Chief Executive’s Message
Dear Member,
This month’s update has a mixture of good and not so good news. I will start with the good news:
Outdoor Gym up and running
After finally receiving approval from Wandsworth Planning late last year the new Outdoor Gym has been opened this week on the Lime Tree Lawn next to the Clubhouse. The Gym Team will organise fitness sessions and classes for adult and junior ( aged 11 and above) Members and will run supervised sessions starting on weekend mornings. A staff member must always be present for safety reasons. The gym will be locked at other times to keep it secure.
Bar and Function Room Refurbishment
We were told yesterday by the Project Manager, Decon, that unfortunately the project will now be finishing in different stages due to delays in the production of the carpet and redesign of the light fittings in the function rooms.
The Main Bar will be completed by early May as planned but the only access will be via the Club Café and/or the back stairs from the changing rooms.
The back entrance door by the 18th hole will have to be locked midweek while the contractor is working but can act as a fire exit in the evenings and at weekends to increase our occupancy allowance. This is due to the works on the new bar terrace extension being delayed due to the difficulty in gaining planning permission. Access and exit via the bar terrace is not allowed until that is completed which is likely to be mid-July.
The function rooms including the Bistro, Fountain and Garden Rooms and the corridor leading to all three rooms are unlikely to be completed before the end of May. The Bridge Room refurbishment will be started in June once the other rooms are completed.
Apologies for the delay but we are now working on hiring a marquee for a month to go on the lawn next to the Clubhouse to accommodate all our events booked for May so we can keep to schedule. Some section events may need to be postponed but we will do our best to accommodate everything within the month. Visuals of the refurbishment designs can be found at the top of the Clubhouse stairs and in the Reading Room.
Padel Court 2 Glass breakage
A glass panel on covered padel court 2 shattered yesterday for no apparent reason as no-one was on the court playing at the time. A replacement panel has been ordered but it will take a couple of weeks to arrive and be fitted. We are asking for stress tests to be done as the supplier said this a freak event even after four years of constant usage. In the meantime we hope to fit a wooden panel to allow the court to be played on in the interim from next week.
Pickleball Courts
We have been able to secure access to some more indoor pickleball courts next door at the Bank of England Sportsground from next week for the ever-increasing demand for courts from Members. Paul Lindsay, Racquets Manager, has been tasked with taking forward the section on the same successful lines as he has done with the Squash and Padel sections over the years. The Tennis Committee has kindly agreed that four pickleball courts can be painted on one tennis court ( court 7 or 10) for a 5- to 6-week restricted period from the beginning of July to when the courts are due to be resurfaced in August. This will give the section some outdoor courts to book to assess the demand for the sport while the Bank of England SC is closed due to Wimbledon Qualifying. The indoor B of E courts will be accessible again late August.
Two Strangers Trying not to Kill Each Other Premiere
The long-awaited premiere of this film is at the Curzon Soho on 19th March where afterwards the stars Joel Meyerowitz and Maggie Barrett will talk about the film with filmakers Manon Ouimet and Jacob Perlmutter, following on from their very successful talk at the Club last October. The first screening sold out quickly so a second screening is being held the same evening.
Click here for tickets and more information
Member charity challenges
Two Members are actively training here to prepare for charity challenges in the next few months – here are some details if you would like to support them.
Team Squash League – Finals Night – Friday 14th March from 5.30pm
Come along tomorrow to experience a fabulous atmostphere and to spectate and cheer on all six teams in these fast-paced and fun finals of a high-level Club sport. Stay for food and drinks afterwards – £15 per person. Bring family and friends!
Click here for the poster For more information contact paul.lindsay@roehamptonclub.co.uk
Read the report from the fourth TSL round in February
As you can see a mixture of good and not so good news this month. Please be assured that the Project Team is working tirelessly to complete the works as fast and to as a high standard as possible.
Best wishes,
Marc