The Union Club Travel Club (UCTC) Lives!

The Union Club Travel Club (UCTC) Lives!

The UCTC is a member-driven resource existing independently from Union Club administration and committee direction.  As such, the UCTC will operate with the blessing of the General Committee and management but with a firewall saving the Union Club harmless from liabilities.

The UCTC is formed altruistically to offer at least the following:

  • Information on interesting and worthy DIY travel experiences.
  • Presentations from experienced members who want to host small groups on exciting travels.
  • Presentations from members who will recount adventures.
  • Offer a variety of member-hosted trips throughout the year and be the central reservation resource.
  • Offer an optional central travel agency service to facilitate ease of planning of hosted trips.
  • Hold monthly presentations on the last Monday of the month coinciding with opportunities to enjoy the weekly buffet beforehand.
  • Blog informational updates and articles.

The UCTC has no commercial interest in the offerings but will provide travel agency services and advice or members’ insights as requested or needed.  The hosted trips may be structured to allow free or discounted travel to hosts if numbers allow.  Discounts, where available to group travel, can be applied. The optional travel agency of record will be Cathy Scott’s Destinations Travel but individuals can retain their own agencies to work with the host or the agency of record to facilitate arrangements if logistics allow.

As the Union Club website and reservation system evolve we hope to be able to access the service to make it easy to confirm or express interest in proposed activities. At the present moment questions, expressions of interest or reservations for any particular out-of-club event need to be addressed to either the event hosts or the UCTC committee. The main contact members are Cathy Scott and Rob d’Estrubé.

Cathy Scott  Cathy@departurestravel.com

Rob d’Estrubé  robdestrube@gmail.com

Jon Watson  rory55858@gmail.com

Leda Townshend  ledanell@shaw.ca

Barrie Hewstan  hewstan@shaw.ca

Please continue to regularly search the blog for updated information about presentations and trip proposals.

Ottawa’s Rideau Club Welcomes Younger Crowd with Casual Reinvention

‘This is not grey-haired old people falling asleep in wing-backs’

Above: The new general manager of the Rideau Club, Carol-Ann Goering, with member James Hanington. Photo by Caroline Phillips.

The venerable Rideau Club is looking to shake its reputation as a place for rich, old white men to convene by successfully attracting a growing number of millennials to what’s become the last private social club of its kind in Ottawa.

Not only is the number of people joining on the rise following several years of decline, but nearly half the new members who’ve joined over the past 18 months have been under the age of 40.

Founded in 1865 – two years ahead of Confederation – the prestigious club has always been regarded as a social hangout for Ottawa’s political and social elite. Its first club president was also our country’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.

But times are changing, and so are private members’ clubs that are looking to stick around for the long term. The 152-year-old Rideau Club has been quietly reinventing itself as a relevant, familial space where men and women of all ages, ethnicities, professions and interests can connect.

“We used to be very much what we would consider a political club, with a lot of government officials and politicians,” says Carol-Ann Goering, who was hired eight months ago as the new general manager and chief operating officer. “We still have that group, but really we’re looking to be bigger than that, to reflect what Ottawa looks like these days.

“The club is the best place to be from a business networking perspective, and we are working to ensure that our members represent the leaders in all industries. We are also focusing on the social benefits of belonging, so that members feel the club is the best place to gather socially and a place where they can connect personally and build lifelong relationships.”

The club has recently relaxed its dress code. Casual business attire – even denim – is now acceptable in some areas of the club.

“It’s not your grandfather’s Rideau Club,” says 34-year-old James Hanington, CEO of Stiff, an Ottawa-based strategic communications agency. He joined the club a year ago.

“This is not grey-haired old people falling asleep in wing-backs, although it’s a really nice thing to do if you have the time.”

For Hanington, the club provides him with an opportunity to meet other like-minded young professionals.

“It’s called a social club and it very much feels like that,” he says.

He’s particularly happy the place has become more family-friendly. He has two daughters, ages three and four, whom he brings with him on occasion. It nostalgically reminds him of his own childhood visits to private clubs with his grandfather, an admiral in the navy who survived a torpedo attack by a German U-boat during the Battle of the Atlantic.

‘Excited for Change’

Because Hanington’s home is in the south end and his office in the west end, he uses the Rideau Club as his downtown work base.

“It’s the calm; that’s what I love about this place,” he explains. “I have a crazy travel schedule and a crazy work life and I have insane children, so I have very few opportunities to come to places that are so calm and relaxing. It’s like a mini-vacation every time I come here.

“It’s also nice to come to a place that has a sense of formality to it, because not all millennials need to have bean-bag chairs and ripped jeans to feel like they’re part of something.”

The Rideau Club is perched atop the Sun Life Financial Centre at 99 Bank St. It’s one designated elevator ride up to the 15th floor, where a pause-worthy panoramic view of Parliament Hill awaits.

The club was at one time located on Wellington Street, across from Parliament, until a fire in 1979 destroyed the building. That’s the same year Jean Pigott became the first female member.

The club’s new strategic plan, unveiled in December, also identifies a need to update the look of the place.

“The members are so excited for change,” says Goering. “Even when we talk with the older demographic, they see the need.

“If the club is going to be around for another 150 years, we need to stay relevant, but we also need to do that while respecting the traditions and history that made us the outstanding club we are today.”

Not just anyone can join the Rideau Club. To be considered for membership, a person must be proposed and seconded by current club members.

One of the perks to belonging includes reciprocal club privileges at more than 150 similar clubs in 30 cities around the world.

The Rideau Club remains steeped in elegance and history, from its Yousuf Karsh meeting room full of famous portraits by the legendary photographer to its tale of a thwarted assassination attempt on Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

A disappointed office seeker from Rimouski, Que., barged into the club one day in 1897, brandishing a revolver and looking to kill the then-prime minister, according to historian Christopher McCreery’s commissioned publication, Savoir Faire, Savoir Vivre: The Rideau Club 1865-2015. The prime minister was luckily out of town that day and the would-be assassin was apprehended by a club member, but not before twice discharging his gun.

The Rideau Club currently has a membership of 760, plus spouses, but its goal is to reach 1,000 members by 2022. It’s never hit this maximum membership before, but it did come close a few times back in its heyday.

Sales director Ted Wagstaff has been getting the word out to young professionals that the Rideau Club is the place to be and that memberships are not as costly as one might think. The entrance fee is $500 for a person under the age of 40, followed by annual fees of $1,400. After you hit the big 4-0, the initial fee jumps to $3,000, with annual fees of $2,300.

New Private Clubs Embrace Young Creative Class

A new breed of fashionable private members clubs are growing in popularity around the world, promising to be more inclusive and diverse than their stuffy older counterparts, BBC reported.

Yet while the newer venues certainly have a far more youthful membership, and you certainly don’t need to have gone to a posh school or university, they still have high joining fees and strict vetting processes, BBC reported.

“I like how organically relationships happen at Soho House,” said tech entrepreneur Tyler McIntyre. “You can’t wear business suits, you can’t hand out business cards, and you can’t take phone calls.”

The 26-year-old joined Soho Beach House in Miami two years ago, after visiting with friends who were members. “It’s a laidback place to network but it’s also given me the opportunity to try things I typically wouldn’t do by myself, like wine tastings or a jam-making class,” McIntyre said. “And sometimes I’ll go to the sunset DJ parties by the pool, which are loud and pretty crazy.”

Welcome to the new breed of private members’ club, which claim to be less restrictive and more diverse than the stuffy gentlemen’s clubs of the past. These modern venues—with their co-working spaces, screening rooms and rooftop pools—are fast becoming the places where many of today’s young creative class choose to work and play, BBC reported.

C&RB has reported on the new social clubs, including The Hospital Club in Los AngelesSoho House and The Battery, and The Arts Club, the first Southern California outpost of the United Kingdom-based club.

Membership isn’t cheap though, with some charging more than $2,000 per annum, along with joining fees of $300, BBC reported.

“In the past, members’ clubs were seen as being elitist and populated by people who went to the same public schools and universities,” said Richard Cope, a senior trends consultant at Mintel. “But these places are more for entrepreneurs and self-made people. The only thing you have to be able to do is pay the fee, and it can be fairly expensive.”

While trendy members’ clubs have been around for years, they became much more common after the launch of Soho House in London in 1995. The trend has also gained a foothold in the US and other countries, BBC reported.

“We’ve see a huge jump in the number of the new types of club coming online, as compared to the traditional model,” said Zack Bates of Private Club Marketing, a firm that promotes members’ clubs. “In Los Angeles, you can’t get into Soho House. So others are being built, the Hospital Club, Griffin House and Norwood, to keep up with the appetite for these spaces.”

Soho House itself now boasts 18 venues around the world, including in New York, Istanbul, Berlin, and soon Mumbai. Group revenue rose 3% in 2016, while global membership jumped from 56,000 to 70,000, BBC reported.

There’s a tough background check to ensure potential members are part of the creative class—Soho House frowns on those who work in financial services, for instance. Once accepted, members enjoy a host of perks. Soho House Barcelona, for example, one of the chain’s newest venues, boasts a retro-themed gym, pool and free classes like yoga. Members pay full price for food and drink, but get discounts on the club’s hotel rooms, BBC reported.

“These clubs offer people a discreet place to network and wind down, typically in cities where personal space is at a premium,” Cope said. “In an age of social media, people like to let others know where they hang out or which restaurants they eat at. So there’s an element of satisfying those peacock tendencies.”

The newer clubs do serve more practical functions, though, such as offering young entrepreneurs a place to work. London’s Hospital Club offers its own meeting and conference rooms, and even an in-house TV and music recording studio. Members’ clubs also offer vital networking opportunities that help further your career, said Zikki Munyao, 40. The remote IT worker joined Common House, a private member’s club in Charlottesville, Va., largely for this purpose, BBC reported.

“There are areas to socialize and meeting spaces where I can have privacy,” he said of the club. “I even met my estate agent over a game of pool.”

The new breed of members’ clubs does face challenges, though. Some warn that as clubs proliferate, their exclusivity is becoming diluted, and they struggle to attract the celebrities that once lent them cachet, BBC reported.

“Traditionally, private members’ clubs have played on their exclusivity and being able to attract the ‘magic people,’” social commentator Peter York said. “But as more and more of them pop up, you get blase. The magical people also can’t be corralled in one place anymore.”

As clubs like Soho House keep on expanding, they seem to be “more about business,” York said, which further dilutes their brand. “The danger is that a new challenger, which looks younger and groovier, arrives and steals your limelight.”

But Cope believes the market for these new clubs is going to expand. “Having somewhere where you can unwind and host friends in the center of cities is useful. So there are a lot of practicalities around this.,” Cope said. “It is also about expressing your individuality, so I think the emotional need for this is only going to grow.”

Top 5 Reasons Why Autumn Golf Is The Best

GORGEOUS AUTUMN COLORS, LESS CROWDS, OFF-SEASON PRICING—THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY AUTUMN GOLF IS SO GREAT.

With summer somewhat of a distant memory and autumn upon us, there is still lots of great golf to enjoy – especially in Victoria!  So don’t put away the sticks quite yet. It is true that start times might be a little later but crisp cool weather, clear skies and beautiful course conditions all make fall a great time to enjoy an extra round of golf or two.

Here are some great reasons to extend your golf season this fall…

1.  Beat the crowds:  Summer is over and the crowds have by and large gone home.  So you probably won’t be rushed along by the anxious foursome behind you.  You can take a bit more time, relax and really enjoy the round – hone your golf skills that much more.

2.  Your game is in top form:  You have had an entire golf season under your belt.  You’ve been playing all season long and you are feeling comfortable with your swing, your putting is in top form and your equipment is feeling like an extension of your arms.  Chances are that your golf game has never been better (hopefully, or the theory goes).

3.  Great time for a golf lesson:  Your local golf pro is probably less busy than he has been throughout the busy spring and summer golf season.  He or she can spend a little extra time giving you the personalized instruction you need to take your game to the next level.

4.  The courses are in fantastic shape:  The golf courses have enjoyed a full season of primping and coddling by obsessive grounds keepers – every blade of grass has been nurtured to its natural best, greens have been babied to near perfection and tee boxes in are pristine shape.  Greens tends to be smoother, fairways thick and lush, and landscaping at its best.

5.  Scenery is at its best:  There is nothing like golfing though a forest of fall colors.  Yellow poplars, red maples, golden tamarack often grace the fairways – adding an extra element of beauty to the golf experience.  Blue skies and majestic mountains seem closer and even more dramatic in the crisp fall light.

The Oriental Club Welcomes Members of The Union Club of British Columbia

The Oriental Club is delighted to welcome Members of The Union Club of British Columbia when they visit London.

The Club, situated in a quiet cul-de-sac close to Bond Street has forty bedrooms, offering a range of accommodation from single rooms to luxury suites. The Dining Room offers a wide range of menu options from the traditional Roast of the Day and Club Classics to more contemporary, seasonal dishes and, of course, the famous and ever popular Oriental Club curries. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served from Monday to Friday in the Dining Room. The Calcutta Light Horse Bar and Terrace provide an alternative to the Members’ Bar and serve food throughout the day, including Oysters, Burgers and Salads. The Calcutta Light Horse Bar is also open on Saturdays offering a hot and cold food menu and a sandwich menu is available on Sundays.

All Club rooms and the Courtyard are open to ladies, gentlemen and children over eleven years old. Accommodation may also be reserved, subject to availability and a range of private dining rooms are available.

All Members of The Union Club of British Columbia will be offered a glass of Champagne to welcome them to the Club. I look forward to seeing Union Club Members and their guests when they are in London.

Best wishes,

Matthew Rivett,

Club Secretary

www.orientalclub.org.uk

 

17 of London’s Most Exclusive Private Members’ Clubs, Ranked by Price

London’s private members’ circuit has come a long way since the days of the stuffy gentleman’s club.

The capital now boasts one of the most diverse selections of clubs in the world.

While areas such as Mayfair and Pall Mall are still synonymous with the members club scene, an explosion of more accessible, affordable, and arguably trendier clubs have shaken things up.

Whether you are looking for a well-being sanctuary, to indulge in the world of fine wine, fine art, live performances, and intrepid exploring, or just somewhere with cool rooms where cool-looking people hang out, each club has its very own niche, making it ever trickier to pick the right one.

We’ve rounded up a selection of London’s most exclusive private members’ clubs, which cost between £150 to over £5,000 — or the cost of a new car — for an annual membership.

Scroll down for a sneak peek inside some of London’s best clubs, ranked in ascending order by the price of a standard annual membership and joining fee.

 

DISREPUTE, SOHO – £150, NO JOINING FEE

Disrepute, a “hidden gem” nestled within an opulent Soho basement, offers an expertly curated cocktail menu and an atmospheric space perfect for secret late night sessions. It is one of the most reasonably priced members’ bars in London.

Membership privileges include priority reservations, the ability to book in parties of up to 12 people, and free access to special events, talks, and masterclasses.

A members’ bar not in the conventional sense, according to the club, applications are welcome from people of all backgrounds and persuasions. Non-members are also welcome to book a table, subject to availability.

 

L’ESCARGOT, SOHO – £450, PLUS £250 JOINING FEE 

Set in a Georgian townhouse in the heart of Soho above London’s oldest French restaurant L’escargot, the chic Upstairs Club is accessed via a psychedelic carpeted spiral staircase.

It’s a secretive hideout away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. There is an air of eccentricity to the club which offers its members access to a series of private rooms, including the salon noir, salon bleu, and salon rouge, which regularly host performances and general debauchery.

Under 28s can obtain a reduced membership of £250. If you don’t have a proposer, you may be asked to visit the club and meet with one of the membership team for a drink and a brief introduction.

 

QUO VADIS, SOHO – £500, PLUS £150 JOINING FEE

Quo Vadis, easily recognisable by its iconic neon street sign, is another of Soho’s members’ haunts. The club consists of a first floor bar and lounge, and a dedicated members’ restaurant, which serves quintessentially British cuisine. The second floor is home to the “Blue Room,” an intimate, atmospheric lounge with open plan bar and first rate sound system.

It is popular among Soho’s creatives, foodies, and more generally seekers of relaxed business and serious pleasures. Members can enjoy £5 Martini Hours on Thursday and Fridays and half price Pie and Oyster Mondays.

Under 30s benefit from a discounted yearly rate of £300. The club doesn’t have a blanket policy for membership and says it instead looks at case by case applications, accepting people without airs and graces who are interesting and happy to be themselves.

 

THE CHELSEA ARTS CLUB, CHELSEA – £579, PLUS £250 JOINING FEE

The Chelsea Arts Club has a rustic and bohemian charm. The club centres around the Billiard Room, the Dining Room, and the secluded garden. There are also 12 bedrooms which members may book.

The club counts painters, sculptors, architects, poets, photographers, filmmakers, writers, actors, and musicians among its members, whose work is exhibited at the club year-round. Its parties are said to be “legendary.” There is no dress code.

In addition to offering a discounted rate of £210 for under 30s, the club distinguishes between “town” and “country” memberships, with the latter benefitting from a reduced rate of £403.

The Chelsea Arts Club says it has a waiting list for new applicants, who have to be sponsored by two existing members whom they have known for at least two years.

 

ALBERT’S CLUB, KENSINGTON – £650, PLUS £250 JOINING FEE

A newcomer to London’s private members’ scene, Albert’s Club opened its doors to the “Royal Borough” of Kensington and Chelsea in 2016. Albert’s says it provides local residents with an alternative to its Mayfair rivals.

Inside, the décor is “quintessentially classic peppered with eccentric British twists,” the walls are lined with Colefax & Fowler wallpaper, and there are two mahogany wood-panelled bars, a lively nightclub, and a restaurant run by ex-Cecconis chef Alessio Piras.

Lifetime membership can be obtained for a one-off payment of £2,500, or annual membership is £650 with a £250 joining fee. All members are required to be proposed by a current member, or to come in for a quick tour with their membership director.

 

CENTURY CLUB, SOHO – £750, PLUS £250 JOINING FEE

Launched in 2001, The Century Club sits behind a discreet front door on Shaftesbury Avenue. It boasts four floors of members’ club fun, including Soho’s largest roof terrace.

Given its proximity to the theatres of London’s West End, it is frequented by people in the arts, media, and entertainment industries.

The club also offers an out-of-town reduced annual membership at £550, and an overseas membership of £400, plus a joining fee of £250. Under 30s membership costs £400, and the joining fee is waived.

To apply for membership, prospective members need to complete an application and attend an informal meeting with the head of membership.

 

THE HOSPITAL CLUB, COVENT GARDEN – £850, PLUS £250 JOINING FEE

The Hospital Club is a unique private members’ club targeted at the world of creatives located in the heart of Covent Garden.

The seven-story building has an award-winning TV and music studio, a gallery, restaurant and bars, a screening room, 15 hotel rooms (open to non-members) and a live performance space, The Oak Room.

The club has a reputation for showcasing emerging and established creative talent via its gallery and member spaces.

Under 30s and under 27s benefit from discounted annual subscriptions of £515 and £450 respectively, and the joining fee is waived.

 

SOHO HOUSE, SOHO – £1,100, NO JOINING FEE

Soho House at 76 Dean Street is a Grade II-listed mid-Georgian townhouse spread over four floors. It’s popular with the neighbourhood’s media crowd.

The club’s courtyard provides one of the few al fresco dining spots in Soho. The club also boasts the Screening Room, a fully air-conditioned 43-seat cinema offering a varied programme of advance screenings and new releases.

The membership application process is the same for both Soho House and Shoreditch House – you apply online with a couple of paragraphs about yourself and two current members as proposers.

Yearly membership costs £1,100 for a local house member (access only to the house you apply to), or £1,650 for an every house member (access to 18 Soho Houses around the world).

 

SHOREDITCH HOUSE, SHOREDITCH – £1,100, NO JOINING FEE

Shoreditch House is situated on the top three floors of the old Dickensian Tea Building in East London. It draws London’s “it” crowd.

The club is one of the few London private members’ clubs to offer a rooftop pool, which gives members stunning views of the city. It offers a number of other areas for members and freelancers to chill out, including the Sitting Room, the Square Bar, the Snug, Cowshed Spa, and the House Kitchen, which boasts a wood-fire oven.

The fourth floor features a glass walled gym looking out onto a backdrop of yet more awesome views, complete with spinning room, free weights, sauna, steam room, and comfortable changing rooms.

As with Soho, yearly membership costs £1,100 for a local house member, or £1,650 for an every house member. Hopefuls can apply online here.

 

67 PALL MALL, ST. JAMES’S – £1,250, PLUS £1,250 JOINING FEE

67 Pall Mall is London’s first private members’ club for wine lovers. Born from “a passion for fine wine and a frustration at the egregious mark-ups on the capital’s wine lists,” the club’s mission is to make the world’s finest wines accessible to its members at sensible prices.

It offers over 500 wines by the glass using Coravin’s revolutionary wine access system, as well as an extensive list by the bottle from all corners of the world. The club’s wine list is expertly curated by 67 Pall Mall’s Master Sommelier, Ronan Sayburn MS.

The club also offers a Members’ Reserve facility, which allows members to store up to two cases of their personal wine collection in the club’s cellars to enjoy by the bottle in the members lounge as and when they please.

Candidates require a proposer and seconder from within the club’s existing membership.

 

MORTON’S CLUB, MAYFAIR – £1,500, PLUS £1,100 JOINING FEE

Morton’s private members’ club has been at the forefront of Mayfair’s elite social scene for the past 40 years. The Grade II-listed building overlooks the length of London’s exclusive Berkeley Square.

The first-floor restaurant, with its lofty ceilings and panoramic balcony for summer al fresco dining, is the focal point of the house. Morton’s head chef, Dario Avenca, has devised a Mediterranean-inspired menu and the club claims to boast the largest wine list above any of its competitors.

Potential new members must be referred by two existing members. Applications are to be made to membership secretary Stephen Howard.

 

HOME HOUSE, MARYLEBONE – £1,940, PLUS £295 JOINING FEE

Home House is an exclusive private members’ club in London’s Marylebone, which “fuses 18th century splendour with 21st century style.”

The club’s facilities include a boutique health spa, a garden for al fresco dining and drinking, two restaurants, numerous bars, The Vaults decadent party rooms, elegant bedrooms and suites, as well as a full calendar of social events including legendary members’ parties throughout the year.

According to the club, “the best bit is that there are no stuffy rules, in fact there really aren’t any rules at all. Well, just one: ‘Nudity is discouraged.’ Naughtiness, on the other hand, is de rigueur.”

The club offers a number of different membership packages, including an under 35 annual rate of £1,275.

 

THE ARTS CLUB, MAYFAIR – £2,000, PLUS £2,000 JOINING FEE

As its name would suggest, The Arts Club attracts people connected to or passionate about art, architecture, fashion, film, literature, music, performance, photography, science, theatre, and TV/media.

The 18th Century townhouse at 40 Dover Street in Mayfair counts Charles Dickens among its former members. It prides itself on being a hub for creatives and entrepreneurs to meet and exchange ideas.

The club’s art collection, curated by Amelie von Wedel, remains at its very core, highlighting international trends, as well as maintaining a focus on British-based artists.

Under 30s benefit from a reduced annual subscription of £1,000, plus a joining fee of £1,000. New members are accepted on January 1 each year.

 

DEVONSHIRE CLUB, THE CITY – £2,400, PLUS £2,400 JOINING FEE

Another relative newcomer, the “unashamedly luxurious and glamorous” Devonshire Club, located in the heart of The City, opened its doors in 2016.

Housed on over 60,000 sq ft in a Regency warehouse, it boast 68 bedrooms, a 110-seat brasserie, three bars, four private event rooms, a members’ gym, glazed garden room, outdoor terrace, and a private courtyard garden.

The club offers members an opulent space to both relax and conduct business and attracts the likes of financiers and city professionals, as well as creative execs based in Shoreditch and Hoxton.

Many of its members come through referrals, and every potential applicant is put forward to the membership committee. The club also offers “Debenture Memberships” for £24,000.

 

THE NED, BANK – £3,000, PLUS £500 JOINING FEE

London-based Soho House and New York’s Sydell Group joined forces to create The Ned: the newest private members’ club to arrive on the London scene.

Set in the former Midland Bank building, it boasts 252 bedrooms channeling 1920s and 1930s design, nine restaurants, a range of grooming services, as well as “Ned’s Club,” a social and fitness club where members have access to a rooftop pool, gym, spa, hammam, and late night lounge bar.

Ned’s Club Upstairs has a heated pool overlooking the London skyline and two converted domes with outdoor terraces for eating and drinking. The Roof Bar features a retractable roof and heaters, and offers views of the City and St Paul’s Cathedral, with an international menu prepared on the rotisserie grill and wood oven.

Behind a 20-tonne, two-metre wide vault door is The Vault bar & lounge, an all-hours cocktail bar lined with thousands of original safety deposit boxes, ideal for a nightcap.

 

SOUTH KENSINGTON CLUB, SOUTH KENSINGTON – £3,500, PLUS £1,000 JOINING FEE

South Kensington Club is a health and fitness sanctuary inspired by the spirit of adventure.

Its offers a unique “Voyager Programme” headed up by polar explorer Christina Franco. The programme comprises three elements: a monthly lecture series, the opportunity to join tailor-made expeditions inspired by the lectures, and preparation and training for these adventures carried out by specialist fitness instructors at the club.

Other membership priveleges include a sky-lit gym, fitness classes and training programmes, a bathhouse (with a hammam, banya, and watsu pool), spa and beauty treatments, a Mediterranean restaurant, club sitting rooms, and a concierge service.

Membership starts at £365 per month, plus a £1,000 joining fee and an under 30s rate begins at £228 per month, with a £500 joining fee. However, the club offers a rate of £3,500 plus a £1,000 joining fee to members paying upfront.

 

5 HERTFORD STREET, MAYFAIR – PRICE ON REQUEST

5 Hertford Street is so exclusive and private that it wouldn’t reveal its membership price. We did, however, manage to get the above glimpse of its insides.

Described by Vogue as the ” loveliest club in London,” it is frequented by Hollywood A-listers and home to the impossibly cool Loulou’s nightclub for after dinner dancing.

Membership can be obtained only through application, but the word is some billionaires have been unable to score entry, so it’s best not to get your hopes up.

 

New £10 Note Featuring Jane Austen Enters Circulation

The new, polymer £10 note featuring Jane Austen comes into circulation today.

Austen is the only woman – apart from the Queen – to now feature on an English bank note, following the withdrawal of the old £5 notes in May, which featured Elizabeth Fry. Fry was replaced with a picture of Winston Churchill.

Paper bank notes – £5, £10 and £20 – are slowly being replaced by plastic notes, which are more secure and resilient to counterfeiting, more resistant to dirt and more durable.

The paper fiver is no longer legal tender, and once the new £10 note enters circulation, its paper predecessor will be withdrawn from circulation in Spring 2018.

What Does the New £10 Look Like?

The new £10 note features English novelist Austen with plump cheeks and a calm expression, taken from a portrait which was commissioned after her death at the age of 41.

The note has already attracted some criticism due to the fact that Austen’s portrait appears to be “airbrushed”. It shows her noticeably prettier and less drawn than she appears in the only contemporary painting of her which exists (and is on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London.)

As well as Austen’s portrait, the tenner features a quote from Pride and Prejudice when Miss Bingley exclaims: “I declare after all there is no enjoyment but reading!”

Use of this particular quote has caused controversy as it isn’t spoken by Austen, but by one her most obnoxious characters, a woman who doesn’t actually like reading books at all.
The new note is around 15pc smaller than the current £10 and is the first Bank of England banknote to be printed with a series of raised dots in the top left-hand corner to help blind and partially sighted users.

This is in addition to the elements already incorporated in the banknotes for vision impaired people, which include tiered sizing, bold numerals, raised print and differing colour palettes.

The new £10 is expected to last at least 2.5 times longer than its paper predecessor – around five years in total, the Bank of England said.

Why Jane Austen?

Austen’s presence on the new £10 note was one of the first announcements made by Mr Carney after he took up his position as governor of the Bank of England.

He said: “Jane Austen certainly merits a place in the select group of historical figures to appear on our banknotes.

“Her novels have an enduring and universal appeal, and she is recognized as one of the greatest writers in English literature.

“As Austen joins Adam Smith, Boulton and Watt, and… Churchill, our notes will celebrate a diverse range of individuals who have contributed in a wide range of fields.”

What Will the Note Be Made Of?

The Bank of England has refused to bow to pressure to make its £10 plastic bank note tallow-free, despite anger from vegans and vegetarians. But the central bank has backed the use of palm oil in its new £20 note following the backlash.

More than 136,000 people signed a Change.org petition calling for the Bank of England to cease using animal fat in the production of currency.
When Will the Old £10 Note Cease to be Legal Tender?

The Bank of England says that the old £10, which features Charles Darwin, will be gradually phased out and officially withdrawn from circulation in Spring 2018, with notice given at least three months prior to the withdrawal date.

When Will the £20 and £50 Notes Be Replaced?

The new polymer £20 banknote will be issued in 2020, with the face of J.M.W Turner printed on it. The Bank has not confirmed whether the £50 note, featuring Boulton and Watt, will be replaced.

How Much Would a Tenner Have Been Worth in Jane Austen’s Time?

£10 in Jane Austen’s time would have been worth the equivalent of £786 in today’s money, according to analysis by Aviva.

If the Bank of England had wanted the new £10 banknote to have the same purchasing power that £10 enjoyed 200 years ago, it would need to be revalued as the £786 banknote. But thanks to the eroding impact of inflation, £10 today has a relative purchasing power of only 13p, compared with what it could have bought in 1817.

According to Mr Carney, £10 was half the annual allowance she received from her father while he was alive. A £10 note may also have had a symbolic meaning to her, as it was the amount she was paid by publishers Crosby and Co. for her first novel, Susan, he said.

More than 100 Toronto Firefighters Extinguish Six-Alarm Blaze at Badminton & Racquet Club

More than 100 Toronto firefighters extinguish six-alarm blaze at Badminton and Racquet Club

A massive fire that ripped through a Toronto athletic club and forced the evacuation of six buildings in a busy neighbourhood was extinguished early Wednesday, nearly a full day after it began.

Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said firefighters put out the blaze at The Badminton and Racquet Club around 5:45 a.m. Wednesday, but he noted that crews would likely still have to deal with expected “hot spots” and “flare ups” throughout the day.

No one was seriously injured as more than 100 firefighters at any given time battled the raging fire that sent smoke billowing over a large area of midtown Toronto.

Part of the club’s roof collapsed along with a number of other “partial collapses,” Pegg said. Heavy excavation equipment was brought to the site at one point to knock down walls so that firefighters could get to the “seat” of the blaze.

“There is an extraordinary amount of damage there…I highly doubt there’s going to be a lot of salvageable building left there,” Pegg said.

Still, the chief called the “defensive operation” against the fire a success.

“Our crews were able to prevent a very large fire from spreading into the adjoining structures and that was our number one goal after we had secured the safety of residents and firefighters,” Pegg said.

Only four people needed emergency shelter overnight as everyone else found a place to stay with friends and family, he said, adding he’s unsure how many people have been displaced by the fire.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, he said, including one twisted ankle.

With the blaze put out, clean-up efforts can begin, Pegg said.

The first priority is dealing with the large volume of water that has run off and seeped into nearby buildings and hydro vaults as a result of fighting the fire.

Hydro and natural gas lines remain shut off and air quality has to be tested in numerous buildings, Pegg said.

“It’s going to take us a little more time,” he said.

The Office of the Fire Marshal was expected to begin its investigation into the incident Wednesday, but Pegg noted that it was still too early to know what had caused the fire.

The Badminton and Racquet Club said in an email to club members that “the fire appears to have originated in the main lounge.”

Chief operating officer Paul Cadieux thanked members and staff “for their quick action” to help clear the building.

Subway service has resumed service at the neighbourhood’s local station, which was being bypassed yesterday.

Yonge Street, a major nearby thoroughfare, remained closed in both directions at St. Clair Avenue, but streetcar service had resumed, according to the Toronto Transit Commission.

As The  Badminton and Racquet Club is an affiliate Club of ours, the Union Club offers sincere condolences to their Members, Management and Staff.

 

The World’s Most Luxurious Airport Lounges

For those who have not traveled business-class seat, and long to be in a first-class air experience, it is usually a moment of surprise to see the benefits passengers offered to the pre-boarding privileged. Amenities ranging from hair styling, fine dining, reading in private cabanas, personal assistants, spa treatments and filled champagne flutes are available for first class travelers in business class lounges.

When your dream of traveling in a preferred class comes tomorrow, we have compiled a list of the most luxurious airport lounges in the world!

AIR FRANCE LA PREMIERE LOUNGE
Where: Charles de Gaulle Airport

There is the best quality treatment provided for passengers reaching terminal 2E flying in Air France La Premiere Lounge. From the particular arrival lounge, Guests go to the pre-security waiting area that comes after the beautiful Le Premiere Lounge. This lounge consists of few luxurious and richly expensive seating area, business center, a Biologique Recherche spa complimentary treatments, a rest area for sleeping, stylish and luxurious bar and an excellent restaurant organize by none other than master chef Alain Ducasse. It has been observed that the preferred dish ordered by frequent visitors is ”Conquillettes”. At the time of boarding guests in the lounge move quickly to their particular gates by car.

AL MOURJAN BUSINESS LOUNGE
Where: Hamad International Airport

Qatar Airways is one of the outstanding lounges across the board, and it has an excellent reputation for giving quality services, and it’s one of the exceptional location is the AL Mourjan Business Lounge. Its large size and magnificent decor make it among the finest lounge in the world. Al Mourjan Business Lounge has an extensive area of two floors, and it is more than 100,000 square foot. The characteristics of this feature include:
• Conference rooms
• Showers
• Diversification in restaurants
• Rooms for short sleep
• Rooms for Family
• Exclusive game rooms
This lounge also has a well-stocked bar, in fact, it is the only one airport lounge which provides Krug Champagne for free.

AMERICAN EXPRESS CENTURION LOUNGE
Where: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

American Express has opened a series of Centurion Lounges domestically in airports (six to be exact), with more to come. The American Express Centurion Lounge located in DFW is one of the best lounges you’ll be able to find. The Centurion Lounges come with unique perks; according to their locations, the San Francisco Lounge has a dedicated area for tasting Napa Valley wines. DFW has special Spa treatments with Exhale products, a luxurious shower suite, and locally inspired food specially cooked in accordance with the James Beard Award-Winning Chef Dean Fearing. All Centurion Lounges provide ample space and opportunities for productivity, family time and relaxation along with the featured cocktail programs overseen by Master Mixologist Jim Meehan.

BRITISH AIRWAYS CONCORD ROOM
Where: Heathrow Airport

In spite of the fact that there are few galleries for the first-class passengers in British Airways, only the Heathrow and JFK have ”The Concord room”, luxurious lounge-within-a-lounge with a distinctively Anglo vibe. The Concord Room is certified for providing stylish, expensive and luxurious furniture, elegant chandeliers and impressive artworks. It offers dining services includes covering a large choice of champagne and wine before a flight. Heathrow became successful gradually as compared to JFK because it offers private cabanas, where guests have access to using a day bed and private bathrooms before leaving the airport.

CATHAY PACIFIC FIRST CLASS LOUNGE
Where: Hong Kong International Airport

If you are looking for an elite comfortable experience then Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), is one of the best options. With its famously beloved Noodle Bar in the Business Lounge, and the newly renovated The Pier- the first lounge designed by famous designer Ilse Crawford, who produced the lounge with a subdued residential vide. The lounge is known for its luxurious shower suites, private work rooms, eight private suites that can be reserved for relaxation, and three suites where guests can receive free neck and foot massages. And it’s not just relaxation in the suites, the lounge has a drinking and dining bar with a featured a la carte menu and custom cocktails, and in our experience, there are no unappetizing buffets found in these bars.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS PREMIUM LOUNGE
Where: Abu Dhabi International Airport

Etihad Airways Premium Lounge consists of two terminals including 1 and 3. Some amenities appear in terminal 1 and some are in terminal 3. The characteristics of this lounge are:
• Relaxation area
• Business Centre
• Shower rooms
• An employee who guides and assists these guests
• Provides International Buffet
• a la carte dining
This lounge also offers entertainment for all ages of kids. Kids can enjoy and pass time in their family rooms, while for adults there are individual TV Pods. They also offer special Six Senses Spa which includes a variety of massages and facials. In Terminal 3, there are special services of Salon for men and women, where men can get a haircut and a shave, and women can book their appointments for shaping their eyebrow, nail treatments or a blowout.

EMIRATES FIRST CLASS LOUNGE
Where: Dubai International Airport

Emirates flight experience has a reputation for being one of the best, and Emirates’ First Class Lounge in Dubai has the distinction of being the largest first-class lounge in the world, with an entire length of the airline’s terminal dedicated to flights departing on A380s. So you can imagine the many amenities i.e shops, restaurants, comfortable seating, restroom, showers, cigar bar and recharging options. The lounge even has a wine cellar with a staff of sommeliers to help customers find a perfect bottle, and the best part is you can board your flight directly from the lounge after getting your wine rather than exiting and going to the gate.

EVA AIR INFINITY LOUNGE
Where: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

Step into the future, but stepping in at The Infinity- one of EVA Air’s premium lounges at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. This is not just any typical lounge, with its twinkling lights, curved walls, comfortable areas to relax with delicious Chinese and Western food buffets, EVA Air’s Infinity’s Lounge in Taiwan Taoyuan is your dream airport lounge if you have a thing for first class flight luxuries.

Special Amenities: Themed shower rooms, a nursery, and a business center. And if you get bored you have easy access to three other lounges; The Garden, The Star and the Club, all three located in the same terminal.

FINNAIR PREMIUM LOUNGE
Where: Helsinki Airport

Finnair makes a huge effort to offer exceptional services to its passengers so that they can have a great experience. At the Finnair lounge, there are Scandinavian design displayed, where Marimekko, Alvar Aalto, Eero Aarnio and Eero Saarinen are one of the most respectable names presented. On the two floors, Lounge offers a huge variety of seating areas including different furniture and curtain dividers are available for creating a sense of privacy. Several drinking and dining options are also offered day and night and luxurious designs, famous and well reputed Finnish Sauna is one of the private shower suites.

JAL FIRST CLASS LOUNGE
Where: Haneda International Airport

Haneda International Airport has had a beautiful redesigned JAL first-class lounge since 2014 featured with contemporary Japanese aesthetic with a vast and spacious outlook. The lounge is a perfect place to spend few hours while eating the well-stocked buffet and delicious hot dishes and taking advantage of the comfortable armchairs and sofas of the lounge. This rarely crowded lounge has several amenities for its guests i.e. shoe polishing, playing foosball, champagne, and neck and back massages that can be followed by a shower.

LUFTHANSA FIRST CLASS TERMINAL
Where: Frankfurt Airport

Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal is not just a lounge but a large beautiful building, a world for premium passengers. From Valet staff to personal assistants are being provided for the ease of the passenger. The valet staff is available to park personal vehicles and return rentals, while personal assistant welcome customers at the terminal entrance and accompanies them through security and passport control. A very relaxing environment has been created to ease the passengers and feel their best; relaxation chairs, two private chairs with day beds, four shower rooms and a cigar lounge with a very pleasant environment which allows guests to enjoy their time.

Michelin-starred chefs’ cuisine and a bar with 150 whiskeys make visitors cheerful and then personal drivers escort them to their gate.

OMAN AIR FIRST CLASS LOUNGE
Where: Muscat International Airport

Personal chefs at Oman Air’s First Class Lounge are available to cater the guests whether they want a snack or three-course meal. A very friendly and generous staff is available after dining to entertain guests and take care of them if they seek to focus on business or sleep in a relaxation room. They have stocked up bars and satellite TV for any entertainment and passing the time. Also, complimentary services like 15-minutes massage are provided to make them feel relaxed and good, relaxing shower rooms stocked up with bathrobes and Amouage perfumes. Personal drivers are available to drop guests at their plane in a limo at their departure time.

QANTAS FIRST LOUNGE
Where: Sydney Airport

Qantas’s airport First Lounge with maniacal admirers in Sydney secures extortionate marks for providing all of their offers. It has an elegant and attractive design which makes the lounge look broad and spacious and yet private. The restaurant menus are decided and designed by the prestigious chef Neil Perry, and it has charming spa with treatment rooms that are equipped with living walls of greenery. Other features which accentuates the lounge very elegantly are full-time barista, showers, library, sleek furniture and more. The lounge also offers outstanding tarmac and runway views, which is very difficult to find in any other premium lounge, and if you do not have enough time to take in the view and relax, there is a work area and dining lounge with a buffet for guests with less time.

ROYAL FIRST LOUNGE
Where: Suvarnabhumi Airport

Royal First Lounge is considered one of the best lounge of Thai Airways at the Bangkok Airport. Personal escorts are available to assist First Class Passengers to and from the lounge, and buggy rides are also available for rides through the airport so that passengers can easily move from one place to another to avoid any hassle. In the lounge, there are sleeping rooms, shower suites, VIP rooms, Private corners for groups and families and 22-seat dining room. They give great services to their guests including 60-minutes full body massage and 30-minutes neck and shoulder massage. These massages are available at the Royal Orchid Spa. This spa has steam rooms and shower suites. Both the lounge and spa on the same Concours so that passengers can easily visit both locations, but many passengers decide to spend most of their time at the Spa.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES SILVERKRIS LOUNGE
Where: Singapore Changi Airport

Three SilverKris Lounges at Changi have been operated by the Singapore Airlines. A very high-class Private room available to first class passengers or suites on the carrier. The Private room is itself a unique feature of the lounge which is exceptional at providing excellent services and dining. There’s a profusion of luxe armchairs for guests to relax into, two private rooms for rest, and a very active team of attendants who look after the guests. The main spotlight of the lounge is the high-end five-course meal dining choice which makes guests jubilant. Also, a well-stocked buffet with a range of dishes is also provided.

STAR ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL LOUNGE
Where: Los Angeles International Airport

Star Alliance International Lounge is highly competitive with One World Lounge and Qantas’s International First Lounge but it maintains its uniqueness in one way: A grandiloquent rooftop area with a breathtaking view of the Hollywood Hills and the L.A. skyline. The other most appealing feature of the lounge is an indoor bar with a substantial adjacent balcony that makes the look of an airport terminal alluring. Another distinctive feature is that the lounge is LEED Gold certified, which is most apparent in the lounge’s dependence on natural light rather than artificial light. The design of the lounge is made by L.A. based designers Charles and Ray Eames. Although the lounge has exclusively allocated sections for business and first-class travelers but this is where the former outweighs the latter.

SWISS FIRST LOUNGE
Where: Zurich Airport

SWISS manages an astonishing nine lounges at Zurich airport, in which First Lounge in Terminal E is the most luxurious one. Customized culinary formation in a high standard dining restaurant and classic dishes from the states at the American Diner fully enjoyed by the guests. In this lounge, there are suites for work and conferences, but the exceptional quality features are two hotel rooms with real beds, private bathrooms and a panoramic view of the Alps. There are more than 1,000 bottles stored in the lounge’s container from which Oenophiles can choose more than that and lovers of whiskey can go to the Senator lounge in Terminal E where they can select more than 120 whiskeys around the world. In pleasant weather, it’s a better option to enjoy the Alpine vistas rather than sitting on the expensive seat on the covered terrace.

TURKISH AIRLINES CIP LOUNGE
Where: Istanbul Ataturk Airport

If you worry about your kids relaxing while traveling, then the CIP Lounge is a great option for you with its children’s playroom and private rooms where you can take care of your infants and relax. However, it is not limited only to family travelers. It has a variety of options available for other guests, i.e. TV, movies, video games, a music room equipped with a big screen, a billiards room, library, golf simulator, slot-car racing track and much more. So whether you are looking to relax while traveling with family, or want to relax with a great book, get a massage, play games or just take a shower, CIP provides you with all the options. And if you are going there, then do not forget to check out the olive garden with real olive trees and an olive bar.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE
Where: John F. Kennedy International Airport

I know some of you might be partial to the Heathrow location of Clubhouse, but personally, we are favoring the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at JFK, considering how U.S. lounges tend to be cramped. This lounge provides a similar experience to Virgin Air’s in-flight experience, with its fun and funky décor, fun games (in the entertainment zone with its signature red-ball sofa), semi-formal dining in the brasserie area and complimentary cocktails before evening flights. The Clubhouse in JFK is the only location, apart from London, with a Clubhouse Spa, complete with Bumble & Bumble hair products and Dr. Hauschka skincare line, with special spa treatments ranging from hair styling to facials and massages.