100 Club Dinner - The Clifton Club

I SSUE 7 S P RING 2 0 1 3
Clifton Club News
NICK HUTCHEN, CHAIRMAN
Welcome to our latest Clifton Club
Newsletter, and my first as your
new Chairman.
As a result of the AGM Elections (29 April) we also
welcome two new Directors: Roger Baird and Simon
Fuller. The full list of Directors and Committee
Chairmen is shown elsewhere in this Newsletter.
Do feel free to contact any Director, or our General
Manager Amy Edwards, if you have a concern, or
better still a bright idea!
The Club has been busy in recent weeks. The most
enjoyable St George’s Day Lunch (23 April) and
the splendid 100 Club Dinner (26 April) were well
attended, and fun occasions. On the competitions
front, the Snooker was won by Marc Incledon with
Michael Baker runner up, whilst the Backgammon
was won by Roderick Davidson with Justin Ogilvie
runner up. Our congratulations to them all.
The best way to know what is going on at the
Clifton Club is to check the Club notice board
or read Sonia Hughes’s excellent weekly email.
We have a busy summer coming up: I would
particularly like to draw your attention to the Four
Clubs Lunch (10 June) and the Club Garden Party
(5 July) – drinks for both these events will be
served in the Gardens opposite, weather permitting
that is. And we hope our cricket lovers will also
have a wonderful day at the annual Cheltenham
Cricket Festival (10 July) at the invitation of our
friends from the New Club Cheltenham, in their
own marquee of course.
With lots more going on, we are all set for a
great summer!
Inside this Issue
From the Vault
See Page 2
Philip’s Recipe
See Page 2
100 Club Dinner
See Page 3
Backgammon Tournament
See Page 3
St George’s Day
See Page 4
Annual Garden Party
Members and Guests Supper
In February, the Membership Committee hosted a very successful evening where Members were
asked to invite friends who may be interested in joining the Club. Over 60 Members and their guests
enjoyed a really superb 4 course supper and we have seen quite a few new Members as a result.
The next Membership event is on 18 June, please think about attending with any friends who may be
prospective Members.
See Page 4
Forthcoming
Club Events
See Page 4
Contact us
The Clifton Club Company Limited,
22 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4DS
T: 0117 9745039 F: 0117 9743910
Membership enquiries
[email protected]
Function enquiries
[email protected]
Newsletter enquiries
[email protected]
www.thecliftonclub.co.uk
Opening Times
100 Club Dinner Page 4
www.thecliftonclub.co.uk
Snooker Final Page 4
Office
Mon-Fri: 9.30am - 5pm
Members Club
Mon-Fri: 9.30am - 10pm
Saturday: 4pm - 10pm
Sunday: 4pm - 8.30pm
FROM THE VAULT • FROM THE VAULT • FROM THE VAULT • FROM THE VAULT
Founding Members –
Captain Jeremiah Coghlan CB
TIM MUSSARED, CLUB ARCHIVIST
Our founding fathers included many senior military officers who had retired to Clifton or who were perhaps marking time on half-pay
following the conclusion of the Napoleonic wars. Perhaps the most interesting was a lesser officer - Jeremiah Coghlan.
Coghlan would have stood apart from the other members
physically: he had a scar down one side of his face and he
limped rather badly – badges of honour gained fighting the
French. More importantly, his upbringing was suspect – he
was from the ‘lower deck’.
Coghlan came to the attention of Sir Edward Pellew
(Viscount Exmouth), when at the age of 15 he was heroically
involved in the rescue of the DUTTON, an East Indiaman
which foundered off Plymouth in 1790. Pellew immediately
offered to put the boy onto the Quarterdeck of his ship the
HMS INDEFATIGABLE.
By 1800 he was in command of the VIPER, a cutter and while
the British Squadron under Pellew watched the port of St
Louis in Grenada, Coghlan conceived the plan of cutting-out
a French gun-brig lying at the entrance to the harbour. The
audacious plan was successful, gaining so much admiration
that the Squadron gave up its prize money to the immediate
captors. Coghlan was also presented with a one hundred
guinea sword by Lord St Vincent.
In 1806 Coghlan encountered a larger French Privateer,
whose captain commanded Coghlan to ‘strike’ [her colours].
Coghlan’s reply became famous – ‘Strike I will and damned
hard too, my lad, directly!’ The action lasted only thirty five
minutes, before the French ship was set on fire and blew
up, with the loss of one hundred men. Coghlan rescued the
remaining 55 crew.
Coghlan’s tremendous exploits continued throughout
the Napoleonic Wars, with several other prizes and a
significant involvement in the seizing of Naples in 1815.
Coghlan was appointed Flag Captain in command of
Pellew’s flag ship the HMS CALEDONIA, and in 1815 he was
made a Companion of the Order of the Bath.
We don’t know a lot about Coghlan’s private life. So why
did this man come to Clifton? It would appear that he
was twice married, producing a daughter – Susan Pellew
Coghlan, born in Bath in 1812, and a son – William Marcus
Coghlan, born in Plymouth in 1803, who joined the army
made General and was awarded the KCB. Coghlan married
a second time, to the widow of Captain John Marshall RN.
She was the daughter of Charles Hay of Jamaica. Perhaps
the Hay family had Bristol connections?
Coghlan was present at the founding meeting of the Club,
and elected to the Committee in 1820. He lived at 6 Sion
Hill until 1826, when he returned to sea in command of
HMS FORTE, a frigate on the South American station.
Coghlan’s meteoric rise and his daring exploits could well
have influenced such fictional characters as Hornblower,
who also served under Pellew. Cohlan’s career was also
the basis for a novel by Showell Styles – ‘The Quarterdeck
Ladder’. Meanwhile, the sabre presented by Lord St
Vincent is currently for sale in London.
The magnificent and
historic sabre presented
to the intrepid Coghlan –
Acting Lieutenant Jeremiah
Coghlan of HMS VIPER,
by Admiral The Earl St
Vincent, 1800
PHILIP’S RECIPE • PHILIP’S RECIPE • PHILIP’S RECIPE • PHILIP’S RECIPE
Lemon and Almond Polenta Cake
Ingredients (Serves 8)
450g unsalted butter, 450g caster sugar, 450g ground almonds,
6g vanilla extract, 6 large eggs, Mircoplaned zest of 4 lemons,
Juice of 1 lemon, 225g polenta flour, 1.5g baking powder, 1g salt.
Method
•Sieve together the ground almonds, polenta flour, baking
powder and the salt.
•Beat the butter and caster sugar, to a light and
aerated constituency.
•Beat in the vanilla extract.
•Beat the eggs together and then slowly beat
them into the creamed butter and sugar mixture.
Be careful not to split the mixture. Fold in the
sieved almond potential flour mixture, lemon zest
and lemon juice.
•Pour into a prepared cake tin and cook at 160ᵒC
for 45-50 minutes or until a needle draws out
from the middle of the cake cleanly.
Membership
Information
It has been a promising year for
membership which currently stands at
436, representing an increase of 34
Members since this time last year. The Club
is also introducing a new ‘Intermediate’
subscription category at the rate of £345
per year for Members aged 31-35. This was
voted in at the AGM with the intention of
bridging the gap between the Junior (£175)
and Full (£500) membership categories.
Backgammon
Tournament
The final of this year’s backgammon
tournament was held on 2 May, between Justin
Ogilvie (who also organised the tournament)
and Roderick Davidson. Congratulations to
Roderick, the winner!
100 Club Dinner
55 Members enjoyed a 3 course dinner and then port was kindly supplied by
Nick Garcia, the winner of the 100 Club draw. George Lankester presented the
snooker trophy to Mark Incledon, the winner of this year’s snooker tournament.
3
Forthcoming
Club Events
May – July
St George’s Day
As well as a delicious British lunch to celebrate St George’s Day, Members were treated to
entertainment from George Lankester (St. George), Jane Davidson (Herald), Mimi Avery (Maiden)
and Mark Sayers (the Dragon!). Much fun was had by all!
MAY
Sunday 19th
Family Sunday Lunch
Saturday 25th
French Themed Supper
JUNE
Wednesday 5th
Excursion to National Museum, Cardiff
Friday 7th
First Friday Speaker’s Lunch
Monday 10th
Four Clubs Lunch
Wednesday 12th
Ladies Lunch
Sunday 16th
Father’s Day Sunday Lunch
Tuesday 18th
Membership Committee’s Showcase Supper
Wednesday 19th
Excursion to Longstock Park Water Garden
& Mottisfont Abbey
Friday 21st
Cocktails and Canapes
JULY
Friday 5th
Garden Party & Supper
Annual Garden Party & Supper
Wednesday 10th
Cheltenham Cricket Festival
Wednesday 10th
Ladies Lunch
Friday 19th
Cocktails and Canapes
Saturday 20th
Taster Dinner
Sunday 21st
Family Sunday Lunch
Club Board and
Committees
96 Members attended the Club AGM in
April at which Roger Baird and Simon
Fuller we both elected to the Board. Here
is a reminder of the Board Directors and
the Committee Chairs - please feel free to
approach any of these with ideas, questions
or issues relevant to their committee.
Board: Nick Hutchen (chairman), Marc Allen,
Roger Baird, Paul Brown, Jane Davidson,
Barry Dodd, Simon Fuller, Charles Lucas,
Victoria Newhouse, Jim Smith, Julian Telling,
Gonzalo Trujillo.
Committees: Membership - Marc Allen,
Events - Jane Davidson, Food & Wine Roger Baird.
The Club welcomes members and their guests to attend the annual Garden Party & Supper
on Friday, 5th July 2013. There will be canapés and Pimms in Caledonia Gardens along with
summer activities such as croquet. This will be followed by a seasonal two-course buffet
supper served in the Club. The Garden Party costs £19.50 per person and starts at 6.30pm.
Supper is an additional £16.50 per person and will be served from 7.45pm. To book please
contact the office or sign up on the Club’s Facebook group.
Snooker Final
This year’s snooker final was between Michael Baker and Mark Incledon - congratulations to Mark
who emerged the triumphant winner and was presented with the trophy at the 100 Club Dinner.