News - Lastest Newsletter June-July 2007
The last three weeks have been action-packed for the Maître-Sabreurs, with the Opening of the Caveau for the Hotel du Vin at Henley, a Soirée de Sabrage and Champagne Dinner at Le Vacherin in Chiswick, swiftly followed by our Annual Summer Champagne Party at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in South Kensington and finally the Summer Champagne Dinner at Hintlesham Hall Hotel near Ipswich. A tally of 164 sabrages. We were delighted to have five new Chevaliers invested too - Dame Heather Beattie, Paul Alvey, James Nichols, Biagio Iacono and Marc Davies. At Henley we were pleased to see Sir John Mortimer QC, distinguished author and playwright, who sabraged to become an honorary Chevalier and a Membre d’Honneur of the Confrérie in the UK.
Two days later, our ambassador – Julian White joined Gordon Ramsay and Cat Deeley on the set of the “F Word” (Channel 4) to sabrage them. Gordon is now a Maître-Sabreur and we hope that he will sabrage his entire brigade! Cat also performed a perfect sabrage. You may wish to see the programme on 26th June, Channel 4 at 9pm.
At our Annual General Meeting, one vital piece of information requested by members is the Start Time of our events. Hitherto, this has only been stated on the admission ticket, but from now members will know the start time – even if they aren’t coming, on the Forthcoming Events. We strongly advise Chevaliers and other commissioned members (Officers and Commanders) to book now for places at their Annual Chevaliers’ Party
Tuesday 7th August at La Bodeguita del Medio
47 Kensington Court W8
6.30pm to 9pm
Places are limited and Chevaliers have priority. But Chevaliers’ guests are welcome. Applications by email are taken and we shall reply. Chevaliers – free of charge, guests £30. Guests may sabrage at £10 and will be enrolled as Sabreurs, but we need to know the applicants’ names in advance.
We invite bookings in advance for tables at our
16eme Grand Chapitre Britannique and The Autumn Gala Ball of The Golden Sabre
on 2nd November at The Tower Guoman Hotel, St Katherine’s Way, E1
Reception 7pm, Chapitre and Investitures – 7.45pm.
Individual bookings are welcome and we shall, as usual, make up tables of members and their guests. Commissioned members £100; Sabreur members £110; Guests £120.
So July starts also with a bang.
The Opening of the Caveau on 1st July of The Bedford Lodge Hotel, Newmarket with Chevalier-Maître Sabreur Cyril Bray. For further details of this event, please contact info@bedfordlodgehotel.co.uk or the hotel on 01638 663175.
This will be the second caveau in the county for Connétable Dee Ludlow of Suffolk.
The places on the Champagne and Burgundy Tour (13-20 July) are fully taken and this is promising to be a great trip. Three days in Champagne including Philippe Brugnon’s Soirée and Chapitre in Rilly, Boat trip on the Marne with, yes, more Champagne and a visit to Canard Duchêne. Philippe has 90 people at his party, including contingents from the Netherlands and Belgium - so it will be magnums throughout. Followed by four days in Burgundy with planned visits to nine growers, four gastronomic repasts and countless tastings. A full report will be in the next edition of the Golden Sabre magazine (October).
Our next Newsletter will be in mid August with details we should have by then of the Autumn’s events.
