Birthday Weekend Remembered

TCM
THE CLUB MAGAZINE | MAY-JUN 2012 | ISSUE 40
Birthday Weekend Remembered
The highlights of the epic celebration
The Club at 50
The story behind the official book
page 08
a’MAY’zing
Win a luxury holiday to Sri Lanka
page 05
Member Triumphs
From Ice Hockey to our very own Karate Kid
page 24
editor’s letter
the club committee
Chairman
Vice (Ops)
Vice (Adm)
Secretary
Treasurer
Premises
Sports
Mem.Sec
Entertainments
Mem. Liaison
House Mem.
Hamish Macdonald
Steve Colthart
David Heywood
Rupert Evans
Andrew Palmer
Michael McDonnell
John Van Hoogstraten
Ali Kaddas
Robert Liddington
Firas Ali
Fiona Rough
The Club Management
General Manager
Financial Controller
Deputy General Manager (Ops)
F&B Manager
Assistant F&B Manager
Assistant F&B Manager
Assistant F&B Manager(Banqueting)
Executive Chef
Recreation Manager
Government Relation Manager
Marketing & Comms Manager
Member Relations Executive
Mike McGrath
K.Thomas
Dayle Kelly
Jerome Favory
Allen Martin
Luigi Ferrari
Arun Babu
Peter de Kauwe
Lotfi Hamrouni
Sameer Marmash
Laura Dunn
Helen Brawn
Club Sub Sections/Groups
Sailing
Tom Ashby 050 2206916
Diving
Jane Taylor
055 4256590
Library
Tony Beale
02 4482168
Tennis Jordan Ayanoglou
050 8188758
Squash
Hedley Butterfield
050 4138055
Drama Robert Liddington 050 6823841
Football David Heywood
050 7314961
Snooker Eamonn McCormick
050 6671853
Graphic Designer
Tanveer Ali
Editorial, Advertising & Sponsorship
Laura Dunn
02 673 1111 / [email protected]
The Management reserve the right to condense, alter or omit
any article submitted for publication in The Club Magazine.
All content is correct at the time of going to print and may be
subject to change. The Club: P.O.Box 658.
Tel: 02-6731111. Fax: 02-6731113.
e-mail: [email protected]
Dear Members,
As the year flies by and we sprint head first towards the summer, I’m sure
like us, you’re feeling ready for your next holiday. May is an exciting month
as we’ve introduced a promotion giving you the chance of winning an
‘a‘MAY’zing’ luxury holiday to Sri Lanka.
Think of sea plane transfers to Sri Lanka’s blissful tea plantation area;
dream of luxury bungalow accommodation with personal butler service and
gourmet dining and you’ll have a glimpse of what’s in store for the lucky
winner. Have a look at page 5 to see how you can participate.
Don’t miss all the photos of the Birthday Weekend in our fold-out feature
from page 11. We may all still be catching up on sleep from that epic weekend
but from your feedback, we’re sure it will be a fond memory of The Club that
you, like us, will treasure.
Hear all about the upcoming entertainment & events from page 18 and the
news from the Sub Sections from page 32.
We’re delighted to introduce a new column to TCM by former Member Laura
Fulton of Abu Dhabi Week fame – see page 37. Meanwhile, Charles & MaryEllen Gibson continue to entice us on our travels, this time looking into the
arts and crafts we pick up along our way.
As always, I welcome your feedback and hope you’ll get in touch with me on
[email protected].
Kind regards,
Laura Dunn
CONTENTS
CONTACTS
Chairman’s Letter..................................................................................................................... 04
GM’s Message............................................................................................................................ 06
50th Anniversary - The Commemorative Book................................... 08
The Birthday Weekend Remembered........................................................... 11
Diary.......................................................................................................................................................... 18
From F&B............................................................................................................................................ 20
From The Pen Of........................................................................................................................ 22
Member Triumphs................................................................................................................... 24
Travel: Arts & Crafts.............................................................................................................. 26
Living in Harmony................................................................................................................... 28
Recreation.......................................................................................................................................... 30
Sub Sections................................................................................................................................... 32
(Probably) Good Enough................................................................................................ 37
Junior Members......................................................................................................................... 38
www.the-club.com
TCM 03
From the Chairman
Winoliday to
yh
a luxur ils,Sri Lanka
ea Tra
Ceylon T
Enjoy a 4-night stay for two at the No 1
rated* all inclusive luxury resort in Asia.
Reside in an elegantly furnished Garden
Suite with your own tranquil private garden.
Enjoy gourmet meals, unlimited selected
wines, premium spirits, personal butler
service and complimentary scenic seaplane
transfers from Colombo to Kandy.
How to participate
Win
dear members,
O
n Sunday, 22 April 2012, we held the 2012 Annual
General Meeting and I would like to thank those
Members that attended for showing their support
for The Club. From the debates on the two motions that
were put forward to the Membership and from the issues
that were raised during Any Other Business, I picked up
two very clear messages from the Members attending
that night.
The first message was that Members would like to have a
greater involvement in the running of The Club. Whilst
there already exists opportunities for any Member to
stand for election to the Main Committee or to participate
in the running of the various Sub Sections, the Committee
will try to increase the opportunities available by setting
up special sub-committees or focus groups to address
specific issues or future major developments. We will also
consider re-introducing the monthly Main Committee
Clinics that we tried to run a few years back but which
petered out from lack of interest from Members. This
will involve two members of the Main Committee being
available one night each month for Members to meet with
and discuss any matters they wish to raise. Obviously the
future success of these sub-committees, focus groups and
clinics will depend upon the level of participation by the
membership, so please put your name forward when
these opportunities arise.
The second message I picked up at the AGM was that there
are many differing opinions amongst the membership
TCM 04
about the type of events or entertainment provided at
The Club. The fact is that The Club’s membership is made
up of 4,500 people from many different countries and
cultural backgrounds; there are family members, couples
and singles and there are people from all age groups. The
Management and Committee try very hard to provide a
wide range and variety of entertainment that will cater
for the differing tastes and sometimes some event or the
type of entertainment we provide may not be to the liking
of all Members.
The 50th Anniversary celebrations continue and I hope
that everyone has been joining in and enjoying them
to date. On 17 May 2012 I will be honoured to host
The Chairman’s Gala Dinner where my invited guests
will include people who have, over the past 50 years,
contributed in some way to making The Club what it is
today. This will include a number of the original founder
Members, past Chairmen and General Managers of The
Club, past staff members and Honorary Members with
more than 30 years continuous membership. This will be
followed on the next night by the Operatic Gala Dinner
featuring The Celtic Tenors.
Best wishes,
Hamish Macdonald - Chairman
day
ry holi
a luxu Lanka
to Sri
Collect your a‘MAY’zing Passport
from The Main Reception
* Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice 2012 Winner (Rated no. 1 in Asia, no. 4 in world)
Terms and Conditions apply
In the month of May, collect as many stamps
as you can in your ‘aMAYzing Passport’ by
participating in selected activities. At the end
of the month, exchange your Passport
stamps for complimentary Raffle tickets – the
more stamps you have, the more raffle tickets
you get and therefore the more chances you
have of winning the prize!
One stamp = One Raffle Ticket = One chance
of winning.
From the General Manager
Staff Awards
employee of the quarter awards
Congratulations to our staff who have been
awarded with our Quarterly Awards. These staff
have shown an impressive commitment to their
work and outstanding attitudes.
Please take some time to congratulate them if you
see them around The Club!
January-March 2012
Employee of the Quarter Award
Front of House: Mr. Saeed Ahmed
Back of House: Mr. Kunjumon Joseph
Smile of the Quarter Employee Award
Front of House: Mr. Dalwar Hossain
Back of House: Mr. Subeer Vazhachal
If you would like to nominate any Member of Staff for a Quarterly Award, please do email [email protected]
and your suggestions will be taken into consideration. We would love to hear from you about the staff who impress
you most.
what a bash!
I
t was a spectacular two day celebration made possible
by some tremendous teamwork. It was only fitting that
the event relied so heavily on such a large degree of
Member involvement, support and dedication. Fireworks
filled the sky Superlatives rained down afterwards as the
weekend surpassed everyone’s expectations.
It was the 50th Birthday Weekend!
On behalf of everyone who enjoyed the fanfare I’d like to
thank the numerous Members who gave their time freely
and who made the event such a success.
As well as celebrating this important milestone in
style, Members raised AED 115,000 for Medicins Sans
Frontieres through the 24 hour Dance Around The Clock
event, taking our overall contribution to MSF over the
years to AED 540,000. Having initiated this programme
seven years ago, and seeing the annual contribution grow
year on year, I hope we can reach AED 1,000,000 within
the next four years. This would be a remarkable charitable
sum and another milestone in The Club’s history.
The temperature has picked up over the last few days and
TCM 06
serves as a reminder that summer is fast approaching.
For many, this will mean a mad dash to the gym, which
makes this an ideal time to announce that the complete
new range of Technogym Cardiovascular machines is due
to be installed around 7th May. This upgrade reaffirms
the gym’s position as the best equipped facility in the
city. Coupled with the newly launched Gym & Wellness
Membership package it makes the gym the number one
choice for your work out needs. If you haven’t visited
recently, you might want to pop up and see just what you
are missing and check out what our Instructors can do for
you.
Whether you’re working out or making the most of your
Club Membership in other ways, I and the rest of the
Management Team look forward to seeing you around
The Club in the coming weeks and months.
Very best personal regards,
Mike McGrath
General Manager
The Club at 50
The Club at 50
the story of the club’s 50th anniversary
commemorative book
“the club at 50”
TCM chats with Compiler and Author Matthew Brace on the
journey of putting together this significant book.
tcm How long have you been a Club Member and where
are you from originally?
matthew I have been a member since 2008. I’m originally
from Stratford-upon-Avon, which I revisit about three
times a year to see my mum and say ‘hi’ to the tomb of
my fellow Stratfordian, William Shakespeare.
matthew It was early March 2011 and I had conducted
a day-long Crisis Communications training session at The
Club for management, guiding the participants through
what is likely to happen if an emergency hits and the press
descend en masse, and how they can protect and maintain
McGrath came up to me, I thought I was for it! Instead he
thanked me and asked me if I’d be interested in tackling
the 50th anniversary book.
What was your first reaction to being asked to
author the book?
tcm
matthew I thought it was a great honour and I still do
and working with Mike, Chairman Hamish Macdonald,
Robert Liddington and the whole anniversary year team
has been a complete delight.
It’s quite a mammoth book so where did you start
with your research?
tcm
matthew Commemorative books such as these can be
immensely valuable to a company’s reputation and brand
but they are only successful if, at the very beginning of the
process, the writer and the client work out, very carefully,
the best and most appropriate style, format and content
for a wide and varied readership. If you don’t have that
clear direction fixed at the start, you’re lost.
When and how did you become an author and
professional writer?
What was it like to meet the Founding Members at
the RAC Club in London?
matthew My mum, embarrassingly, loves to say it was
when (aged about 8) I wrote a poem about an owl and
won a prize for it but really it was as a cub reporter in 1992
for that bastion of British journalism, the Ellesmere Port
Pioneer. From there I moved to London and worked as
a reporter, news editor, foreign correspondent and travel
writer for the “Fleet Street” newspapers The Independent,
The Independent on Sunday, The Observer, The Times
and The Sunday Express.
matthew It was huge fun and a real education for me.
It was staggering to think that with virtually none of the
comforts we enjoy in Abu Dhabi today (A/C, fresh water,
good roads, etc) they not only did their jobs but raised
kids and managed to create a social club and let their hair
down. They were all delightful to listen to and it was such
a pleasure to hear their stories.
tcm
tcm
tcm
Were there any surprises in what they were telling
you?
tcm You were the first journalist on the scene when the
bombers hit Bali in 2002. How did this affect your career
path?
matthew The week before it happened I had regretfully
conceded that the market on Fleet Street for serious
freelance foreign news was shrinking as celebrity
journalism was taking over, so I hung up my notebooks
and went to Bali for a holiday and to work out what to
do next to earn a crust. So, it was ironic that suddenly
I was reporting the biggest story of my career. I spent
some time on that fateful night doing emergency Crisis
Communications sessions with the managers of the Four
Seasons at Jimbaran Bay, where I was staying; I felt more
reward helping them than I did reporting on the horrific
scenes down in Kuta.
tcm How and when were you first approached to write
The Club’s 50th Anniversary book?
TCM 08
matthew Many. I had not realised just how basic the
facilities were in Abu Dhabi in 1962. I had not realised
that fresh water and medical services were luxuries, and
that getting anywhere – even to the fledgling Club – was
an expedition by Land Rover.
tcm From your research and interviews, what was the
most interesting fact/insight you found out about The Club?
The Club’s reputation under pressure. It’s amazing how
few organisations in the UAE have such training, and I
think The Club benefited from both the theory and the
role-playing experiences. I’d given everyone rather a
hard time during the sessions so afterwards, when Mike
matthew I confess I had not realised just how significant
ADDS has been and is today. Having once walked the
boards of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratfordupon-Avon as a child actor (Merry Wives of Windsor,
1980 – I got spat on every night by Ben Kingsley!) I
know how valuable acting can be for children and how
it helps them to overcome shyness, make friends and find
hidden strengths. ADDS is a most beneficial feather in The
Club’s cap.
tcm Did you ever have writer’s block, and if so, how did
you overcome it?
matthew I get the opposite – an inability to shut up
and stop writing. Subsequently I ended up with roughly
100,000 words for this book, which I then had to edit
down painfully to the 30,000-odd that made it into the
final draft.
tcm
What’s your favourite part of the book?
matthew I love the image of the Political Agent, Colonel
Sir Hugh Boustead, dressed as a pirate and “walking the
plank” at the party in the desert that launched The Club.
Also, I think the passage about Mike McGrath physically
carrying the unwell employee Daisy to the car to take
her to the airport for her emergency flight home is one
of those spontaneous acts of kindness and friendship that
makes The Club so special.
tcm
What was the biggest challenge in writing the book?
matthew It’s a bit like the literary equivalent of air
traffic control. There are hundreds of bits of information
(roughly 2,500 for this book, I estimate) floating around
in the sky – facts, dates, names, titles, quotes, anecdotes,
etc. Some are correct, some are not, and some are hotly
disputed. The writer has to classify each one and verify
it with several sources to ensure accuracy, or at least
consensus of some sort. Then he has to align them all
and ensure every one lands in the right place at the
right time (in the right paragraph, page and chapter) to
deliver a logical, flowing and pleasant read. Then, as the
editors amend the text to fit the page designs, the writer
has to go through everything over and over again to
ensure it’s still all accurate and reads well. The possibility
for disaster is vast unless you can ‘see’ every corner of the
text all the time. It’s this ‘big picture’ stuff that is the real
headache.
tcm Now that you’re living out of the UAE, what do you
miss most about The Club?
matthew My fellow quiz team-mates in the “League of
Fools”, steak-and-kidney pie in the bar and dining at The
Vista on a mild spring night.
Matthew Brace is an international writer and editor,
communications consultant, and award-winning travel
writer, available for corporate communications projects such
as books, strategies, reports, websites, key messaging and
crisis communications training (http://au.linkedin.com/pub/
matthew-brace/49/548/433).
TCM 09
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we celebrated
the club’s 50th anniversary
at the birthday weekend!
On Thursday 15th & Friday 16th March, The Club’s Members joined together for a
weekend of festivities in celebration of The Club’s 50th Anniversary.
Over the next few pages, we look at some of
the highlights of what many Members said
was one of the best weekends in Abu Dhabi!
After weeks of dust storms, shamals and
generally quite unsavoury weather, the sky
settled and the sun shone making the perfect
conditions for the festival style event.
Some 2000 Members joined in the fun
throughout the weekend and there was
something for everyone – the young and the
young at heart!
Photo courtesy of Sian Nixon
TCM 11
TCM 11
we danced all night!
The Dance Around The Clock began at 9pm with all four
team captains excitedly enticing their teams onto the dance
floor. And with that, 24 hours of non-stop dancing began.
in aid of
Team Captains Fiona Rough, Willie
Duff, Helen Day and Staff Captain
Aravindan Muthulingam did a sterling
job in signing up Members to take
part and keeping their teams going
throughout the event – that’s no easy
challenge but they pulled it off!
As alw
ays- T
h
- and
the w e BEST pl
a
orld.
Mary
I love ce in Abu
Walk
Dhab
The C
er
i
lub!
e Club’s
rt of Th
Dance Around the Clock, The Club’s annual charity challenge is
a
p
b sure
e
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rful to
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t
n
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o
5
held to allow Club Members to join together to help raise money
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for an important cause, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Doctors
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without Borders.
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kn
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a
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ir
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It is with huge thanks to all Members and Staff who participated, raised and donated
money that we can announce that we raised a staggering 115,000 Dirhams for the MSF cause.
Thank you.
0 Dhs!
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At 8pm, the evening was officially opened by Mr. Robert Liddington, Club
Committee Entertainment Member, with a speech followed by a dazzling
Fire Dancer performance. The duo, Anthony and Sophie especially
choreographed a routine to open the Birthday Weekend which included
ballerina Sophie even fire dancing whilst on ballet point.
ery, ve
ry, very, v
e
v
,
ry
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v
It was
6
ylor, age
Yasmin Ta
The prelude to the evening was a family party
with FUNfORCE in the Multi Purpose Court
which left the kids thoroughly entertained and
ready to explore the ‘Double Decker Fun Zone’.
ry Fun!
Fantastic
Club, fan
tastic Sta
everythin
ff; there is
g and mo
re than a
want. Liv
nyone co
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uld
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would no
Abu Dha
t be the sa
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Well don
ut The Clu
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On the Main Stage, Andrea Dickenson, Buzz
D’Angelo and the New Generation Band took
to the stage and we danced through their
classic hits repertoire.
The night faded into the early hours and the DJ took
us on a journey through the decades.
A dedicated crowd kept the dance floor alive to ensure
there were no gaps in our 24 hours of dancing in aid
of MSF.
Juniors participated in our Arts and Crafts workshops led
by Jennifer Simon and Julia Ibbini and collectively made a
giant canvas which Members may now see decorating The
Family Room.
Meanwhile, campers pitched their tents on The Club’s
Main Beach and families spent the night snoozing
under the stars.
For the early birds, breakfast was a welcome aid
served at the pool side from 6am. Those dedicated
to the cause joined Graham Andrew for a ‘Wake
Up’ session on the dance floor.
still
family is
ll
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,
ip
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bers
e club,
rs mem
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7
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r
Afte
ome…v
ppy to c
very ha
m.
kind tea
Parlant
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&
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e
D
Members spent the day dancing in the shade of
the vivid canopy in Zumba, Salsa and Scottish
Country Dancing classes; and in between there
was a dedicated bunch keeping the dance floor
alive non-stop.
Members visited the Fitness
Booths and Harmony Beauty
Salon gazebo for health and
fitness tests, hair braiding, nail art
and massage.
watercolour challenge
We were treated to a Street Dance performance from the Juniors,
music from teen band The Reason and a staff dance performance.
The results of Andrew Field’s Watercolour Challenge were
on display and Members voted for their favourite designs.
The winners were:
the double decker
party zone
ur
pent o
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Kids loved exploring the Double Decker
bus, with shrieks of ‘I’ve never been on
a double-decker bus before’ filling the
air! On board, youngsters had their faces
painted and the FUNfORCE crew made
them balloon models.
Alexandra Limon (right) in the Adult category and Joanna
Engle (left) in the Teens.
beats on the beach...
Members took part in Human Foosball in
our giant inflatable pitch, a Tug ‘o’ War and a
Capoeira class on the beach but the highlight
of the afternoon simply had to be the Drums
on the Beach led by Dubai Drums. Both kids
and adults participated in the drumming and
their faces brimmed with happiness!
Brillia
nt atm
osphe
ages. T
re - ac
hank
tivitie
you so
in suc
s for a
much
h style
ll
for ce
.
Brian,
lebrat
Sharo
ing
n, Tho
mas &
Willia
m Esh
made
Photo courtesy of Sian Nixon
Photo courtesy of
Rosie Tennent
rship.
membe
f
o
s
r
a
reat ye
ore to
for 37 g
Many m
.
t
n
e
Thanks
m
o
every m
Enjoyed
come.
arma
Vinay V
out with a bang!
water world...
As the sun set and Members congregated throughout The Club
in celebration of the 50th Anniversary, the dance floor continued
to be buoyant with energy and enthusiasm.
Members had the opportunity to try The Club’s brand new Stand Up Paddleboards
in the sea – the popular new craze in keeping fit.
For those intrigued by the underwater world, the Dive Section hosted a Try Dive
in The Club’s Main Pool and kids and Adults had a chance to try on the kit and
delve into the deep end.
theatrical performances...
Both Junior acting group Applause and Teen group
Acting UP took to the stage in The Club’s Main Hall
and gave fantastic performances of Jack and the
Multi-coloured Beanstalk and The Hilarious History
of The Battle of Troy respectively. The casts of both
performances were met by enthusiastic applause
from the audiences.
Happy
Birthd
ay to
places
one o
world
f our f
over!
part o
avour
Great
f this m
ite
t
o be h
emora
all inv
ere an
b
le yea
olved.
d
r…we
Shona
ll don
& Stev
e
to
e Colh
art
Everyone, even those who had not slept at all the previous night,
were still excited about the Birthday Weekend and summoned
every energy to reach the end of the 24 hours of dancing. The
dance floor was abuzz and the crowd was on a high!
ing for
someth
,
s
y
n
io
t
At 9pm, the finale of the 24
bra
ere ver
nt cele
orks w
e
w
ll
e
e
r
c
fi
x
hours of dance featured a
E
the
ne and
ay.
sensational fireworks display
everyo
Birthd
y
p
p
a
H
and we oohed and aahed at
special.
r
l Mille
the spectacular golden themed
Michae
display.
The party carried on past midnight and as the last few Members
left The Club, the staff worked their magic. They diligently spent
the night putting The Club back together again so those arriving on Saturday morning would barely
notice the phenomenal party that had rocked The Club for 32 continuous hours.
Photo courtesy of Lotfi Hamrouni
Whilst there are many people who deserve thanks for making the weekend happen, our thanks
must go to The Club’s staff for making the Birthday Weekend an event that will be remembered and
cherished for years to come.
photography
competition
a civilised affair...
A big thank you goes to the participants
in the Photography competition and
many of their photos can be seen
in this article. Congratulations to
Karolina Koubar (27733) for the
winning photo.
Over on the Adults’ Beach and a world away, it was quite a contrast with a very
civilised affair. Music from Anna Pavlova on the electric violin drifted across the
tranquil Adults’ Lawn and delighted Members on The Lawn, The Deck and the
Zest terrace. The Saxophonist Julita’s cool music followed and both musicians
created the perfect ambiance for a relaxed G&T and a glass of bubbly!
The Art Exhibition opened and Members were charmed by the beautiful
creations of Andrew Field, Sam Faix, Emily Gordon, Janine Ibbini, Julia Ibbini
and Jennifer Simon – eagerly taking home a small souvenir.
Members were enchanted by Afternoon Tea in The Vista and many requested
this become a regular occurrence in The Club’s social calendar (please watch this space!)
Cocktail aficionados gathered on The Lawn in the
late afternoon to sample the Members’ concoctions in
the Signature Cocktail Competition. All entrants put
together original and appetising recipes and the judges
decided that ‘Golden Jubilee’ by Alan Rough, 23470 was
the winning mix. ‘Golden Jubilee’ is a delectable mix
of Dark Rum, White Grape Juice and freshly squeezed
lime topped up with Ginger Ale (this is now available
throughout The Club and is highly recommended!).
Photo courtesy of Rosie Tennent
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Proudly sponsored by:
diary
10-11
Throughout
what’s happening in
may
May
Win an
a’MAY’zing Holiday
Eid Mubarak
18
27
Throughout
The Celtic Tenors in
Concert
Chinese Night in
The Restaurant
Salads & Sundaes The Pool &
The Beach
May & June
01-16
12
Lobster Speciality
in The Vista
Whose wine is it anyway?
what’s happening in
june
17
19
25 - 8 july
Father’s Day in The
Vista & The Restaurant
Chinese Night in
The Restaurant
Celebrate
Wimbledon with
Strawberries & Cream
27
One month
countdown to the
London Olympics
TCM 18
Every
Friday
Kayaking the Reem
Mangroves
Food & Beverage
from f&b
Dear Members,
I hope you are all well and had a nice Easter break with
your family and enjoyed the F&B offerings all around The
Club.
Throughout March and April we saw some very good
offers in the outlets and fantastic events at The Club such
as the Birthday Weekend, Titanic Commemorative Dinner
and the Easter Club Crawl which were very successful –
we hope you enjoyed them.
Coming up in May are some major football finals such
as the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League,
which we’ll be showing in The Club Bar and The Sports
Bar along with great offers in all the outlets.
We will be introducing a new menu to the Adults’ Beach
and hope you have had a chance to sample the delicious
Cheese and Wine selection on Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays.
June will be full of surprises and succulent offers in the
outlets as you will see in the next few pages. We will
also be celebrating The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in style
offering a family street party from 4pm in The Restaurant
and The Main Hall. Towards the end of the month, we
Food & Beverage
time for tea!
will start our countdown to The Olympic Games – a fun
promotion in celebration of London 2012.
We have recently welcomed new Members of staff to
the Food and Beverage team and our aim is to provide
Members with the best service we can at their Club. We
will have a few staff leaving us over the next couple of
months and we thank them for their hard work and
commitment here at The Club and wish them all the best
of luck in their future. In order to maintain, if not improve
the team’s strength and ensure that we can continue
providing Members with the best possible experience at
The Club, we continue to recruit additional staff and we
hope you will welcome our new faces as you meet them
around The Club.
For those who are planning to go away for a summer
break, I wish you all a great holiday wherever you are
going and for those who are planning to stay in Abu
Dhabi, I hope that you will enjoy your time at The Club
with all of our great summer offers.
Please feel free to contact me directly for any comments or
suggestions that you may have on [email protected].
Kind regards,
Jerome Favory - Food and Beverage Manager
wine of the month
Throughout
May,
enjoy
Afternoon Tea every Friday
and Saturday at The Vista and
The Deck.
Special Menus in The Club Bar, The Family Room
and Al Sarab
cinco de mayo!
The 5th May is the traditional day
to celebrate Mexico and from 1st
to 7th May you’re invited to enjoy
a Mexican themed menu in The
Club Bar and special Margarita and
Daiquiri cocktails in The Shore Bar.
Cheer on the Final of the Europa League on Wednesday 9th May in
The Club Bar and The Sports Bar.
2nd June
Live music gig with Scottish band
Bahookie in The Restaurant Patio.
Enjoy Haggis, Neaps and Tatties
and a jolly good night.
Cuvée Spéciale Rouge, Barton et Guestier - France
the queen’s
diamond jubilee
A young, fresh expression of the aromatic varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and
Semillon. Crisp, easy drinking and perfect for wine by the glass.
Tuesday 5th June
Cuvée Spéciale Rosé, Barton et Guestier - France
Celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
with us in The Restaurant and The Main
Hall at our family-friendly High Tea from
4pm – 9pm
TCM 20
• 20th to 30th June: Gourmet Pies
Watch the FA Cup Final 2012 on Saturday 5th May in The Main Hall
where we’ll also offer a feast of Hotdogs, Pies and Shawarma
In the month of May
This is a fruity, approachable wine with elegant fruit and good weight. Simple
and enjoyable.
• 1st to 10th June, Three Thai Curries
Don’t miss the final of the 2012 Champion’s League on Saturday 19 May
– join us in The Club Bar and The Sports Bar to watch the match
Our wine experts share the following tasting notes with you to whet your wine appetite. We hope you enjoy
this Cuvée Spéciale selection.
Cuvée Spéciale Blanc, Barton et Guestier - France
• 21st to 31st May: Special Steak Menu
the beautiful game
Our selected wines of the month this May originate from the old world wine region of France. This Barton et
Guestier range chosen by the African and Eastern team will be as enjoyable at sunset on the Adult’s Lawn as
they will be relaxing at The Vista.
One of Bordeaux’s most well known and celebrated négociants presents here
a fruity, soft and well-balanced red.
• 8th-20th May: Mega Seafood Platter
pimm’s
at the poolside?
Yes, please!
Throughout June
TCM 21
from the pen of...
Hello once again from the land of 1000 smiles, Thailand.
How did all the celebrations at the Birthday Weekend go?
Well I hope.
By the time you read this all the other festivities will be
over as well, and we have just finished the Thai New Year
celebration of Songkran, when much water is thrown
over all & sundry.
I’ve decided to delve into the world of Cocktails for this
addition of TCM.
What is a cocktail? According to the modern MerriamWebster Dictionary it is ‘an iced drink of wine or distilled
liquor mixed with flavouring
ingredients’ That’s a pretty
broad definition, but reflects the
modern practice of referring to
any mixed drink as a ‘Cocktail’.
are many stories behind the origin of the name as there
are behind the creation of the Margarita or Martini. As
always, some are preposterous, some believable and one
may even be the truth. None the less, the stories are
interesting. I will recount just three.
A popular story is that the name Cocktail refers to a
rooster’s tail (cock-tail) being used as a colourful drink
garnish. Bear in mind there are no formal references in
recipes to such a garnish.
The British publication Bartender of 1936 tells of English
sailors of decades before, being served mixed drinks in
Mexico. The drinks were stirred with a ‘Cola de Gallo’
(Cocks-tail), a long root of similar shape to the bird’s tail.
Promoting and developing
business relations in and between
Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the UK
and displaying the commitment of
British business to the region
Providing a forum for the British business community in Abu Dhabi, and others
who are interested in promoting trade between the UK and the UAE, by way of
regular meetings to exchange information and ideas
Advising and assisting British trade missions, inward investors and companies
doing business or contemplating business in or with Abu Dhabi
In 1806 the first published
definition of the Cocktail
appeared in an editorial entitled
The Balance & Columbian
Repository
‘Cocktail
is
a
stimulating liquor, composed of
spirits of any kind, sugar, water
and bitters’. It is this definition
of ingredients that still refers to
the ‘ideal cocktail’.
Ok I hear you ask ‘when was the
cocktail created?’ People have
been mixing drinks for centuries
but we don’t think it was until
17th & 18th centuries that
the precursors of the Cocktail
(the Slings, Fizzes, Toddies and
Juleps) became popular enough
to be recorded in history. It’s unclear where, who or what
went into the creation of the original Cocktail but it seems
to be a specific drink rather than a category of mixed
drinks during that time.
The first published reference to the Cocktail appears in the
Farmers Cabinet on April 28th 1803. The spoof editorial
tells of a ‘lounger’ who with a midmorning hangover ‘…
drank a glass of cocktail – excellent for the head’. In Imbibe
David Wondrich attributes the first known Cocktail recipe
in print to Captain J.E. Alexander in 1831 who calls for a
brandy, gin or rum in a mix of ‘….a third of the spirit to
two thirds of the water, add bitters, and enrich with sugar
and nutmeg…’
Now where did the name Cocktail come from? There
The BBG maintains the good name of British Business in Abu Dhabi and
upholds the standards established and expected of British companies
In George Bishop’s The Booze Reader: A Soggy Saga of
Main in his Cups (1965), he says ‘The word itself stems
from the English cock-tail which in the middle 1800’s
referred to a woman of easy virtue who was desirable but
impure…and applied to the newly acquired American
habit of bastardizing good British Gin with foreign matter,
including ice’.
Enjoy
So until next time
Chokdee from Thailand.
Robert Webb MBE
Wine Connoisseur & Erstwhile Club Member
If you wish to know more or need any further information about the BBG, please contact:
Denise Douglas, PO Box 43635, Abu Dhabi. Tel: +971 24457234
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
The BBG office is located at CERT Technology Park, Al Muroor Road, Abu Dhabi.
www.britishbusiness.org
TCM 22
Designed by All About Brands aabplc.com
Member Triumphs
Member Triumphs
ice hockey in the desert
I
n the early nineties, ‘Cool Runnings’ was a popular
film telling the story of Jamaican men trying to make
it to the Olympics in bobsleigh - a sport quite foreign
to their climes.
Fast forward two decades and travel thousands
of miles east to the Arabian Desert sands
and you’ll find a highly successful group
of Emiratis and expatriates in their own
foreign sport – Ice Hockey.
Ali
Kaddas,
Member
415
and
Membership Secretary on The Club’s
Committee is one of the pioneers of this
sport in the Middle East.
It all started in 1992, when Ali was a teenager
and in need of a respite during the long, hot
summers. When the whole of Abu Dhabi was sweltering,
Ali and his friends decided the coolest place to be must
be the Ice Rink. Their parents dropped them off at 11am
every day and they skated until 10pm.
like a bullet’ but with the kit he was ‘Ali the turtle’!
Intense practice rewarded Ali and he and his local friends
joined with an expatriate team to form Abu Dhabi Blades.
In the late 1990’s a group of Canadian Doctors
arrived to work at the Sheikh Khalifa
Medical City and the SKMC team was
formed.
Teams merged and then branched and
in no time a league was formed and
Ali became the owner of Abu Dhabi
Scorpions.
Through this time, Ali and his team
mates grew a strong knowledge of the
rules and regulations. In 1998, under the
patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Honorary Chairman of the UAE Ice Hockey Association,
the UAE signed the International Ice Hockey Federation
declaration no. 141 and became a Member of the IIHF.
One evening, out of the blue, they were told the court was
booked. Disappointed at losing their space, they wandered
back to the changing rooms only to find a group of expats
A National Team now competes globally and Ali has
remained in the sport and is now the UAE National Team
Technical Affairs Manager. The team established and won
the first Arabic tournament between the UAE, Kuwait,
putting on ‘large pads and interesting kit’. Intrigued, they
followed them out to the rink and watched them hitting
the puck around.
Morocco and Algeria in 2009 followed by a win in the
first GCC tournament the following year. Their success
has since continued.
After they finished they asked the players what this
extraordinary looking game was and said they would like
to learn. The players told them to come back next week
with 1000 Dhs for the kit. They did and this is where they
had their first experience of Ice Hockey.
Ali is proud to be the first Arabic referee in the Asia region
and quite possibly in the world and is so passionate about
his sport. His final words about Ice Hockey? ‘There is no
‘I’ in team!’
Without the Ice Hockey padding, Ali says he could ‘skate
TCM 24
For more information follow @ADISC_UAE on Twitter
karate kid!
I
n martial arts, the
Black Belt in Shotokan
Karate is the highest
belt level attainable and one
that takes years of training
and dedication to achieve.
Thirteen-year-old
Junior
Member, Miss Raeanna
Stewart is now the first
Junior Member to have
trained at The Club to reach
this exceptional status.
Sensei Shan is passionate about teaching Martial Arts
and his closing statement: ‘Seek for one breath, one
action, one life - learn karate and all are welcome!’
shows his commitment to continue to grow Martial
Arts at The Club.
Congratulations Raeanna Stewart from TCM and
everyone at The Club – it is a well-deserved triumph!
If you’re interested in finding out more about Karate
at The Club, please contact the Health Complex.
In 2007, at just 7 years old, Raeanna began her karate
training at The Club with Sensei Shan as her Master.
Sensei Shan, who was the Bronze medal winner in
the Karate World Championships, has been The Club’s
martial arts instructor since 2006.
‘From her first day of training in Shotokan Karate, she
was a keen and dedicated student’ says Sensei Shan.
In November 2011, Raeanna took exams conducted by
the U.A.E. Chief Shihan Ibrahim and Sensei Moideen
Sha and they awarded her a Black Belt.
Mr Shamal Karim, Member 14828, has won 200,000 Etihad Guest Miles,
worth two return Pearl Business Class flights to London, courtesy of
ADCB. Many congratulations to Mr. Karim and our thanks go to ADCB
and Etihad Guest for supporting The Club’s Members
TCM 25
Travel
Travel
arts & crafts
from around the world
polished stands on which to present
both the pipe and the tile.
W
hen you’ve waved your fifth and sixth decade’s
goodbye, you have to admit that the prospect
of international travel is not quite as exciting
as when you made your first foray into the unknown.
At this stage of the game, aside from the thrill (?)
of seeing relatives or the anticipation of some rest
and recuperation after a
few months of flat-out
work, the logistics
of travel can be
frightening
to
say the least. Sitting
upright in a pressurised
aluminium tube for six
to twelve hours, drinking
coffee and liquor in close
proximity to 300 like
individuals can be quite
taxing to the body. Let’s
face it, the experience
drains you of all your
energy, sucks every
drop of moisture from
your delicate tissues
TCM 26
and makes your joints swell up like an out-ofcontrol Yorkshire Pudding!
However, after all this travelling to far-flung corners
of the world, (assuming you don’t just go home
every time) you have probably amassed a
cornucopia of arts and crafts to decorate your
retirement villa. We certainly have! From Africa,
North America, Australia, Europe, the Caribbean,
the Middle East and Eastern Asia we have a
souvenir from every country in which we have
spent even the smallest amount of time. Some of these
may be as small as a Christmas ornament,
but they all evoke memories of great
trips and people we’ve met along
the way.
On a trip to Turkey some years ago,
we found really good examples of an
intricately carved Meerschaum Pipe
and an antique Turkish Ottoman tile
but no display units for them. A Sri
Lankan carpenter, who worked with
me (Charles), crafted delightful French
Africa is famous for wooden
carvings, and in Malindi, Kenya,
we visited a Woodcraft Community
where several Artisans provided
their adjoining shop with a variety
of artefacts to sell for them. Masks,
drums, figurines of humans and
animals were some of the articles
for sale. Less formally, on a drive between
Bulawayo and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe we
bartered several wooden carvings from roadside
vendors with used clothes, (this is a popular
method of trade in most African countries.) In
the town of Victoria Falls we even found a carpet
and tapestry weaving company.
In Northern Queensland we found a Pottery with
adjacent retailer where we found some unusual (to
say the least) vases, including the gorgeous opal
glazed vase we purchased. Up in the Rainforest,
craftsmen and women were turning wooden vases
from dead branches and roots of trees, even the
bottlebrush tree! Also in Australia, we were given a
glass figurine of a Koala and cub by our hostess who
is a Glassblower. She made it with her own fair hands
as we watched.
Of course, Thailand & Cambodia are well known for silk
products, but many other decorative items are available
too. Woodcraft products, paintings, fans, umbrellas, carved
wax candles and soap, and silver hammer work are some
examples. From Chiang Mai to Phuket, we have scoured
the markets, finding a bewildering array of craftwork with
which to decorate our home. Siem Reap, Cambodia has
an interesting Craft making community, where a variety
of articles are created. Also a Pottery welcomes visitors to
watch their employees crafting ceramic products.
Visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, India is a great place to visit
location for many people, particularly photographers.
In addition to the majestic monument to Shah Janan’s
lovely wife, Agra also offers many opportunities to
collect beautiful items such as white marble
objects inlaid with semiprecious stones,
carpets, jewellery or art. This
craftsmanship of inlay work is
carried out by Artisans learning
the craft from their fathers
and grandfathers. We picked
up a lovely inlaid octagonal
table top and coasters as well
as some beautiful lapis jewellery.
When visiting family in South Carolina, we
also found the wonderful sweetgrass baskets
of Mount Pleasant. This is a lowcountry
traditional craft passed down from the
African ancestors of the current artisans.
When we visited Bavaria some time
ago, we found Wood Carvers in
Oberammergau, making Fairy Tale
characters and religious icons. The town
is famous for that particular artistry.
So, wherever you roam, take the time to
explore the small markets and craft
showrooms or shows. Who knows,
you too may find that souvenir that
you can’t live without or that will
fill that little space that’s been
vacant far too long.
Charles and Mary Gibson are
Club Members and Resident Explorers,
writing and taking extraordinary photography
for TCM to whet your travel appetites. Text and Photographs
© Copyright of Charles & Mary Gibson 2012.
TCM 27
Harmony
Harmony
a holistic approach to life - stress
By Vandana Mendoca, Holistic Therapist at Harmony at The Club
“My child’s preparing for the final examination. I am so
anxious!”
but in recognizing the triggers that give us a high or take
us down.
“I just can’t wait for the Squash tournament to begin, I am so
pumped up”
Some stress we interpret as quite normal because it helps
us to get on with our daily lives. Some stress would even
be considered positive because it helps us to achieve or
perform far better than what is considered normal. But
when we ‘burnout’ or performance is hampered, or we just
can’t pick ourselves up, that’s when we are experiencing
negative stress or distress.
If asked to identify which of these two statements were
made under stress, which would we choose? Of course
we would be right if we chose the former statement, but
what about the latter? In actual fact both statements are
made under stress. As humans, we tend to identify stress
good things that make us who we really are. Get rid of
harboured negative energy.
Listen: Let our spirit, our soul speak to us in the silence
of our minds. (Listen to The Sunscreen Song by Baz
Luhrman)
Detox: Shift to organic products to reduce the chemical
additives entering the system. This includes the use of
hygienic products as well.
Rejuvenate: Various complementary therapies, exercise,
yoga, dance, learn a new Skill.
Confucius says, ‘If you want to be happy, Be! ’
For a free consultation or to book an appointment
please call Vandana on 050 7212693
Let the Ladies at Harmony help you
look perfect this summer holiday
The kinds of stress most detrimental to our well-being are:
Mental Stress - Unemployment, financial pressures, etc.
Emotional Stress - Relationships, bereavement, etc.
Physical Stress – Driving, Physical activity, sitting behind
a desk for too long, etc.
Release the serotonin: Serotonin is a feel-good hormone
and the easiest ways to boost our serotonin levels are to
get some sunlight, exercise, massage and to remember
happy memories.
HARMONY
Throughout the summer, take advantage of
these great offers in Harmony:
AT THE CLUB
Environmental Stress – Bright lights, noise, pollution, etc.
Chemical Stress – Junk food, medication, artificial
stimulants, etc.
Some common physical symptoms that manifest itself
are headaches, raised blood pressure, sleep disturbances,
fatigue, muscle tension and more.
Similarly, common emotional or psychological symptoms
are anger, irritability, panic attacks, anxiety & insomnia
among others.
as predominantly negative. So the question then arises – is
there really such a thing as positive stress? Well, the Jury
is still out, but let’s have a sneak peek at the dictionary
definition of stress.
‘Stress is a constraining or impelling force, effort or
demand upon physical or mental energy.’
By this definition stress can be either Positive stress or
Negative stress. The impelling force that influences a
higher state of mind is positive stress. The constraining
force that influences emotions like fear or anxiety and/
or inhibits physical capability is most certainly negative
stress. Yet, the key for us is not so much in the definition
TCM 28
But the thing to remember is ‘it is how we perceive and
respond to external factors that determines us being
stressed or not.’ If we can identify the triggers, that’s half
the battle won. The rest of the battle is in neutralizing the
effects of any negative stress before it becomes critical to
our own state of wellness. For some it is music, for others
it could be a walk on the beach, a visit to the gym, getting
a relaxing massage or reading a book.
There is an old cliché that goes like this; “Don’t sweat the
small stuff, and it’s all small stuff!” We need to find what
connects with us and can take us to that place of serene
calm where Mind, Body and Spirit are in Harmony.
June
August
In preparation for the
holiday season, have
a full Spray Tan and
Body Scrub for 300 Dhs
Take time out pre or post holiday to relax with a
Thermal stamping treatment inclusive of a 1/2 hour
body massage, a full body exfoliation scrub and a
body wrap for 300 Dhs (normally 370 Dhs)
Tantruth
July
Before you jet off, make
sure your manicure will
last the distance with a
Gel Polish. Plain colour
manicure for 80 Dhs
(normally 100 Dhs) or
French manicure for 100
Dhs (normally 120 Dhs)
Spaces are limited so early bookings are advised.
Please contact Harmony on 02 673 1111 to find
out more and make an appointment.
Some ways to help us reach that stage are:
Meditate: Find our place in the universe and focus on the
TCM 29
Recreation
Recreation
from recreation
What an amazing 50th Birthday
Weekend!
Thanks to Members for making
this weekend a great success. I
would also like to thank all the
participants who took part in the
Dance Around The Clock and
helped raise Funds for MSF. Special
thanks to the energetic Team
Captains (Fiona Rough, William
Duff, Helen Day and Aravindan
Muthulingam) and the support of
our corporate sponsors.
March was packed with events
and activities in celebration of The
Club’s 50th Anniversary. We had a
great Jubilee Tennis Championship
for Juniors and Adults followed by
an excellent Exhibition match between four top ranking
ATP players from PSS. Members will enjoy more Jubilee
Sports events in the coming months including Swimming,
Squash, Diving and Fitness.
The Gym is getting busier just before we start taking our
summer holidays. For this reason, I would like to invite
you to a compact seminar in June full of Fitness ideas
and functional training tips: ‘Stay Fit While Travelling’.
All Members are welcome to attend this seminar before
boarding your holiday flights to help you control your
waist size while having a good time. Meanwhile, we will
keep you busy in May with our new Functional Training
tool for group and individual sessions, the TRX Suspension
Trainer. Our Personal Training Team are now qualified
TRX Trainers and happy to show you how to use it and
move to a different level of Fitness Training by using your
body as a resistance weight.
‘What SUP’! I am sure most of you will have seen
Members on Stand Up Paddle boards on our Main Beach
on weekends. This piece of water sports equipment is still
HOT… so we encourage you to try it, it’s FREE!
Good news for Gym users… we have a new member of the
team in the Gym. With more than ten years experience
in the Fitness Industry and running his own Gym in the
Philippines, Melencio, or JR as he is known, is a great
asset to our Gym Team. His main role is to support and
motivate everyone during your workouts in the Gym. So
if you need assistance in the Gym, JR and the rest of our
Fitness Team are happy to help – please just ask!
Congratulations to the Gym Members of the Month
Vanessa Sheila Aldred and Barry Pincombe for their
outstanding results and commitment to get fitter. For the
Gym Challenge, we have two winners who take fitness
very seriously and are always ready for any monthly
challenges - well done to Irina Foster and Richard Palmer.
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all
Gym Members to try our monthly Gym Challenges as we
design them to suit all levels and ages above 16.
Congratulations to Mohamed our swimming coach and
our Junior Swimming Team. They have done it again by
winning the Swim America 3rd Swimming Gala. The Club
was awarded first place by winning 32 medals: 18 gold, 9
silver and 5 bronze with only 13 Junior Swimmers from
The Club.
Following our successful Easter Camp, Aileen Graham,
Sophie Malt and FUNfORCE have put together an exciting
programme for Summer Camp full of new physical and
intellectually stimulating games and activities. This year
the camp will run from 24th June to 30th August. Please
make early bookings for your children.
Whether you are staying in the UAE or going away for
the summer holiday, join our 2012 Fitness Olympics
Challenge from June to August. Registration forms will be
available at Health Complex from May.
Healthy regards
Lotfi Hamrouni
[email protected]
geoff’s top 5 training
‘don’ts’
G
eoff Dolbey, Personal Trainer has been working
at The Club for 2 years. Originally from South
Africa, Geoff brings his love of fitness to help keep
Club Members in the best shape. Geoff sees a number of
common mistakes in people’s gym routines and shares
these with you to help improve your workout.
Bull riding
Holding on to the treadmill handles not only decreases
intensity and lowers chances of burning fat, but also leads
to long term hip and posture problems.
Insufficient intensity
Believe it or not, it is possible for someone to get better
gains in the gym during a period of 45 minutes than it
is for another being in the gym for 3 hours. Up your
intensity, burn more fat, build more muscle, go home.
Same old lifts
Keeping your body guessing helps avoid plateaus.
Keeping a journal of your
exercise history will help you
come prepared and following
a different workout routine
than the one before.
Cheating
your gains
Doing a bicep curl with a swing in the back takes stress
off the target muscle group. So unless that day’s training
technique is to use cheating to push yourself past the
point of failure, do not let it prevent you from your gains.
Slave to cardio
Cardio is effective for burning calories, but your body
immediately stops the fat burning process as soon as
aerobic activity comes to a halt. This is where resistance
training comes into play. During muscle recovery after
anaerobic (resistance) training, the body burns fat for up
to 48 HOURS.
wellness package
All Gym Members are entitled to receive a complimentary
Wellness Package – just pop into the Gym to collect yours!
The Wellness Package includes passes for six complimentary Fitness
Classes and four complimentary personal fitness evaluations.
Please contact the Health Complex for more information.
TCM 30
TCM 31
Sub Sections
Sub Sections
diving section
sailing section
I
t was a night for the stars at the annual Commodore’s
Ball of the Abu Dhabi Sailing Club (ADSC) when
the sailing sub-section honoured its champions (the
table of winners is below). This year we also recognised
our longest-standing member, Nick Benge, with a
commissioned work of art and life membership of the
section.
ADSC has been active in several regattas across Abu Dhabi
recently winning important prize money for the club and
maintaining our excellent profile within the Abu Dhabi
sailing community. More importantly, our club is now
fielding an Optimist fleet at the regattas for the first time.
This is a crowning achievement of the training programme
we began in 2010, which has now produced a fine crop of
capable young sailors.
who is leaving Abu Dhabi this month, enjoyed a magical
farewell on his sail back to The Club. In his words: “As we
closed the harbour wall off Mina port a few grey backs
surfaced in front of us. There followed a superb show by a
pod of over 12 dolphins, 4 in particular repeatedly taking
up station off our port quarter and then racing in at full tilt
to roll under the boat and look up at us.” We wish Steve
all the very best in the future.
Every year the Abu Dhabi Government holds a week-long
watersports festival at Mirfa, in the Western Region. This
year we were treated with a spectacular fireworks display,
a lightening storm overnight and some fabulous winds.
Mark Henderson and Clare Graham scored second in the
two handed dinghy class, while Ron Heyselaar and John
Mitchell-Ross came third. Miranda Ashby brought home
prize money and a third place trophy in the Optimist
Junior class.
Congratulations to our champions and fair winds!
Tom Ashby
Commodore
ABU DHABI SAILING CLUB CHAMPIONS IN 2011
MOST IMPROVED SINGLE HANDED HELM
Blake Redding
Photo © Copyright Victoria Ashby
In February, ADSC hosted our own annual Laser Regatta in
honour of The Club’s Golden Jubilee. This event gets better
every year and 2012 was no exception with more than
50 boats on the start line and a tremendous participation
by UAE national sailors from Emirates Heritage Club,
Sharjah, the UAE Navy and Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht
Club. This two-day regatta is the only Laser event in the
country, and received generous support from Turner &
Townsend, The Club and Laser Performance.
At the Emirates Open regatta on April 6-7 held at Marina
Mall, our Optimist racing team, the “Flyers”, had their
first major outing of the year. Eoin Collier, Jean-Luc
de Montrichard, Natasha Rust, Mattheus Walcher and
Miranda Ashby fended off competition from the best
young sailors in the country to place between 11th and
25th in the Optimist class, while Miranda also scooped
2nd place in the Junior Optimist class.
In the adult section, ADSC dominated the field with 9
boats on the starting line out of a total of 10 entries. We
also featured on the podium, with a particularly notable
performance by Steve Thomson and Clare Graham, who
boldly fended off a Dubai sailor to take first prize. Steve,
TCM 32
MOST IMPROVED TWO HANDED HELM
Ian Grant
MCGREGOR’S CUP
RUNNER UP TO COMMODORE’S CUP
First Helm – Malcolm Milne
First Crew – Helen Cahill
TELEGRAPH SERIES
First Two Handed Helm – Peter Tonkin
First Two Handed Crew – Val Owen
First Single Handed Helm – Amer Hamze
RENSHAW SILVER SALVER – MONTHLY MUG SERIES
First Two Handed Helm – John Byers
First Two Handed Crew – Helen Cahill
First Single Handed Helm – Amer Hamze
Not a BSAC Diver…Not a problem.
ADSAC welcomes divers from all dive organisations.
Have a look at the table below and see what your qualification crosses over to.
For more information please contact Keith Carter 050 8143820 or Jane Taylor 055 4256590
DIVER TRAINING ORGANISATION
BSAC QUALIFICATION
All ‘entry level’ qualifications (which typically do not include rescue training) such as:
Ocean Diver
CMAS One Star Diver
NASDS Open Water and Advanced Open Water Diver
NAUI Scuba Diver and Advanced Scuba Diver
PADI Open Water Diver
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver/AOWD Plus
Royal Navy Ships Diver
SAA Open Water Diver
SSI Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver
All ‘second level’ qualifications (which must include rescue training) such as:
Sports Diver
CMAS Two Star Diver
HSE Commercial Diver:
HSE Scuba Diver/HSE Surface Supply Diver/HSE Surface Supply (Top Up) Diver/HSE
Closed Bell Diver (formely HSE Part 4,3,1 & 2 respectively)
NASDS Rescue Diver
NAUI Scuba Rescue Diver
PADI Rescue Diver
SAA Club Diver
SSAC Third Class Diver/Sports Diver
SSI Advanced Open Water Diver with ‘Stress and Rescue’ Speciality
Army Compressed Air Diver
All ‘Third Level’qualifications (which must include dive leadership training) such as:
NASDS Dive Supervisor
NAUI Dive Master
PADI Dive Master
SAA Dive Leader
SSI Dive Control Specialist
Any higher level of qualification, such as:
CMAS Three Star Diver
SAA Dive Supervisor
SSAC Second Class Diver/Master Diver
Dive Leader
Advanced Diver
Because of the variation allowed in training for the higher qualifications awarded by US
diver training agencies, BSAC is unable to accept them as being of a similar standard to
BSAC Advanced Diver.
However Branch Diving Officers can judge additional experience and training on a caseby-case basis.
COMMODORE’S CUP
SCRATCH MONTHLY MUG SERIES FOR 2 HANDED
DINGHIES
First Two Handed Helm – Peter Tonkin
First Two Handed Crew – Bob Louch
COMMODORE’S CUP – SCRATCH MONTHLY MUG
SERIES FOR SINGLE HANDED DINGHIES
First Single Handed Helm – Amer Hamze
TCM 33
Sub Sections
Sub Sections
squash section
F
amily day was Friday 9th March. Four teams
competed on the squash courts from 1400-1600,
with each team allowed to play a joker, which
involved opponents playing with balloons attached to
racquets, a virtually impossible handicap. This mayhem,
devised by Mark, was followed by a cruise on the Luluwa.
We returned to The Club for food and a quiz.
The Blue team, pictured, was victorious. The participation
of so many juniors, many of whom had played last year
and now returned to display considerably improved skills,
was very heartening. Many thanks to Mark Griffin &
Rob Garner for getting so many juniors involved, as they
continue to do every Friday morning.
tennis section
The Golden Jubilee Club Tournament is scheduled for
the weekends of 20th/21st & 26th/27th April. Further
details, including all winners & runners-up in the various
categories, will be in the next TCM. The veterans’
tournament is being organized by Arthur Lear; again more
details in the next issue.
Dear All,
Social squash continues every Monday 1740 onwards; as
ever, all welcome.
I would like to send a big thanks to Mr. Mike McGrath
for his contribution and support as well as to Mr. Lotfi
Hamrouni for his assistance during the period of the
Championship and particularly for the excellent Closure
Ceremony which we had on 23rd of March, Friday.
Hedley Butterfield
Chairman
Squash Section
On behalf of the Club Tennis Committee, I would like to
thank to all participants and the Club Health Complex
Staff for their excellent cooperation and assistance during
The Club 50th Tennis Jubilee 2012.
After 30 days of competition, on Friday 23rd March
we have reached the end with an excellent Tennis ProExhibition between 4 ATP Players, Sigi, Peter, Walid &
Hissam.
We watched a very exiting Doubles match between Sigi &
Peter vs Walid & Hissam (the winners).
We have all enjoyed the very high standard of tennis.
The results of the Club Championship are as follows:
JUNIOR UNDER 12
snooker section
Winner:Abdullah Al Sahli
Runner-up:Ms Hanna Carroll
T
Winner:Antony Henein
Runner-up:Ms Mathilde Parlant
JUNIOR UNDER 15
he snooker section welcomes anyone
who is interested in the game. At The
Club we are fortunate to have a superb
environment in which to enjoy a few frames.
The traditionally styled, wood panelled snooker
room is dimly lit, air-conditioned, has three
recently refurbished tables and a direct phone
line to the bar.
Tuesday night is social snooker night. From 7.30
until late Members pit their skills against each
other in an atmosphere of sociable competition.
A handicap system is used and a league table is
updated after each week’s action. At the end of
the season, trophies are awarded in a variety of
categories.
For those Members who need more than one weekly
fix the room is available during regular Club hours. You
may collect the room key, balls and cues from the Health
Complex Reception. If you are a snooker section Member
there is no charge. A nominal fee is charged for nonsection Members.
TCM 34
ADULT MEN’S
Winner:Mohammed Azmy
Runner-up:Denis Parlant
VETERANS’
Winner:Clifford Stamp
Runner-up:Magdy Hafez
MEN’S DOUBLES
Winner:Steffano Della Bella & Ish Fatani
Runner-up:Robert Majer & Cristian Sucu
Watch this space for details of our upcoming inaugural
Open Championship.
If you need any further information about the snooker
facilities, please contact section Chairman Eamonn
McCormick on 050 667 1853 or Recreation Manager
Lotfi Hamrouni on 02 673 1111.
MIXED DOUBLES
Winner:Denis Parlant & Sara Ameri
Runner-up:Jordan Ayanoglou & Gitte O’Toole.
A big thanks to all the ball boys & girls for their excellent
work during the finals.
I would like to thank all league Club players for their
participation and The Club Management for their support
during the long league period.
The Club Mixed Doubles Team finished as 1st Runnerup and in the Women’s Division The Club’s Ladies’ Team
finished as 2nd Runner-up.
I would like to inform you that starting from this year
and for the first time we will organize a Social Tennis
Championship for the Tennis Section Members only.
More details of this tournament will be announced soon.
Tennis Section members up to this date are 175.
Thank you very much to all of you.
On behalf of the Tennis Committee,
Congratulations to All Finalists & Winners of this
Tournament.
Jordan D.Ayanoglou
Chairman - Club Tennis Section
TCM 35
Sub Sections
Sub Sections
adds
library news
fter our successes with the
Browning Version in March,
we raced on to the Titanic Commemorative
Dinner which everyone agreed went down very well.
We are already girding our loins for the next stage
extravaganza namely DAD’s Army which will run from
6th – 8th June. It will be theatre seating on Wednesday
6th for the opening night and then dinner and the show
on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th. Come along to see how
Captain Mainwaring and the platoon deal with a Nazi
U-Boat crew, in Deadly Attachment and what happens
when the ladies of Walmington-on Sea are enlisted to
form “Mum’s Army”. And if that weren’t enough you can
witness the clash of the titans as Captain Mainwaring and
Chief Warden Hodges battle over control of the church
choir. All the usual suspects will be there Jonesy (and
his sausages), Stupid boy Pike (and his scarf), Fraser the
undertaker (and his voice of doom), Sergeant Wilson will
be floating around somewhere trying to prevent Captain
Mainwaring from making a complete fool of himself,
if you need a bottle of whisky or some nylons you can
catch up with Private Walker after the show and if you
get caught short during the performance you’ll probably
id you know that you can join the Library
sub section part way through the year? The
membership fee is calculated on a pro rata
basis so if you were to join in May the subscription
would be just Dhs 200 this will cover you and
your family until the end of the year and you are
then able to borrow up to 8 hardback books and
paperbacks to enjoy as well as a range of DVDs to
choose from including some of the latest releases.
A
D
run into Private Godfrey unless Captain Mainwaring is
insisting he stays at his post. We’re set for an evening of
delightful nostalgia on so many levels. We hope you will
come along and enjoy the show. And while I have your
attention, watch out for Battle of Britain commemoration
day on Friday 14th September – shake the mothballs out
of your old WAAF uniforms, find your goggles and flying
helmet and join us for a 1940s evening, to remember the
few.
Why don’t you come up for a visit to The Library
and see what we have on offer? The Library is open
every day from 10.00 am
That’s all for now folks!
THE ARTIST
Robert Liddington - ADDS Chairman
CALL THE MIDWIFE
Recently purchased DVD titles include:
SHERLOCK SERIES 2
THE IRON LADY
(probably)
good enough
Because we’re all just doing the
best we can
S
ometimes myths are a bunch of boloney. There is no
such thing as brownies, no one’s garden gnomes are
secretly alive and no one has ever actually woken up
in a bathtub full of ice to discover their liver has been stolen.
For all the legends that are pure fiction, there’s one that’s a
cold hard fact of life – mummy brain.
Every mother knows that the moment you give birth, your
grey matter gets realigned. That percentage of your mind
you once kept in reserve for remembering things like where
you left your car keys and peripheral vision now goes to
your children. Whether they’re in your care or not, those
little ones are ALWAYS on your mind.
So what happened last night was not entirely my fault. My
husband and I were out and when we stopped to put petrol
in the car, I ran inside the shop. When I came back out, this
is the series of questions that went through my mind:
1. (in the parking lot) Who is that woman in the other car
chatting to my husband?
EARTH FLIGHT
DOC MARTIN SERIES 5
2. (approaching the car) Why is the car so dirty when we just
washed it today?
SPOOKS SERIES 10
3. (sliding into the passenger seat) What are all these papers
doing in this seat?
PETER PAN
UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS
4. (turning to my husband) Who is that strange man and why
is he getting into my car?
COWBOYS & ALIENS
5. (sitting with mouth agape) THIS IS NOT MY CAR!!!
TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER SPY
RABBIT HOLE
TINTIN, THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN
To allow the person behind him access to the pump, my
husband had helpfully pulled up to the door of the shop – I
had, in fact, walked right past him and even though he was
madly honking the horn and I actually bumped into my
car, I still didn’t see him and walked right on by to get into
another man’s car.
Mummy brain at its finest – watch out, world.
LIBRARY TIMINGS
Sunday to Thursday Friday and Saturday TCM 36
10.00 to 20.00
10.00 to 19.00
Laura Fulton is a former
Member of The Club and
Abu Dhabi Week columnist.
Laura’s book Naked in the
Driveway is available in
The Club’s Goodies shop.
To find out more and check out Laura’s
blog, visit www.laurafulton.org.
TCM 27
00
Swimming
Juniors
The year so far!
the club’s swimming
champs did it again!
The Club’s Junior Swimming
Team has won first place in
Al Jazzira Club Swimming
Competition by winning 32
medals: 18 Gold medals, 9
Silver medals and 5 Bronze
medals. Congratulations
to our coach Mohamed El
Shazly and our 13 Junior
Swimming champions.
‘fun at Easter’
Trying some
thing new!
Having a ball o
Raci
!
n court!
Don’t miss the
photos of
the Birthday W
eekend
on pages 11 to 1
7 too!
TCM 32
ad
e
h
a
ng
ook at
n faceb ews
o
s
u
Join
s for n
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badkid
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/
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www.f about kid’s a
TCM 39
Juniors
The baby elephant is hungry.
Can you help him get the bananas?
Pretzels
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 tbsp. yeast
• ½ c. warm water
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1-1/3 c. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
DIRECTIONS
:
° Celsius).
s.
for 5 minute
e mixture sit
th
t
le
en
th
,
little
Preh
honey. Stir a
bubbly.
e water and
th
h
it
w
l
re and a little
w
fo
bo
be
l
al
an
sm
th
l.
a
gger
bow
ast in
should be bi
er in a large
1. Put the ye
t mixture. It
d salt togeth
as
an
r
ye
it’s still a
e
ou
th
fl
e
on
th
2. Mix
is ready when
up, check
e
gh
u
ar
s
do
.
te
e
re
u
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in
tu
ds.
5m
mix
ith your han
our and salt
3. After the
ll.
art. Finish w
ture to the fl
st
ix
m
to
n
is
th
to one big ba
oo
sp
dd
A
er. Use a
. Knead it in
th
ay
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cl
n
to
h
in
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sk
w
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it into
playin
4. Stir everyt
ands to roll
like you are
aky.
h
fl
it
r
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kn
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m
.
ll
little cru
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a big gumba
ugh on the cu
t the size of
ou
ab
’s
at
e.
th
5. Put the do
ap
ugh
l sh
a piece of do
m-size pretze
!
6. Break off
into a mediu
d take a bite
e
an
ak
sn
ol
e
co
th
t
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is
th
Tw
t
&
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s.
snak
10 minute
r pretzels for
8. Bake you
to 325° Fa
eat the oven
hrenheit (165
Serves: 12
2
t
s
u
g
u
A
t
s
1
3
o
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4th Jun
Look out for more in
TCM 40
Ages 5-12
Non-stop fun throughout the summer
formation coming so
on!
Joke Corner!
t?
a
c
k
c
la
b
a
e
e
s
o
t
When is it bad luck
When you’re a mouse!
What time is it w
h
en an elephant sit
Time to get a new fence!
s on your fence
?
Juniors
Dot to Dot and
Colouring Corner
TCM 42
Receive up to
AED 1500*
as TouchPoints when you
open a UAE and Offshore
relationship with ADCB
IF YOU WANT TO RETIRE
TO A SMALL, OFFSHORE ISLAND,
CONSIDER SENDING YOUR
MONEY TO ONE FIRST.
OFFSHORE BANKING
Security for the future. It’s what all ambitious people aspire to, and, as a member of
The Club, we are offering you an exclusive opportunity to receive up to AED1,500 as
TouchPoints when you open a UAE and Offshore relationship with ADCB.
Our Offshore Banking Jersey branch offers attractive interest rates of up to 3% p.a
on Offshore GBP/ USD fixed deposits* and is accessible via our award - winning online
banking facility or in branches and ATMs throughout the UAE. To find out more about
the peace of mind it offers, visit adcb.com/jersey2, call 800 2030 or SMS JERSEY2
to 2626.
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC, Jersey Branch (“ADCB Jersey”), is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. Its principal place of business in Jersey is at:
25 Esplanade, St Helier, JE1 2AB. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank’s latest financial statements may be viewed at www.adcb.com. ADCB Jersey is a participant in the Jersey
Bank Depositors Compensation Scheme. The Scheme offers protection for eligible deposits of up to £50,000. The maximum total amount of compensation is capped at
£100,000,000 in any 5 year period. Full details of the Scheme and banking groups covered are available on the States of Jersey website: www.gov.je/dcs or on request.
* Terms and Conditions apply.
Offer valid until 15th May 2012.