Tuesday night is backgammon night at the London clubhouse of the Royal Automobile Club, where I spent the evening losing small sums to all comers.
The leather backgammon boards at the club were commissioned by W.S. Foster, where my hosts, Sarah Adlam and Richard Edgecliffe-Johnson, the partners in Foster, are also members. In addition to shoes, Foster offers a line of bespoke leather luggage and accessories that I wouldn't dare check in airline baggage. It's better suited for the trunk of a Bentley or the cabin of a private jet.
Dress at the RAC is semi-formal. The men, including myself, were in suits of various shades of gray, and the majority of the women were wearing those floral printed cotton dresses that are popular summer wear in England. I regret that photos would have been inappropriate.
And, in the morning, back to Heathrow and home.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Lifestyle: Backgammon Night
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6 comments:
Good to hear you play Backgammon, Will. Very interesting. I used to play as a child. Some of my family members were serious players in the 60s and 70s, from what I have been told. It is still very popular amongst Persian and Arab gentlemen of my acquaintance.
I find myself in similar situations a lot when I travel. I want to take a photo but it just feels wrong…I always feel weird being that guy "Hi can you take our picture"
I envy you for your visit to the Royal Automobile Club. I recently saw an article on its beautifully refurbished restaurant in an architecture magazine.
Is backgammon really that popular in England? I mean, I'm a good player stateside, and I go pretty far in tournaments when I play them, but I've had my ass handed to me in Turkey by some random guys.
I am banned (as a guest) from the RAC for taking a bottle of wine and a plate of sandwiches into the swimming pool, sauna, etc., downstairs. And also for wandering around with them whistling whilst wearing just a towel.
... Yet more shame for me to live with...
It's known as "The Chauffeur's Arms" you know.
Backgammon thrives in England. But you need to be in the right bits of England.
Russell Street.
You mention that dress was semi-formal and the men were wearing gray. The picture was from the daytime so I assumed that you were wearing strollers. But if it was backgammon night, then were you wearing dinner jackets? Is gray an acceptable color for dinner jackets?
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