The Story Behind the Churchill Portrait

Posted on January 31, 2018 by unionclub

The Globe & Mail newspaper recently had the chance to talk to Geoff Regan, Speaker of the House of Commons, for a piece about the secrets of Parliament Hill’s Centre Block. One story he told, unfortunately, didn’t make it into the article. Here, for your interest, is the tale behind one of the most famous political portraits of all time – taken in the backrooms of the Speaker of the House of Commons. It’s, in Mr. Regan’s words, edited lightly for length.

“In December of 1941, things were not going all that well in the war. It was a difficult time in Britain. People, of course, were worried about a German invasion at any moment. The ships coming from places like Halifax, convoys crossing the Atlantic, many of those ships were being sunk by U-boats.

“Then on December 7, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour. Of course, [British Prime Minister Winston] Churchill had been working on [U.S. President Franklin] Roosevelt for two years by then, trying to get the Americans more engaged in the war. After Pearl Harbour, on the eighth of December, the Americans declared war. Churchill took the dangerous trip across the Atlantic to meet with Roosevelt. He had Christmas dinner with the Roosevelts. And then, on the 30th of December, he came here [to Ottawa] and addressed a joint session of Parliament.

“During his speech, among other things, he talked about French surrender. He said [Mr. Regan adopts a Churchill impression]: ‘French generals told their government that within two weeks Britain would have its neck wrung like a chicken. Some chicken.’ And of course, the House of Commons erupted with applause. ‘Some neck.’ Erupted again with applause. A roar.

“He finishes his speech, comes in here [the offices of the Speaker of the House of Commons]. Sees there’s a camera set up, lighting set up by a young photographer by the name of Yousuf Karsh.

“Churchill says: ‘I wasn’t told about this!’ And his staff kind of chuckle, because they knew about it. He’s standing about here, as you can see by the background of the photo – the paneling of the wall is in the background of the photo. He’s smoking a cigar and smiling. But this not what Karsh thinks represents the image of this guy who’s the leader of the free world. Who everybody’s heard on radio giving unbelievable speeches, keeping the will of the people up. Their defiance. Their determination to continue. And of the allies throughout the Commonwealth.

“So he wants to capture his personality. Karsh asks [Churchill] to take the cigar out of his mouth and he refuses. Obviously, Churchill likes his cigars. So Karsh walks over to Churchill with a light metre, as if he’s taking a reading. Of course, he’s already done everything he needs to do – everything is ready, the aperture, the shutter speed, was all perfect already. And he says: ‘Forgive me, sir.’ And he grabs the cigar, walks back to the camera and takes the picture. And that’s the reaction he gets. It becomes, perhaps, the most famous photographic portrait ever taken.”

Above: Nelson Mandela and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in the Canadian House of Commons in 1998, admiring Karsh’s portrait of Churchill in the spot where it was taken.

YOUSUF KARSH’S ACCOUNT OF THIS FAMED ENCOUNTER:

“My portrait of Winston Churchill changed my life. I knew after I had taken it that it was an important picture, but I could hardly have dreamed that it would become one of the most widely reproduced images in the history of photography. In 1941, Churchill visited first Washington and then Ottawa. The Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, invited me to be present. After the electrifying speech, I waited in the Speaker’s Chamber where, the evening before, I had set up my lights and camera. The Prime Minister, arm-in-arm with Churchill and followed by his entourage, started to lead him into the room. I switched on my floodlights; a surprised Churchill growled, ‘What’s this, what’s this?’ No one had the courage to explain. I timorously stepped forward and said, ‘Sir, I hope I will be fortunate enough to make a portrait worthy of this historic occasion.’ He glanced at me and demanded, ‘Why was I not told?’ When his entourage began to laugh, this hardly helped matters for me. Churchill lit a fresh cigar, puffed at it with a mischievous air, and then magnanimously relented. ‘You may take one.’ Churchill’s cigar was ever present. I held out an ashtray, but he would not dispose of it. I went back to my camera and made sure that everything was all right technically. I waited; he continued to chomp vigorously at his cigar. I waited. Then I stepped toward him and, without premeditation, but ever so respectfully, I said, ‘Forgive me, sir,’ and plucked the cigar out of his mouth. By the time I got back to my camera, he looked so belligerent he could have devoured me. It was at that instant that I took the photograph.”

Union Club Fundraiser Raises over $32,000 for AGGV

Posted on December 1, 2017 by unionclub

AGGV PRESS RELEASE – NOVEMBER 30, 2017:

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has received a cheque for over $32,000 from the Union Club of BC following a highly successful Art+Fare 3 Gala. The event which took place on Sept. 23 raised money to support programming for children and families at the AGGV.

The Gallery has a long history of engaging children of all ages in art and art-making and this support ensures they will continue to provide Family Sundays, school tours and workshops, resource guides for teachers outlining projects and activities suitable for K-12 students, and the New Extreme Mentorship Program that puts local artists together with young people who are artistically inclined.

“We are most grateful to the Union Club of BC, for their support of programs which assist us in bringing art to children and families throughout the Capital Region,” said Jon Tupper, AGGV Director. “It was a fantastic event bringing art and art lovers together.”

Art has played an important role for the Union Club of BC throughout it’s long history. Two of the earliest members of the Union Club of BC were architects Francis Rattenbury and Samuel Maclure, both also founding members of Victoria’s arts community. As well, the Union Club of BC art collection dates at least back to the time when the Club moved into its clubhouse on Douglas Street in 1885. In recent years the Club has endeavoured to underscore its engagement with the community through lively programs of art activities including events such as speakers and demonstrations, exhibitions, and further art acquisitions which reflect the personalities, events and places of British Columbia.

Art+Fare has raised over $65,000 for the AGGV’s children and family programs since it’s inception in 2015. Art+Fare 4 is scheduled for Sept. 22, 2018.

New Private Clubs Embrace Young Creative Class

Posted on November 21, 2017 by unionclub

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 Angeles, Soho 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.”

BBC News: Ever Fancied Joining a Private Members’ Club?

Posted on November 2, 2017 by unionclub

Above: The Hospital Club is one of a new breed of trendy private members’ clubs

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.

So how less elitist are they? And what are the benefits of getting your name on the list?

“I like how organically relationships happen at Soho House,” says 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.”

Above: Soho House New York has a rooftop pool

“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.

Membership isn’t cheap though, with some charging more than $2,000 (£1,500) per annum, along with joining fees of $300.

“In the past, members’ clubs were seen as being elitist and populated by people who went to the same public schools and universities,” says 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.”

Soho House is thought to have been the first of this new wave of clubs, having opened its first site in London in 1995.

However, the trend is gaining a foothold in the US and other countries.

“We’ve see a huge jump in the number of the new types of club coming online, as compared to the traditional model,” says Zack Bates of Private Club Marketing, a firm that promotes members’ clubs.

Soho House Barcelona looks to attract creative entrepreneurs

“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 to £293.4m, while global membership jumped from 56,000 to 70,000.

However, you have to do more than just fill out an application to join its venues.

Membership costs between £400 to £1,580 per annum, depending on the club, although there are discounts for under-27s.

Above: The gym at Soho House Barcelona

And 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.

Mr Cope says: “These clubs offer people a discreet place to network and wind down, typically in cities where personal space is at a premium.”

However, they are also about “showing off to a degree”.

“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.”

Above: The Hospital Club has a TV and music studio on site

The newer clubs do serve more practical functions, though, such as offering young entrepreneurs a place to work.

Take London’s Hospital Club, based in Covent Garden, which offers its own meeting and conference rooms, and even an in-house TV and music recording studio. Standard membership costs £865 plus a £250 joining fee.

While some might find such fees high, it’s still cheaper than forking out for your own office space, says Mr Bates.

“It suits today’s digital nomads, who work remotely via their laptops. Paying for an office can be prohibitively expensive, especially in a major city.”

Members’ clubs also offer vital networking opportunities that help further your career, says Zikki Munyao, 40.

The remote IT worker joined Common House, a private member’s club in Charlottesville, USA, largely for this purpose.

Above: The co-working space at Common House

“There are areas to socialise and meeting spaces where I can have privacy,” he says of the club, where membership costs $150 (£113) a month, plus a $600 joining fee.

“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.

The social commentator Peter York tells the BBC: “Traditionally private members’ clubs have played on their exclusivity and being able to attract the ‘magic people’.

“But as more and more of them pop up, you get blase. The magical people also can’t be corralled in one place anymore.”

He adds that as clubs like Soho House keep on expanding, they seem to be “more about business”, which further dilutes their brand.

“The danger is that a new challenger, which looks younger and groovier, arrives and steals your limelight.”

But Mr Cope believes the market for these new clubs is going to expand.

“Having somewhere where you can unwind and host friends in the centre of cities is useful. So there are a lot of practicalities around this.

“It is also about expressing your individuality, so I think the emotional need for this is only going to grow.”

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

Posted on October 4, 2017 by unionclub

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.

The Union Club’s Coat of Arms

Posted on September 25, 2017 by unionclub

The Significance of the Union Club Coat of Arms:

In Canada, a coat-of-arms granted by the Crown is an honour akin to an appointment to the Order of Canada or other decoration for meritorious service. In our case, the Governor General’s office has seen fit to honour our club in recognition of our history of contributions made to Victoria and the wider community.

At the centre of our arms is a depiction of the keystone over the main entrance to our clubhouse. As its purpose is to hold a structure together, it represents unity, and thus our club’s name. It is surrounded by an open wreath of golden maple leaves, in a ‘U’ shape, recalling the political goal of our founders: a ‘union’ of the Crown Colony of British Columbia with the Dominion of Canada. The artist has painted six maple leaves in the wreath, suggesting that B.C. was the sixth colony to join Canada.

Above the keystone and maple leaves are the waves and the sun-in-splendour from the Royal Arms of British Columbia. They directly signify our club as a club of British Columbia, and also the successive Lieutenant Governors who have been members. As design elements, they appear in the top portion of our shield, as they did in B.C’s arms at the time our club was founded.

A helmet sits atop our shield, as is traditional in heraldry. It is crested by a coronet of maple leaves and Pacific dogwood flowers (the provincial flower of B.C.). This coronet serves to again emphasize our name and origin, as advocating ‘union’ with the dominion. And from this coronet a lion’s paw extends, grasping a sword in a blue scabbard. The lion’s paw suggests the lion in the Royal Crest of B.C. The sword was inspired by the replica weapon borne by our modern presidents, as a symbol of their office (nicknamed, ‘Excalibur’). As a whole, the lion’s paw issuing from a coronet and grasping a weapon suggests the crest of our founding president, Sir Matthew Begbie. He bore a crest of an armoured arm issuing from a coronet and grasping a spear. Depicting our sword sheathed also recalls the badge of Knights Bachelors, which Sir Matthew would have borne.

Supporting the shield are a wapiti deer and cougar. The former is a supporter in the Royal Arms of B.C. And both are animals native to Vancouver Island. Each has a ‘collar’ of laurel, recalling the laurel wreath used to encircle our club’s monogram. And they stand on a rocky mount, reminiscent of the rocky outcroppings around Victoria and her harbour, strewn with local Douglas-fir branches. The waves beneath allude to our location at Victoria’s Inner Harbour.

Our motto is Latin (a traditional language for heraldic mottoes) can be translated as, ‘Friendship In Unity and In Strength’.

We have also been granted an heraldic badge and flag, for use by our members. These are a depiction of the club’s keystone, and (for the flag) that same badge on a flag of royal blue. To represent the club as a body, we use the design depicted on our shield as a flag (just as the provincial government uses the design from the Royal Arms of B.C. on their flags).

Stephen Lowe – A Bridge Between Cultures

Posted on September 20, 2017 by unionclub

Stephen Lowe was born in Quangdong and was long a resident of Victoria before his death from lymphoma at the age of 37.

Lowe spent most of his life in Victoria, beloved by students and collectors here. It’s inexplicable how he achieved such skill and produced so much in the short time he had. And it is even more surprising to realize that his work and his example are enormously appreciated in the burgeoning world of Chinese art.

Stephen, the eldest of five children, made his way to Hong Kong at age 17, and his determination to study art led him to Zhao Shaoang, leading exponent of the “Lingnan school,” a progressive and atmospheric style of painting that is the distinctive expression of South China. At the request of his grandfather, Lowe emigrated to Canada in 1956, at 18 years of age. He arrived to find his grandfather living in a lean-to in a ghost town, one of the few surviving emigrés still living in Cumberland.

Lowe’s talent and personality brought him valuable support in Victoria. Through connections from his first job, as a room steward at the Union Club, he was sponsored for a year in Hong Kong, where he continued his studies and met Eunice, his wife-to-be.

Fast forward over 50 years, to present day, and Club member Eunice Lowe is celebrating the release of the book she has been working on since 2005 – “Stephen Lowe – A Bridge Between Cultures”.

As Robert Amos states: “The book is a delight. The 330 pages include reproductions of 125 paintings in colour, some of the reproductions 50 centimetres across. The Chinese-language version has been published by the People’s Fine Art Publishing House of China, and the English-version, privately published. The quality of layout, paper stock and binding are beyond anything available in this country.”

Eunice Lowe has recently supplied the Club with copies of the marvelous book (in both English and Chinese), which are now on display and for sale in the Club’s display case.

Amos concludes: “What a story: A penniless immigrant lad, with nothing but native talent and the support of Victorians, created a timeless body of work in a few short years, far from home. And now Stephen Lowe’s reputation is reaching heights we just can’t imagine. Victoria’s art culture is rich.”

Donate to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Posted on September 15, 2017 by unionclub

In advance of September 23rd’s ART+FARE3, Club members are invited to donate to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, in support of the Children and Family Programs at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

For this reason, a donation station has been set-up in the Club’s main lobby. All donations received will be entered into a draw to win 6 bottles of Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris!! The draw will take place during Art+Fare 3.

For further information relating to Art+Fare 3, please visit the Art+Fare website.

A Club for People Age 35 and Over Just Opened in NYC

Posted on September 13, 2017 by unionclub

If you’re sick and tired of the flocks of selfie-taking, avocado toast–eating youths that fill up dance halls across New York City these days, a new club in Chelsea is the place for you.

RetroClubNYC, which opened its doors last Thursday at 161 W 23rd Street, is geared toward the 35-and-over crowd. Now open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, the spot features throwback music from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s and aims to be reminiscent of the bygone clubs of those eras.

“We’re catering to a slightly older crowd,” owner Jeff Wittels tells us. “I don’t think there are any dance clubs like that in the city.”

The bar is more of a celebration than a recreation of New York City’s discotheques of yore and is designed to attract people who twinkled their toes into the night when acts like the Bee Gees and Sylvester were at their height.

“We’re bringing back the vibe from the old days of Studio 54,” Wittels said, “except without some of the things that got them into trouble back then.”

If you’re a twentysomething who simply wants to groove out to some vintage jams, fear not. RetroClubNYC is open to anyone older than 21, and Wittels said that its debut last week attracted people of all ages (and an Australian tourist). He also said that the bar’s DJs are including some contemporary tunes on their playlists, citing Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.”

Wittels first announced the concept for the club back in January, and it drew more hype than almost any other “trendy” bar opening in the city. Its Instagram account has amassed more than 13,000 followers since then, and the space has already started booking private events.

The bar is still working on its food and drink menu, but Wittels says it will feature small plates and “drinks that you don’t really see anymore,” including sloe gin fizzes, Long Island iced teas and a rotating signature drink called The Retro, the ingredients of which are kept secret.

For now, the club will open its doors at 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, but Wittels is hoping to add more days during the week this fall.

Wittels declined to tell us his age, but assured us that he is definitely older than 35.

14 Sophisticated Fall Decorating Ideas

Posted on September 10, 2017 by unionclub

Gorgeous autumn decor that doesn’t just rely on pumpkins.

Decorating for fall doesn’t solely mean adding pumpkins to every nook and cranny of your house. Here are 14 sophisticated ways to decorate your home for autumn:

Bowls of lavender, fall fruits, and berries are an unexpected trio…