Taki Taki

High life | 22 March 2018

After 60 years’ membership, a recent incident there has made me decide to call it a day

Gstaad

A couple of columns ago I wrote about an incident that took place at the Eagle Club here in Gstaad. I indicated that if cowardice prevailed, I would go into detail (and I’ve had two weeks to think about those details). Well, cowardice did prevail, but although the Eagle has not lived up to the requirements of a club, what happens in a club stays in a club. I need to live up to the standards of someone who joined 60 years ago and generously contributed to it financially when it was floundering and about to go under. As I wrote a fortnight ago, the mix of gentlemen and low lifes is a toxic one. The latter are bound to step out of line and revert to type. Like throwing a punch from behind having misinterpreted a joke, or lying about what had taken place beforehand. Fraudsters should not be invited into clubs as guests, not because they might set up a crooked deal — which they would if they could — but because manners go hand-in-hand with morals, and a fraudster lacks both. A toxic mix indeed. And when my wife, who was born a serene highness into a 900-year-old noble family and has never in her life had a snobby thought towards a fellow human being, feels insulted enough to commiserate with a woman by telling her she’s sorry the woman had to marry a man so common (no use going into details about that particular incident) it’s time to call it a day. I’m off for good. The irony is that I no longer like the place. A club cannot be run by a Mrs Danvers who, although an employee, chooses who comes in and who doesn’t. She will, of course, bring in low lifes. Having said all that, I wish the place well.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in