FOSKD Newsletter April 2017

Dear Friends,

sue Many of you will have read in the press that having put St Katharine Docks up for sale in May this year, Blackstone were considering withdrawing the Dock from sale. Having met with some of their senior management team recently, we can confirm that they have in fact now withdrawn it from sale and they will continue as both the owners and managers of the Docks for the foreseeable future.

Works continue to improve facilities around the Dock and most recently we have seen the opening of the new staircase at the north west entrance and phase one of the new signage scheme is now in place. The Classic Boat Festival was a highlight of the summer in the Docks with over 40 classic boats taking part, including 14 of the Dunkirk Little Ships. The marina team lead by Paul Tetlow and supported by Events Manager Claire Daniels organised this great event including a very enjoyable Sunday breakfast for some of our members with the classic boat owners, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended. We are delighted that this will become an annual fixture in the calendar.

Below you will find information on forthcoming events and additions to our concession scheme. Your Committee look forward to meeting up with many of you in the coming few months at one or more of our events!

Sue Hughes
Chairman

Events

DANCE CLASSES

We are pleased to announce our autumn series of dance classes which will start on Monday 2nd October in the Dickens Suite upstairs in the Dickens Inn. Please arrive at 1.45pm for a 2pm start unless stated otherwise below. Classes last for one hour with tea and coffee provided afterwards. Cost is £10 per session payable on the day.

Classes will be held on the following dates and times:-
Monday 2nd October
Monday 9th October (arrive 11.45 for 12 noon start)
Monday 16th October (arrive 11.45 for 12 noon start)
Monday 23rd October
Monday 30th October
Monday 20th November
Monday 27th November

We hope to be able to announce additional dates in November nearer the time – these will be listed on the NEWS page of our website, so do please check!

Absolutely no dance experience is required and you don't need to be part of a couple to come along – we actively encourage singles – particularly men, to come and join the fun! In the Spring a very jolly group of intrepid members aided by our talented (and very patient!) dance teacher Angelo Ruggieri from www.ruggieriacademy.com learned to tango, foxtrot, salsa and waltz their way around the Dickens suite. It was huge fun and as a group of non-dancers they greatly enjoyed the experience of beginning to learn the basics of both ballroom and Latin dances. So do come along and join in the fun!

FOSKD AGM

Members will have already received the Notice of the AGM which will be held in the Dickens Suite of the Dickens Inn on Monday 16th October 2017.

Timings are 18.30 for a 19.00 start. A welcome drink will be served and the formal meeting will be followed by a social evening with refreshments kindly provided by the management of the Dickens Inn. This is your opportunity to come and hear the latest news about the activities of your Association and a round-up of news about St Katharine Docks.

The Four Seasons Hotel

For the last seven years a major transformation has been taking place at the iconic building on Tower Hill which was originally built in 1922 for the Port of London Authority. Following a stunning & sympathetic transformation, Ten Trinity Square is now home to the five star Four Seasons Hotel. We are excited to announce that they will soon be joining our concession scheme and to launch this partnership, their management will kindly be hosting a drinks reception for a group of our members on Tuesday 7th November 2017. A booking form for the event will be emailed to members in early October. Details of this concession will be listed on our website in due course once it has been activated, so do check for details before you visit the property please.

FESTIVE DINNER

On Monday 4th December we will be holding our very popular Festive Dinner in the Bridge Suite of the Guoman Tower Hotel. Those who attended last year were enthusiastic about the addition of a disco at the end of the evening (indeed there was some very enthusiastic dancing by some members!) so we are delighted that DJ Jules has agreed to return this year. A booking form will be emailed to members in mid October for this event, so for now, please save the date!

Concession Scheme News

Dokke Restaurant - Ivory House

coffee_morning The team at Dokke supported by Vagabond Coffee are hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday 29th September 2017 from 9am – 12 noon which will include special cakes and savoury treats. The refreshments are free but Neil and Emma ask that you please make a donation to Macmillan to support "The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning". Last year this event raised £25 million!

Thames Luxury Charters

thames_charters Sixty members enjoyed a fun evening in August on board "The Edwardian", for a cruise up river past all the major City landmarks as far as Battersea before returning to St Katharine’s Pier. Chris & Belinda Livett, who are FOSKD members and owners of Thames Luxury Charters, generously sponsored the evening and were our hosts for the event which included great live acoustic music by a three piece band and a brilliant magician! Chris kindly shared some of his encyclopaedic knowledge of the River Thames with us as we sailed up river.

We are delighted that Thames Luxury Charters have joined our concession scheme; our members will be entitled to a 10% discount on boat hire for their first charter. If you would like to hear direct from TLC about special events and other offers, please send an email to enquiries@thamesluxurycharters.co.uk

For additional details please see our concessions page on https://foskd.org/concessions.php

COTE BRASSERIE

For those of you looking to organise your Christmas entertaining, why not take a look at the offering from our concession partner Cote Brasserie in International House. Use this link to see details of their Christmas food and drinks menus https://www.cote.co.uk/christmas. A complimentary glass of Kir Royale when dining from the a la carte menu will be offered to members of FOSKD and their guests for parties of up to a maximum of 6 diners. Enjoy!

Contact us

Should you require any further information, please feel free to contact us at contactus@foskd.org