting service and encouraged members to participate, we recorded a helpful uptick in voting. The club welcomes this participation and thanks members for being involved.

Club dining on Saturday was re-introduced two weeks ago and is available this coming bank holiday weekend. Reception and the Dining Room have been alerting members to the re-introduction, so please keep the team busy making your reservations. Also, firmly on our radar is to re-instate Sunday lunch. With positive signs of stability amongst new recruits in both the kitchen and the Dining Room, rosters and skills are slowly but surely helping return seven-day service. Increasing menu choice goes hand in hand with staffing stability, with chef and Ruben now sensing opportunity in the near future.

The Basement project ‘Vaults and All’ is progressing well. In June the cloakroom and ladies WCs will be set aside for works. The club will provide these facilities in alternative locations, with staff and signage indicating the way.

In August there are two rugby world cup warm-up matches at Twickenham, and the club is making tickets available. Please see below for more information.


Handicap banter was the order of the day when the EPICS and Reform golfers dined together at the George in Rye

EPICS - camel came home again

Alan Botterill

Twelve EPICS members have just completed another highly enjoyable Kent links golf tour with the Reform Club. Superbly organised by John Braithwaite, they played Deal on the Monday, Littlestone on the Tuesday and Rye on the Wednesday.

The courses were in excellent condition. Deal is the venue for the final qualifier for the Open, and the course at Rye, especially the greens, was outstanding. The weather was benign, providing good golfing conditions and no excuses.

Staying in the delightful town of Rye, we dined well in preparation for the match. We shared dinner with the Reform Club in a private dining room at the George. The lively dinner discussion was wide-ranging, including the play from Monday and Tuesday, and good banter about handicaps when the pairings for the match the following day were announced.

Coming up shortly are matches against the Oriental Club, Friday 26 May, and the Caledonian Club, Tuesday 13 June, along with the summer meeting on Friday 2 June at Woking.

If you would like to join the section, please email the office here to be put in touch with the section lead.


 

Hoping the winning streak will continue through to Henley this year, EIC's 4- crew savouring victory at Borne at Chiswick Bridge Regatta on Monday 8 May

Rowing - Borne to win?

Benjamin Sherry

The summer season is officially here, and the section has its sights set on Henley once again. We raced at a few local regattas on the Tideway and have come away with a win in the open 4- at Borne at Chiswick Bridge Regatta, beating local rivals Cygnet and Sons of the Thames.

Stories and anecdotes from Mark Hunter MBE inspired diners at the rowing section's 15th anniversary celebration

The rowing section’s 15th anniversary dinner was a great success, with a huge turnout across our various groups. Our guest speaker, Mark Hunter MBE, delivered a brilliant, and inspirational talk packed with fantastic stories and anecdotes. We had a raffle to raise funds for new equipment and support Mark’s chosen charity: London Youth Rowing. The charity helps support rowing in local communities and make the sport more accessible.

If you would like to get involved in the rowing section please contact our captain, Benjamin Sherry at eicrowingcaptain@gmail.com. Here's to another 15 years!


At the prelude of what promises to be an illustrious performing career, award-winning pianist Matthew McLachlan will give a recital at the club in June

Arts - Brahms, Chopin, Shchedrin and Stravinsky
Charlie Dart

Join us on the evening of Thursday 8 June as we welcome pianist Matthew McLachlan for a spring recital. The programme for the evening will consist of Brahms Sonata no 1, Dellarrocha Invitación, Chopin Waltz in A minor, op 34 no 2, Shchedrin Prelude and Fugue no 3, and Stravinsky Three Movements from Petrushka.

Chetham’s School of Music alumnus Matthew McLachlan was awarded the C Bechstein scholarship to continue his studies at the Royal College of Music. Matthew has performed as a concerto soloist and recitalist in Poland, Serbia, Italy, Lanzarote and throughout the UK. In July 2021 Matthew was awarded first prize in the Royal College of Music Chappell Medal piano competition and the Esther Fisher prize for best undergraduate performance. He recently performed Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no 3 with the Alderly Edge Symphony in Manchester and has been travelling in Europe with the Young Musicians’ Guild, performing solo and chamber recitals. In January 2023 Matthew was offered a full scholarship for a masters in performance at the Royal College of Music starting in September.

Click the link to hear Matthew playing Scriabin ~ Prelude op 11 no 11 in B major at the Royal College of Music in July 2021.

Tickets are priced at £30pp and include a glass wine and nibbles. The evening begins at 7.30pm with the recital starting at 8pm. Dress code is lounge suits, and members can book up to five guests. Please click here to book tickets.


Expertly-crafted foot mallets decorated in club colours, emblazoned with the club crest, are now available from the section

Polo - mallet makeover
Arsenio Solovyev

After quite some time, the polo section is once again reintroducing its EIC foot mallets with a revamped design in club colours with a club crest too, and with the possibility of personalisation with your own initials. They are crafted by one of the UK’s top mallet manufacturers, Shaft Polo, ensuring exceptional performance and durability. Perfect for the summer days whether on the polo field or local park with your friends, your very own garden or even hanging over the mantlepiece. An absolute must for any polo enthusiast or new learner keen to practise their skills.

Please use the link here to order yours and pick it up at the club once they arrive and do get in touch here if you have any questions! .


Shooting - last few places for Quidenham shoot in August

Will Oakes

There are still a few places left for the simulated game shoot on Saturday 26 August at the Quidenham Estate, south Norfolk. The estate offers first-class simulated game shooting and an award-winning hospitality experience in beautiful countryside surroundings. Covering 3,600 acres, Quidenham Estate has been renowned as a perfect shooting location for centuries and was frequently visited by King Edward VII who rated Quidenham as one of his favourites. You can be expected to fire between 200-400 shots throughout the day, so please use no more than 28gram 7.5 cartridges. This is open to novice and experienced shots, and shooting and non-shooting guests are welcome. Insurance is essential and cartridges are available on site. The cost of the day is £336 per gun and non-shooting guests can attend, £60 pp.

If you would like to attend please contact Claire in the office via email.


Elegant-fingered and award-winning pianist and composer Sam Watts will be playing at the club as part of the London Bossa Quartet led by Luiz Morais next month

Jazz - bossa around
Howard Lambert

We are looking forward to welcoming the London Bossa Quartet, led by the acclaimed Brazilian seven-string guitarist, Luiz Morais to the club on Friday 16 June. Luiz and his band have played for us before and specialise in bossa nova and samba jazz.

Joining Luiz on the evening will be Sam Watts on piano. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, and the 2012 Humphrey Lyttleton prize winner, Sam is a pianist and composer, originally from Birmingham. He is active on the London jazz scene and has performed at Ronnie Scott’s, Wigmore Hall, the 606 Club and Royal Albert Hall among many other venues. Recently he has returned from a tour of Spain with Brazilian singer Luna Cohen for the launch of her album November Sky, as well as giving performances in South Africa and Portugal. In 2014 he received the Emerging Excellence award from Help Musicians UK and recorded the album Mime Music in 2015.

Matheus Nova will be on electric bass. Recognised for his ability to ‘design’ astonishing bass lines, Matheus is very popular in the Latin and London music circles. It has been said of him that he has the ability to “transform folkloric into funkloric”. Matheus has performed with countless groups, including the Antonio Forcione, Ed Mota, Roberto Menescal and Brazilian Samba Divas Elza Soares and Alcione.

Marius Rodrigues will be on drums. Marius is from the state of Rio Grande do Sul in the south of Brazil. He studied with the renowned drum guru Kiko Freitas and has been living and working in the UK and worldwide for decades with artists such as Oriole, Luna Cohen, Adriana Vasques and Monica Vasconcelos. He is renowned as a master session drummer who excels both live and in the studio, playing virtually any style of music.

Tickets are priced at £70pp to include pre-concert supper, dessert and wine. Dress code is lounge suits and members can book tickets here.

Finally, to get everyone in the bossa nova feeling, here is the Girl from Ipanema by the legendary Astrid Gilberto and Stan Getz.

If you would like to join the section, please email the office here to be put in touch with the organisers .


Tickets for summer warm-up matches are available from the club

Rugby - international summer series

England will play two warm-up matches against Wales and Fiji at Twickenham Stadium, this August ahead of the rugby world cup in France. The first match on Saturday 12 August sees England play Wales, followed two weeks later by England v Fiji on Saturday 26 August. Members wishing to attend can book tickets by clicking the dates below.

Please note there is no limit on how many tickets members may book for either of these matches; they are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

England v Wales
Saturday 12 August 2023

Kick off at 5.30pm
Tickets are priced at £125 or £115
and include a £20 admin fee

England v Fiji
Saturday 26 August 2023

Kick off at 3.15pm
Tickets are priced at £110 or £75
and include a £20 admin fee


Upcoming events

Even though an event may be fully booked, please add your name to the waitlist or contact the office directly as spaces do become available.

Further events are listed in the club diary on the website; please check here for what's coming up.


The company's coat of arms

History & military history - company dinner
Clubhouse, to book please click on the date below
Thursday 25 May - 6.30pm - 10.30pm
Members only event; tickets are priced at £87
Black tie
The company dinner was founded for club members to come together over a shared interest in the history of the East India Company, against the backdrop of an Indian-themed dinner. It now has a wider social and historical focus, but the Indian dinner remains. The guest speaker will be British journalist and author, Con Coughlin, currently the Daily Telegraph defence editor.


Wine-tasting - discovering the terroir behind the club white Burgundy
Clubhouse, to book please click on the date below
Tuesday 6 June - 6.30pm to 8pm
Members and up to three guests; tickets are priced at £45
Lounge suit
Celebrating the long-standing relationship between the club and the producer of our club white Burgundy, winemaker Jean-Luc Terrier presents part of his range, with a particular focus on Saint-Véran, and how the subtle variations in the terroir that stretches between the crags of the Solutré and Vergisson rocks that inspired the name of his domaine, express themselves in his wines.


Horse racing dinner
Clubhouse, to book please click on the date below
Tuesday 13 June - 7pm to 10.30pm
Members and up to three guests; tickets are priced at £85
Lounge suits
Jamie Osborne in conversation with Oisin Murphy, a leading flat jockey and at only 27 already a three-times winner of the champion jockey title. (Please note that Oisin Murphy's attendance is subject to riding commitments. In the unlikely event that he is not able to make it to the club in time, a suitable replacement will attend.)


Acclaimed guitarist Luis Morais returns to the club in his quartet setting

Jazz at no 16 - The London Bossa Quartet
Clubhouse, to book please click on the date below
Friday 16 June - 7pm to 10.30pm
Members and up to five guests; tickets are priced at £70
Lounge suit

 


Professor Nigel Biggar is to give a Library lecture about his book on colonialism

Library lecture & dinner with Nigel Biggar
Clubhouse, to book please click on the date below
Tuesday 27 June - 6.45pm for 7pm
Members and up to three guests; tickets are priced at £80 and include a signed copy of Colonialism.
Lounge suits
Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford, discusses his book Colonialism: A moral reckoning. He will address crucial questions including: 'was the British Empire driven primarily by greed and the lust to dominate?' and 'should we speak of colonialism and slavery in the same breath, as if they were identical?'


Young members drinks
Clubhouse, to book please click the date below
Monday 10 July - 7pm to 8pm
Clubhouse, members only
Lounge suits


Wine-tasting - blending, an overlooked technique in winemaking
Clubhouse, to book please click on the date below
Tuesday 18 July - 6.30pm to 8pm
Members and up to three guests; tickets are priced at £45
Lounge suit
Taking members through the many positive aspects of blending. The exploration of this subject will give club sommelier Eric Lagré a pretext to indulge in some of the finest wines on the market and focus mostly on outstanding red wines.


History & military history - Royal Hospital Chelsea & the National Army Museum tour
Clubhouse, Royal Hospital Chelsea and the National Army Museum, to book please click on the date below
Friday 21 July - 12.30pm - 5.30pm
Members and up to one guest; tickets are priced at £60 for lunch at the clubhouse ahead of the tours, or £15 for tours only; please note there will be an additional cost for transport from the clubhouse to the Royal Hospital Chelsea
Lounge suit with school tie
A guided tour of the historic Royal Hospital Chelsea, led by a resident Chelsea pensioner, to see Sir Christopher Wren’s stunning buildings, hear the captivating stories of inhabitants – both past and present – and learn about what life is like for today’s veterans at the Royal Hospital. Following this we will then head next door to the National Army Museum where we will be greeted, told about the museum, and then able to wander the galleries and collections until closing at 5.30pm.


Members and their guests enjoying the garden at the club's annual summer barbeque

Club summer barbeque
Clubhouse, to book please click on the date below
Friday 21 July - 7.30pm to 10.30pm
Members and up to nine guests; tickets are priced at £80
Lounge suit & cocktail dress
Members and their guests are cordially invited to the annual summer club barbeque in St James’s Square Gardens, weather permitting. This year's entertainment includes a string quartet, a Dixie band, and regulars Down for the Count.



The flavours of south India infuse the latest dish on our Curry Express menu, Alleppey prawn

East India Express - a taste of the south

The Alleppey prawn curry is our latest addition to the menu. Originating from Kerala, South India, it combines tiger prawns with a spicy mango, ginger and coconut sauce.

You could include a bottle of your favourite club wine or champagne, or even some club chocolates to end the meal in style. When ordering, you can now select the date you would like to receive your Express menu, so be it a weekend treat, a special occasion or just because you don't want to cook, orders can be placed via shopify here or by scanning the QR code below. If you encounter any difficulties or would like to order for a large party please contact clubsales@orientalclub.org.uk.

QR Code

All the menus on the East India Express are designed for two people (or two meals for one person). The menus are all carefully prepared by the chefs at the Oriental Club, and each is made to order before being flash-frozen. The orders are then packaged in special temperature-controlled boxes, which means they are guaranteed to arrive at a safe temperature, below 4ºC, ready for refrigeration. The meals can be reheated either on the stove or in the microwave and cooking instructions, use-by dates and all ingredients are detailed on the packaging. For those yet to try the service, we deliver to the UK mainland and the Isle of Wight.


Davy's Wine

Stock up the wine cellar

Members can order club wines, gins and ports for home delivery from the club's nominated wine supplier, Davy's. Members may also like to try the guest wines Davy's has selected, which complement our own club wines. To see the full collection please click here.


Sports & activities at the club

Along with opportunities to attend Twickenham and Lords using our debentures, and our box at Ascot, the club offers a variety of sporting and interest groups for members. Click links to be taken to their web pages to find out about upcoming events and to be added to their mailing lists.

antiques & collectors, arts, backgammon, book group, chess, cigars, cricket, fly-fishing, football, EPICS (golf), hill-walking & mountaineering, history & military history, horse racing, jazz at no 16, motoring, polo, rowing, rugby, shooting, snooker, yachting, wine-tasting & tours

If you are interested in setting up a section, please contact the secretary's office to discuss the matter further.


The East India, Devonshire, Sports & Public Schools Club
16 St James's Square, London SW1Y 4LH
Telephone: 020 7930 1000
Fax: 020 7321 0217
Email: secretary@eastindiaclub.co.uk

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