Alan Cochrane welcomes women to men's clubs with open arms
Alan Cochrane welcomes the long overdue evolution of most gentlemen’s clubs to include women members
It’s almost a cliché to suggest that gentlemen’s clubs don’t get much of a favourable press these days. The old image of elderly and well-padded buffers snoring not-so-gently in just as elderly and well-padded leather armchairs dies hard.
However, while there’s still enough of that around to keep that perception going for a bit yet, there is equally little doubt that things have changed markedly in recent years – and mostly for the better as far as I’m concerned.
The biggest change has undoubtedly been the ‘gentlemen only’ rule, which is gradually being eroded all over the place. (Before we go any farther, I’m not talking here about sports, or at least golf clubs, although it is certainly worth mentioning here that Muirfield, or The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers to give the place its full Sunday name, is now finally admitting women members).
No, it’s clubs of the distinctly non-sporting variety that I’m on about. And now that I’m on the subject, I think that we Scots can take a well-earned pat on the back for our endeavours in that direction when compared to our English brethren. Two of our better-known institutions – The New Club in Edinburgh and The Caledonian Club in London – have long since admitted women members. Indeed, the former now has a lady chairman, even if her elevation still causes some of that establishment’s older members to gag a bit on their scampi and chips.
It’s true that such innovations are not universally popular and not just amongst men, either. I am aware of one lady – no names, of course – who was not amused when her husband brought her the news that henceforth she was ‘permitted’ to enter the previously hallowed precincts of the Men’s Bar and Smoking Room at the ‘Caley’ in London. She much preferred to remain aloof from such places, she told me.
That, however, is a far from popular view among those on the distaff side of society, and I can well remember my wife’s ire when a friend blurted out that my membership of the Beefsteak had come through a couple of decades ago (I’m no longer a member). But the Beefie is not alone in its men-only rule. The Garrick and Travellers’ Clubs in London are two of the most ferocious upholders of the rule, in spite of widespread condemnation which is brushed aside, almost contemptuously, on what appears to be an annual basis.
I had lunch at the former a couple of weeks ago and the food, as one might expect, varies between adequate and ordinary, although if that smacks of ingratitude to my host I should say at once that the company is invariably excellent. I’m bound to conclude that having women present would almost certainly improve the former whilst in no way diminishing the latter.
In London the admission of women as full members with ‘access to all areas’ has greatly improved the Caledonian Club, although as a long-time member I’m bound to say that the food and indeed everything about the place have always been nothing short of excellent.
However, I am happy to point out that in admitting women as full members Belgravia’s corner of Auld Scotia is following in the footsteps of the Royal Scots Club in Edinburgh, which has been admitting ladies as full members since 1982 and is celebrating its centenary this year with a ceremony hosted by its patron and that venerable regiment’s Royal colonel-in-chief, Princess Anne.
My old pal Roddy Martine has written a splendid book, Not For Glory Nor Riches, which charts the history of the club, reminding us that it was established as a living memorial to that incredible regiment which fielded 35 battalions in the First World War, with over 11,000 killed and over 40,000 wounded.
Sadly that and even its position as The First of Foot did not save it from amalgamation with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers in that dreadful cull of the Scottish infantry regiments a few years back. Princess Anne is now Royal Colonel of the successor, The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Beautifully produced and written, the book tells of a club that is intensely proud of its association with such a famous regiment and features many tales of the heroism and derring-do of those who served with the regiment. One of the Princess Royal’s roles has been to unveil memorials to the eight former Royal Scots who were awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest award ‘for valour’. And while still maintaining special access and membership for those who served with ‘Pontius Pilate’s Bodyguard’, the club’s impressive premises in the heart of Edinburgh’s
New Town are open to all.
“The New Club and The Caledonian Club have long since admitted women members
Ardnamurchan, Rubha nan Gall in Tobermory, and Corran Point up Loch Linnhe at Ardgour – he is based at Ardnamurchan and visits the other two monthly to check everything is working and to change bulbs and fuses if necessary.
Even in his time there have been further changes in technology, such as the move to LED lights. ‘The halogen system was basically like car headlights but when they got hot they would go, so I had to change them fairly regularly. But the LEDs last for thousands and thousands of hours.’
That LED light is incredibly only 48 watts. There is a bigger one going in but even that is only 72watts. ‘The lenses on these LEDs are based on the principals the Stevenson brothers and Fresnel were using in the 1840s – we’re going full circle, back to lenses. They did it because they had no access to a highpowered light source; we’re doing it because we’re conscious about burning fossil fuels.’
For Davie the future of lighthouses in a technological age is not in doubt. Despite radar and detailed mapping, boats still use the lights to double check they are in the right position. ‘It’s human nature,’ says Davie. ‘More and more it is electronic but they won’t turn the lights off.’
Electricity only reached the area in 1976. ‘Up until 1976 Ardnamurchan was a paraffin light,’ says Davie. ‘Things were very like they had been when the lighthouse was built – the winding mechanism to make the light flash, cleaning the lens, polishing the brasses.’
With its remoteness, huge storms and lack of modern amenities, working at Arnamurchan was not for the faint hearted. ‘It is a pretty exposed place, you wouldn’t want to be
walking about the point itself in the winter,’ says Davie, as he looks at a panorama including Coll, Muck and Rum. ‘There are times I have been worried during storms – it will blow you off your feet.
‘This was a family station and when it was built in the 1840s two keepers would do shifts through the night so somebody would always be up the tower to maintain the light. Although you were near your family it was a lonely job – you could be up the tower for six hours. We have the long days in the summer but it is a dark, quiet hard place in the winter, and it can affect your mood. In mid-January when you can see the days lengthening it really does give you a lift.’
Davie also runs a croft and is the area’s bin-man. It takes two days to collect the bins across the whole peninsula, but keeps him connected to the local community. ‘Not being isolated in one job means I’m interacting with people,’ he says. ‘In crofting, although you have your own croft you pool resources; you clip sheep or gather cows together. There’s a strong sense of community here. Because we are so isolated, we have to work together. If we were all pulling in different directions, the thing would fall to bits.’
Although they are two and a half hours drive from Fort William (‘we’re not an island but we might as well be on one because Fort William is just so far away’), an influx of people to the peninsula, more tourists thanks partly to reduced CalMac ferry fares, and a tourist season which was once just July and August but now stretches from April to October, means the peninsula has changed since Davie’s arrival. ‘There are more people coming and the nature of tourism has changed,’ he says. ‘We get visitors now who think nothing of doing all the islands so we get trade from Mull that we never had until recently.’
This year the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is launching a new, land-based trail to guide visitors to places such as Adrnamurchan, where nature lovers can see whales and dolphins. ‘People are fascinated with dolphins, whales and basking sharks,’ says Davie. ‘The beauty of having access to the tower is that it gives you an almost aerial view of the basking sharks. You are 150ft above them – you see the mouth open, the gills and the full extent of the fish – they are just huge.’
For Davie, this mix of community, visitors, family and a remote peninsula makes for a great life, whether on his croft, collecting recycling or up the Stevenson lighthouse. And one constant he is totally content with is the presence of Peggy and Ted around his heels. ‘If you look on TripAdvisor, there are more comments about the dogs than anything else,’ he laughs.
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We have the long days in the summer but it is a hard place in winter and it can affect your mood