THE NORFOLK CLUB
E NEWSLETTER – Spring 2014.
Welcome to the Spring edition of our 2014 Newsletter and, as many of you are
aware I am delighted to be staying on as Club Chairman until the President’s
Summer Party in June; at which time I will formally handover to my successor –
Mrs Jan Hÿtch. Jan is currently President of the National Association of Estate
Agents; a most prestigious and demanding role involving, amongst other things,
a huge amount of travelling throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. Jan
completes her year in this role in June, hence us delaying the handover until
then.
At the AGM in January several new members were elected to our Club
Committee and I am pleased to inform you that some of them will also be taking
up roles on the F&GP Committee – Simon McCarthy and Aiden Watts will advise
on Food & Wine, Lyndon Wild will be looking into all matters of a Fabric nature
and Nick Farrow will be working on the Speakers Lunches. May I warmly
welcome all our new Committee Members and thank those of you who have
joined me on the F&GP Committee.
At the Club Committee it was suggested we consider a ‘Concierge Service’ for
our members, you will find more information about this proposal within the
Newsletter and we do urge you to get in touch with George with your thoughts.
Finally, may I send, on behalf of the Membership, our very good wishes to
Eunice and Alice, they have both looked after us all so well and I am confident
they will be hugely successful in their new chosen careers. I know we will miss
them.
With best wishes
Janie Coppen-Gardner
Club Chairman.
Diary of
Events
March 2014
Car Park Barrier
Please take care when approaching the Car Park barrier.
If you are using a Token to access or exit the Car park,
please stop your vehicle far enough away from the barrier
so that you can see it. Do not stop your vehicle too close
to the barrier. Please ensure that you can see that the
barrier has lowered before you proceed.
Friday 21st
Memorial service for Lady
Ralphs at the Cathedral
3.00pm
Thursday 27th
Arts and Antiques group meet
at 12 Noon
City Walk at 2.15pm
Friday 28th
The Catenians meet at 6.00pm
Sunday 30th
British Summer Time
commences
Clubs and Societies
Do you belong to any of our Clubs and Societies? If not,
you should consider joining one of our flourishing
groups! We have an excellent selection to choose from,
ranging from our French, Italian and Spanish
conversation groups, to our monthly Bridge Club,
Book Club, Arts and Antiques Group, City Walks,
Country Walks, Investment Forum, and Golfing
Society. Do please ask George or Joan in the Office, if
you would like further information on any of these.
From George Archdale:- The next meetings of our
Arts and Antiques Group will be on Thursday 27th
March and Thursday 24th April. On the 27th March,
David Fletcher is coming to the Club to do a talk about
behind the scenes at an auction room. He is an
Diary of
Events
April
Wednesday 2nd
Bridge at 6.00pm
independent valuer these days with links to Peacocks in
Bedford but was with Phillips in Cambridge when I first
met him, possibly 30 years ago. I have done charity evening
entertainments of antiques with him but not heard him
give a more formal talk. He is always charming and with a
pleasant twinkle which will make an easy way to spend an
hour.
On 24th April James Taylor is going to talk about 'Your
Country Needs You'; Art and Design of World War I.
He talked to the Club last year about Turner's painting The
Fighting Temeraire to some acclaim. Posters etc. for WWI
are particularly topical for this year.
Thursday 3rd
The Norfolk Dinner with guest
speaker, the Lord Bishop of
Norwich
Sunday 6th
University Boat Race Tea
Monday 7th
Investment Group Lunch 12
Noon
French Group meets at
2.15pm
The Norfolk Dinner
Book your places now for Thursday April 3rd, the Annual
Norfolk Dinner, with our Guest Speaker, The Lord Bishop
of Norwich, Revd. Graham James. This promises to be a
wonderful evening, celebrating Norfolk food and with a
superb guest speaker. It will sell out quickly, so please book
early! £49.50 for members and £55 for non-members to
include wines and port.
Diary of
Events
Tuesday 8th
Kings African Rifles Lunch
Saturday 12th
Historic Society meets at
2.00pm
Friday 18th – Monday
21st
Dinner with the High Sheriff
On 21st February we
enjoyed the company of
the Countess of
Leicester, in her position
as High Sheriff of
Norfolk in our first
annual Dinner with the
High Sheriff. The Dinner had been suggested by Tim
Townshend – in addition to the Civic Dinner held in
November – and to mark the occasion President Michael
FitzRoy appointed Tim as the “Sheriff of the Norfolk
Club” to great amusement from all attending the Dinner.
Our photo shows the President with The Countess of
Leicester at the Dinner.
Easter – Club closed
Wednesday 23rd
St George’s Day Lunch
Thursday 24th
Arts and Antiques Group
meets at 12 Noon
City Walk at 2.15pm
The 250 Club
Why not join our 250 Club and enjoy the
opportunity to win cash, as well as helping the Club
funds? Each number costs just £20.00 per annum
to go in to the Quarterly draw to win a cash prize.
Just let Joan know that you would like one – or
more! – numbers!
Diary of
Events
Committee Members
The Club Committee consists of the Officers of the Club:President – Michael FitzRoy
Friday 25th
Vice President – Robin Back
Norwich School Alumni Lunch
Past President – Ian Lonsdale
The Catenians meet at 6.00pm
Club Chairman – Janie Coppen-Gardner
Chairman- elect – Jan Hÿtch
Monday 28
th
Hon. Treasurer – Chris Dugdale
French Group meets at
2.15pm
And Committee Members:-
Tuesday 29th
The Book Group meets at
11.00am
Peter Head
Jacqueline Middleton
Jeremy Robson
Cherry Bishop
Robert Stevens
Lyndon Wild
Nick Farrow
Michael Fowler
Chris Townsend
Naomi Milne
Simon McCarthy
Alexander Furber
Aiden Watts
St George’s Day Lunch
Book your places now for our St. George’s Day Lunch, to be held on Wednesday 23rd
April. Price is £30.00 per member and £35.00 per non-member to include reception
drink, lunch and wine.
Concierge Service for Members
Your committee is considering the establishment of a ‘concierge’ style service at the
Club which may include the following:

Dry cleaning (drop off and collection point)

Food from the kitchen (either to order for entertaining at home, or frozen
options from the Club favourites available without pre-ordering)

Wine orders

Car valeting
Before we proceed with making any arrangements, if any members would be
interested in these services, or indeed have any others they should like to see at the
Club, please contact the Office either by telephone or e-mail. Your feedback will be
discussed at the next Committee meeting on the 26th March, so please get in touch
before then. Aiden Watts.
The President’s Summer Party 2014
Make a Diary date now for the President’s Summer Party! Your President, Michael
FitzRoy and his wife Nellie invite you to join them at Norton House, Norton on
Friday 27th June at 6.00pm for drinks and Dinner. Why not make up a table and
bring your friends along for a superb Summer Party?
Welcome to our New Members!
The following were all elected to membership of the Club: Mr and Mrs J
Barclay, Mr T. Brown, Mr and Mrs R Devonshire, Gp. Capt. and Mrs
Harvey-Smyth, The Countess of Leicester, Mr and Mrs P Molineux, Ms
Elizabeth Hoare, Dr Girish Shetty, Ms Karen English, Mr Terrence
Reeves and Ms Sonia Lindquist, Mr William Armstrong, and Ms Meryl
Smith.
Reciprocal Clubs
Our list of Clubs that we enjoy reciprocal links with is ever expanding! The latest to
become affiliated to the Norfolk Club is the Cardiff and County Club in Cardiff, and
The Athenaeum Club in Liverpool. Members are urged to take advantage of our
outstanding links with our affiliated Clubs, not only in the UK but all over the world!
Please let us have your report when visiting one of our reciprocal Clubs.
Contributors this Month
Janie Coppen-Gardner, Club Chairman
George A. Wortley Club General Manager
Joan Spruce, Club Administrator
Aiden Watts, Club Committee
George Archdale, Arts and Antiques.