| Dear member We are delighted to invite you back to the Northern Club, as we re-open the club on Monday 12th April. After what seems like a very, very long winter, locked down and with nowhere to go, next week we will finally be able to get together and enjoy a drink and some sport at our club, albeit outside only to begin with. Weather permitting, the bar will be open for outdoor-only service at the following times: Monday 12th to Thursday 15th: 3.00-9.00pm Friday 16th: 3.00-10.00pm Saturday 17th: 12.00-10.00pm Sunday 18th: 12.00-9.00pm A barbeque will be available on Monday 12th from 4.00-8.00pm and bar snacks will be available on Fridays and Saturdays. Our outdoor operation does, of course, come with some new rules: Service will be only for members with a valid membership card and their immediate guests, with groups limited to a maximum of 6, or no more than two households seated together. All persons MUST be seated, with table service only in operation. We are not taking table reservations, so it is first come first served. We have invested in additional outdoor furniture at the Club, however this is still limited, and you will be welcome to bring your own chairs to use if all are taken. People standing up will not be served. Under the new regulations, ALL persons aged 16 and over MUST record details for track and trace purposes. Members can use their membership cards, ALL OTHER PERSONS aged over 16 must register each visit, either by registering using the NHS COVID-19 app or a physical sign-in register where contact details must be provided. Staff will take your order at your table, and will ask you and all of your party to register before placing your first order. The staff will take your order at the table using portable tablets, and your order will be delivered directly to your table. Card payments are strongly preferred, and membership cards must be presented to benefit from the members’ discounts. The toilets will be open in the clubhouse. Ladies should use the toilets in the Lounge, and Men should use the toilets off the main bar. Face coverings are compulsory when inside the clubhouse, which should be for the sole purpose of using the toilets. Please observe these rules. We are a members’ club and the restrictions we are required to follow are a major challenge to the staff and officers of the club, so we rely very much on the goodwill and cooperation of our members and guests to be able to operate safely and securely within the regulations. As we live in Britain, we must prepare for uncooperative weather. In the event of rain, storms, sleet or snow – or possibly all at the same time – there will be no shelter available in the clubhouse, and very limited shelter in our temporary marquee, where social distancing must be maintained. Members should come prepared for such eventualities, and ready to return to your cars or home should the weather intervene. We hope for unbroken sunshine. We also very much welcome the return of sporting activity at the club. Friendly cricket matches are planned for each weekend in April, with league cricket starting at the end of the month; league hockey has returned for our men and women, with juniors also back in training; the bowling greens are open and already seeing some action. Even squash returns in limited format on 12th April for household play, junior organised squash and coaching, though full reopening of squash and racquetball must wait until 17th May. It is an absolute pleasure to see our Club back in operation, and I am very much looking forward to welcoming you back. Kind regards Graham Kerr President  |
