eĂgn Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong
WM The Officers: President:
Fl ublished monthlY as
J'
AnthonY Paul
iespondents' Club of Hong Kong. Offices at 15th Floor,
Fìrst Vice
President:
Derek Davies
Second Vice
Presídent: Treasurer: Secretary:
William Stubbs TonY Scott William Stubbs
The Staff: Editors:
Bert OkuleY Kevin Sinclair Saul Lockhart Photographer.' Hugh Van Es
Advertising: Productìon:
an
organ of the Fore(¡n Cor-
OUR COVER The cover this month shows FCC members Barbara and Gilbert
Donnay, owners of sPrint sensation
Gavroche, leading him into the winner's circle at HaPPY ValleY.
The jockey is Geoff Lewis' Gavroche has streaked to three successive wins at Shatin and Happy Valley this season - all at
Sutherland House,
3
Chater
Road, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-
237734 and
5-233OO3.
Cables: CORCLUB HONG
6
l.¡
KONG. Address. all correspondence to: Ediior, Foreigrl
Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong, I Stl.t' Floor, Sutherhnd Hogse,,? Clnreq' Road, Hong Kong' Adver-
attractive odds.
NidaCranbourne Raj GuPta
Pasteup Artist.' K.W. Chan
Faclory Building,
Ground Floor, Block A, 14, Westlands Road, OuarrY BaY, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-622271-7 '
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The event not to be missed. European s¡zes at low low Prices-
I
ilca
FCC
lavadesShatln
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The opening of the new face
track at Shatin on October 7¡ip¡oved a red letter day for FCC mémbers
who crowded the Cluó
loge,
particularly for those who plunged on Gavroche, owned by members Gilbert and Barbara Donnay. It paid 7-1 , a generous.benefit
for those who took the Donnays advice and bet on the horse.
Just before the race,
the
Donnays gave the benefit of their
advice
to Bert
Okuley and Kevin
Sinclair.
"Get on him," they said.
Okuley did and won a bundle. Sinclair knew better and lost. Facilities in the loge left a lot to be desired on the first day because of teething difficulties. The Club has had discussions with the Jockey Club and has been assured that food and drink service will be vastly improved and other improvements,
such as folding tables, will make the loge area more comfortable for visitors, it is hoped. Despite the difficulties, the first day proved exciting, especially for the beginners like Hugh Van Es and manager Mike Winslow, who was there to see how service to FCC
members
in the loge could
be
im proved.
Van Es provided
much
entertainment to the hardened old pros by pointing to the totalisator
and asking: "What the hell
is
THAT?''
The mysteries of investing onยก
explained. "You mean," he
q
horses were
asked
incredulously "if you bet on number seven and number 1 1 at the same tยกme, you get paid four thousand bucks for ten bucks?" Yes, Hugh, that's right.
"Holy
shit
I Well, why
isn't
everyone buying that?" Because, Hugh, it can't PossiblY win, number 7 is very old and slow
and number 11 is a cripple nobody thinks the quinella come home and that is whY
and can
it
is
paying a lot of money.
"But . . ." "Shut up, Van
Es, we're trying to bet." Number seven and 11 dutifullY
came tn.
Van Es fortunately had not bet on it or he would likely have been beaten to death with his own cameras, (Continued on Page 8)
heavily subsidised by members' entrance fees and subscriptions,
and there has been no
recent
attempt to save for a rainy day. Our last improvement of the premises in
lease renewal.
early 1977, which you are now enjoying, cost $460,000 and
the end of this lease we will
A former treasurer,
Gerry Simmel, commented on this at the
last Annual General Meeting,
and
the Board undertook to something Club could $5OO,OOO
thousand,
do about it. As of today, the write a cheque for about give or take a hundred and have it honoured
without running into cash flow
I hoped that having sent all members a circular letter advising them of the $35 raise in monthly subscriptions and then rushing off on leave, the resultant furore would have died down by the time I came back. Of course, it hasn't entirely.
The raise, as approved by the
Board, was made on
the
recommendation of the Long Range Planning Committee. The Committee first tried to finance the
purchase
of our own
premises. During the process of deciding how
much this would cost, we got professional advice on the probable
fitting out costs for a new Club. As
you know, the purchase plan fell through. Not only could we not afford the money, but there was no room for us in the new building anyway.
The Committee then looked at other alternatives available. Any of
these, including staying in our
present premises, involved the Club being able to afford refitting in the
future. New premises would be little better than a bare shell and extensive fitting out wou ld be required. Our existing fittings in our
present premises
will
deteriorate with the passage of time and use. The advice we were given is that
problems.
It is clear, therefore, that unless
the membership want to risk themselves sitting on the kerb outside Sutherland House in 2/z years if the landlord decides not to renegotiate the lease, we have to find between $1 and $1.5 million. Your $35 contributions, which will be held in a special account, will produce $400,000 annually which will give us $1 million by the expiry
than having to wait until we
it would be gambling with
the
future of your Club not to assume the worst.
It has been said by some that, by raising money now, we áre asking the present membership to pay for future Members' enjoyment of the Club. This comment presuþ¡roses that most of the finance reqúlred for
removal would be made aÉailaþle
to us by.a friendly banker
if, Jnd when we need it. Well, I have been talking to bankers <in vorii Lenar
recently, and I discovdred the following resounding truth
- banks, like God, help those who help themselves.
. _TONY SCOTT
/rnrry I
9leuotJ
\'\ Ot ,\'( 1:,\ III.R \Í.tl ltol I IQ( t
need
which had failed to plan in some measure towards its own future ! Finally, before you resign yourselves to having fo move in 2lz years, let me stress that this ¡s the The
probability is that we will be able to
negotiate
a
continuance
of
our
site. We ate reliably informed despite the Hong Kong Club's decision not to demolish its
are
building that redevelopment of our
profit basis. Food and drink
the
the money. The extra burden on the membership would be heavier and the banks would be less willing to advance money to an institution
worst that côuld happen.
a
bank as we have now. ln any event,
save now is decidedly more prudent
between $1.5 and $2 million. The policy of the Club has been, for some years, to run on a non-
feet we will probably
left with as much money in
come from increased Club profitability, the membership, or
need,
and
$2O0 per squaie foot for fitting out new premises and for the 10,OOO
lf we stay on for
further two years, we will be able to pay our own way and, perhaps, be
refitting. The extra finance could from a bank loan, but beginning to
have
barely enough money to outfit new
of the lease. Added to the $5OO,OOO we have, this may be less than what is required for
present lease for a further period at a higher rent. The length of that lease will depend very much on the timing of redevelopment of Sutherland House and the adjacent
we will need between $150
To sum up, if we have to move at
premises.
depleted our cash reseryes.
D
site will almost certainly take place eventually and that we should not count on more than a two-year
J. J.'
,
(ì 111\lO,\
rJtilüilìt Jttnt tr¡¡utttrrt
II()l.tsl l\t I'l
()(,R
II ortg Krng s I)tst!:ru'r ('tll,'ttn¡n¡
t
The Long Range Planning Committee, or LERP as it is affectionately known bY admirers and detractors, was formed bY the Board this year in response to a
resolution of the last Annual General Meeting.
A quick survey of the club membership showed that there was no lack of professional talent to sit on LERP, and several accountants, lawyers, property managers, estate valuers, and assorted civil servants volunteered, or were coerced, into
attending fortnightly
appointed
a
correspondent member to the Committee, none other than Hugh Van Es. LERP reports to the Board,
and it is ultimately the Board's responsibility to accept, change, or reject its recommendations.
tDRP
collective sanity, Max Lucas pointed out the obvious - we should buy premises if we could afford it, and look at other alter-
have joined the club because it is close to their offices or on their way home from work. Any re-location of
natives later.
It was quickly realized that, without the benefit of a
the club would have to take this ¡nto account. lf we opt to move to cheaper premises in say North Point, it would be hard to persuade
cumbersome questionnaire, a brief glance at the membershiP list
proves conclusively that
the
majority of our associate members
sessions
resembling a cross between an IBM Think Tank and Speaker's Corner at Hyde Park on a Sunday morning. ln order to inject a note of sanity into the proceedings, the Board of
Governors
about its task. Fortunately for our
PROJECTED INCOME
&
EXPEND¡TUN
For the purchase plan which failed, the Long Rahge Plannirlg Committee prepared the following figures on spending and financing which, we hope take into account all the probable costs
" 12
"24
"
¡');
f
,
($
"!"'
' 500,ooo) !¡,boo,ooo I soo,ooo 500,000 8,000,000
Balance payment on completion of premises
LERP promptly set about deciding its own fu nctions;
:
Ito,ooo,ooo t.
Purchase Price of Premises Represented by Down payment of cash available after 3 months during construction
involved.
$10.000.00o
forecasting finances, and drawing up detailed flowcharts of how to go
e*"çS,,
The frnest designed porcelain & crystal that money can buy For the year 1978 Bjorn Wiinblad has again designed the Christmas
F¡nance required in 2 years Represented by 3 Down Payments of $5O0,O00 Fitting out costs @ $150 p.s.f. Architect's fees @ 1 5% of fitting out costs Restoration of present premises @ $15 p.s.f. lnterest on $5O0,000 for 1 Year @ 1O%
The German financial journal C øpital commended Rosenthal Christmas Plates as a "good investment", and described them as "shares in porcelain".
The 1971 Christmas has
now
appreciated in value by more than 1,000 per cent.
The 1978 Plate is a collector's item and is available from the Rosenthal Studio shop in Ocean
Terminal (3-679285) or Prince's Building (5-238282)
great
demand, please collect yours early! 6
3,O2O,OOO
$
1,500,000 1,200,000 180,000
90,000 50,000
$
Plate.
As they will be in
s
Fund Raising for first 2 Years Represented
$
3,020,000
3,O2O,OOO
by-
Building Levy @ $35 x 94O members
790,000 940,000 360,000 150,000 500,000
over 24 months Debentures (mandatory) x $1,OO0 New Members Debentures @ 15 per month Funds from bsent Members Corporate Nominee Memberships x 50 lncrease initiation $250 x 1 5 per month over 24 months
90,000
Shortfall (c.f.)
190,000
$
3,020,000
inflation,
rates,
building
management costs, etc., this would
have committed the club to
the
membership to finance the move or to use the club after the
Unfortunately,
move.
When, therefore, we learned that
the Admiralty Site was ro
be
developed jointly by Cheung Kong
Holdings and
) I
the Mass
Transit
a
programme of expenditure of nearly $19 million over the next 18 years. The detailed costings and estimates are given in the box below.
(or
fortunatelY) asking
the plan fell through. The price rose by
3Oo/o,
and the tower might
block that we thought
accommodate us was completelY
article in lhis issue, is the result. Before continuing, you may like to know that various banks found various ways of saying "no" to our loan proposition. One thought that appeared utmost in one banker's mind was the prospect of having to foreclose ! As he put ¡t, "the publicity would kill us - it would be
worse than evicting a church !" LERP is currently mulling over the
suggestion that we join with others in the purchase of premises. lt may
be that other clubs,
organisations or
PURCHASE OF PREMISES Finance Required in Next Represented by
groups might wish to join with us in
1O
Years
!i15,55O,OOO
-
190,000
Capital loan over 1O years lnterest on capital @ 996
3,960,O00
Rates
1,OOO,OOO
Building Management @ $1 p.s.f. monthly Building Maintenance @ $2 p.s.f. annually Refurbishing of premises after 7 years
1,200,000
8,000,o00
1O
Years
Represented by Rent and rates of present premises over 1 0 years Current repair and maintenance expenditure over 1 O years Building fund (1,2OO x $35 per month) Air conditioning services @ $3,500 per month Corporate Nominee Memberships (say, 1O0 @ $2O,0OO) lncrease B & R prices 10% following move (: $25,000 per month x 1O years) lncrease initiation $SOO x 1 5 per month over 1 0 years Surplus
200,000 1,000,0o0
Railway Corporation, we first
our finances.
With scarcely a pause, various banks were approached for a loan of some $10 million. With interest, fitting out costs, air-conditioning,
pay
for
expensive
accommodation in Central 'jf our club is to continue tó serve the needs of the present memþership.
Problems of who would .marnage the building, in whom owlershiP will be vested and taxatioh would also have to be
solved.
I
$15,s00,000
Whatever the eventual solution, the re-location fund that we have now started will at least Permit us to move, as we must do, sooner or
$l5,sso,ooo
later. Long term leasing in Central, at a probable minimum rent not
$
will mean that a capital
much higher than what we now
4,320,000 240,OOO
5,040,000 410,000 2,0O0,000
3,000,000 900,ooo (360,000)
$15,550,000
expressed our interest as possible purchasers then, somewhat aghast, contemplated the present state of
occupying a building. lf ,this is so, then they will have to'be prepared
to
$
(b.f.) Shortfall from 2 year financing
Additional Revenue in Next
media professional
taken up by Sun Hung Kai. Back to square one. LERP considered the
PaY
raising
exercise involving debentures and higher prices for food and drink will, I hope, be unnecessary. lt is mY personal belief that, if called upon to invest in the Club's future to the
extent called for by our purchase plan, many members might take a hard look at the facts of life. Some of you will not be in Hong Kong for the next 15 or 20 years and some of you already belong to other clubs which provide more varied facilities than the FCC.
lf you think I or LERP wrong in th¡s assumption or anything else please tell us. The reaction to my circular letter concerning our
attempt to
purchase was Of the three
other alternatives available
surprisingly small.
realized that quickly in order not to let the
letters received, one supported the
present premises run down beyond
raising suggestion, and one writer called us "a bunch of well meaning
and the club needed cash
repair, or to outfit new premises. The raise in membership fees, as
discussed
in the
accompanying
plan, one made a constructive fund-
amateurs" and resigned membership.
-
his
Tony Scott 7
(Continued from Page 4)
Ardent race fan Barry Burton was almost buried under a
Attention Wits
print-out forms, binoculars and other vital accroutrements of the
lf you're a wit (or even half a onel it won't take you long to start composing your own
nter's art. Going inlo race two, he had five tickets riding on a fancied horse in
Limericks. This month The Correspondent
funnies.
kicks off with the following
directed to Tony Paul . . .
Ronk was plonked at the bar His arm by a bottle ajar D rinkin' helps thinkin'
Taiwan's just the perfect place While Peking's the end, a disgrace Whose thought are these, Eddíe Even Hua would go steady But then it's a matter of face
mounta¡n of form guides, computer
pu
the second leg of the daily double.
"Break out the champagne," he said, "as soon as Double V crosses the line." Double V, unfortunately, crossed
the line well back in the field,
after a minor tantrum,
and
Burton
admitted "lt's very disappointing."
Barry Sullivan was heard to mutter darkly as strange and peculiar horses won race after race. Aalon and Monique Lee, sitting quietly at the rear of the loge,
passed
on the benefit of
their information to others. lt wasn't until after the meet¡ng was over that
some of the more obtuse
FCC
members present realised they had picked winners or high-paying place
I think l'll get stinkin' He said; and he did; and by far
An amiable chappie named Burt Said please don't let my wrist hurt
Although I tilt My glass to the hilt 'Til my frame is quite inert To back the card would be Heaven Said a punter by name of Kevin But his luck is notorious
His horses laborious With no winnings his plight to leaven
samples.
Next month we're looking ¡ forward to more five-line Meanwhile, all writs to be
l'm going off Pernod a bit. Said Jackson, a gin inhis mitt It makes me so rowdy The oui oui gets
cloudy
And a man ends up tfc! a
:
twíí
;
Hardie's off the grog, they lried ì The drink's no longer his gtaidé The Blue Sky's gone'broke,: ' San Mig just might croak , Why I thought he'd sooner havedied
getters in almost every event. ln future, their words will be listened to with great respect. To the eternal disgust of those
who follow form, Philip Bowring (attending his first race meeting to cover the opening for the Asian Wall Street Journah picked the
0
outside winner of the first race.
He figured that on the world's most expensive race course, a nag named Money No Object was sure
to win. He was right, and
his
explanation of why his choice was
logical sent form-followers ¡nto
a
frenzy of grief and disbelief.
Club supervisor Sammy Cheng was foolish enough to bet on tips
provided by
Oku
ley
and
Sinclair. lnevitably, he lost.
One winner was the FCC. All costs of the loge for the season have already been covered by the sale of season badges, but b.ecause
demand
for the loge seating
is
expected to drop off as the season progresses, these are still on sale at
the club office for $50. So are tickets for single meetings, and guest tickets are available, space permitting. 8
t
Veteran British comedienne, Think of England" - to which FCC Dora Bryan, who starred in the members had special discount Hilton Playhouse dinner theatre tickets - spoke to an entertainment production of "Shut Your Eyes and luncheon October 6.
hang up lheir cues and slip out the back door.
However Ken "The Mongolian"
King was convinced that valour was the better part of discretion, returned and much to his own
Fr
surprise found himself on the black ball in the third game. W¡th a s¡gh of relief he managed to get it down without going in off and level the scores.
Tim 'Aaarrgh" Williams
and
Jeannie McChan proved a fine wee team and disposed of their opponents as did Keith "Surfers" Jackson and Eddie "Twinkletoes" Tseng, the latter making a fine
)
grandstand play in his ttiiid game. Steve 'Fast" Eddy must have had visions of his, prgyious championship match againsfi Kevin "G'day" Sinclair when he mêt the
ISth Floor Brigade Beats Pool Sports Centre Team and a lovely lady) team from the America Pool Sports Centre in
showed us just how easy the game is and with the able assistance of the lovely Norma, who completely captivated Messrs Roscoe Way and 'Tea and loast'McDougall, ran out comfortable winners in the first
Hung Hom.
game.
ln what Red Smith might
have
described as a 'runaway victory', the 18th floor brigade took on and defeated a six-man (sorry, five-man
The final result of seven matches to two, however, somewhat flattered the Correspondents as they hacked and hammered their way around the table.
ln the highest traditions of the sport they invited our guests to play our own version of the game called 'House Rules', and labouring under
this new form of the game the visitors not surprisingly found themselves at something of a disadvantage.
This long-awaited public display opened with a
of sporting ability
doubles match between a young
'shark' from Hung Hom called
Cheng Kwok Leung, 1 6, partnered
by their club ladies champion, Norma Harriss.
to
Young Cheng, probably destined
become another'Fast Eddie',
At this stage Messrs
young champion Cheng.. S¡eve threw a quick 8O Yantzet-Qefore losing two straight ' on thle pool table and another $50 closô to the bar. lncidentally, the only singles loss we suffered on the day. At last
reporl'Fast'Eddy had taken field hockey
up
!
Another doubles victory put the
issue beyond doubt, while Andy "Hoots Mon" Sloan - drawing the
lovely Norma
and
Les
"Roadrunner" Leston wrapped up King,
Jackson, Tseng and Eddy were seen disappearing ¡nto the library to
hard day's work and then beer and 7-up all
,ou!'ono,
it
a
was
,,o"n
evening
kes
FCC's 1 Sth and 18th floors on Tuesday evening, October 3rd and Thursday evening, October 5th. Strangers to our premises could be
4e
,nshíp
n
competition. Emerging victoiious late Thursday evening, after .hourô
of play, was UPITN's trlictrqJin, who received an " engraved
forgiven if they left with the impression we were a nice quiet
winner's cup for his Herculeañeffort
little club
forever on the FCC's Yantze Shield which hangs on the board by the 1 Sth floor bar.
good for meditating and snoozing a tropical evening away.
-
But on the 14th floor, 37 of the FCC's most stalwart and famous Yantze aficiondos gathered for the club's third Annual Yantze Cham-
pionship. The first and second rounds were played on Tuesday
and also had his name inscribed
Mike Holbeche came såcond, Eva Eddy third and Frank Hydes fourth while the Booby Prize went to none other than Keith Jackson. T
Good-bye
Lízooo It was one of the
happy/sad
occasions. Veteran Club Steward, Liz Eckersley, graciously accepted two club ties and a life membership
at her farewell party September 29th for eight long years of combat in and on the FCC's behalf. With hundreds of complaints, mix-ups and mistakes - not tq mention the '
0
drunken and amorous embraces over the years
-
Liz quietly stepped
into the cool night air oø Club .,' Street that evening as a civilian. lf you are wondering why youlstill.see the luverly Liz gracing the pre¡ises, it is because she has nd¡,retired from Ye Olde Honkérs, buÈ has only left the protective embraóe of club
life for the
rigou
rs of
the
commercial world. Liz has joined
Bravona Trading Limited,
an
Austrian trading company in Tak Shing House, as manager.
. . o Hello
l-
Alex¡ ln tru e Scots tradition, Liz passed her heavy mantle to another Geordie, Alexi Wedderburn. Our new club steward spent these past eight years in hotel administration. She was born in Shanghai in 1949
(the Year of the Ox, as His Eminence would immediately
point out) and educated in Honkers, Scotland and Switzerland. As we go to press, Alexi reports that the
alterations to Liz's custom-made suit of armor which Liz generously sold to her at only half price - are almost finished so she will be soon receiving visitors in the club's 1 Sth floor office. lf you have
not yet met Alexi, stop in introduce yourself.
and
I
-
The Editor, The Correspondent. Dear Sir,
Having given the new kitchen staff 1 O days to settle in at the FCC, I must add my voice to the rising
clamor
of complaints about the
appalling quality of the food (served
at higher prices, I might add) and the apparent lack of supervision which has allowed this state of affairs to continue to the point where our august establishment is now the joke of Hong Kong. Today, (Oct. 25) for example, I saw two horrified diners on the 14th floor order tacos and receive bowls full of
a soggy gruel vaguely resembling tortillas smothered in shepherd's pie. ln the same lunch hour, within a 1O-foot radius of my seat, a lady ordered chile con carne, which also
looked and tasted like shepherd's pie, and a gentleman (well, he was
pretty gentlemanly until he was served) who sent back a reuben sandwich because it was cold got
back self-same sandwich
nicely
burned to a crisp.
ll, I won't bore you with my own tf.a¿ tales of mícroscopic oysters now $24 per half dozen instead of $16), filet with the consistency of a
water buffalo's rear end and nonexistent scallops which, I must warn you, have to be ordered an hour in advance because that's how long it takes to be told they don't have any. Suffice to say that diners at the FCC now ask each other
"What's safe?" before placing an order and no one comes to the club to impress a news source or a business associate, even if it is the only place in town where you
can still see a parrot fertilizing someone's shoulder.
I know we have an entirely new kitchen staff. I know the old chef
with all our favourite recipes and they are, in effect, absconded
starting from scratch. But I would like to make the following points:
1-Evenawell-trained not need 1O
chimpanzee would
days to find out, by now, where all the pots and pans are. 2 - They should not be serving dishes which they are obviously incapable of cooking. They shouldn't even be on the menu. 3 -The chef does not seem to be able to prepare even the dishes he
himself recommended as
his
4 - Until the kitchen is working right and the food is adequatelY prepared, I do not expect the club manager to be sitting around eating
lunch or dinner at regular meal times, I do not expect him to be closeted in committee meetings during regular meal times and I do not except him to be playing Pool while food is being prepared in the
I
for committee meetings,
club managers and committee affairs. ln fact, whatever committees there
are at the FCC should now
be
preoccupied with the quality of the food, the quality of the kitchen staff
and the quality
of the
manager.
After all, he's pretty well paid to do
specialties.
kitchen.
more important in this club than its membership - and that goes
expected
to find
a job that doesn't seem to
out a complaint card before, .the seven I signed in the past,t,tåree days. But something has to beidone before the membership éîartp voting with its feet. ,
Sinceref!,'
him
Holger Jensen
2195
standing in the kitchen, supervising everything and everyone and if necessary, beating the chef over
the head with a spatula until
he
be
getting done. I'm not writing this because I like to carp. ln fact, I never even filled
Manager Replies:
gers it right.
5 - lf, for some reason, the manager is not in the kitchen at meal times and a member collars him to make a complaint, then I expect, nay demand, that he rushes down to the kitchen immediately, solves whatever problem is causing anguish in double quick time, then
rushes up and placates said member with a free order of
whatever it
was he
was
complaining about.
- As a correspondent member, I say the FCC needs all the friends and associate members it can get in these trying times, and I do not like 6
to see people storming out of this club, vowing never to eat here again. More and more people are doing just that because they feel their complaints are simply being ignored.
7 - Lastly, I would like to remind a certain committee member who was outraged because I interrupted his committee meeting w¡th
Dear Holger,
I believe your comments and complaints sum-up a number of members' feelings. I can say that as of the first week of November, the kitchen staff has been producing qualÍty food at a reasonable speed. The "old favourites" are back to normal now and generally speaking, the overall picture has vastly improved. lt would be difficult to
take your letter item by item, but I will try to cover most of your points.
Chili con carne, beef taco's, Pie, spareribs, and
Shepherd's
Rueben sandwiches are up to par
now. These mistakes
happened
because the Chef was not familiar w¡th them. The complaints on most of the new items were related to portion sizes rather than guality. This has been remedìed. Regarding quality,
it is
generaily high, but we are always vigilent. Your complaints' (and compliments') cards are read
the club manager (during lunch- and acted upon. I would also like to point out that time of course) over a matter as trivial as oysters that nothing is during the last two weeks of 13
---Ta-!
NryHARPER AfamousAmerican in Hong Kong and around theworlil.
October, we averaged 370 meals per day, of which 223 were served during the I t/z hour lunch period. This figure represents an ¡ncrease
of l50 meals per day more than the previous three months. When the new kitchen staff started working, they were put ¡nto a full operation without the opportunity to adjust to a smaller kitchen, less, and in some cases inferior, equipment. They had
neither the time nor the chance to organize themselves. One week
after coming to work, they were confronted w¡th three Professional and Entertainment Luncheons in four days, plus the new ò la carte To come into an operation with l4 new staff, I am certain you will appreciate takes a little more than knowing where the pots and pans, salt and pepper, are. They must learn the demands on certain food
items and our members '
tas¿es,
plus they must totally organ¡ze their thinking to a kitchen equipped and big enough for half the meals they are required to prepare. I can assure
you many chefs would not
even
attempt it! I admit with h¡ndsight there were probably some more things we could have done to avoid some of these problems, but you cannot
expect perfection
in the first
IO
days. The kitchen staff has alt been working l2 - 14 hours a day and have yet to take a day off. They too
are interested in making
the
members happV. As regards my having committee meet¡ngs and playing pool during
lunch. $e
I
would like to clarify your
statement since the way you put it tends to suggest that I am either in a luncheon meeting or playing pool all the time during lunch.
First of all, For more tlìan just a new flat, now we offer uptodate inter¡or decoration & custom-made furniture to fit both your taste & your pocket, as
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members like.
The Cay of your "oysters" complaint, I was required to attend a Financial Committee meeting by the Treasurer. Regarding the oysters: For some time, we have been serving the large New Zealand king oysters, which are three times the size of the oysters we served in the past. The day of your complaint, our supplier had delivered to us the | medium oysters only. The oysters should have been sold at the old price. This oversight iivas correctèd after your complaint.
As for complaint cards; I would
menu.
o
prepare the food the way the
I do not play pool
duríng lunch. I do occasionally play in late afternoon or early evening with some members, generally
I am asked, and only when it on the l4th and I 5th floors. I spend the lunch when
circumstances allow
hour in the kitchen or on the dining
room floors asking members' opinions so I can help the chef to
be the first one to
cdmplain ,if anyone ever decided nbt to have them. W¡thout the comy'lainticards,
we would not have been, able to
help the nery kitóþen
staff.
Unfortunately there were so many cards when the new kitchen crew took over, I could not answer them all personally, but only work on the com
pl a i nts th e m s elves. 3OO people a
I wish to thank the
day who stuck with us. There have been a great number of members who realized the problems and gave constructive crìt¡cism, various
us
comments and even some whol ,. gave us compliments. The new' chef and his I 3 staff have all tried their very best to please the members, give us what we want and at the same time, keep a full
I believe they have We will never be
service going.
succeeded.
without complaìnts and comments, (and hopefully compliments). Even the best restaurants in the world overcook a vegetable occasionally or make a medium steak welldone. But we can strive for good quality
and well prepared food. We
also
have feedback via the cards or the committee members. ln closing, I am satisfied with my personal performance. I would admit that with hindsight, I may have overlooked something, but we normally pick it up later and get it
straightened out. I do my best to correct complaints as soon as I receive them. But sometimes, it
.
takes more than just running to the
side dininþ room on the l Sth floor next to the stairs appears to have become a storage facility of some kìnd. Sometimes it looks like a
piece displays an aberration of
complaint. Those complaints that can be corrected on the spot are acted upon. Those that required more work are discussed at my twice daíly meetings with the chef.
premìses should be used to Peddle the works of anybody. The Pictures displayed on the l4th floor may be good and worth more than the Price asked. But they do not fit the atmosphere of a press club, and I protest against their being on loan and for sale. The proper place for the pictures is an art gallery, not the FCC. lf we display and offer for sale
7) Condition and rules, lSth floor. The rule that the l Sth floor is to be used by members and wives only should either be enforced or abandoned. At present, it is obviously not being enforced, but it seems to depend on who you are whether you can break the rules.
the works of one art¡st, we should
condition, the wall coverifigs are
do it for all young and aspíring artists. But we should not. We should decorate the walls with something that fits the FCC
disgrace. They consist 6f gunnybag material hanging half loose off the
t\ il
wall, placing and hackground of this
kitchen. Often in the middle of lunch, with l5O orders spread out in the front of the chef, is not the time to tell hÍm of a specific
Dea' sir:
With a new kitchen staff just installed, a new club manager by now firmly in place, and the board of governors approaching its home stretch, it may be timely to vo¡ce my pet peeves about the FCC.
l) DivÍding Wall, l4th floor. After a fortune had been spent on redecorating the club, with professional guidance and fairly good results, a dividing wall was put up to hide the kitchen
pass-
through from the dining room. This wall is clearly an abomination in the worst possible taste. While all the other walls and beams in the club are either of brick or fine stained
wood or appropilate wall paper, plastic ^ this dìviding wall looks like (S)cafeteria tibte covering. lts toning does not go with anything around the club, and the cheap appearance is an ínsult to the eye. Who in the world selected the materìal? What d¡d the professional decorators say, ¡f they were consulted at all? They probably fainted when they saw
disgusting display of somebodY's utter vulgarity. This this
wall, in brief, totally ruíns the club's atmosphere. lt should be replaced or covered with the dark, rough wood used elsewhere on the l4th floor.
2) Hughes bus+ l4th floor. lf
you put up the bust of a living club
member, at least give ¡t an appropriate place and a proper background. The bust is placed against the background of cheaP imitation wood and on a base of the same crummy material. Moreover, it ìs located at the crossroads of all l4th floor traffic. Like the dividing
taste.
3) Píctures, l4th floor. I frankly do not think the club
atmosphere like the
photographs that are
large used
elsewhere.
4) Lightíng, lSth floor. I don't think the FCC is a hangout for young lovers who want to hold hands and smooch under the cover of near-darkness - yet the I íth
floor seems to cater to
such
clientele. The I 5th floor lighting is more appropriate for a Wanchai bar than a nice dining place. Admittedly the lighting on the I îth should be
more subdued than on the l4th floor, but it does not have to be total darkness. The little candles on the tables are pretty ridiculous; they don't create a cozy atmosphere, but a dim one. What is needed is a real little lamp on each table that
a cÍrcle of warm light around ¡t. The way things are now, spreads
waiters should be armed with flash-
lights, so that members can read the menus.
5) Club table, lSth floor. With luncheon crowds the way they are,
pity the member who has
no would be a good idea
lt to have a club table on the I sth floor as well as on the l4th floor, at least during lunch time. ln this way, reservation.
godown-cum-changing room. Surely it could be put to better use.
Regarding the
l
Sth
walls, and the carpet
floor's a
aroun'âo the
pool table ís quite a sight.
8) Pagíng. a joke, and it times the club
arrival
hall
messages being trumpeted'in quick succession. At other times, it is Ímpossible to get a person on the phone although you know (and later get it confirmed) that he was at the FCC. The whole paging sérvice is haphazard at best. This is serìous because a professional press club obviously has to make sure its members get urgent messages. The
loudspeaker announcements, however, don't seem to be the answer' They are not only sporadic, but also disturbing to other members. How about a visual panel on each floor that shows a member's number when there is a phone call for that person? lt would be somethìng like
a
flight information
board.
Members would give their
FCC
account number only to those potential callers from whom they want to accept calls. Display of the
- w¡th the phone line - may be accompanied with a pleasant little sound or
number number
somethÍng along those lines. 9) Who needs a piano player
the existing seating space could be
on Friday evenings? Especially on
better used, and the lone member
Friday evenings, members come to the club for a friendly drink and a
in need of some food would at least have an outside chance of getting
6l
Side room,
chat with old friends, not for - especially if it is
listening to music
seated.
lSth floor.
The
hardly the greatest enterta¡nment 15
and drowning out any conversation.
lol Food- Personally, I
am not
overly saddened by the departure of the kítchen staff. But I hope the new crew will do better. The food lately has been mediocre at best, and in some instances plain awful. The only great innovation of recent months has been the salad bar; otherwise the menu and.the quality have deteriorated. And why in the
world do we need four different menu cards? Plus special ones? The
subject of food could of course be dealt with for pages. Suffice it here to mention one addendum to the food - the bread. For one thing, why can we not get warm bread? There are plenty of little appliances available that quickly heat bread and/or keep itwarm. For another, why is the club always out of the most popular sort of rolls, i.e. poppy seed rolls? And where did the other popular kind of bread sesame seed slices - go to? lt seems the moment demand for a
certain kind of bread increases, purchases will be reduced or
At any rate, demand is clearly not taken ¡nto account. Marcel Toussaint
stopped.
No.1403
you
aÃB
referring to our old kitchen
crew. We have, of course, had many problems with the new crew, but I believe there has been'
substantial improvement. Manager Replies: Dear Marcel,
Pleasé
read my reply to Holger Jensen for more details (page l S). ßegarding bread: For the past three weeks, we have had whole wheat bread, poppy seed rolls, soft
I will attempt to answer as many po¡nts as I can. However, there are some items which I cannot answer since the decisions were made by Boards previous to my appointment. ,. Dividing Wall: Although this was done prior to my coming to the Club, I do agree it does not
garlic bread and white bread in the bread baskets. Bread and rolls have very high waste factors and this waste increases when there are more types offered. Perhaps I can substitute sesame slices for one of the others. I will try it soon.
look very nice. I have asked a contrcctor to make suggestions since reading your letter and
Dear Sir,
perhaps in the near future, we can create some way of repairing this
Club has fallen into tack$ times
problem.
since its Golden Y
4. Líghtíng: Unfortunately, the l Sth floor is totally lit w¡th florescent l¡ghting with no separation of units. ln order to bring up the lighting, we must turn on all the lights in one area, thus making
ít too bright. However, the same l4th floor. 5. Since I have been with the
rolls, onion bread, French
The
bread,
, ,4 Foreign
,,t
Corre(þon6ents ,e,aß,
197,4-1975.
We note, for exampþ, that the popular Club bow tie no longer is being stocked.
We trust, Mr President, that you
will take steps to return the Club to its previous glories. Respectfully yours,
menu is offered on the
frich
Club, there has always been a Club table on both floors. The Club table on the I 5th floor is located next to the bar.
says. . . The question you must ask yourself
is: should I trust my eyes to someone who is not qualified?
Anyone in Hong Kong - regardless of training or qualification - can open an optical business, conduct eye
6. Side Room: I do agree it has been used for storing all the broken chairs. However, as of November 2, we have taken them away and it is
Albert E. Kaff Life Member No. 1 588
Children's Xmas Party First Warning
-
BE ADVISEDI The children's
it wíth
Christmas party is now scheduled for Saturday
do require some places to
neater and we also have sheltered our portable Ècreens. We do not have a storage area at all on the l4th floor and I îth floor, and we keep
afternoon, December 1 6th. The letter and reservation form will reach you in due course. This
metrist. He g¡aduated from the College of Optometry in West Berlin and has
items such as extra chairs, portable screens, flambe trolleys, and spare
advice is to prepare the hardcore Saturday-afternooners for their
eyesight requirements.
but not every day. 7- The Board of Governors will be discussíng this problem since it
examinations, prescribe and
fit contact
lenses and eyeglasses. Erich Schwaabe of Optica
fully qualified
Ltd. is a professional opto-
been in practice in Hong Kong since t973. At Optica you are assu¡ed that a professional - qualified in all aspects of eyecare - is determining your
tables whìch are used frequently,
has been abused frequently. Kindly telephone lor an appointment Erich Schwaabe (Optica) Ltd. Rm. I106, l¿ne Crawford House 64-704 Queen's Road Central Hong
Kong
Tel: 5-256937 s-230234
8. I wìll leave that question for the Board to answer.
9. The piano player ended his contract October 3l. lO. Since your letter was written on the I 6th of October, I assume
annual shock and to inform all
that space on the 18th floor
is
on a first come first served basis.
(The joker who peeked in the club diary and booked space, take note.) Naturally the little darlings will be confined to the 1 4th and 1 sth floors for those who want a respite from the annual Yuletide chaos.
about Sapper, I thought of that incident in Phnom Penh. lt was not
the first time Sapper had done something extraordinary. Older Cambodian hands, for example, spoke of the day Doug, then ViceDouglas A. Sapper
lll.
Despite
the threat implicit in the name,
I
really have to doubt that there have
been two others like him. The Sapper I know is sui generis. Aflter her first encounter with him, my
\ ,
wife summed him up privately and succinctly: "Terry and the Pirates." His duplicates might perhaps be found in comic strips but, I suspect, in no other places. The circumstances of my first
encounter with Sapper were appropriately bizarre. lt was in Phnom Penh in April 1975, a week
before the ciry fell. The vital
northwestern front
beyond Pochentong Airport had begun its
final crumbling. A fifth
column
(which never came) was expected in the city. Formerly a surprisingly
casual place, the U.S. Embassy overnight had sandbagged the Marine guardhouse and instituted a check of all objects being carried into the compound. For the young Marine on duty,
"l- tf'" checks were all routine u/ briefcases, parcels, journalists' taperecorders - until he came to the man immediately ahead of me in the morning queue. This was
Sapper, a short, rather round American clad in a discreet baseball cap, shorts, sneakers and a T-shirt
depicting Richard M. Nixon as Superman. ln Sapper's right hand was a double-barrelled shotgun; in his left, a khaki body-bag. The bag
contained the torso of.
the
American pilot of a DC-3 which had crashed at Pochentong a few hours earlier. Finding no one at the embassy prepared to undertake the unpleasant - and, at that time, highly dangerous - task, Sapper had taken it upon himself to extract the young American from the
burned-out wreckage and
try
to
arrange a decent burial.
When friends
of
Doug's asked
me to speak to the membership
President (Security) of
a
Pochentong-based airline, tried to :olve a pressing security problem
by going alone into a burning ammunition dump and cartยกng away explosives stored too close to
the flames. To me, though, the recovery of the pilot's body was
more impressive gesture.
a
The
ammunition dump incident was something very close to folly. Risking one's life to accommodate stranger and his distant
a dead
parents suggested old-fashioned, higher qualities. Still rather crazy, perhaps, but undeniably praiseworthY.
It's probably not surprยกsing that a person who had gone through the cauldron of Pochentong would find Hong Kong insufficiently diverting. For the past several years, Doug
has been an FCC
associate member, engaged in Asia and lately Africa in various enterprises
ranging from fashion shows
to
a
North Thailand hotel. Last month as
a
consequence
of a dispute with
To clarify many members' estions regarding private functions both in house and qu
outside, I have listed below the Club's rules and limitations, and
also suggested menus, along with the basic costs. In house private functions:
Mornings: We can accommoderate most morning functions such as breakfast, seminars, and meetings, etc. on 14th and 'l Sth floors.
Starting times ,can. "' be arrangei but all mรณrning functions must be'cornpleted not later than 1 1 iam
everyday except Sundafs. Luncheons: No private parties are available on Mondays through Saturdays; in other
words, we cannot book
section of either
a
floor. bookings
However, normal can be made for tables
up
to 1 4 persons. For bookings of 10 people or more, it is advisable to have a set menu or a selectยกve menu.
H.M. Customs, Nepal, Doug was
Afternoons: Meetings,
cast into a Katmandu dungeon and told to stay there for four years. Now, I don't know the full details of the case, but Sapper protests -
receptยกons can be booked between 3:30 - 7:30 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays with no exceptions. Dinners: Cocktail parties, wine tastings and dinner parties may be booked from 6 pm onwards, except on Tues-
and I prefer to believe in -
his
innocence. The club, as a club, can't do anything to help him. However, some of his friends plan to
approach the FCC Board of Governors and request permission to place a petition somewhere in
the club so that
members can
address the Nepalese monarch on Sapper's behalf.
Recalling that body-bag, I hope the Board approves. I understand it's possible that on some future
occasion this side
of 1982 -
a
King's Birthday Amnesty, for example - the Third and only Douglas A. Sapper could be brought back amongst us once agarn.
-Anthony paul
press
conferences and cocktail
days and Fridays.
All
bookings are subject to
Professional Club
Func-
tions.
Minimum Charge for 15th Floor
For all functions not requiring
major food and beverage service. (Coffee and tea, pastries and finger sandwiches etc. are not considered as major food
and beverage.) 113 or any partitioned area
2/3 or any partitioned area over
113
$200 $4OO 17
given 48 hours in advance of offered provided kitchen the function. An allowance of facilities are available. Minimum charge for 14th 5oó above the guarantee will be Bar facilities: floor prepared as regards food and ' This area can be rented seating only, and does not apply Full bar at per j drink pourin $4 for house between 8 - 10:30 am week- to wines and spirits. nds. days and 8-1 1 am Saturdays It is the responsibility of the bra $S per drink for premium and Sundays. lt is ideal for members hosting and functions conferences, small gatherings, here, to ensure his or her guests bra nds. Full open bar at $1S per meetings and seminars. The observe the rules and bylaws of person for 2 hours and $9 per minimum charge will be $1SO. the Club, and these functions Functions which carry on are ended promptly at the person for every hour after two hours. after 1 am are subject to a required time. Wines can be offered at labour charge of $20 per hour Outside Catering normal Club prices. per staff member attending to ln order to expand the this occasion. Food: facilities offered to the Special menus, flower For small functions which membership of the Club, we arrangements, cakes and other have recently started catering do not require any, staff, the items required can be arranged to outside functions such as following items' '' can bd with prior notice at negotiated picnics, boat parties, and su pplied: pnces. Roast Beef @$16 + 1Ao/o per lb. house parties. Private functions in the We appreciate the oppor- Smoked Ham @$ 11 + 1Q"/" per lb. Club should be booked as far tunity to serve members outside Chef's Paté @$40 + ,1oo/o in advance as possible. the Club premises, but must Roast Turkey @$1 1 +1'ôo/o per lb. Cancellations must be made at make all members aware that Delivery can be arrangeÇ at a least 48 hours in advance or in Club activities must be charge of ¡l an appropriate charge on the considered first, before we can $20 - Hons Kl ns i ' guarantee will be made. take in outside catering and $30 - Kowloon . A guarantee of the number there may be times when we $40 - New Territories Total of 1 Sth floor or any Partitioned area over 2/3 $2OOO
of people expected to
attend
this private function must
cannot offer this service.
Sit down dinners can
be
be
For larger functions, sample menus for Buffet I Oinner I Lunch are available on request.
All members contracting for outside catering are responsible for paying the staff directly. Míke Winslow HILTON HOTEL VERANOAH lsr FLOOR TEL:5-245982
Ë ;ffi:r,'
'iî
--1.,:
a-'-
-
1,
'.
I'.i:1
FINE CRAFTS & GIFTWARE Don Sheil
Tableware
Tim Falkiner Pottery
Argyle Glass
Ets Bochram Lamps Stone & Silverwork Bamboo Crafts Wood & Bronze Sculptures Fur Teddy Bears
UNUSUAL
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EXCLUSIVE
_ DIFFERENT
Anthony Paul presents Mikio Momiyama of Japan . Broadcast Corp. with a club tie party.
at
his farewetl
TtA/hy
in the world do so many travelers like the Reader's Digest? )
tt
f I
,)
Probably because we're so easy to read. In light installments. An article or two at a time. \Me're lots of fun, too, Our pages are peppered with humor. With many articles about the exciting cities and countries of the world. The Digest is an international magazine. That's why we appeal to international travelers. Digest is also handy to carry. To read at airports, aboard jetliners, in hotel rooms. And, at home. If you're looking for travelers, just look at who's reading the Reader's Digest. Reader's Digest is the best-selling magazine at Asian newsstands (where travelers pick up their reading material).
Bought at Newsstands Reader's Digest
Asia
Edition Time
Newsweek
Philippines n,576 7,3KjÍ| 6,æ0 Malaysia 9p4 2,717 2]æ Korea 9,612 4,478 1,948 lndonesia 10,¿m0 5,520 5,000 4,500 3,650 2,95 Pakistan Singapore 4,560 2,392 2,2û Taiwan 965 1,116 4ffi Thailand 2,200 1,616 1,700 4,000 5,634 7,æ1 Japan Hong Kong/Macau 2,050 2,291 1,951 Sri Lanka 1,600 558 2æ TOTAL: 78Æ 37,19 91,061 Source: ABC Analysis ol Paid C¡rculal¡on Reader's Digest, Dec 1976 issue Time, July '19, 't976 issue
Neffiwk, Oct
RBË%{?
25, 197ô ¡ssue
is good for business. Yours.
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