Issue-3-Winter-2017-web

THE CLUB AS A VENUE
All work and play for
Scots entrepreneurs
In September, the club played host to a meeting of the Scottish Business
Network. One of the guests was Fraser Allen who had already held an
event in the club.
One of my interests is the World Whisky Day and
in May of this year, we held a whisky tasting in the
Caledonian Club. This was my first experience
of using the club for an event and I have to say
how impressed I was. I came along to this event
with high expectations.
Formed less than two years ago, the SBN
is an independent international membership
organisation with a diverse, ambitious membership
that connects some of the nation’s brightest
start-ups with seasoned entrepreneurs and
senior figures from established corporations.
The SBN holds nine events in London each
year, bringing members and guests together to
hear entrepreneurs deliver ten-minute
presentations, book-ended with convivial
networking over snacks and drinks. Run by Russell
Dalgleish and Christine Esson, the organisation
has also held events across the UK and in the US,
and is developing a software platform to create
the world’s largest business network of Scots.
A warm bond has already been forged
between the Caledonian Club and the SBN –
some members, such as Louise Newton and
Norman Jackson, take an active role in both.
After the night’s experience, I’m told that the
club will become a regular venue for SBN events.
Later, Christine Esson listed some of the
reasons. “The gathering attracted our biggest
audience yet,” she said. “and the feedback for the
welcome, the atmosphere and the food provided
by the club was universally positive. It was an
exceptional example of hosting and I know that
at least one of our members has booked the club
for an event because they were so impressed.
“I’d also like to say thank you in particular
to club secretary David Balden who was a super
host and who, together with his team, could not
have done enough to ensure that the evening
was a success.”
On the night, the audience heard
presentations from Ray Bugg about his technology
news platform DIGIT, Emma Little on event
organisation business ExecSpace and John
Maltman on his e-commerce analytics start-up
E Fundamentals. Caledonian Club Chairman
Fraser Allen, Blair Bowman, Russell Dalgleish,
Helen Livingstone, Christine Esson and Gavin Neate
David Guild engaged the audience with a warm
introduction to the club and its many qualities.
A number of SBN members also gathered at
the club earlier to participate in a leadership
development exercise run by James England of
Perthshire-based Blue Sky Experiences. Attendees
were psychologically profiled to discover where
they stood on the spectrum between Analysts
(cool blue) Leaders (fiery red), Nurturers (earth
green) and Inspirers (sunny yellow). The sunny
yellows – well known for socialising – could be
heard enthusiastically enjoying the arrival of the
drinks and canapes that followed. If I can be
pardoned the pun, it was a colourful start to a
very lively event.
www.worldwhiskyday.com
www.justadrop.org
Fraser Allen, CEO
Whitelight Media
Opera on a Sunday
afternoon
We have had opera in the club and we
have had lunches in the club, but we have
never had opera with lunch on a Sunday
afternoon. One of the 120-strong audience,
Bill McDermott, was all ears.
The occasion was a charity event arranged and
organised by our Club Chairman, David Guild
on behalf of the Titans Community Foundation
of Rotherham (www.rotherhamrugby.co.uk) and
the national music charity Lost-Chord. Lost-Chord
is dedicated to improving the qhality of life for
those living with dementia, using interactive
musical stimulii to increase general well-being
and awareness.( www.lost-chord.org.uk)
The progamme was hosted by Lesley
Garrett, renowned soprano who introduced
three singers from the Royal Conservatoire of
Scotland, Charlotte Kenny (soprano), Lauren
Young (mezzo) and Jerome Knox (baritone).
Floral tributes on a wonderful afternoon
There was a special guest appearance by
tenor Jung Soo Yung, currently appearing in
Gianni Schicchi in Gothenburg. Rosie Morris
accompanied on the piano.
After a drinks reception and a 3-course lunch,
cooked and served to the club’s usual high
standards, what better way to be entertained, than
to relax and be serenaded by melodic arias, familiar
and unfamiliar, from some of the world’s most
popular operas. The music was performed to an
exceptionally high standard and as the audience
left, you could still hear snatches of favourite
tunes being sung or hummed sotto voce.
London Scottish
Thank you lunch
On 29th September, London Scottish held a
Rod Lynch ‘Thank You’ lunch for 70 people to
thank him for his 16 years of Presidency at
London Scottish.
Although most of the attendees were
London Scottish members, those there
included eight Richmond FC dignitaries, a
former President of Rosslyn Park, the President
of Ealing Trailfinders and Ed Crozier, Immediate
Past President of the Scottish Rugby Union.
Rod with his partner Karen Lugg
WINTER 2017 The Caledonian 19