Dear All,

We wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the reopening of the Club.

Firstly, our thanks to the volunteers who’ve cleaned, tended and stocked the bar, provided our first Sunday lunch opening with bacon butties and implemented the Covid guidelines so effectively.

Thanks also to those who’ve taken the opportunity to visit. We hope you’ve felt safe and found the changes don’t detract too much from the friendly environment you are used to at The Club.

For those who haven’t visited we want to reassure you that we are complying fully with Government regulations. This includes having undertaken a Risk Assessment, a one way system when you enter, signing in for Track and Trace, sanitisers, capacity restrictions, social distancing and wearing of face masks until seated. The App QR code is on display and we’d encourage all visitors to participate. It’s table service only with the rule of six being observed.

Please be assured that our re-opening and any subsequent activities we undertake are all being carried out only after consideration of the regulations, advice from The RYA and Local Authority and then taking in consideration the current local outbreak and case numbers across Suffolk and Babergh.

Eating and drinking is as safe (if not safer) than doing so in any pub or restaurant and while some may feel we are not a business that is essential, the Committee are conscious that we are reliant on Membership and are willing to do what we can for that Membership, noting that some live alone and view the Club as a much needed safe and familiar environment.

While use after the first week has been quite low, the Macmillan coffee morning and our first Sunday Bacon Butties was well attended and we have willing volunteers if Members do want to visit on Friday evenings or for a Sunday Snack monthly so we will continue for the time being. If you are happy to volunteer for a few hours we would welcome anyone who can serve drinks or food to guests, help out in the kitchen on a Sunday or behind the bar.

Many of our normal events continue to be impossible to hold within the Covid guidelines. Where we can safely do things, within the guideline parameters and if we have willing volunteers we will consider dependant of course on the appetite of Members to attend and the infection rates locally. Please rest assured that anything we do in the future will have been risk assessed, double checked with the authorities and administered in a Covid Secure way.

The first activity we've done was the Macmillan Coffee Morning, well attended, run safely and raising hundreds for charity. The next on the timetable will be The Laying Up Super on the 17th October which has been planned around all the rules and while it will be different, a superb meal will still be at the heart of it and Jill can answer any questions potential attendees have. Numbers are limited and if we don’t get 20 bookings we will cancel, so please book up now if interested.

Lastly we’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has visited for working with us and complying with the rules. Social distancing and staying seated hasn’t meant we can’t all see and talk to each other across the room or enjoy making use of our wonderful Club with the amazing views, even on a cold windy and wet day...