RAG Events

Friday 28th March at 18.00 | Marlborough Suite | Complimentary for Members* *Includes a drink on arrival *£10.00 Per Guest We invite all members to come and enjoy a glass of wine and join us for our next New Members Reception on Friday 28th March, where we will be extending a warm welcome to the newest members of the Club, giving them a chance to interact with long standing members. Taking place on the last Friday of the month, once a quarter, the evening provides the perfect setting to connect with both new and existing members and to meet members of the Board and Membership Committee in a more relaxed setting.

Sunday 30th March at 11:30 | Marlborough Suite | £15.00 As we continue to enhance our cultural programme at The Rag, we are delighted to present the Rag Concert—an exclusive musical experience set within the refined surroundings of our Marlborough Suite. This special occasion, held just before our renowned Sunday Roast, sets the tone for a delightful morning of fine dining and relaxation. We are privileged to welcome award-winning harpist Heather Brooks, who recently completed her Artists’ Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Distinction. A highly accomplished musician, Heather has performed as a soloist with the Guildhall Chamber Orchestra, recorded with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, and earned numerous prestigious accolades, including the City of Szeged Prize at the Sixth International Harp Competition. With performances at Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, and the Barbican to her name, she now joins us for an unforgettable recital, promising an afternoon of exceptional music in the heart of our Club.

Tuesday 1st April at 19.00 | Pall Mall | £95 per person* *The ticket includes a Champagne and canapé reception followed by a three-course dinner with coffee and wines. The Annual Club Dinner this year will now take place on 1st April. The Guest of Honour will be General Sir Patrick Sanders, whose tenure as Chief of the General Staff ended last June. Members and guests will be welcomed with drinks in the Drawing Room followed by a three-course dinner in the Pall Mall Room. We kindly advise you to book in advance as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Wednesday 2nd April | 12.00 for 12.30 | Drawing Room | £65.00 If you go back far enough in Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger’s family, Napoleon used to rely on his predecessors for cannon balls. The latest generation is part of a more unifying pursuit; namely making Champagne. Join Rodolphe for a salon-style lunch where he will share the story behind the House of Frerejean Frères Champagne, which he founded in 2005 with his brother Guillaume, and in 2025 celebrates a 20-year anniversary. Join him to enjoy in a glass some of what those two decades have yielded, and to learn the challenges faced in making the most of his family’s land with a unique chalk quality renowned for producing outstanding grapes. The world of Champagne has elements going back centuries. Rodolphe’s story is an update on what you need to make a fresh contribution to what is the world’s best-known drink. To hear this will be all the better with the Frerejean’s Frère Champagne that Rodolphe will kindly offer members attending as an accompaniment to his words. Another salon lunch – food and, from the table conversation, food for thought – for which the Rag is quickly developing a reputation with this one straight out of the bottle.

Friday 4th April at 17:00 | The Smoking Room | £35.00* Back by popular demand, we are delighted to welcome Lana-May to kick off what promises to be an exciting weekend at The Rag, specialising in the 1920s-1930s New Orleans Traditional Jazz, Blues and Swing! Members and guests are invited to join in on an immersive, authentic jazz evening through her musical expertise, soulful playing, and captivating stage presence. Prepare to be transported back in time to the 1930s gin bars of New Orleans and Montmartre, dance the night away and be thoroughly entertained with this truly stunning act.

Saturday 5th April at 10.00 | £60.00 Hot Water Pastry, Raised Game Pie and Rhubarb and Ginger Chutney followed by 2-Course Lunch Join us at The Rag for our first Culinary Masterclass of the year! This session in April will focus on two exciting demonstrations: how to make hot water pastry and making the raised pie filling and jelly. The day will begin at 9.30 am with pastries and health and safety chat. From there, you’ll move to your stations and observe Chef Hart demonstrate how to make hot water pastry and making the raised pie filling and jelly. You’ll also participate in how to make rhubarb and ginger chutney. The afternoon will conclude with a 2-course lunch starting promptly at 1:00 PM, where you’ll be served a specially prepared Homemade Game, Pistachio and Herb Raised Pie with Rhubarb and Ginger Chutney.

Saturday 5th April at 18.30 | Coffee Room | £95 Per Person As the pathologist, Dr. Laura Robson, first in “Morse”, then “Lewis”, Clare Holman was a hugely welcome fixture in our living rooms for over two decades. On April 5th she will be joined in the Rag Coffee Room by Royal Shakespeare Company actor Stephen Simms, for the much-anticipated return of Stellar Theatre, after the company’s triumphant debut here last November. The pair will be principals in a new Paul Greenwood play – like “Two-Shot” that was centre stage in November – specially commissioned from him for the night. The evening will begin with an rehearsed reading by Holman and Simms of this fresh new work, then all those involved with putting on what is sure to be another acclaimed performance will join members for supper and a chance to share thoughts on the evening’s drama. Proceedings conclude with the cast and crew answering some questions for the benefit of all in attendance. November was a bit of history, as the first time Clubland had hosted such an event, bringing theatre of the highest calibre to a corner of St James’s Square. If you came then you’ll no doubt be back, if able. If you missed the Rag’s mould-breaking endeavour, book early to avoid disappointment this time.

Monday 7th April at 18.30 | The Drawing Room and Zoom | £15.00 per person* *Includes one glass Prosecco *£10.00 for those joining via Zoom From a generation whose working lives were prefaced by National Service, Lord Saville had some time with the Royal Sussex Regiment, before Oxford and the start of an illustrious legal career that culminated in a stint on what is known now as the Supreme Court, and what became known as the Saville Inquiry. For April’s Fireside Chat, please join Lord Saville in the Drawing Room where he can reflect on a life in the law after reaching the rank of Second Lieutenant. Covered by someone renowned for his “meticulous perfectionism” towards unearthing the facts will be how he oversaw for a decade the inquiry that bears his name into events in Northern Ireland, his ten years as a barrister, prefaced by scholarly excellence at Varsity, before becoming a High Court Judge, how the law and legal practice has evolved in his lifetime, and how, when sitting in the House of Lords his interest in computers helped shape Government policies on technology. After this, as is now established protocol for the Fireside Chats, join the evening’s Guest of Honour for supper in the Coffee Room where conversation can deepen about the Drawing Room dialogue as well as widen to include other matters of special interest. A privilege to invite such a distinguished public servant to the Drawing Room will carry the undoubted pressure of this pleasure to do justice to his years of service to the law. Of course, such pressure is a privilege.

Thursday 10 April 11.00 | The Drawing Room | £10* *The ticket includes an assortment of Cakes with Tea and Coffee Our Coffee + Connect series has proven to be a great opportunity for Rag members to meet one another, share experiences and make new connections. Gillian and Peter look forward to welcoming you to this very enjoyable event. A table will be booked in the Ribbon Bar & Terrace for those wishing to join us for lunch afterwards.

Thursday 10th April at 18.00 | Drawing Room | £10.00* *Include glass of wine on arrival Service on the North West Frontier was characterised by searing heat, freezing winds, boredom, fatigue and sudden, violent death. During 1936-7, 60,000 Indian, Gurkha and British troops deployed to Waziristan to fight the Fakir of Ipi in the last major Frontier campaign before independence. Join the Column as it advances through the mountains. Will it be attacked by Wazir and Mahsud tribesmen? Will the Column reach their camp tonight? BOOK NOW! Bio Notes Lieutenant Colonel Mike Tickner is a retired Regular Army officer with a long-term interest in the British Army in India and particularly the Far East campaigns and the North West Frontier. He regularly gives talks to military and civilian groups, clubs and museums and writes the occasional article. He has led battlefield studies to India and South-East Asia, most recently to Singapore. Having spent many rainy nights on the North German plain and Salisbury Plain, he has also served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

Friday 11th April at 18:00 | Marlborough Suite | £15.00 After a grueling week, the idea of talking shop might not grab you. Yet you might see evenings as an opportunity to prioritise your professional development or initiate a change in direction. With this in mind, the Rag presents “Three’s A Crowd” an evening offering an informal couple of hours on Friday when you can join three trailblazers who have each taken paths in their respective fields that should be inspirational as you weigh up your own options. Bar a formal introduction they will, drink in hand, mix among you allowing a chance to quiz them without this feeling like a Spanish Inquisition, as well as a just to listen to their conversation with others. In all a chance for you to reflect on where you are professionally and to meet others likeminded or otherwise, while at the same time enjoying the club’s Marlborough Suite in the unique space usually occupied by the Portland Club, London’s finest card school.  Joining us will Julian Critchlow, Gemma Ospedale, and Guiseppe Gollo for an informal  drink and moment to chat about key landmarks in their career paths and how things have ended up as they have. At the same time, meet other members in similar situations. In all, without the stifling protocol of formal networking, it is the perfect opportunity for stories and circumstances to be shared in the hope that this produces a positive impact, amid convivial surrounds with a glass of something to hand.

Sunday 20th April at 11:30 | Marlborough Suite | £15.00 As part of our ongoing commitment to exceptional cultural experiences at The Rag, we are excited to welcome you to our second Rag Concert, an intimate evening of world-class music in the elegant Marlborough Suite. Taking place on Easter Sunday, just before our renowned Sunday Roast, this special occasion sets the tone for a delightful morning of fine dining and relaxation. We are privileged to welcome violinists Lily Harwood and Alexandra Peel, an exceptional duo who have each made their mark on the classical music stage. Both alumnae of the Royal College of Music, Lily and Alexandra have performed at prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican, and the Royal Festival Hall, appearing as soloists across the UK and Europe. Between them, they have won numerous accolades, recorded for BBC Radio 3 and Academy Award-winning Slick Films, and collaborated with esteemed ensembles. Their performance at The Rag promises an afternoon of exquisite music, making for a truly memorable Easter Sunday.