Dinner Arrangements

The next Annual Ladies Night Dinner will take place on the evening of Wednesday 25th April 2012 at the Royal Naval Club & Royal Albert Yacht Club, Southsea. I am hoping that sufficient numbers will attend to make the 2012 a memorable reunion and an enjoyable event for us all. Full details of the dinner and further detailed information are below. This is an excellent venue in keeping with the traditions of the SD Commanders' Association and I am sure that we will receive both good food and first-class service as we have on the previous occasions we have used this venue. The cost per person is £44 inclusive of a 3 course meal, coffee, wines, port and the use of a cash bar open until 2300. The price has been held for the past 4 years, but has had to be raised this year to reflect the increase in the VAT rate and club catering charges. The club has no car park, but there is plenty of on-street parking in the near vicinity. Pembroke Road is located in Old Portsmouth quite close to Portsmouth Cathedral.

I have changed to an April date this year in an effort to avoid the many other naval dinners that tend to take place in October each year. Furthermore, I have chosen a midweek date to avoid bank holiday weekends and St Georges Day. I hope that some of our members from outside the Portsmouth / Hampshire area may take the opportunity to travel to meet us for dinner and to enjoy an evening of fine food, excellent service and a reunion with former friends and naval colleagues.

History of the Club

As currently constituted the Royal Naval Club and Royal Albert Yacht Club dates from 1971 following the amalgamation of two famous old Clubs.

The Royal Naval Club was formed by four Royal Naval Lieutenants serving on board HMS Bellerophon anchored off Spithead in September 1867. From those humble beginning grew a Club of international prestige and importance graced by kings and princes and at one stage could claim to have one hundred and sixty Admirals on the books and no less than nineteen recipients of the Victoria Cross.

The Royal Albert Yacht Club takes its name from the Albert Yacht Club formed in 1864 under the patronage of Prince Albert who was a very keen sailor. The following year the "Royal" was added by gracious permission of Queen Victoria and at the same time the Club assumed responsibility for the Portsmouth and Southsea Regattas held in the eastern Solent. For the next seventy years the Club continued to prosper and in 1939 sold its home in Southsea and for the duration of the war was housed within the Royal Naval Club. After the war however the Club moved out and joined up temporarily with the Royal Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club only to move on again at the time of the amalgamation.

The Club Premises were originally formed from three separate properties. In April 1868 the premises of the Hampshire Banking Company were purchased for £900 and now form the western half of the present Club. At a meeting in June 1871 it was resolved to buy the property adjoining the Club, the Fitzclarence Tavern and the private residence attached, all for £1,400. Joining together of the three buildings was completed in 1875 and the distinctive tower extended to its full height at the same time.

If you are interested in Membership of the RNC & RAYC, contact them through their website at: http://www.rnc-rayc.co.uk/ or click their icon to the right of this page.

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