Club News - Welcome to the Mildmay Club!

Membership Survey 2025

Dan Isaacs — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:45:08 +0000

This year we sent out a questionaire to all our members and almost 400 of you responded on a range of topics from the drinks on offer in the bar to what more events and activities you’d like to see more of at the club.

Here’s what you told us

The post Membership Survey 2025 first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.

Jack & the Beanstalk in Wonderland

Dan Isaacs — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:29:31 +0000

It takes a village…

We started work on this pantomime in February 2024

It really has been a mammoth exercise. The first task was to get the doors to backstage open which involved clearing and cleaning a room that had been untouched for the best part of 20 years. So that first wave of volunteers were fundamental: Jon Riley and Tom Jones always turned up, never afraid of getting their hands dirty, also Susan, Stefan, Fiona, Claire, Colin, Mick, Micha and others…they were all absolute grafters!

Of course nothing is ever straightforward. The door was 2 metres above the floor and would need a staircase to access it. That’s where superstar Keith Andrews and his fab team including Marcus Andrews and David Knight stepped in. These guys worked so hard over several days and we now have backstage access at the club once again.

Whilst the building team were busy with power tools, Pete Brown was staring at a blank page pencil in hand, tasked with taking two great stories and mashing them up which, following the success of Cinderladdin in 2022 has become the Mildmay panto USP! I think you’ll agree that he has done us proud again, along with contributions from Dorcas Morgan, Ben Butler and Rachael Carroll.

Auditions started at the end of June. Claire Doherty jumped in and managed all of the admin. We had 43 auditionees across 4 days and later on she talked me down when I was overwhelmed by the programme admin. I needn’t have worried, that was in the safe hands of Quan Chen, and it all came together.

[Photos: Diane Bielek]

[See image gallery at mildmay.club]

We are lucky enough to have Dorcas Morgan and Anne Marie Norman on board as Director and Musical Director / choreographer, these fantastic women have both got Theatre in their blood and like everyone else involved in this project they have volunteered their time and turned their hands to all manner of things including prop making, writing songs and script editing. Also a big shout out to Ginny Fiol who came and did character work with our cast as and when needed

It must be said that we appreciate every hour that is volunteered, and at one point I had 17 WhatsApp groups running. We have our core volunteers who have been with us from our first panto, and keep on putting in the hours, turning their hands to new skills and forging new friendships along the way. Judy Roux & Gill Whibley are two such volunteers who deserve a special mention, along with Micha Blue who has been at the club every spare hour, and Richard Boon who quietly turns up does his stint and goes, no fuss no bother.

This year its been fabulous to see our volunteers bringing their children in. Rae Whibley has done some fantastic work on the sets. And Louis Waplington Haine worked alongside his dad Jonathan Haine on sound, and Hugh Huddy and Radio Lento…whilst Katharine Fewings showed off her toadstool painting skills. Ava Tilda proved that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with her lovely photo of her Auntie Diane (Bielik) who is not only our go-to photographer for the second year running, but also showed off her sewing skills making some of the amazing costumes.

And WOW! What costumes… designed by the incredibly talented Susan Birchall who was joined by David Walls who made the sensational wigs and hats. Both were assisted by Micha Blue and the three of them ran a tight ship putting in so many hours that often they were told to go home! Of course they had a wonderful team of volunteers supporting them including Deirdre Toman, Amanda Sissons, Hannah Wilson, Ruth Gladwyn, Diane Bielik, Kelly O’Neill, Dorigen Hammond, Karen Moore and Raj Miah. Also those fabulous costumes worn by the Junior Chorus, a huge undertaking…all designed and made by Holly Berk, with additional jam tarts by Maddie Reade.

Our set team was headed up by Tim Leahey and Simon Turner and supported by Freddie Martin and Rae Whibley who did some amazing work. Also special thanks to Millie Loveday Inglis and Rowley Haynes, Andrew Myer, Anne Marie Gwatkin, Maz and Jenny .

Emmely and Jo were our papier mache experts on props, and our amazing caterpillar puppet was designed and made by Marta Alonso. Another Mother and Daughter team, Rebecca Sewell and Lilith Silver created some marvellous, quirky props, and banging fireworks. Elly Jones for her stalk talk and cheese chats and her unwavering focus on the perfect cardboard bean for the beanstalk…and talking of beanstalks, Alice would have had very little to climb had it not been for the families of Winston Road and the children at Sanbrook Nursery for making the most fabulous leaves.

I had a madcap idea that we should make all the food on the Mad Hatters table, and Team crochet was born, Martha Pym, Liz Fewings, Jean Morris, Judy Roux and Gill Whibley all stepped up to the plate (no pun intended) and would often meet up on a Sunday afternoon and crochet and knit over a glass of wine in the bar. I’m sure you wil agree the tablecloth is a thing of beauty , every single delicacy has been lovingly hand crafted, with some late contributions from Rachael Burns

Jonathan Haine our sound engineer worked tirelessly, and was at every single rehearsal making sure every boing, crash wallop and splat was on cue. And talking of cues, Kate Manning our Stage Manager held it all together, absoloutely no idea what we would have done without her, and her spreadsheets (all of them)… ably assisted by Izzy and Cecily, also second time round for them both. James Sparkle was our Lighting Designer and Deirdre Marlynn came in and ran our tech week, patted me on the back and told me everything was going to be OK just when I needed it!

Our posters and programme cover were designed by Jonathan Lennon and Kat Heaton (also on the club committee) who was on hand with suggestions and advice, and the press release written by Iain Millar and additional photos from Lorna Millbank were so welcome.

Our velvet drapes which we inherited from Acton Working mens Club have been lovingly restored and repurposed by Maz Hayes and now hang backstage looking splendid

A huge thank you to Kevin who has been at every rehearsal with his trusty camera and wonky headphones documenting literally everything, he really was a joy to have around and hopefully we will be able to see the fruits of his labour next year.

And of course, last but not least our fabulous cast, who showed real commitment, and dedication, turned up, learnt the lines, and entertained you ……they were beatified by our hard working glam team in hair and make up, David Walls, Claire Henshaw, Amanda Hall and Dorigen Hammond….BRAVO!

I have had a ball producing this pantomime, and couldn’t have done it without this AMAZING group of people!

This is Community, this is The Mildmay Community, and I am so proud to be a part of it.

Sam x

Sam Menezes

The post Jack & the Beanstalk in Wonderland first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.

Outome of Special General Meeting

Dan Isaacs — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:55:40 +0000

Held on 17th July 2024

Access to the small meeting hall was limited to Members on proof of membership either by membership card or checked against an up to date Membership List.

Each Member at the meeting was supplied with two numbered ballot cards.

The meeting was attended by 141 members.

Card ballots were held on two amendments to the new model rules for a Club and Institute Union Member Club as approved by the CIU Rules Officer.

After the meeting the ballots were counted by the President, Tom Jones and David Dade with the Secretary, Peter Snell as an observer. The votes cast for each amendment were as follows;

Rule 30. Dissolution amendment: 54 in favour, 87 against

Rule 37 Interpretation amendment: 54 in favour, 81 against

A show of hands vote was also taken on adopting the latest model rules of the Club & Institute Union.

The vote to adopt was voted down by 49 votes to 37.

Peter Snell, Club Secretary

18th July 2024

The post Outome of Special General Meeting first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.

AGM Reports

Dan Isaacs — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:39:54 +0000

For those who missed the AGM or who want to read up on the details, here are the notes provided by committee members on the progress made in their own areas in 2023/4

The Annual Accounts for 2023, approved at the AGM, will be posted online once they have been formally signed off by the Club officers and our accountants.

House Report

(Andrea Jung)

The refurbishment of the Club has been progressing at a tremendous pace over the past year. The attachmed presentation gives an idea of the scale of the project and what has been achieved so far.

Entertainment Report

(Andrea Davis and Lucian Evans)

Over the last year we have provided the following entertainment for our Members:

Regular events in the Main Hall include the monthly Vinyl Secretary DJ nights, our quarterly Out on the Floor Northern Soul nights, our regular DJ Catfight themed discos, live bands, music quizzes and music themed bingo, comedy nights and cabaret. Renowned DJ Steve Davis and Keb Darge have also performed at the club over the last year.
Regular live monthly performances in the Small Hall and Members’ Bar from Club favourites including Silver & Gold, Franz Black, Cats’ Eyes, Just for Fun, Tom McQ, Retro Flyers, Gary Driscoll and Trix.
Free live music in the Members’ Bar every Friday night.
We aim to increase the number and variety of events that we offer our Members and have recently created an Entertainment Sub Committee made up of club members to advise and organise more events for our membership.

Stock & Finance

(Pete Brown)

The Role of the Bars

Bars are a very important part of what the Mildmay Club offers. But it’s always important to remember that we are different from a pub. Bars play several different roles for us:

Stock the drinks our members want to drink, at prices they like. There’s an expectation that these prices will be cheaper than local pubs. This is seen as a key benefit of club membership and is traditional in the history of clubs.
Maximise contribution to Mildmay finances. Bars contribute around half of the club’s total turnover. This is particularly important with the current need to pay for essential renovations and repairs to the club.
Build the reputation of the club – so that people want to join to enjoy a superior drinks selection, and also people want to hire the venue for events. (NB prices for members are substantially cheaper than for hire bookings.)

These priorities must clearly balance off against each other – how do you keep prices low for members while maximising profit to the club? It’s the job of Stock and Finance to perfect this balance.

What’s been achieved in 2023/4:

Kept prices unchanged
Rationalised the packaged beer list
Brought in new draught lines from local brewers, without losing traditional favourites
Introduced a new, simpler wine list that reflects what’s popular in local pubs but at lower prices
Introduced canned, high quality, ready-to-drink cocktails, which are especially popular (and profitable) with functions

What we plan to do:

Continue to evolve our drinks selection – if there’s anything we don’t have that you want to see, please ask! We’ll be improving our cider selection for the summer
Improve signage so that everyone can see what we have, and what it tastes like
Modest price increases. We haven’t increased prices since 2022. Meanwhile, inflation in the hospitality industry (pubs, bars, brewing etc.) is higher than in any other sector of the economy, and double the average inflation rate. The cost of a pint of lager increased 10.8% in the year to January 2024, and the average price of a pint in the UK is now £4.80 – and £5.69 across London. Rising costs mean we will have to increase bar prices, but we will still aim to keep our prices well below these average figures. (We will also be introducing a new third tier of pricing for corporate higher events, which will help subsidise lower members’ prices.)

Membership Report

(Tom Campbell)

Membership has risen steadily over the last year and we now have over 2,000 members, the most there has been for many years
Members are still overwhelmingly from the local area, and are of all ages – we are pleased that increasingly younger members (often the children of long-term members) are joining
It is great to have the Club being so well used and bringing in much-needed money, but it also raises capacity issues, especially on a Friday night, and so we are considering ways in which we ease the pressure on the Club

Sports and Games Report

(John Woods and Andy Mcadie)

Sports and Games have always been a big part of the club. In the last year we have:

Built up our board game collection in the TV room and this has proved to be very popular
Seen our darts team win the league last season (their cup can be seen displayed near the dart board in the Members’ Bar)
Managed the amazing growth of snooker. Four years ago we could expect to take around £500 a month from the tables Now we consistently take over £600 a week and our annual total for 2023 was over £23,000 making snooker one of the biggest money generators in the club, bettered only by membership subscription, bar takings and filming/hall hire
Our new season of in-house sports events are starting soon and we will end the year with our annual presentation night.

The post AGM Reports first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.

Committee Elections 2024/2025

Dan Isaacs — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 13:55:09 +0000

Our annual elections to the Club Committee are next week in the TV lounge of the Members’ Bar between 8pm and 10pm on Thursday 9th, Friday 10th and Saturday 11th May.

The results will be announced on Sunday 12th May and posted up online.What’s the vote for?Members of the Club Management Committee serve a two-year term, after which they are required to stand for re-election against any club member (of at least two years standing) who wishes to stdand as a candidate.

This year, there are four posts up for election. The existing committee members are standing again, and there are four new candidates.

In the election, every Club member has up to four votes, one for each of the four committee posts being contested.

Please do come and vote and choose who you’d like to see running the Mildmay Club on your behalf.

You must bring your 2024 membership card with you to vote.

Who are you voting for?


In alphabetical order
	Last Name	First name	Candidate statement
1	Benton-Hughes	Jonathan (aka Jonny Trunk)	I joined the Mildmay Club more than ten years ago and have always loved its traditions and heritage. In that time, I have been an enthusiastic and active member: my events at the club, which include The Mr Vintage Fayre and the annual Groovy Record Fayre have brought in substantial income for the Club and have helped to bring in many new members. If elected I very much want to continue with events that everyone can enjoy while earning much-needed money and my aim is to make the Club an even more important and essential part of the local community.
2	Campbell	Tom	I am standing for re-election, having been on the management committee for the last seven years. In this time I have worked hard with colleagues to help keep the Club’s traditions, serving our members while also bringing in much-needed income and trying to make it a welcoming and friendly place for people of all ages. I have a background in fundraising and have put this to good use for the Club, bringing in more than £60,000 in grants from Hackney Council. If re-elected I will continue to look for funding to improve the Club building and run activities for members.
3	Evans	Lucian	N16 resident for 25 years, club member since 2009. Served on the committee for 6 years supporting various areas of the club including membership, entertainment, and staff management. Now working with the entertainment team. This has included Discos, Jazz, Comedy, Films, Northern Soul nights and more. Recently set up an entertainment subcommittee to bring in new acts and entertainment. I enjoy my time on the committee and am keen to build the entertainment offering. I have given considerable time to the improvement of the club over the past years and look forward to being on the committee to continue this.
4	Heaton	Kat	I’ve lived in the area for nearly 20 years. Since joining the club it’s become a big part of my social life and I really value what it gives to the local community – a place where different people come together to enjoy themselves. Now I’d like to give something back – using my experience in marketing – to help the club grow and thrive. I really value the club’s fantastic heritage and I think it’s important that that’s retained as it finds new ways to serve all its members. I hope to have the chance to play my part in its future.
5	Jeffries	Vivian	I have been a member of the Mildmay club for 24 years one of the first full lady members my role on entertainment has been an enjoyable one. I bring the weekly bingo in my role, I am the clubs long standing historian, I organise the yearly coach trips, NYE events turkey and tinsel meal for the maturer members. I enjoy making memories with all of the Mildmay members. The Mildmay club and its members are my family. I thank you for your vote much appreciated. Vivian
6	Jeffries	Ron	I have been a member of the club for over 34 years and my priority is and has always been the Mildmay club and its members. I am committed in my role in house and my knowledge of the building. as a long standing member I stand up for members & local community being part of its history. I would like to thank & show my appreciation to all that have taken time to read my message and to those that have given me their vote, very much appreciated.
7	Lyons	Sharon	I would like to go onto the committee to help where I can within the club I have been a member of the club for at least 15 years maybe longer and I have seen the changes for the better my job at the moment is I work for unite The Union in representing people to help them not lose their jobs. I would like to do more for the members in the club with more activities going on. I know there are quite a few more things to be done within the club and I’d like to be involved if it all possible if you wish to vote for me, I would be very grateful thank you very much.
8	Mullings	Kevin	My name is Kevin Mullings I’m 65 years old First memories of the “club” I was 8 most weekends mum dad aunts uncles cousin’s at the “club” happy family memories. As a committee member I hope to help to ensure the “club” maintains the family vibe I experienced as an 8 yr old seeing the big hall for the first time. This time round I’ve been a member for 3 years. I have a background in logistic and security management . If I’m voted in I will try carry out the members wishes to the best of my abilities.

Election of Club Officers

The Club Officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer) are required to put themselves up for re-election each year. This year, there are no challengers for these posts, therefore:

Tom Jones is re-appointed as Club President

Laurence Fryer is re-appointed as Vice President

Dan Isaacs is re-appointed as Treasurer

Peter Snell continues as Club Secretary

The post Committee Elections 2024/2025 first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.

Annual General Meeting 2024

Dan Isaacs — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 13:12:34 +0000

Sunday 28^th April

12:00 (Main Hall)

(NB: Members bar opens after the AGM)

Members are invited to attend the club AGM on the above date

Agenda:

1. Standing order vote to apply Rule 24 (Waiver of audit fees)*

2. To receive and approve the club accounts.

3. Appointment of scrutineers / tellers

4. Any other business

Members wishing to propose any additional motion must put the aforesaid motion in writing to the club secretary at least seven days before the meeting.

You must bring your membership card to attend

*The committee recommend a less costly accountants report.

Committee Elections

_____

Nominations for the 2024/2025 Committee elections will close on the day following the AGM. You can find all the details of how to vote here, and how to put your name forward if you want to stand for one of the committee or officer posts.

The post Annual General Meeting 2024 first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.

Fixing the Roof!

Dan Isaacs — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 12:23:37 +0000

It’s been an immense job fixing our roof and stopping the rain coming in, but we’re almost there!

Huge thanks to all those involved.

Here’s a little film to show you what we’ve been up to.

The post Fixing the Roof! first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.

Looking to the future

Dan Isaacs — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 19:54:07 +0000

The scaffolding has finally come down from the front of the club and it’s looking splendid.

Pride of place on top of the new roof is our magnificent, fully-restored cupola. it’s a fantastic site and a fine addition to the view from Newington Green.

If you want to know more about the work being done on the building, there’s a splendid document with all the details, which you can read here.

The post Looking to the future first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.

Mildmay Stories

Dan Isaacs — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 16:48:16 +0000

Between 2022-2023 a group of volunteers conducted oral history interviews with three generations of club members. The interview respondents told us about queues to get into the club on Saturday nights, meeting their partners, and bringing their kids. They described dressing up in sequinned dresses, singing around the piano on Sunday mornings, stag nights and hen parties, snooker matches, and the difficulties of becoming a member. The members we interviewed also told us about the decline of the club, near-bankruptcy, small-scale corruption, the attempt to sell the premises, and its more recent regeneration.

The interviews have been edited into an hour-long audio recording called Mildmay Stories, plus two extras: ‘May’s story’, which tells of how May Hagan, the bar manager for over 35 years, came to work at the Mildmay; and A Fierce Club Member, a poem written and read by John Hegley.

You can listen to Mildmay Stories here now!

https://mildmay.club/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mildmay-Full-Length-Master.mp3

Download Mildmay Stories

Sound editor: Tim Barker; Production: Fiona Candlin

Mildmay Stories is also available on cassette players installed in the television room in the members bar.

The stories are accompanied by a portraits of those taking part. Click on any of the images below to see the gallery.

Photos by Tom Lombard

[See image gallery at mildmay.club]

Interviewers: Sue Bagwell; Richard Boon; Suzanne Brayley; Mick Brunton; Phil Calwell; Fiona Candlin; Deborah Cohen; Gill Keep; Wayne Minter; Henrietta Palmer; Rebecca Sewell; Richard Vranch; Alan Wood.

Respondents: Bridget Bollister; Ken Bollister; Suzanne Brayley; Brenda Brown; Rickie Burton; James Carlysle; Terri Ciftci; Lauren Daly; Andrea Davies; Jackie Dodds; Charlie Felgate; Tony Grisoni May Hagan; John Hegley; David Hook; Teresa Merrigan; Stefan Muller; Ronald Murphy; Bridget Norry; Jack Norry; Paul O’Callaghan; Paul Rhodes; Raymond Stowell; Trudi Watts.

Mildmay Stories has been made with assistance from the English Heritage ‘Everyday Histories’ funding scheme.

The post Mildmay Stories first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside…

Dan Isaacs — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 13:34:01 +0000

The eagerly-anticipated coach trip to the seaside finally set off last Sunday

All aboard, destination Southend…

And with weather like this, it looks like they sneaked off to the Mediterranean

But it’s definitely Southend…looking great.

Well done for all those involved in organising a splendid day out!

The post Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside… first appeared on Welcome to the Mildmay Club!.