MICKY STEELE-BODGER In
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Issue number 104 Summer 2019 EXPLOSIVE GENEROUS TOUGH LOYAL FROM THE HIP GIFT SUGGESTIONS FROM The East India Decanter THE SECRETARY’S OFFICE £85 Club directory Ties The East India Club Silk woven tie in club Cut glass tumbler 16 St James’s Square, London SW1Y 4LH colours. £20 Telephone: 020 7930 1000 Engraved with club Fax: 020 7321 0217 crest. £30 Email: [email protected] Web: www.eastindiaclub.co.uk The East India Club DINING ROOM – A History Breakfast Monday to Friday 6.45am-10am by Charlie Jacoby. Saturday 7.15am-10am An up-to-date look at the Sunday 8am-10am characters who have made Lunch up the East India Club. £10 Monday to Friday 12.30pm-2.30pm Sunday (buffet) 12.30pm-2.30pm (pianist until 4pm) Scarf Bow ties Saturday sandwich menu available £30 Tie your own and, Dinner for emergencies, Monday to Saturday 6.30pm-9.30pm clip on. £20 Sundays (light supper) 6.30pm-8.30pm The Gentlemen’s Table reservations should be made with the Front Compact mirror Desk or the Dining Room and will only be held for Clubs of London 15 minutes after the booked time. New edition of £22 Pre-theatre Anthony Lejeune’s V-neck jumper Let the Dining Room know if you would like a Hatband classic. £28 Lambswool in navy or quick supper. £15 burgundy, M (navy only), L, AMERICAN BAR XL, XXL. £57 Monday to Friday 11.30am-11pm Saturday 11.30am-3pm & 5.30pm-11pm Sunday noon-4pm & 6.30pm-10pm Cufflinks Members resident at the club can obtain drinks from Enamelled cufflinks the hall porter after the bar has closed. with club crest, chain or bar. £24.50 Notelets Club gins EAST INDIA ROOM £3.75 Monday to Friday. Light food and wine menu. Use of EIC Gin 43% £35, EIC ‘Home electronic devices on silent is permissible. on Furlough’ 57% £45 SMOKING ROOM & WATERLOO ROOM Monday to Friday Tea and coffee from 9am Polo shirt Light menu 10am-10.30pm In red or black, Drinks 11am-11pm L, XL, XXL. £28 Weekend Light menu 10am-10pm Drinks 11am-10pm BILLIARDS ROOM Open to members from 9am to midnight. Mug Pass keys will not be issued after 11pm. £14 GYMNASIUM Open to members from 6am to 10pm. Blazers Chocolate mint Suitable attire must be worn. £395 (navy) £350 (sports) creams £8 BEDROOM CHARGES (from 2019) Includes early morning tea, English breakfast, Waistcoat discretionary £5 per person per night contribution £160 Club shield to the staff fund, and VAT. All bedrooms are non £35 smoking. Napkin Members & immediate family hook Single ensuite £127 (£77*) Golf balls Single with small shower £106 (£66*) £40 Single without facilities £85 (£56*) Titleist golf balls bearing Double or twin room for single occupancy £173 club crest. £32 per dozen Double or twin room for double occupancy £187 St James’s Suite £302 Reciprocal members & guests Golf tees Single ensuite £166 (104*) Single with small shower £145 (£92*) Blazer buttons Tin of 50 ‘personalised’ Double or twin room for single occupancy £208 Double breasted. £50 East India golf tees. Double or twin room for double occupancy £228 Single breasted. £35 £7.75 St James’s Suite £356 * Special rate on Friday, Saturday, Sunday Post and packing for non-breakables from and bank holidays £3. Breakable items are for collection MEMBERSHIP CARDS from the club instead of posting. Members are required to carry their membership cards at all times when visiting the club, and Umbrellas present them on arrival. It is essential that they are CLUB WINE: produced when signing for charges to accounts. Short. £20 Rugby ball Long. £25 £25 See page 17 for details 2 EAST & WEST – SUMMER 2019 The loss of Micky Steele-Bodger cast a pall over the club Club diary... this summer. Life president and father of chairman Duncan Steele-Bodger, the club entered a period of reflection as the CHAIRMAN’S REPORT August 10 Classic cars summer weekend book of condolences fills up. 13 An evening with David Gower September CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 4 M Steele-Bodger memorial 11 Library lecture and dinner he club’s annual general meeting St James’s Suite, located on the top floor 17 Film club in May was overshadowed by the overlooking the square. At £300 per night 20 Evening of jazz T recent news that our life president, it commands a premium price however we 23 Lord Mayor’s luncheon my father Micky Steele-Bodger had passed believe still represents great value for that away peacefully at home a week earlier. special occasion. Occupancy rates have been October With the club flags at half-mast and a book consistently good at 75% plus although this 3 Grouse dinner of condolences in the hallway it was a time is skewed by almost 100% occupancy at 6 Harvest festival and lunch for reflection and memories. My family and weekends. However, while the bedroom and 10 Library lecture and dinner the club have received countless letters drawing room offer the necessary comfort 12 Classic cars weekend and charm, the bathroom no longer met 29 Fortified wine tasting expectations. The resulting upgrade is already completed and the suite is back in occupation. November Another room benefitting from a recent 5 Film club refurbishment is the Billiards Room. It is 12 House dinner hidden away in the basement, past the Gym, 15 Evening of jazz and boasts two excellent full-size tables 19 Library lecture and dinner which are the envy of most London clubs. It hosted the recent Association of London Clubs snooker finals night where Brooks’s December Club and the Savile Club did battle for the 3 Tri clubs service and Christmas party crown. Brooks’s came out on top, and then 8 Advent carols and lunch both teams plus snooker representatives from 12 Carol concert and dinner The chairman at the sports dinner other ALC clubs retired to the Canadian Room for the annual dinner. This interclub event How to book The easiest and quickest way to book an event is and emails from members and staff, young was initiated in 1991 under the sponsorship via the club website. Log on to the club website and old, town, country and overseas, all of Hine Cognac, and the East India has and visit the ‘book events’ webpage. with a story to tell. Many recounted their always played a leading role. We stepped in Bank holidays experiences of being ‘bodgered’, often in the as sponsor in 1999 and we were replaced by For the August bank holiday bars and catering American Bar but more usually in the early Fullers Brewery in 2013. are closed after breakfast on Sunday 25 August and reopen on Tuesday 27 August 2019. hours at the late bar. The spring is always an exciting time for Accommodation and English breakfast remain He dedicated more than 30 years to the the banqueting calendar. As well as regular available. service of his beloved club, as chairman events such as the St George’s Day dinner Christmas and then as life president. He attended and Gourmet dinner, this year saw the return The club closes for Christmas after lunch on committee meetings on a regular basis until of an old favourite. The club hosted a sports Monday 23 December 2019 and reopens at 9am on Thursday 2 January 2020. recently and was always available to offer his dinner, recalling the East India’s merger with counsel to those entrusted the Sports Club in 1939. with managing the affairs It was a well-attended of the club, whether they Many recounted their evening with speakers asked for it or not. He will experiences of being Bill Sweeney and Sir Craig be greatly missed by the “ ‘bodgered’, often in Reedie, both East India East & West membership and staff. His members, performing an the American Bar Editor: Charlie Jacoby spirit will no doubt live on Olympic double act with 07850 195353 [email protected] within the club and we stories from the inside Designer: Chris Haddon can, of course, continue to enjoy Bodger’s track. At the time it had just been announced 07792 515056 [email protected] Best in the American Bar. There will also that Bill ”Sweeney would be leaving the British Sub-editor: Lucy Sloan [email protected] be an opportunity for members to attend a Olympic Association to take up his new job as celebration of his life which is planned for CEO of the Rugby Football Union. We wish him, Photography: Phil McCarthy. To download or order photography, log on to the members’ September. More details will be made available and England, every success for the World Cup area of EastIndiaClub.com and select ‘event in due course. in Japan. It is a rare honour for the club that photography’ On other club matters, judging by the we have both the serving RFU president, Chris 3 Printed by: Colour (ColourCubed.co.uk) feedback, members and their guests taking Kelly, and now CEO as members. Published on behalf of The East India Club by advantage of our accommodation over May I take this opportunity to wish you an Charlie Jacoby, c/o The East India Club www.charliejacoby.com recent years have greatly appreciated the enjoyable summer. Cover photo: Micky ongoing refurbishment programme. One room that has so far been neglected is the Duncan Steele-Bodger, Chairman EAST & WEST – SUMMER 2019 3 NEWS SPORTS DINNER Rugby supporters Sportsmen Trail blazers dine out by William Downie he club’s merger in 1939 with the visit by the National English Sports Club brought a heritage and After-dinner speaker Bill Sweeney of the RFU Women’s Rugby Union team to T membership with it that has lasted ASandy Park, Exeter to play Italy until this day.