Hold the front page

Dear Editor,

On a rare sunny day, I took the FT to read in peace by the Croquet Lawns, where a match was in progress. Horror of horrors it took me an hour to read the front page as the match was so exciting. This turned out to be Golf Croquet – the version of the game played most often at the Club and is very sociable and great fun. Members should try it!    

MALCOLM MOSS

Spouse stepping in?

Dear Editor,

In my 50 years of being a member, this is the first time I have felt the need to write. 

I am writing regarding the guardian/nanny policy. I and my son are members, but my husband is not, although I do accept and appreciate that he could join.

My issue is that when, on the rare occasions I am unable to take my son to his swimming lessons, my husband is not able to step in. The Club would prefer me to find a random person to cover the lesson
and childcare.

These lessons are a course, paid for in advance, and this scenario is very different from my husband and son pottering off to the Club for a jolly without me. It surprises and disappoints me that the Club is being inflexible on this point. It penalises my son, who is a member.

LOUISE WILSON

I understand our nanny policy has caused you frustration, but unfortunately we do need a policy that works for the majority of members. Over the last few years, the changes that we have made to arrangements for non-members to bring in children have made things easier for members overall, and we now have what I believe is the fairest and most flexible system since I joined the Club in 2016.  

But, as we make these improvements, it becomes more attractive to members in comparison to Spousal Membership. We have therefore chosen to operate a system that does not encourage couples with children to sign up for one adult membership only, when effectively the entire family is using the Club. We therefore made the decision not to offer nanny or guardian privileges to those who are eligible to be members.

I do appreciate that the current system does not allow you to do something which, in your case, is not unreasonable. However, I hope that you can understand that as a Club with 14,000 members we need to operate with consistent rules and procedures that we can apply across the board. With so many members, categories of membership, and different ways members use the Club, we simply do not have the capacity to evaluate individual requests on
a case-by-case basis, no matter how much we sympathise with an individual member’s point
of view.

I’m sorry this is not the answer you were hoping for, but I hope it clarifies our thinking on the matter.  

MATTHEW SOMMERLICH, HEAD OF MEMBERSHIP

Safety first

Dear Editor,

Hopefully not a whinge on my part, but I would appreciate it if the below could be brought to attention of whoever is responsible to incorporate some safety measures which I am sure would have support from other members and their guests.

First, the front steps to the Main Reception in the Clubhouse are somewhat lethal! Whilst there is a handrail – the edge of the steps needs to be highlighted in some way with studs or fine lines.

On two occasions my daughter and, on a separate occasion, our guest, basically went ‘flying’ as they could not see the edge of the step – this is especially so at dusk and at night. Perhaps a downlight would help?

Secondly, for pedestrians walking from the Main Gate along the road past the padel courts, the foot path suddenly seems to disappear. Could there be some low-level lighting on either side of the road?

Again, I do hope this does not come across as a whinge but safety in all areas is no doubt paramount and I am sure others might also have experienced the same issues and concerns.

DAVID SHARRON

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. The safety of our members is of paramount importance to us. Our team will conduct a further review of the current risk assessment for these steps and ramp and ensure the lighting is checked, so that this area is always well lit at night. We will also be undertaking a broader overview of ramps and accessibility options across the Club.  

While we understand the desire to improve visibility on the steps, we are hesitant to add lines or markings due to the heritage nature of the building. Preserving the heritage and aesthetic of the Clubhouse is a crucial consideration in all our plans for the exterior of the main building. We will balance this with our commitment to health and safety when exploring potential solutions, so will look at options with our H&S specialist partners.

Regarding the Padel court area, we are planning an assessment and upgrade of all the Club’s outside lighting. During the darker winter period, we will introduce supplementary temporary lighting in key areas, as we did by the Outdoor Pool paths last year. We will carefully consider our neighbours too, to avoid light spill into residential properties.

LOUISE COLLINS, DIRECTOR OF ESTATES

Responding to a worldwide glut

Dear Editor, 

Patrick Schmitt is responding, I assume, to my request in the last edition to offer members a modest red and white Club wine while there is a worldwide glut. 

I drink sparsely at the Club, considering that I drive home soon after! I am content with tomato juice, a Chukka, but the Club should not be charging High Street prices, as they do not have the same overhead costs. 

When all the wine chains are offering bottles from around £7 it suggests a 400% mark up. It is not what members can afford, it is about what the Club should offer – yes indeed quality but more modest prices as well. 

Offer a low £20 alternative bottle, and similarly lower-priced glass, and let members choose what they want.

HUGH MARSDEN

The Club is committed to offering the best possible experience for our members. We are working closely with our suppliers and Patrick Schmitt to source the finest wines, while maintaining a reasonable margin to cover our operational costs, which have been rising for some time now.

Recently, we introduced new house wines priced at £25.95. They have been selling extremely well and we have received very positive feedback. Additionally, in March, we introduced a new Champagne at £45.00, opting to reduce our margin to make it more affordable. 

We continue to explore other ways to introduce more products in line with this approach and would also like to point out that our prices are in line with and, in some instances, cheaper than, our local market.

I hope this addresses your concerns and thank you for sharing your feedback.

THE F&B TEAM