4 minute read
Club re-opening
The Farmers Club is fully open
After an unprecedented period of closure, due to the Covid19 lockdown, your homefrom-home Club is fully open once again. Virginia Masser welcomes you back
FRIDAY 20th March was a strange, bizarre and emotional day. No-one on the team could ever have dreamt that we would have to temporarily close the Club, least of all due to a worldwide pandemic.
We locked things away, tidied up, cleaned, shut equipment down, turned off all the lights and locked the doors. Some took laptops and paperwork home with them. The worst part was not knowing when we would be returning – there was no end date.
Club preparation
Maintenance checks on the Club took place during lockdown and nearing what we thought might be light at the end of the long Covid19 tunnel some small groups of the team visited the Club to carry out necessary preparation tasks. During this time visiting the empty Club was a sad, dark and lonely experience – its life and soul momentarily paused.
However, after what seemed like an endless 15 weeks, we had a reopening date and planned the start of “Set up Week” on 6th July when a small team were on site getting the Club ready. It was a great feeling to open all the windows and let the fresh air in, turn on all the lights, unlock all the cupboards, wipe away the dust and bring the Club back to life, including the replanting of the Terrace and a final touch of beautiful freshly cut flowers.
On Monday, 13th of July, we declared the Club open!
Life and soul
Occupancy was slow to start and whilst the smaller team that returned were delighted to be back, the full life and soul of the Club needed you to come through the doors. Financially, the Club has suffered dramatically and the Club is just not home from home without all of you.
Many of you wrote to us during lockdown to say you were desperately in need of a break away from home, were missing the Club breakfast and food in general, wanted to meet with friends and family, and since then we have been able to venture out (in line with any current Government Guidelines of course) a little more.
Attractions open
So why not come to the Club for a couple of days. There are many London attractions that have now re-opened, including museums and galleries, to name but a few, and the Club has run some small Club events as part of The Farmers Club Summer Series. The Restaurant has been welcoming members back who’ve missed our Simply Cooked, Seasonal Quality British Food.
To catch up with friends and family for those missed celebrations, or for those quite simply fed up with clunky ZOOM and TEAMS meetings, book a Conference & Banqueting room for a face to face interactive, productive meeting.
• Book Bedroom reservations on 0207 930 3557 option 2 or email reservations@thefarmersclub.com • Book Restaurant reservations on 0207 930 3557 option 3 or email restaurant@thefarmersclub.com • Book Function rooms for a family get together or catch-up with colleagues by calling Liza on 0207 925 7100 or email functions@thefarmersclub.com
Ladies and gentlemen, your home from home awaits…
FUNCTION ROOMS... in a world emerging from Covid19
In lockdown the world shifted, we had to do things differently, and technology was a saving grace to communicate with friends, family and colleagues. As we emerge from Covid19 some newly found processes have of course to be continued. However, many of you are fed up with clunky TEAMS and ZOOM meetings where you can only see the faces of the attendees, you can’t judge all important body language, you can hear the dog, the kettle, the screaming baby, you are constantly looking at a computer screen and the signal continually drops out…!
When Project CREST was designed and then completed back in 2016 it included the creation and upgrade of the Function facilities in the Club and the accompanying technology.
The Farmers Suite can be split into the Cumber and the Hudson rooms by pulling across the dividing London Wall, which has a 60 decibel sound-proof rating. The suite also provides the following technology and facilities: BOSE sound system 3 table-top radio microphones Laptops and audio visual can link to sound system and 3 screens around room iPhone connectivity to sound system for play/display on 3 screens Wi-Fi Booster Pull-down white blinds on window at back of Hudson and window in Cumber – for black-out and presentations Telephone points Cat 6 cabling 30 Amp power for largest presentations and many laptops Camera for video conference calls
The Committee and Forty Rooms are also available to hire, and laptops can be linked to the screens in each room.
So, whatever your requirements, the team are on hand to assist you and ensure the smooth running of your Function.
