Issue number 90 December 2014

Silverware Sticky Sport Sacrifice Selfie GIFT SUGGESTIONS FROM TUMBLERS The East India Square tumbler THE SECRETARY’S OFFICE Engraved with club Club directory crest. £18.50 The ATTIRE 16 St James’s Square, SW1Y 4LH Club ties Decanter Telephone: 020 7930 1000 Silk woven tie in club £75 Fax: 020 7321 0217 colours. £19.50 Email: [email protected] Web: www.eastindiaclub.co.uk

DINING ROOM Breakfast Cut glass tumbler Monday to Friday 6.45am-10am Engraved with club Saturday 7.15am-10am crest. £25.75 Sunday 8am-10am Lunch Monday to Friday 12.30pm-2.30pm BOOKS & CDs Sunday (buffet) 12.30pm-2.30pm The East India Club Club bow ties (pianist until 4pm) – A History Tie your own and, by Charlie Jacoby. Saturday sandwich menu available for emergencies, An up-to-date look at Dinner clip on. £19.50 the characters who have Monday to Saturday 6.30pm-9.30pm Sundays (light supper) 6.30pm-8.30pm Scarf made up the East India £17 Club. £10 Table reservations should be made with the Front Desk or the Dining Room and will only be held for Club song 15 minutes after the booked time. Awake! Awake! A recording of the club Cufflinks AMERICAN BAR song from the 2009 St Monday to Friday 11.30am-11pm Enamelled cufflinks George’s Day dinner. £5 Saturday 11.30am-3pm with club crest, & 5.30pm-11pm chain or bar. £24.50 Sunday noon-4pm The Gentlemen’s & 6.30pm-10pm Clubs of London Members resident at the club can obtain drinks from New edition of the hall porter after the bar has closed. Anthony Lejeune’s classic. £28 EAST INDIA ROOM Monday to Friday. Light food and wine menu. Use of electronic devices on silent is permissible. OTHER ITEMS

SMOKING ROOM & WATERLOO ROOM Drinks and light menu from 9am to 10.30pm. Mug Saturday and Sunday 10am to 10pm. £14

BILLIARDS ROOM Club blazers Open to members from 9am to midnight. Chocolate mint £295/£325 (navy) £325 (sports) Pass keys will not be issued after 11pm. creams £8 Club shield Club waistcoats GYMNASIUM £61.50 Open to members from 6am to 10pm. £160 Suitable attire must be worn.

BEDROOM CHARGE Includes early morning tea, newspaper, English Golf balls breakfast and VAT. All bedrooms are non smoking. Titleist golf balls. Bearing Members club crest. £29 per dozen Single with bathroom £103 (£63*) Single with shower £88 (£54*) Blazer buttons Single without facilities £72 (£45*) Double breasted. Golf tees Double or twin room for single occupancy £140 £45.00 Tin of 50 ‘personalised’ Double or twin room for double occupancy £156 Single breasted. East India golf tees. £7.75 St James’s Suite £259 £30.00 Reciprocal members & guests Single with bathroom £133 (£83*) V-necked jumpers Single with shower £117 (£73*) Golf umbrellas Lambswool V-necked navy and burgundy Double or twin room for single occupancy £164 Made in club jumpers also available. £46.50 Double or twin room for double occupancy £186 colours of silver, St James’s Suite £288 blue and red. £17 Club print * Special rate on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays A picture of the Post and packing for non-breakables from clubhouse on a £3. Breakable items are for collection MEMBERSHIP CARDS typical London Members are required to carry their membership from the club instead of posting. early evening. cards at all times when visiting the club. It is essential that they are produced when 52.5cm by CLUB WINE: signing for charges to accounts. 40cm. See page 17 for details £61.50

2 EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 Remembering the First World War and looking forward to Club diary... commemorations for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of

Waterloo. Along with a full calendar of events, the club has a CHAIRMAN’S REPORT January 15 Wine tasting busy 2015 to look forward to

February 5 Burns Night 26 Gourmet evening CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

March have been visiting American Civil to guide our decisions. The committee 7 Napoleonic ball War battlefields in and around has decided it is worth continuing to put 10 Port tasting IWashington finishing up at resources into the case at this stage 13 Rugby lunch Gettysburg. It was interesting to see and there will be a further update in the 19 Library lecture & dinner the beginnings of the techniques of New Year. 20 Rugby lunch trench warfare, mining and artillery 2015 is just weeks away – the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo. April The plans for the celebration of this 11 Varsity Boat Race The chairman event are now well advanced. The 16 Young members’ dinner at the house 23 St George’s Day dinner dinner re-enactment of the delivery of the Waterloo dispatch to the Prince Regent May will take place over the weekend of 13 Annual general meeting 18-21 June. There will be a service in 19 Rorke’s Drift dinner St Paul’s Cathedral on 18 June at which East India Club Members will have June an allocation of places. The dispatch 18 Waterloo service of remembrance will travel from Waterloo via Ghent, 21 Waterloo dinner Broadstairs and Canterbury to London, culminating in the presentation to a Bank holidays member of the royal family in the East Over bank holidays, accommodation India Club’s Waterloo Room, followed and continental breakfast are available by a members’ dinner on Sunday 21 but bars and catering are closed after bombardment at Petersburg which June. There are plans for a Regency fair breakfast on the Sunday of the bank became so familiar 50 years later. While to take place through the weekend in holiday weekend and through Monday. in Washington I stayed at the Cosmos St James’s Square and, again, special Christmas Club where guests receive a generous arrangements will be made for East India The club closes after lunch on Tuesday welcome and I enjoyed the comfort Club members. In additon to all of this, 23 December 2014 and re-opens at and style of a fine traditional club. The the club will hold a Napoleonic ball on 9am on Friday 2 January 2015. The intellectual power available there was 7 March (which more or less marks the cloakroom and day lockers will be evident from the large number of Nobel 100 days from Napoleon’s return from cleared of left items. The Royal Air and Pulitzer prize-winning members exile to his defeat at Waterloo). Force Club at 128 kindly offers whose pictures are on the walls. It promises to be an exciting year! Of their facilities to our members on dates Recently, we have enjoyed the Lord course we will not forget to celebrate when our Dining Room is closed. Please Mayor’s Lunch, this year made more Burns Night and I imagine that the St book in advance on 020 7399 1000. than usually special by Fiona Woolf CBE, George’s Day dinner might pay some and the House Dinner at which Michael homage to the heroes of the Peninsular Beloff QC entertained and Waterloo. In the members thoroughly with meantime, I know you some private insights into 2015 is just will join me and the the world of sport from weeks away – the committee in thanking the East & West a legal angle. Turning to bicentenary of management who have matters legal, I do not Waterloo. It promises kept us on course even in Editor: Charlie Jacoby propose to make a lengthy “ some difficult cross-winds to be an exciting 07850 195353 [email protected] update of ‘the case’ having and most particularly our year. Designer: Chris Haddon covered it fairly fully at the staff for their exceptional 01279 422219 [email protected] AGM and in the August contribution to the life Photography: Phil McCarthy. To download or edition of East & West. Although the of our club this year. I hope to see that order photography, login to the members’ area of criminal proceedings are now over and contributions to the staff fund refect EastIndiaClub.com and follow the instructions the offender, having pleaded guilty the special effort this year and I thank Sub-editor: Cicely Drewe to two offences has been sentenced ”members in advance for this. 3 Printed by: Colour (ColourCubed.co.uk) to a term of imprisonment, it is not I wish everyone a very merry Published on behalf of The East India Club by finished as far as the club is concerned. Christmas season and happiness and Charlie Jacoby, c/o The East India Club www.charliejacoby.com We are continuing to pursue matters growing prosperity in 2015. Cover photo: Classic car weekend at the club in respect of the defalcation and are seeking opinion from a leading counsel Iain Wolsey, chairman

EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 3 NEWS A tour to Portugal and a summer of English cricket gave the Sports Shorts club’s XI a series of wonderful games. The final result is four wins, one draw and eight losses Flyfishing

ith British fish now firmly out of sight for the winter, CLUB CRICKET W the major event is the fyfishing section annual dinner on 7 within the club. There were some very February, held at the club jointly with Mixed fortunes good performances. On the batting front Ed the Lawyers’ Fishing Club. Main speaker Case was the leading runs scorer with 216 to be announced. Cake being integral by Joshua Spink and Dan Hayward top scored with 93 not to the mayfy season, special guest is out while on tour to the Oporto Cricket and Richard Burr, a finalist from the BBC’s his season has been a mixed one Lawn Tennis Club. Also on this tour Obafemi Great British Bake Off 2014 who will share in terms of results for the club’s Shokoya and Tom Barnes set a new record his experiences of that and answer any T cricket team but was still thoroughly partnership for the club of 162 for the first members’ or guests’ questions. enjoyable. The final tally of four wins, one wicket. Nick Jones led the bowlers taking draw and eight losses from thirteen games 14 wickets and Max Oram recorded the did not do justice to the playing ability best figures of 4 for 17 against EC Harris, Game shooting he also managed 4 for 34 against the RAC. The highlight of season was probably the he club’s shooting section ever popular tour to the Oporto Cricket and continues to offer good value. Lawn Tennis Club and many are no doubt T £425 bought a gun on a 100-bird looking forward the club’s return in 2016. In day in Kent in November, and £625 bought the meantime the plans for Tour 2015 are 100 birds in South Devon. It offers a series under way and the details will be announced of events throughout the year, including shortly. This season also signalled the end taking part in the Inter-Club Shoot at of Chris Masterton-Smith’s four year tenure Holland & Holland Shooting Ground in July. as cricket chairman. Over the last four years, If you stay in the club with a gun, the club CMS has taken the team from strength has facilities for overnight storage. to strength. He has done great work for the side and thankfully will remain on the committee. Racquets

?? The cricket section is always keen for new members and if anyone is interested in playing he club’s racquets section has 38 then please can they get in touch. We will be members, with a variety of different holding nets sessions throughout the winter T standards and a variety of sports at Lord’s and the Oval, and will be holding a that people play. This can range from real pre-season drinks evening where people can tennis to squash. At the moment tennis come along and find out more. Details of this courts seem hard to come by in London so The club plays the David Turnbull Cup at Chobham will be released closer to the time. we don’t have any practices as yet.

Ascot 29 April, Discover Ascot Raceday, fat 8 May (evening), May racenight, fat 9 May, Victoria Cup Day, fat Ascot dates 19 June, Royal Ascot, fat 20 June , Royal Ascot, fat 10 July, Property Raceday, fat he dates for Ascot at the club’s box 11 July, Summer Mile Raceday, fat are now available. Jump days are 24 July, King George Weekend, fat T charged at £575, Flat days at £800 8 August , Shergar Cup, fat and Royal Ascot at £3,950, all plus VAT. The 4 September, Ascot Festival of Food & Wine, box caters for 12 for a sit down meal and 18 fat for a buffet. The box is numbered 447. If you 5 September, Ascot Festival of Food & Wine, would like to spend a day at the races, please fat contact the secretary. 2 October, CAMRA Beer Festival, fat 3 October , CAMRA Beer Festival, fat 17 January, Clarence House Day, jumps 20-21 November, November Meeting, 14 February, Ascot Chase Day, jumps jumps 29 March, Princes Countryside Fund Raceday, 18-19 December, Christmas Meeting, jumps jumps The new stand at Ascot

4 EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 NEWS

The anniversary of the winding up of the prompted several members to come together and hold their Plus twos own dinner, commemorating the role the ‘company that ruled the world’ played in the formation of the club Chess dinner COMPANY DINNER

014 marks the 140th anniversary of the winding up of the East India 2 Company on 1 June 1874. This followed years of deprivation after the creation of the in 1858 in response to the Indian Mutiny and the company’s he club’s chess section came inability to restore order. 2014 was also the together for an evening of year we had the third company dinner in T chess versus Hurlingham and an recognition of the company whose name our excellent dinner. club bears. Once again we were treated to a tour of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office by Company diners Napoleonic ball fellow member Graham Holland. It was a splendid tour, taking in the India Office and its into the newly (and perhaps somewhat s part of the commemoration original fittings from the East India Company appropriately in the case of this dinner) of the battle of Waterloo, the HQ on Leadenhall Street (the site of which renamed East India Room. A club is to hold a Napoleonic ball now plays home to the Lloyds building) and This year produced the best selection of on 7 March 2015. You will be invited to many of the grand and famous rooms of the curries yet, with chef offering up a pilau with dress in Regency costume, or black tie, building. For those visiting for the first time a delicate prawn curry, veg curry, lamb curry or current military uniform or, best of all, and those returning again it was memorable and a particularly good chicken curry that period uniform of your regiment. Regency and we had our picture taken by Christian all agreed was a triumph thanks to it being dances are planned (there will be practice Schaffalitzky at the end. cooked on the bone (Chef even provided beforehand). Dinner will be of its time, Upon our return to the EIC we gathered onion bhajis) all of which was washed down though for truly extraordinary Regency for drinks in the Clive Room before heading by a good IPA. The plan is now to have a catering, there is a gourmet dinner on 26 different IPA each year. February 2015. If you need anyhelp with After Max had to miss last year’s dinner due costume, the secretary knows of good to his incarceration at Sandhurst, he arranged hire shops. The clubhouse is a magnificent for one of his military history lecturers, Dr example of the architecture of the time Gregory Fermont-Barnes, to talk to us about and a fitting bacdrop to the ball. similarities between Britain’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1839 and the recent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. He further arranged Iron man for his new regiment, The Royal Engineers, to lend us one of the many East India Company n 14 September 2014 at the related table centre pieces from their silver age of 51, CD Vallance-Owen vault. The piece, an elephant and palm trees O completed Ironman Wales. This given by members of the regiment in relation consisted of a 2.4-mile sea swim, a 112- to its role in the Indian Mutiny (left), was mile cycle ride and a 26.2-mile run. He East India Company silver, commemorating the displayed alongside other documents and completed the course in 14 hours, five Indian Mutiny artefacts relating to the company. minutes and 42 seconds.

Cecil’s celeb selfie Waterloo coin o celebrate the bicentenary n a visit to the club, actor Samuel of the Battle of Waterloo, a L Jackson took the opportunity to T commemorative Waterloo O get a ‘selfie’ with our old friend and Campaign Medal is offered as a free EIC rugby club mascot, Cecil. Jackson was gift to British citizens. Minted in solid in London for the filming of the 2015 film bronze as originally intended in 1815, Kingsman: The Secret Service. It is a British the medal bears the exact design of the picture starring Colin Firth, Michael Caine, campaign medal awarded to the veterans David Beckham and Mark Strong. of the Battle of Waterloo. Visit Bit.ly/ waterloomedal

EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 5 NAPOLEON As Waterloo 200 approaches, it may seem the club is obsessed with the history of that time. Andrew Roberts’ Library Lecture BACKGAMMON provides a fascinating reappraisal of Britain’s arch enemy. The man’s a sympathiser! Slow start

VIVE L’EMPEREUR he London league is under way. As East & West went to press, the T East India Club was lying eighth, Library Lecture out of a possible eight, but do not be disheartened. Usual winners the MCC are t was Napoleon who ordered the currently sixth. Organised by David Brace, Champs-Élysées to be the widest and so far this season the club has played the I most magnificent avenue in Europe, and the Cumberland symbolic of the nation’s destiny and the Club, both matches resulting in a 11-7 loss, military paths to glory. To the French, but a fine supper. the early 19th century emperor remains To keep up to date with London club a popular figure, remembered for his backgammon, visit www.mccbackgammon. charisma. And it is in this vein that Andrew com and click on the London League tab. Roberts presented a portrait of the man in It also includes a page of ‘league statistics’ his library lecture. for the club, showing which players have Andrew was commissioned to write the won the most, with terrifying colour book to accompany a BBC series which gradings. The top five are, in order, Mark will be aired next year. While Napoleon Turner, William Skjott, Anowar Ullah, Bonaparte remains a puzzle for most of his Charlie Jacoby and Carl Statham. biographers, Andrew is clear that – with Library committee chair St John Brown introduces a few exceptions – he was a cultured and Andrew Roberts FUTURE MATCHES cultural leader, not a megalomaniac dictator. Andrew says he has little or nothing in Tuesday 20 January 2015, common with 20th-century monsters Hitler, Roehampton (away) Wednesday 4 February 2015 Home House (home) Tuesday 10 February 2015 MCC (home) Wednesday 4 March 2015 Hurlingham (away) Wednesday 15 April 2015 RAC (away)

After the lecture, members and guests dine in the East India Room

By any standards, the story of Napoleon is remarkably rich stuff for a biographer. It Andrew Roberts points out that of all the people who have a Napoleon complex, Napoleon is not begins with his birth in 1769 in the obscure one of them town of Ajaccio in Corsica, a year after Louis XV had bought the island from the Genoese Stalin and Mussolini. Andrew shows him to authorities. As a young man, Napoleon went be a statesman, lawgiver and great warrior to France for his military education. However, who, on the Roman model that Napoleon so he never really lost the sense that he was a admired, like Caesar and Augustus, brought foreigner. He first witnessed great historical order where there was none. events in Paris in 1792, when he was still a Andrew Roberts and Tim Cooke of Waterloo 200 This new book about the French general young captain of artillery. He watched with who tried to unify Europe is an entertaining a dispassionate eye the chaotic storming of finally put a stop to him. Roberts describes and deeply forensic examination. He looks the Tuileries, when the masses launched an the battle as ‘mismanaged’ by the French. at Napoleon’s record as a soldier and for the uprising against the assembly, pushing the And so it was, as Napoleon gambled and lost. fundamental changes he made in France. revolutionary government even further to If Napoleon was great – Andrew’s He draws on the work of the Fondation the left. It was a short but perilous road from argument runs – it is because of the Napoléon in Paris, which since 2004 has there to his dramatic crowning as emperor. greatness of his ambition, to redraw the map been editing and archiving 33,000 of On the other side of the English Channel, of Europe around what he saw as the “great Napoleon’s extant letters, a third of which the Brits cared about the price of tea and nation” of France, or civilisation. This was have never been published. Thanks to were not about to let Napoleon put a stop to not mere patriotism or jingoism but a project the BBC, he has walked 53 of Napoleon’s their commercial and imperial ambitions in for humanity. And he wasn’t small either. battlefields, experiences that make his the east. It was at the battle of Waterloo that Andrew points out that he was of average descriptions of battle lively, fresh and vivid. the British (with the aid of Prussian cavalry) height for a Frenchman of the time.

6 EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 For a fast way to pack the Dining Room to the gunwales, hold a house dinner. One of the most popular events in the HOUSE DINNER club’s calendar, it was a splendid evening HOUSE DINNER

Sport and law The chairman speaks

ichael Beloff spoke at this year’s house dinner, taking a legal look M at the world of sport. A full house enjoyed his talk, and enjoyed a superb example of East India Club dining at its best.

Marshall Allender Left-right: Paul Blows, Bill Peacock and guest G Pickering

Guest speaker Michael Beloff Adrian Tickridge-Day Left-right: J Wellwood, Nick Riley and Alyx Wood

Astronomical Society, Middle Temple, point likening the new leading antiquarian Library Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), bookdealers to the German team at the Institute of Directors and our near the recent World Cup – well-organized neighbours, the London Library. bookshops operating as teams now The APML is currently chaired by our appear to be eclipsing the former brilliant Pall Mall own East India Club librarian, Kath Posner and colourful Individuals who composed (see East & West No 88, April 2014). The so much of the bookselling world. Association association meets regularly during the year, Julian’s talk was extremely informative not only to share expertise and discuss and well-received by the group who common problems, such as binding and bombarded him with so many questions by Julian Wilson and Kath Posner repair work or use of cataloguing software, afterwards that they were nearly late but also to hear from speakers with for lunch. t is, in all probability, a little known fact specialist book-related knowledge, such The lunch was hosted by the club, among members that the library of as curators at the British Library or officers which gallantly responding to a last- I the East India Club is a member of the from Scotland Yard’s Art and Antiquities minute plea by the Library Committee Association of Pall Mall Libraries (APML). Theft team. chair, St John Brown, that the club might This association, which this year celebrates This July, the East India Club hosted the want to step in where another club had its tenth anniversary, initially grew out of APML and invited as their guest speaker, pulled out as hosts rather late in the day. an informal gathering of librarians working Julian Wilson, East India Club Library The meeting and lunch were attended in the gentlemen’s clubs of London. With Committee member and Antiquarian Books by around 20, including librarians and its roots in such clubs as the Travellers Specialist at Christie’s. His talk, entitled members of their clubs’ committees. and the Athenaeum, the APML has since ‘Antiquarian Books in the 21st Century’, All were agreed that the speaker and grown to incorporate libraries over a much covered a wide-range of changes and trends usual exceptional standards of catering wider spectrum, such as those of the Royal in the rare book market, including at one and service did the club proud.

EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 7 The 100th anniversary of the First World War was marked by the three clubs of St James’s Square with a service in St James’s Church, Piccadilly. The memorials in each of the clubs bear FIRST WORLD WAR FIRST WORLD witness to the thousands of members and club staff who died in the confict. The East India Club has memorials from several of its constituent clubs FIRST WORLD WAR COMMEMORATION

by Iain Wolsey

joint service to commemorate the made it a moving and uplifting occasion. outbreak of the Great War was held At the lunch afterwards in the East India A in September in St James’s church Room, the Roll of Honour was blessed by our attended by members of The Rag and the In chaplain, the Rev Roger Hall. & Out as well as the East India. The Reverend A century ago, the British, French and Lucy Winkett gave an excellent sermon; German armies faced each other along readings by Edward Fox, Alasdair Shaikh and continuous trench lines running from the Lynette Beardwood, and music from the Vosges mountains in the East to the Quintet of the Band of the Royal Yeomanry Belgian coast. The German armies had been brought to a halt on the Marne and had fallen back and ‘dug in’ on the Chemin des Dames in Among those who gave readings at the service were Alasdair Shaikh from the East India Club and the actor Edward Fox

Champagne. The British Expeditionary Force had fought fanking battles all the way from the Aisne to the Yser. The ‘race to the sea’ came to an end with the first battle of Ypres

Members and guests enjoyed lunch after the service without advantage on either side. Many members and staff of the East India Club, the Sports Club, the , the Devonshire, the Eccentrics and, as we learn from this issue of East & West, the Badminton Club gave their lives in the years of the Great War, and the Second World War that followed. Their memory is now enshrined in a roll of honour permanently sited in the front hall. The book is the result of a magnificent (and continuing) effort of research by David Keating beautifully presented in a volume designed by Barry Micky Steele Bodger, Nick Gould, the chairman and David Keating at the unveiling of the Lowenhoff, generously supported by Mr and memorial book The service took place in St James’s Church Mrs Nick Gould.

Harvest Festival service which was held by club chaplain and Chaplain HM Tower of London, one of his year’s Harvest Festival service at the Chapels Royal, the Rev Roger Hall. St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of Chef prepared a loaf which the club T London coincided with some of the donated to join other Harvest Festival gifts commemorations to mark the start of the contributed by the congregation.

The Rev Roger Hall accepts the gift of aspecially- baked loaf from club member James Lambert

First World War, including the extraordinary ceramic poppy installation, which was subsequently kept going by popular request. The ceramic poppies Members take a coach from the club to the The service at the chapel

8 EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 The Badminton Club was not for players with rackets and they missed was a congenial and permanent rendezvous. shuttlecocks but for lovers of carriage driving. Its name comes CLUB BADMINTON To meet this desire Major Furnival opened from the country seat of its patron, the Duke of Beaufort. It the Road Club at 4 Park Place, St James’s, merged with the Public Schools Club which, in turn, merged in 1874 with a coach available for the use with the East india Club of its members. Then in 1875 a Mr Hurman opened a club at 100 Piccadilly with stabling for 50 horses. The Duke of Beaufort became president CLUB FOR COACHES of both clubs. He was a renowned horseman and a keen supporter of both clubs, which by David Keating led to Mr Hurman’s club becoming nicknamed the Badminton Club, being the country seat ave you ever wondered what the driving events and the Four-In-Hand Club of the Beaufort family, Badminton House. Badminton Club was? Its First was created by a group of 30 enthusiasts. In his book Driving published in 1899, H World War memorial is displayed With the popularity of the railways and its the 8th Duke wrote of the Badminton on the wall in reception but otherwise there extensive network there was a growing lack Club, which had by then become its official seems to be no other reference to it in the of demand for stagecoaches and when the name, ‘This was a thorough coaching club website or literature. Brighton Age was decommissioned in 1862, establishment, having all the year round a In view of the East India’s strong sporting there was no stagecoach out of London. coach, a brake, a team or two and capital connections I had assumed it was a club However, there was a revival in coach stabling and coach houses, as well as for those who enjoyed playing the rackets transport and in 1866 the Old Times started chambers and bedrooms kept for the use game of that name, but this is not so and its the run to Brighton. Others then followed of members.’ history is far more fascinating. and by 1875 there were 11 coaches running Since 1949 Badminton House has been the home of the three day competition event known as the Badminton Horse Trials. By 1883 the Badminton Club had become so popular that 98 and 99 Piccadilly were purchased and a new club house was erected designed by Robert Edis, who was an exponent of the Queen Anne Style. A well known feature of the club was Flower Court with a narrow access from Piccadilly. Meets would assemble at Horse Guards Parade, St James’s Park or Hyde Park and the destination was often Hurlingham or Ranelagh, which provides us another link with . As the motor car became more dominant, driving became the pastime of just a few and by the late 1930s the Badminton Club had lost its purpose. In 1938 it was decided to disband the Badminton Club, and the club premises were taken over by the Public Schools Club, which was seeking a larger clubhouse, and those members who chose to became members of The memorial to the Badminton Club members who gave their lives in the First World War that club. In 1972 the Public Schools Club merged During the early 19th century driving from the White Horse Cellars in Piccadilly, with the East India Club and the premises in clubs, whose members drove coaches and such as the St Albans (which left at 11am Piccadilly were demolished and redeveloped four-in-hand competitively, were popular and returned at 6.30pm providing a return Despite the drop in interest with the advent in London. These days this sporting activity trip with two-and-a-half hours in St Albans of the motor car, in 2002 there were still 500 continues and has the patronage of HRH to have lunch and see the abbey). Among members of various registered driving clubs Prince Philip, who is well known as a others were the Guildford, the Windsor, the in the USA. participant in four-in-hand driving events. Dorking, the Box Hill, the Virginia Water and Does a new addition to the club’s sports Before the advent of the motor car driving others. At 3d or 4d per mile it was a jaunt for section beckon? As East India men they clubs in London and its surrounds were the privileged in society. should show equal dining gusto and very popular. In 1870 the Coaching Club was established surely be a match for their Badminton To meet this need the Benson Driving Club by a George Goddard and some friends predecessors, let alone the fellows at the was established in 1807 and ceased in 1854. and soon membership had reached 220 Richmond Driving Club. In 1838 the Richmond Driving Club was members with a membership waiting list. established by Lord Chesterfield and ceased The practice was to have driving meets David Keating researched the excellent in 1845. By 1856 the practice had arisen and afterwards retire to a convenient inn First World War Roll Of Honour that is now on when various individuals would organize for convivial wining and dining, but what display in the Hall

EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 9 SILVERWARE It has been a two-year project to make a piece of silverware that will both impress and pass scrutiny. The subject is the Duke of Wellington and, much trickier, his horse FORGING A GENERAL

FROM CLAY TO METAL

by Mark Gartrell

n September 2012 I was approached by member and artist Theo Ramos I with the proposal to design, model From wire... and make a silver sculpture of the Duke of Wellington and his mount Copenhagen. The project sounded intriguing and I wasted no time voicing my interest to him. I met the then chairman David Cartwright who had envisaged the project given the club’s involvement with the 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. Mark starts modelling the horse My brief was to produce a design of a dismounted Duke leaning wearily post Duke the research element became ever bellum on the withers of Copenhagen, who more important. After much study and had carried him safely for 14 hours on that examination of various leads, we found terrible and eventful day. My design, with a rich vein of information at the National some adjustments, was accepted. I began Army Museum in Chelsea. Here I was able making the armature for Copenhagen, a to see actual bicorn hats, contemporary process that I take a great deal of care with, examples of the correct cavalry saddles and as it ultimately saves a great deal of time and harness and some invaluable books. The makes the task of sculpting crowning glory, though, was so much easier. I modelled the discovery in a top foor ...to weary general Copenhagen predominantly My brief was to art gallery of a copy of the in a grey plasticine-like produce a design of a Nollekens’ portrait bust of the modelling wax. My way of Duke leaning wearily Duke. The original had been sculpting is achieved using on the withers of viewed by his wife Kitty and his many different modelling “ brother and she considered it to Copenhagen media to realise the three be the best likeness of him that dimensional effect that I am she had seen. seeking. Copenhagen’s tail, When the modelling was complete I dissected it into many parts, appropriate for moulding in silicone rubber and to aid the casters in the next process of ”lost wax casting. Each component part of the model was placed in a close fitting metal box and cold catalysing silicone was poured The subjects take shape around and allowed to cure over 24 hours. By mid-March all the wax prototypes were ready and I was able to deliver them to BAC Castings for the next stage of the project. After this, all the castings must be taken for testing at the Assay Office at the back of the Goldsmiths’ Hall, our livery The wire frame establishes Copenhagen’s attitude company, and of course the source of the term ‘hallmark’. The castings were now for example, was carved from a tough and ready for my colleague Martin Blackwell durable wax that founders use for lost to start his silversmithing processes. wax casting. This is skilled and painstaking and, while While I was modelling, the secretary it is something I used to do, Martin is was extremely helpful in researching all one of the few people with whom I feel the correct historical detail the sculpture safe leaving this work. The casts, once called for. During the sculpting of the Iron Copenhagen next to a picture of the horse in old age desprued, are carefully filed and refitted

10 EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 ‘And Allah took the South Wind and created the horse…’ SILVERWARE The descriptions of Copenhagen vary, so it took some detective work to find a model for Wellington’s charger WONDERFUL COPENHAGEN

THE ‘DESERT ARAB’ Copenhagen goes to the Assay Office

by Charlie Jacoby in 2001, and a grey, Tuwaisaan Tha’atha’a, foaled in 2002. They are now kept at Pearl ark Gartrell was keen to make Island Arabians in Herefordshire, which is run Copenhagen as accurate as he by Jenny Lees. M could. I set about finding a living Simon Brooks-Ward from the RWHS put model. Silverware comes under close and me in touch with her. She generously spent critical scrutiny. In its lifetime, it is bound to some time helping the club with research be next to dining military historians, equine into Copenhagen and concluded that while experts and, worse, horse lovers. he is termed an Anglo Arab (thoroughbred Originally a racehorse, Copenhagen was of x Arabian) in Weatherbys’ General Stud mixed thoroughbred and Arabian parentage. Book, genetically there is a predominance The ‘ Desert Arab’ stallion Tuwaisaan – more Ferrari than armoured car for a of Arabian blood. The original Arabian was a soldier. Contemporary pictures usually show vastly different animal to those being bred him to be either heroic, with the unlikely in the West today. Jenny says: “Copenhagen arched neck of a Roman emperor’s mount, was an Arabian of the old type, with possibly

Copenhagen awaiting bridle

The finished work

The model in various waxes to redress any distortion that has occurred during the high temperatures of casting or as a retired national treasure. They often a bit of North African Barb in his make-up. and mould break out. The silversmith then show him with the ‘dished’ face of the Arab Anyway, it’s tough stuff bred to run all day, solders all the pieces back together with a but for the rest almost anything between fight a battle and get you back to camp in series of solders of varying melting points. polo pony and carthorse. one piece and then share your tent.” Once reins, harness and final detailing It was a couple of monarchs who I described to Jenny the character of have been applied the sculpture was off to (unwittingly) came to the club’s rescue. The Copenhagen that modeller Mark was trying our appropriately named master polisher, Bahrain royal family has put considerable to put across – staunch, stoic, steady – and Stephen Goldsmith. It is traditionally said effort into recreating ‘desert Arabians’, a kind Jenny said: “It’s the grey”. that a polisher can make or break a piece of of romantic prototype breed characterised So that was it. The living model for our silverware and Stephen, thankfully, is of the by stamina, inspired by the five mares of King Copenhagen is alive, well, grey, called ‘making’ persuasion. Duncan Baird-Murray, Solomon. HM King Hamad Alkhalifa gave HM Tuwaisaan, and in Herefordshire. He is a star also a friend of Theo, added engraving plates the Queen two beautiful Arabian stallions attraction at a handful of top horse shows. to the black Japanned plinth with brass feet, at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May Visit www.pearlislandarabians.co.uk. and the job was done. 2013: a chestnut, Mlolshaan Mahrous, foaled Now, the tack…

EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 11 RUDBY The rugby lunches in advance of major England games continue SNOOKER to be a success, with rugby players and enthusiasts old and new gathering in the East India Room. The pre-Australia lunch even Club wins cup included a piper

by Hassan Zamir

RUGBY LUNCHES laying at home, the club’s snooker side beat the RAC 6-3. Played twice P a year, the match consists of six sin- he rugby lunches took place in gles and six doubles. Team was Henry Morris, advance of England vs New Zealand, Oliver Bolton, Hassan Zamir, Joe Cadman, T which the All Blacks won 24-21, and Bradley Stanton and Bernard Stirzaker. England vs Australia, a home win 26-17. The snooker section has had great suc- cess with the new one-day format for in- house tournaments. The Harold Bloom and Devonshire Cup both played over single days were well attended, well fought with excit- ing finishes. Traditionally, the East India Club The pre-Australia lunch Billiard Room has been been a central host to London clubs’ snooker. The London Clubs Competition, sponsored by Fullers this year and represented graciously by Berte Peeters, saw the final pitted between the Roehamp- ton Club and in our Billard Room. A see-saw match saw Roehampton power- ing their way to their first win with some impressive young talent emerging. The carried out

Matthew Ebsworth, who instigated the rugby refurbishment work in its Long Bar rendering lunches, takes his turn at the lectern Guests at the lunches included Chelsea pensioners its Snooker Room out of bounds. The East In- dia Club staff made them very welcome with regular Tuesday evening sessions followed by great hosting by maitre d’ James Dempsey. Grouse dinner The section would particularly like to thank John Morris of the RAC who helped maintain t remains one of the modern miracles our tables beautifully, ably supported by the of catering that chef can produce excellent East India Club staff and, of course, I more than 80 perfectly cooked grouse secretary Alex Bray. simultaneously when most members and The East India Snooker team itself has their guests agree that one is a struggle been very active. There was a fantastic at home. Grouse, of course, are shot not weekend trip to the United Club of Guernsey farmed. Extending that theme, after supper, in September for a weekend of snooker, Rus- Stuart Anderson-Wheeler, who owns a sian pool and banter. The Guernsey members gunmaking business in Shepherds Market were excellent hosts and the club will be specialising in double rifes for big game reciprocating for the UCG next year. A friendly hunting, gave a talk about hunting cape match with Roehampton with dinner in the buffalo. It included a graphic description of Clive Room was another memorable event for one less than perfect shot he made where the East India Snooker calendar this year. Stuart Anderson-Wheeler the animal charged and came to rest just The section has been complimented a few feet from him. He also spoke about throughout the summer for the excellent designing James Bond’s rife in Skyfall. hosting and service. On behalf, of the section I would like to thank all the staff involved in consistently hosting brilliantly. We would encourage all members to sign up to the section to be kept to up-to-date with our events. To sign-up to our in-house tournament or dinner on 30 November 2014 please send an email to the secretary. The snooker section wishes to express our deepest condolence to our long standing stalwart, Alan Kurtz who lost his wife earlier this year. We hope to see Alan participating Stuart Anderson-Wheeler explains how close the Members and guests in the East India Room buffalo came with the help of a member after a remarkable dinner and involved for many more years.

12 EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 Members and guests enjoyed a day of classic cars, starting in CARS MOTOR Windsor at the History on Wheels Museum and tooling up to town in time for a champagne reception and dinner at the club, with cars parked in St James’s Square gardens CLASSIC CARS IN THE SQUARE

hat a triumph – and not just The Rev Roger Hall the car. A fabulous day for the W participants, the club’s classic car event took place over a weekend in October. The visit to the History on Wheels Museum was a highlight, as members brought a total of 16 cars from Eton Wick to St James’s Square, taking in the Magna Carta and JFK Memorials at Runnymede, with parking kindly provided The motorcade drove from Windsor to St James’s by the National Trust. The History on Wheels Museum is a private The History on Wheels Museum collection which was built up by Tony Oliver over 40 years. Tony died last year and his widow Vera and his son Peter are keeping the museum going. It is only open to visitors about 25 times a year and features many of the vehicles which have been used in films by Tony’s company during that period. There is masses of interesting memorabilia on display. Parking in the gardens was not easy After a sandwich lunch, members drove to Runnymede, following a ‘road book’ provided Vera and her famous cake by organiser Richard Muir Beddall. The aim was to arrive at St James’s Square by 4.30pm at the latest. Club secretary Alex Bray waved his magic wand and obtained permission for them to park on the tarmac paths in St James’s Square. Leaving the cars outside (!) they enjoyed a Champagne reception and a black tie dinner where they heard special guest Doug Hill of the Beaulieu Museum give a talk. After breakfast the following morning, they gathteredto talk about their cars. Cars in front of the club Motoring members line up

for the benefit of all the ‘strap-hangers’: A message from the Pigeon Loft “Hold tight, please!” At last Charles II Street appears on the by Alan Taylor Finally he reaches Liverpool Street, but his screen. But there are road works here and hen a certain member sets out travels are far from over. For up there beyond without warning the bus sails on leaving from distant North Norfolk for the the escalator he must get on the number 23 its passenger (who has already stood up) Wclub in London, he has a long and bus which occasionally takes over an hour to swaying as wildly as the bus itself. It then strenuous journey ahead which not even reach his destination. stops in Regent Street where – thankfully - Marco Polo would have attempted. But this He climbs on board and shows his bus he can get off. pigeon lofter is made of sterner stuff and pass to the driver in his glass box who nods Thereupon he ‘trolleys’ down to St James’s nothing will deter him. in recognition. Once seated, he refects Square. He has just reached the bottom Having reached Norwich, he has already on earlier times on a London bus. In those step of No.16 when the door is thrown open been on two different kinds of public days there was the regular clatter of the and the clatter of feet here comes from the transport and there is still the train to conductor’s feet on the stairs accompanied hall porter on duty who grabs his cases and London to catch. Once the cases have been by “Any more fares, please?” The threepence leads the way inside. Hardly has he received heaved on board, he faces over two hours for the fare would then be handed over. (If a welcome and his key from reception staff in a lurching train. To make matters worse, he was in National Service uniform, this was when he is following the porter to the lift. he is surrounded by other passengers using occasionally refused with the words: “That’s After a few minutes he finds himself alone telephones to let anxious friends know they all right, mate.”) After a stop the conductor in his room on the sixth foor. He breathes a are on the train. would pull the cord above his head and shout sigh of relief. It’s good to be back.

EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 13 YACHTING A combination of sailing trips and good dinners keeps the entered the Chichester Cruiser Racing Club ‘Clocks Back Race’ from Chichester yachting section afoat throughout the autumn, and the to Cowes. We were a little confused by ‘defaced ensign’ remains a hope the gate start, where the gate boat was not on port tack closehauled as expected but instead on a starboard reach but we YACHTING got off the line safely. After some quite frustrating light airs of Force 2 or 3 which do not favour an 8-tonner like Eagle, the Ensigns and Arrows wind fortunately increased to a good puffy Force 5 near Ryde and we were by Jim Miller then able to make stout progress up to Ryde Middle, then Gillkicker and home to he yacht squadron’s informal – and probably were. The event started out Osborne Bay. While we were (just) last application to wear a privileged some years ago like some other ones as a over the line we were placed 5th out of T ensign (see East & West, passim) was challenge from Harrow to Eton but has now 12 on handicap. After a precautionary filed with the Secretary of State for Defence grown to a field of 25 Beneteau First 40 bottle of champagne at East Cowes, we in the autumn. The submission is about 50 boats racing in a feet regatta of one day out took a water bus down to the Folly Inn, pages long and tracks the 400-year nautical of Cowes, with the four highest-placed boats where the meat and wine were very fine. heritage of the club and the East India then proceeding to match racing for day two Breakfast on Eagle the next day was a Company. Predictably, it was met with quite a while the other boats continue feet racing. stately affair, fully in the traditions of the negative response. In the 2014 Arrow – the trophy is a gold club Dining Room. We had a rather blowy Due to the enthusiasm and skills of our arrow about one foot long, named after sail back from Cowes to Chichester. honorary lady member, the Hon Annie Roe- north Londoners’ Harrow, or ’Arrow in the The Laying Up Supper was to take place Rever, we also now have in our possession, local vernacular – the renowned landsmen at the club in December, after East & West at least temporarily, what we call the Six of Eton were absent and the Harrovians went to press. Prior to the dinner, there Metre Trophy. This is a trophy which was may now think they should have been. Many was to be a ‘tailored tour’ of the National first won by the first series International of the strong sailing schools – Dulwich, Maritime Museum at Greenwich. Senior Six Metre Merula in 1911. We have been in Pangbourne, Bradfield, Winchester, curator Dr Robert Blyth was due to talk touch with the British International Six Metre Tonbridge and Charterhouse – were present about the East India Company Maritime Association. It appears that our Six Metre and Roedean were also on the water, Service. Alex Van Ingen is due to have Trophy was last won in 1956, by the Six Metre although under the rules these feisty ladies received his trophy for winning the Round Royal Thames. We are seeing how best this and Radley had too many ringers on board The Island Race at the supper. The cup splendid trophy may be put into use again. to win prizes or proceed to the match racing has a new oak plinth with silver band I competed in the Charterhouse boat in for the Arrow. The winners were Dulwich and engraving. The EIC YS maintains a the Arrow Trophy in September. This is a in first place, Bradfield, Winchester and significant range of regalia. Splendid ties regatta for old boys and girls of independent Charterhouse. have been produced by Tony Attard OBE, schools. It is an event at which many EIC More recently, with our race captain, Paul burgees by Jim Miller and Musto T-shirts, club members could and should be present Rose, and club member Michael Smith, I polo tops and feeces by Paul Rose.

It was a pleasure to conduct the marriage Club chaplain of Ron and Annie Collins earlier this year. As you would imagine, it was a marriage of love by The Rev Canon Roger J Hall MBE and great style. Each month I put up on the club notice lease let me begin by thanking all the board information about services at the members of the EIC for their support chapel . You are always welcome. Come to the Pin the restorations of the Chapel Royal main entrance, inform the guard that you are at the Tower of London. attending church, and they will let you in free. £1.75 million raised in just under two In that vein, Christmas is a family time and years has meant the chapel can now stand perhaps there is no finer way to get into the alongside the rest of the Chapels Royal. It is spirit of Christmas than singing carols together a great achievement and I thank everybody and celebrating the birth of Christ at Christmas. who has contributed to this restoration. Keeping the ‘Christ’ in ‘Christmas’ is a The photograph was taken outside my responsibility all Christians need to recall, front door on 16 October. HM the Queen, especially in our ever increasingly secular the Duke of Edinburgh and HRH the Duke world. For many of us, Christmas will be a of Kent (pictured, right) came to a service in wonderful family time but for others that’s celebration of the completion of the work. not so. Loneliness and the sense of loss can While it was a great moment, it has also raised be very hard – spare a thought for those who one or two captions such as, ‘Padre Roger find this time of year difficult and a challenge. keeps the peace as Bishop upstages Queen in I wish you a happy Christmas and every hat competition’. blessing for 2015.

14 EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 WINE

The club’s sommelier gave one of his excellent wine tastings, homing in on the eclectic and esoteric in a class of wines already characterised by the unusual FORTIFIED WINES Strong and sticky by Eric Lagré Club sommelier Eric Lagré in full fow

s soon as my ‘sparkling wine’ event the wake of the phylloxera crisis, as the had taken place last July, I had to French took refuge in Greece to try and A find a theme for my new tasting make the wines their own country could evening. I decided to go back to familiar no longer provide, fortification fooded the territories and revisit fortified wines. But Mediterranean, turning the glorious Greek I had to find a new angle. It was offered to wines of antiquity into debased versions. me by my summer read: “Sweet, Reinforced The humble Vin de Liqueur from Samos and Fortified Wines”. This is not exactly a we list by the glass in the dining room, for bestseller, but the opening chapter provides instance, is no more than grape juice with a surprisingly thrilling history of the ways spirit added to it. This Muscat, simple, yet full wine was made fit for transport in the of an irresistible Turkish-delight quality, is ancient world until the introduction of the the perfect demonstration of the stabilising Carl Statham reacts to one of Eric’s choices modern ‘shipping wine’. The latter style power of fortification. saw neutral grape spirit added to wine as Some Greek trader from the Aegean the casks were being loaded on to cargo island of Cos started blending sea water in ships. The trick would help keep the wine in an attempt to stabilise his dry wines and drinking condition on its way over rough seas market them abroad. I opened the tasting to its target market. Fortification only started with an equivalent brined wine, the fruit to lose that purpose towards the end of the of experimental archaeology made near 18th century, when bottling wine for ageing Nîmes by Mas des Tourelles, the first ever eventually gained commercial significance reconstitution of a Gallo-Roman winery. in the course of the 19th century. Next Salt and other additives often upset yeast time you grab a bottle of wine from the activity, forcing the yeast to turn from supermarket shelf, bear in mind that, fermentative to film-forming. whereas the history of wine started many a Prior to fortification, the only wine strong Peter Matthison tries a white wine millennium ago, estate-bottling only became enough to travel would display a high alcohol the standard in the 1970s. That bottle you and sugar content. It is the natural sweet hold in your hands contains a style of wine wines of Greece that the Romans valued that is nearly as novel as the screw cap when the most. Their sweetness was achieved by put into historical perspective. concentrating the sugars in the grape itself Fortification was a key factor in the through various drying methods. I illustrated most remarkable revolution that took place that raisin-wine style with a Passito from in the second half of the 17th century: Pantelleria, a tiny Italian island close to the the Revolution of Drinks. That revolution coast of Tunisia. began with the London coffee houses that Poor wines on bad vintages could also be stemmed from a new craze for tea and salvaged through enrichment. Refined sugar coffee. They became the solid rock upon was unknown in the ancient world, hence which clubland was built. Initiated by the other sweetening agents had to be used, ingenuity of Dutch traders, then refined either honey or a grape juice reduction called Christian Schaffalitzky with commercial fair by British shippers, the defrutum. Mas des Tourelles supplied us revolution saw staples emerge from the new with a wine enriched with defrutum in the Atlantic trading network: port, brandy, Haut- course of fermentation known as Carenum, Brion (the first Bordeaux brand), Sauternes as well as with a concoction of dry base wine (the first purpose-made noble wine) and and spiced honey that was traditionally Champagne. Sound familiar? mixed together then served as an aperitif I had to feature a fortified Grenache from during Roman festivities. These tastings Maury. The wine is made in the Roussillon are a fun way to approach the wine-tasting the way port is made, but the style predates technique and explore our wine list. port by centuries. Port emerged at a time This article is taken from Eric’s excellent of war between the British and the French. tasting notes, which accompany every Port then proved a deadly competition to wine tasting, and are available on the Audience rapt as Eric disourses on ports the comparatively expensive Vinsanto. In club’s website. and sherries

EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 15 STAFF

Where do all those lovely sheets, towels and tablecloths come tablecloths they want, so I let them take from? There is a martinet in charge who rules her linen with a those off the shelf. I count them out. If the staff don’t bring them back, I scold them. rod of, appropriately, iron They ask for towels. I say you can’t have towels until I have prepared the linen for the guests.” STAFF PROFILE She jokes: “I have made so many enemies!” Neila is from the Philipppines. She Neila Adolphus arrived in the UK in 1984. She has worked for the club since 2001, her longest job yet. Never make the mistake of remarking that 70 is a goodly age to be working . “I don’t go off sick,” she says. “Touch wood I don’t take days off work.” Neila started working as a seamstress in the Old Kent Road. She made skirts for the Wallis brand. After some months there, a friend mentioned that that Holiday Inn in Swiss Cottage was looking for someone for its laundry department, and she took the job. She says that the Filipino community in London is friendly and welcoming. “When we see each other, we smile. That’s typical of us,” she says. “When we hear each other talking, on the bus or in McDonalds, we go and say hello.” Neila moved from Swiss Cottage to the Holiday Inn in Marble Arch in 1987. While there, she was voted maid of the month and won a weekend at a Holiday Inn in Wales. Throughout the 1990s, Neila worked at hotels including the Hyatt Carlton Towers. She came to the East India Club in 2001. “I had just been made redundant by Al Maktoum, I was doing a cleaning job and the East india Club linen keeper Dolores offered me a job,” she says. “It was one of three jobs I was offered and I chose the East India Club – only because it was closest to my home in Lewisham.” She had the usual problems explaining to her friends that she worked for a club, and that it was not THAT sort of club, more like a hotel. “ I told my friends that the club is for members,” she says. “It is a gentlemen’s club.” Neila has a daughter who is an eila Adolphus is quartermaster of She prepares the trolleys with clean napkins executive PA in London. She has two the cloth in the club. 70 years old and tablecloths for breakfast in the Dining grandchildren, aged nine and six, of whom N and tough as a Tefal Superglide, she Room. The kitchen staff pick up the trolleys she is very proud. “They are both very is one of the ‘mistresses of before 7am. intelligent,” she says. “They are gifted the linen’, making sure that Neils then starts on the children.” napkins and tablecloths go If the staff don’t bring bedroom linen. Throughout They live ten minutes by car from their to the Dining Room, that the linen back, I scold her working day, which ends grandmother and she sees them most sheets and towels go to at 1.30pm, she is counting Sundays. Her other hobby is growing them. I have made so the bedrooms, and that dirty linen coming in from the fowers in her garden. She is keen on her “ many enemies! they are all counted in and bedrooms. By 10am, she has to roses. “I appreciate the colours,” she says. counted out correctly. have the lunchtime tablecloths Talk about fowers and you will find Neila starts her day at and napkins prepared, too. “I Neila is not all starch. “Finbarr once asked the club at 5.30am. Her first job is to empty preapre all the napkins and label them,” me to arrange the fowers in the American the trolleys of used linen from yesterday, and she says. “20 for the Clive Room, 50 for the Bar. I love arranging fowers. I appreciate count it to make sure none of it is missing. East” India Room, etc. But I don’t know what fowers... and chocolates.”

16 EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 SECRETARY address low water pressure issues and we A WORD FROM THE SECRETARY attended to requirements at the staff house by Alex Bray under regulations for a house of multiple occupancy with the property committee embers uncertainty. I am proud to work with such a taking the opportunity to ensure decoration have been focused and caring complement of staff and and carpeting was addressed at the same M especially take great pleasure in passing on members’ time. Particular credit at this juncture to busy enjoying the appreciation for the attention that all staff assistant secretary Tim Wilks who leads facilities of the provide during the day and overnight, to the on delivering such works and it is also an clubhouse this year. membership of this energetic club. appropriate moment to appreciate our Sue and the reception A modest refurbishment of the Waterloo building surveyor Michael Grieve whom we team along with Room is part finished with no particular have called upon over many years. His advice Mariya and her housekeeping staff have change in style but rather enhancement. We and professionalism has helped us deal with been kept on their toes with a consistently have a new carpet and refreshed paint work many of the challenges that our building strong demand for accommodation. Chef and in the first part of the New Year some throws up. We also quite like our M&E de cuisine Mark with his brigade, James of the soft furnishings will be reupholstered contractor who runs its sizeable business and his dining room staff and Joe and his and changed to tie in the colours along with with a personal and responsive touch. Their team in bars and banqueting have taken a couple of Waterloo references. Whilst positive and helpful attitude is appreciated. care of requirements for the ever popular at work in the Waterloo Room, the ceiling Looking ahead to the first half of next year catering facilities that they so earnestly to the front of the East India Room below activities commemorating the bi-centenary and diligently manage. Supporting the was attended to. A few nibs of plaster in of the battle of Waterloo come to a head ‘front of house’ experience are all the office between the laths had failed in places and and much energy will be dedicated to No 16 functions which collectively beaver away required remedial works. A great many bags playing its part. in supporting, administering and managing of rubble were removed from the ceiling void Please note that the clubhouse closes affairs. I particularly highlight Cesar, Rizwan which may well have contributed to stress on for Christmas and New Year from 4pm on and Candy, our staff in accounts, for whom the ceiling below and was a good job done. Tuesday 23 December and re-opens at 9am the bombshell events earlier in the year hit Over the summer the front façade was re- on Friday 2 January 2015. We will again take hard. Their determination to see matters decorated and the very top roof underwent the opportunity to clear out any unclaimed put right has been admirable and they can planned maintenance to maintain its items of property from the cloakroom. take great pride in their reaction during a guarantee. The hot water system for the Season’s best wishes from the most uncomfortable period of turmoil and clubhouse has now been pressurised to management and staff. East India Club Wine Order Form

ORDER THESE WINES FROM OUR WINE ORDER THESE WINES MERCHANT FOR HOME DELIVERY FROM THE ACCOUNTS OFFICE FOR PAYMENT Wine per case of 12 bottles Totals I enclose a cheque payable to Davy’s AND COLLECTION Club Champagne / £137.50 for 6 for £ FROM THE CLUB Club white / £129 OR Club white Burgundy / £151 I authorise you to debit my Wines and spirits per case of 12 bottles Mastercard/Visa/Maestro by Club claret £119 Club red (de Ciffre) / £138 Club white £119 Club claret / £129 £ Club red (de Ciffre) £128 Card no Club white Burgundy £141 Club Champagne (per case of 6) £132.50 GRAND TOTAL Club Cognac VSOP per 70cl bottle £43.50 Name Issue no Membership no Expiry date Address Wine gift box Three East India Club wines in Postcode presenta- tion Daytime telephone Please send your order with credit box – club claret, card details or cheque to: Special delivery instructions club white Davy’s and 161-165 Greenwich High Road, club white Greenwich, London, SE10 8JA Burgundy. Tel: 020 8858 6011 £41.25 Fax: 020 8853 3331

Email: [email protected] Not chargeable to account. Card with handling All prices include VAT Website: www.davy.co.uk fee, cash or cheque.

EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 17 MEDALS Spare a thought when you next stand in the Front Hall for the unobtrusive box of medals on display. They will give you an insight into how the Duke of Wellington learned his trade East India Company medals

by RA Evans

pon entering the club, members and to that which we know best) was promoted their guests cannot fail to notice to Brigadier General and appointed U some of the fascinating historical governor of Seringapatam and Mysore. The artefacts on display all around them: from Seringapatam Medal was commissioned by plaques commemorating the war service the Honourable East India Company in 1801, and ultimate sacrifice of members and staff, manufactured by the Soho Mint, and the to paintings of East India Company ships - design closely symbolises the campaign: the and of course the famous shields proudly obverse shows a British lion overcoming an displaying HMC school crests. But taking into Indian tiger, and the reverse portrays the

account the club’s close links with Waterloo storming of the fortress. The Army of India Medal and the upcoming commemorations of that It was awarded, unusually for the time, momentous event, members may not realise to all ranks who took part in the siege silver only, the obverse having a portrait that we have our own piece of Napoleonic and subsequent capture of the fortress. of a young and the reverse (and indeed Wellingtonian) history contained Some 50,000 were awarded and in metals bearing a seated figure of Victory holding in the small glass case of medals, beautifully corresponding to the rank of the recipient: a laurel branch in one hand, a wreath displayed next to the guest book. 350 gold medals went to senior officers in the other. Above her reads ‘TO THE ARMY OF INDIA’ and below the figure the dates ‘1799 – 1826’. ‘Our’ medal has the remains of a name, regiment and number inscribed upon the rim – sadly however, it’s too indistinct to make out more than potentially the word ‘Artillery’. Even post-Waterloo, Wellington is supposed to have remarked that he considered Assaye to be his greatest The battle, and your author is strongly inclined Seringapatam medal: a British to believe him. With barely 10,000 men lion overcomes and 17 artillery pieces he defeated an an Indian tiger Indian force of approximately 70,000 men and more than 100 guns – all this on the This case contains medals covering every (such as Wellesley); 185 in silver-gilt; 850 offensive too, crossing a river in the face period of military history in India in which silver; 5,000 bronze; and 45,000 made of of cannon fire, redeploying and going on British soldiers were involved, from 1799 up tin. ‘Our’ example is the silver version, so the offensive rather than defending a to Independence in 1947, and there are two I probably went to a British officer around the particular position. A further indication of should specifically like to draw your attention rank of Lieutenant or Captain in either one just how hard the battle was fought: of to: the silver Seringapatam medal at the very of the British or EIC regiments. Sadly it is not the ten officers on Wellesley’s staff, eight top of the case, and the Army of India Medal named so we cannot ever know for sure – were wounded or had their horses killed; immediately below and to the left. These but it’s a fantastic link to one of Wellington’s he himself lost two horses and engaged medals were awarded for campaigns rarely first campaigns. in hand-to-hand combat on at least one remembered today – but important to those The second medal to focus on is the occasion that day. of us with an appreciation of Napoleonic Army of India medal with the pale-blue Next time you’re in the club and if you history because those campaigns are where ribbon and two silver battle clasps. Another have a moment, do stop to look at the the Duke of Wellington gained his first and EIC-instituted award, this time however medals in the unassuming wooden-framed perhaps best military victories. the medal wasn’t established until March glass case on the wall in the Entrance Colonel The Honourable Arthur Wesley 1851, some 48 years after the first battle Hall – they are a testament to the bravery (notice the different spelling of his surname it was designed to commemorate. As one of British and Indian soldiers in a number at the time) arrived in India at the age of can imagine, this has a bearing on the of battles and campaigns which today are 28 with His Majesty’s 33rd Regiment of quantity awarded as most veterans of these all too frequently forgotten about. As we Foot at Calcutta in February 1797 as their campaigns were long gone by the time it approach the 200 anniversary of Waterloo, commanding officer; within a year the was instituted. Wellington himself died a remember that Wellington’s great victory Fourth Anglo-Mysore War had broken out. year later in 1852. Three clasps on this medal on 18 June 1815 was gained in great part This culminated in the siege and capture of commemorate Wellesley’s campaigns in due to his experiences of campaigning Tipu Sultan’s great fortress, Seringapatam, India: Assaye, (23 September 1803) Argaum, and fighting thousands of miles from the and the death of Tipu. Wellesley (by this (29 November 1803) and Gawilghur (15 boggy farmland of Belgium – on the hot time changing the spelling of his surname December 1803). This medal was made in and dusty plains of India.

18 EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 Y Gulla Esq A A Khan Esq H A L H Mumford Esq New members T Harris Esq Dr P W Lambden Professor O Noack NEW MEMBERS The club welcomes the following: R J A Harrow Esq G R S Lark Esq F Pink Esq General A A Abubakar GCFR CSG M S Butterworth Esq R O Heapy Esq E C Latter Esq S Rawal Esq B Allen Esq Dr H F M Dempsey I O Hewlings Esq P K Lisiak Esq J T A Robinson Esq S Ayoub Esq L J Farmer Esq Dr G Hills S J Locke Esq W Shiraz Esq J M Barnes Esq J C Farnworth Esq S J D Horner Esq N E Lovatt Esq T J H Skinner Esq A M Bashir Esq MEP Prince N Galitzine G R Innes Esq J R Lyon Esq D P Snook Esq M Bilal Ashfaq Esq D C Grevemberg Esq S I Jaffrey Esq R P Mitchell Esq P M J Spurin Esq W C Blind Jr Esq D Grey Esq MBE C R Jennings Esq G S Mold Esq G R B Swarbreck Esq G C Bryant Esq Sir Michael Griffiths Mark Stewart Jones S J F Morley Esq J J Thompson Esq New J7 members S Leisegang Esq Radley College T Treble Esq R Hill Esq The club welcomes the following: B Richards Esq R Munir Esq Warminster School Abingdon School C H W Short Esq Repton School D E T Kirwan Esq S Adamson Esq Dulwich College D S Stevenson Esq D H Zhong Esq K S J Ng Esq Ampleforth College O Gannon Esq Hymers College Royal Grammar School Wellington College (Berk R T Crichton-Stuart Esq S D G Hall Esq N I Harrison Esq (Guildford) H G Braithwaite Esq H Maudsley Esq S A Culligan Esq T Langley Esq Ipswich School G F E Drakesmith Esq B Wigmore Esq T P Gordon Esq O Martin Esq G Liebscher Esq J J McCombe Esq L R Smith Esq WJ Leech Esq B O’Donovan Esq M J D Morgan Esq M Woodbridge Esq Eastbourne College A E Campbell-Black Esq C M Parrish Esq King Edward’s School C Bensted-Smith Esq T Robson Esq Bedford Modern School Giacomo Geronico orlandi Sedbergh School J Bayston-Jones Esq O P Bensted-Smith Esq D Elkington Esq Jack Thorne King’s College School I T Brown Esq G A M Francis Esq N J C Woollhead Esq Bedford School J M N Allsopp Esq Elizabeth College P J Lamb Esq Whitgift School S S Brown Esq J R Downey Esq T D Walker Esq S Crosby Esq Sevenoaks School T Carrr Esq P Winder Esq T S Harris Esq King’s School (Canterbury) O H Flamank Esq M Handford Esq M Meredith Esq M L L Desoutter Esq R Hogh Esq J E Bolton Esq H T Ross Esq Blundell’s School Emanuel School S Maynard Esq Shung Hei A Ko A J Scott Esq Z Lovejoy Esq Leeds Grammar School Shrewsbury School M P Odenthal Esq L J Steer Esq O R Fields Esq A M Adeyefa Esq J W Pinder Esq F J N Stourton Esq Bolton School C A Cornelissen Esq Magdalen College School Solihull School D Sharif Esq W R D Don Esq S Bhattacharya Esq J A Hornigold Esq Wycliffe College J W Enoch Esq D Spencer Esq A J Weaver Esq O L Cawthorne Esq Brentwood School J H L Goble Esq R J Gordon Esq Manchester Grammar School St. Albans School M J C Hyslop Esq H C W Short Esq E W Allen Esq K J Vaghela Esq Canford School H Xu Esq Marlborough College St. Benedict’s School C J M Groat Esq Fettes College Deceased S Jemmett Esq H Hayes Esq H A C McAdam Esq GM Carrick Esq M P Fulton-Peebles Esq C Oliver Esq Charterhouse G C L Lam Esq St. Columba’s Col.(St. A AS Fernie Esq OBE Melbourne Grammar School T O Barley Esq J C L Lam Esq A P McEneaney Esq WHJ Golding Esq A N Hall Esq V Shenshin Esq N J W Langford Esq St. Olave’s Grammar School CW Kirk-Greene Esq F C Medlock Esq C E Tuckwell Esq Merchant Taylor’s School M D Fargie Esq NMC Light Esq M E Medlock Esq Glenalmond College Y Al-Naher Esq St. Paul’s School RF Looker Esq C Sharpe Esq T W Thornton-Kemsley Esq Merchiston Castle School IU Haq Esq S M Wadia Esq Haberdashers’Aske’sBoys’ M Cameron Esq J P Hubbert Esq GR Lovell Esq City of London School A Algan Esq Millfield School D A Jahanshahi Esq Mrs D Ma D C G Boonin Esq T G J Jackson Esq T G Jackson Esq D S Rupra Esq PFH Mason Esq J H Bradford Esq E W Sullivan Esq J W A Zitser Esq G Posner Esq T Fang Esq Monmouth School Haileybury T D H Maltman Esq Stowe School E Stagmeyr Esq MBE H Glucksmann Esq E S Bayford Esq G R Morgan Esq O Norgrove Esq MR Worsley Esq P Moshki Esq H A A Bexson Esq L O K Pepera Esq Norwich School O Odell Esq M L Birley Esq Frederick Ulmann Esq JR Wright Esq A Tep Esq J W Crawford Esq J Buckingham Esq The Judd School A Waters Esq H J Cannon Esq Oakham School A R T McKenzie Esq T Shorthouse Esq C T Llewellyn Esq J Carter Esq The Royal Hospital School M J D Rose Esq Clifton College T Grint Esq A Hare Esq Gone away S Perry Esq A Hinton Esq Oundle School Tonbridge School G Horwood Esq M Willis Esq Colfe’s School T B J Brown Esq We have lost contact with O P Bowring Esq J B Howe Esq O Wood Esq G M Kenny Esq G R Everingham Esq the following, who may have A E R Winter Esq Pangbourne College S McKenzie-Boyle Esq T W King Esq moved without giving the Cranleigh School C R V Sykes Esq J Spelman Esq J R McConachie Esq club their new addresses. If T Rigby Esq C Richardson Esq Princethorpe College E F Thompson Esq Culford School C Risley Esq D J Lane Esq Trinity School you know where to contact O C Howe Esq PC Zeisler Esq B Warman Esq S B Benson Esq them, please let the secretary’s Downside School Hampton School Queen Elizabeth Gr. Wake Uppingham School office know or ask them to get The Hon J Warrender J Huse Esq H D Newcombe Esq G F Haggas Esq in touch: P R Bosworth

moment we arrived, which was greatly advantage of. We played tennis on one Reciprocal appreciated given we arrived dishevelled of the numerous clay tennis courts with and irritable following a seven-hour drive rackets and balls supplied by the club and from Lisbon involving a flat tyre and some sipped mojitos in order to stay hydrated. Oporto C< Club helpful Portuguese decorators who changed The room was small but had all the it for us. The club staff members were essentials. We paid a tad extra for a constantly on hand to give helpful advice in balcony which gave us a great view out by Miles Beckwith good English about the club and the city. onto the lawn and if there had been any n early June my girlfriend and I spent The facilities of the club are perfect if cricket to watch ours would have been a pleasant two nights at the Oporto you’re looking for a more active getaway. the best seats in the house. I Cricket & Lawn Tennis Club. The staff The pool is great for beating the heat and The food and drink was exceptional were professional and friendly from the has a slide that I’m not ashamed to say I took and reasonably priced.

EAST & WEST – WINTER 2014 19 Reciprocal clubs

The East India welcomes members of BERMUDA PAKISTAN other clubs from all over the world, Tucker’s Town Mid-Ocean Club Karachi Sind Club who may use the club’s facilities as if Islamabad Islamabad Club CANADA they were their own. A reciprocal SRI LANKA arrangement has been made for Montreal ] James’s Club Colombo Colombo Club members to visit these clubs when a University Club Nuwara Eliya Hill Club card of introduction, obtainable from Toronto National Club SINGAPORE the club secretary, is required. These University Club of Toronto Singapore Tanglin Club clubs have all been chosen for their suitability for our members but have Albany Club SOUTH KOREA different facilities. Vancouver Terminal City Club Seoul ] Seoul Club Vancouver Club UK ] If you are going to visit any of them, Victoria, BC Union Club of Belfast Ulster we suggest you telephone first and British Columbia Edinburgh New Club Royal Scots Club find out about them. Let us have your ] Union Club, St John views on your visits and tell us if you Glasgow Western Club have found other clubs with whom we EUROPE Henley on Thames Phyllis Court Club Liverpool ] Athenaeum Club should enter into reciprocal Barcelona Círculo Ecuestre arrangements, or if one of these, in London ] Bilbao Sociedad Bilbaina ] ]] Hurlingham Club your opinion, is no longer suitable. (membership card and ] Brussels Cercle Royal Gaulois photo ID is essential ) Dublin Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club Newcastle Northern Counties Club upon Tyne AFRICA Frankfurt Union International Club Perth Royal Perth Golfing SOUTH AFRICA Gothenburg ] Royal Bachelors’ Club Society & County and City Club Cape Town Cape Town Club The Hague ] Nieuwe of Literaire Societeit USA Durban Durban Club de Witte Albany, NY Fort Orange Club Berkeley, CA Berkeley City Club Johannesburg Country Club of Hamburg ] Anglo-German Club Johannesburg Boston, MA Algonquin Club Helsinki ] Svenska Klubben Harvard Club Rand Club Union Club Luxembourg ] Cercle Munster Kimberley Kimberley Club Bethesda, MD Kenwood Golf & Madrid ] Financiero Génova Country Club Pietermaritzburg Victoria Country Club ] Real Sociedad Española Cincinnati, OH Queen City Club Polokwane Pietersburg Club Club de Campo Chicago, IL Chicago Athletic Association Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth St George’s Club Standard Club Oporto Oporto Cricket and Lawn Union League Club KENYA Tennis Club University Club of Chicago Detroit, IL Athletic Club Nairobi Muthaiga Country Club Paris ] Cercle de l’Union Interalliée Mountain Lake, FL Mountain Lake ] ZIMBABWE Stockholm Sällskapet Osterville, MA Wianno Club (open May-Nov) Bulawayo Bulawayo Club HONG KONG Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis Club Harare ] County Club Hong Kong ] Hong Kong Club New York, NY Princeton Club Harare Club ] Hong Kong Cricket Club Lotos Club Metropolitan Club AUSTRALIA INDIA Union League Club Norfolk, VA Norfolk Yacht Adelaide Adelaide Club Calcutta Tollygunge Club & Country Club Naval, Military and Air Force Mumbai Royal Bombay Yacht Club Philadelphia, PA Union League Club Club of Adelaide Golden Swan Phoenix, AZ ] University Club Public Schools’ Club San Francisco, CA Marines’ Memorial Association Brisbane Queensland Club JAPAN University Club Tattersall’s Club Tokyo Tokyo American Club St Louis, MO Racquet Club Canberra Commonwealth Club Seattle, WA Rainier Club MIDDLE EAST Fort Worth, TX Fort Worth Club Hobart Tasmanian Club Bahrain ] British Club Richmond, VA Bull & Bear Club Launceston Launceston Club Dubai ] Capital Club Washington DC Army & Navy Club Melbourne Athenaeum Club Cosmos Club University Club Australian Club NEW ZEALAND Melbourne Club Auckland Northern Club ] Accommodation not available Royal Automobile Club Christchurch Canterbury Club ]] Sports facilities not available Newcastle Newcastle Club Christchurch Club Members are reminded that the production of a Perth ] Western Australian Club current membership card and photo ID is essential Dunedin Dunedin Club Weld Club when visiting the Hurlingham Club. Our reciprocal clubs Napier Hawke’s Bay Club Sydney Union, University & usually require an introductory card which may be Schools’ Club Wellington Wellington Club obtained from the secretary’s office.