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Magic Eyes Barge Broken Hills Dinner Anglo-Thai Society (Two Outings) Sex & the City 2 JULY 2010 AVA’S BIRTHDAY on the Chaopraya! SPOTLIGHT ON COVER STORY LOOKING BACK Dinner Recipes Magic Eyes Barge Broken Hills Dinner Anglo-Thai Society (two outings) Sex & the City 2 www.britishclubbangkok.org Bangkok Hospital advert: Outpost July 2010 Size:Bangkok 210x297mm. Hospital advert: Outpost July 2010 Size: 210x297mm. MAY 2010 OUTPOST 1 Contents REPORTINGS Letter from the Chair JULY 2010 FRONT COVER 03Official Opening Times AVA’S BIRTHDAY The day outing up the on the Chaopraya! Chaopraya on the Magic Magazine Message from the GM Eyes Barge was so enthusiastically received 04 that another trip was arranged for the following weekend. By good fortune, Introducing it served as a birthday 05 Wiliam Ong event too for Ava, who GENERAL COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT ON COVER STORY LOOKING BACK unknowingly was snapped Dinner Recipes Magic Eyes Barge Broken Hills Dinner Anglo-Thai Society (two outings) Sex & the City Chairman www.britishclubbangkok.org for our cover this month. Jonathan Truslow House & Grounds [email protected] 06 The monthly report on Maintenance and Development General Committee Members Sarah Allen, Philip Alexander, David Blowers, LOOKING BACK SPORTS John Bleho, Iain Brewster, Paul Cheesman, Ian Harry, Dale Lamb, Jeremy Watson [email protected] Magic Eyes - Magic Days Sports and Leisure 08 Two trips up the Chaopraya and two 26 Squash, Rugby, Football, Sports Camp birthday cakes for Ava! SENIOR MANAGERS Tennis General Manager Jesper Doepping A Downtown Pampering 28 Mix-ins and the Junior Championships [email protected] 12 Seventy people at the Emporium to see Deputy General Manager – Finance Premrudee Tanyaluck Sex and the City 2 Squashy Bits [email protected] 30 Maintenance and Chicken Kiev Palate Indulgence 14 Notes on the Brokenhills/Club Dinner Golf THE BRITISH CLUB BANGKOK 32 News plus a weekend in Bang Saen 189 Surawongse Road, Bangkok 10500 Entrance via Silom Soi 18 SPOTLIGHT Tel: +66 (0) 2 234 0247 Fax: +66 (0) 2 235 1560 FUN AND GAMES info@ britishclubbangkok.org Khun Laak’s Special Recipes www.britishclubbangkok.org 16 Some recipes from the Broken Hills dinner 34Balut Never Sever Ties OUTPOST IS PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF THE BRITISH CluB 18 A report on the Anglo-Thai Society Quiz Night BY VERITAS GRAPHICS. 37 12th Floor, Vanissa Building, 29 Soi Chidlom, Bangkok 10330. CLUB BENEFITS Tel: +66 (0) 2 650 3450-4 Et Alia... Fax: +66 (0) 2 650 3455 Publisher Rules Britanniae 38 Trivial mental diversion Jim Fowler - [email protected] 19 Lesser-known Club rules Managing Editor Dean Outerson - [email protected] NOW SHOWING Designer CLUB featURES Dew Piyaman - [email protected] Monday Night Club Past Participle 35 Highlights from the Club in 1953 OUTPOST 23 Outpost is the monthly publication of Doctor Who THE BRITISH CluB BANGKOK, the international club for friends and families in the heart of Bangkok. 36 A full version of the magazine is also available online at www.britishclubbangkok.org/outpost Opinions expressed need not necessarily represent THE CLUB AT HOME those of the Club. All events, dates and times are correct at time of press. Outpost welcomes contributions from members. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written The Month That Was! permission of the Publisher. 39 Memories from previous years’ July Susie’s Kids Korner 40 Outdoor projects and painting in the rain! REPORTINGS JULY 2010 OUTPOST 3 LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Farewell Barry, Welcome William After 16 years of service, Barry Osborne seemed these separately, so that both will benefit from to be the Club. Few of us can remember a time the increased attention. here before Baz, let alone imagine the place without his easy smile and bustle. A future Our new F&B Manager, William Ong, comes with without Barry may seem daunting. But as many years of experience running kitchens in change can bring both challenges and rewards, expatriate locations. Barry has been handing we are taking a pro-active approach towards over duties to William who will work closely that future. Our new management team with Khun Laak to continue the improvement has begun implementing some great ideas in the variety and quality of food we enjoy at to improve the Club’s services and facilities, the Club. Welcome to the British Club, William! including a rejuvenated Verandah restaurant, improved Sala service, and beautification of We will be advertising within the Club for a the front lawn area. There may be lapses as part-time Events Manager who can continue Jonathan Truslow everyone settles into their new roles, but we to inject the “best of Britishness” into the Chairman - General are confident that with Members’ support British Club. We think this job would suit a Committee 2009/2010 and understanding, the Club will continue to travelling spouse whose children are at school improve its unique blend of services to the and who is beginning to find a need for some business, family and sporting communities. paid employment. If that sounds like you or someone you know, please get in touch with Baz is a tough act to follow and hard to replace. me or Jesper. Everyone knew him and knew he would make their meal, their party, their outing a happy Barry’s departure is not the only challenge and memorable one. His ready smile, his facing the Club. Membership and revenue encyclopaedic memory of Members past and fell sharply during the turmoil of the red shirt present, his ability to mount a successful event demonstrations. Many events and functions at 24 hours notice, will be missed. I would like were cancelled in April and May and fewer to thank him both personally and on behalf of Members ventured out to use the Club’s everyone at the Club most warmly and fully for facilities. Through the dedication and hard work all that he has done for us and to wish him well of our staff, we were able to maintain services in his future career. I hope that many of you throughout the crisis and I would like to express were able to attend his farewell party and give my thanks to them for their commitment him your own thanks and good wishes. Our during that difficult time. Now we need you, farewell gift to Barry was a full membership of the Members, to show a similar commitment to the Club. We look forward to seeing him around using and enjoying your Club. Exciting changes the Club henceforth, enjoying a relaxed time as are taking place here. Please come and see for a Member rather than stressing in the kitchens yourself. Make the British Club the place for or keeping an eagle-eye on functions. your next meeting, your next dinner. Use our outside catering service for your next party or As you know, Barry’s job combined two major join us on our next outing. We all look forward roles, F&B and Events. We will now manage to seeing you - and Barry! - again. OFFICIAL OPENING TIMES The Verandah 11am - 2pm (Mon. - Thurs.) 5pm - 10pm (Mon. - Thurs.) 11am - 10pm (Fri. - Sun. and Public Holidays) Neilson Hays Coffee Shop 9am - 6pm (Tues.-Sun.) Fitness Centre 6am - 10pm (Mon.-Fri.) Churchill Bar 10am - 11pm Fitness Centre 6am - 9pm (Sat.-Sun.) Poolside Bar 7am - 10pm Thai Massage 9am - 5pm (Tues.-Sun.) Last food orders - 9.30pm 4 OUTPOST JULY 2010 REPORTINGS MESSAGE FROM THE GM This month we finalized the first rough draft of a 5 year business plan for the British Club. Work on this plan was complicated by the turmoil in Bangkok, and that in the first 6 months we have been working with an operational loss. Our membership is down to 990, and many Members have not been using the Club as much as they previously did. For the management team, it means that we have to make the Club that much more attractive for all Members, especially during the weekdays. This is a hard task indeed, given all the energy and work that Barry and the staff have put into the Club over the last year. We have already made some minor changes, like introducing business lunches at a very competitive price, with guaranteed serving within 10 minutes from order. However, we need to work on the experience of service in all our outlets, sports and recreational activities, the menus, the quality and price of our food and beverages, our events and functions, to make it an even better place to visit. While we must embrace change, it is essential that we keep the Club culture of being friendly, humourous, sarcastic and fun- loving: all the things that really make the British Club in Bangkok so different from any Jesper Doepping other club in the world, and particularly in Bangkok. General Manager 2010 We also need to make the British Club known in the expatriate community. For those who are Members, it is hard to believe that the Club is relatively unknown, more of a well- kept secret. This was highlighted not long ago when I met a new Board member of the British Chamber of Commerce who had been in Thailand for more than 4 years. Prior to his invitation to a function at the British Club, he had been ignorant of the Club or even its existence. To get our core and associate Members back, we need to raise awareness throughout the expatriate sector and in the Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, British communities of Bangkok. Our best advertising is to get potential Members and friends of Members down to the Club to experience it. The Club will be creating special events and functions that will draw in potential Members.
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