2024 Annual AGM & Gala Dinner
Saturday, 21st of September 2024
Duke of Richmond Hotel, Guernsey, Channel Islands
Full details for Members & guests:
Download a copy of the PDF agenda for the weekend 14th August 2024
Bookings are now closed to attend this event.
You can still register for the AGM meeting by Zoom.
The AGM Meeting was 1500 – 1630 UTC (4.00pm – 5.30pm London)
The Occasion.
The First Class CW Operators’ Club requests the company of Members and their guests for the 2024 Annual AGM & Gala Dinner and a weekend of social events in Guernsey, Channel Islands. The Committee intend this to be one of the biggest international events since our Cambridge event in 2018 and encourage as many members as possible to attend this prestige event.
When: Saturday, 21st of September 2024.
Where: Duke of Richmond Hotel, Cambridge Park, Guernsey, Channel Islands.
Suggested Program.
Friday 20th September:
Members arrive and check in at their hotel of choice (Thursday eve/Friday day time).
Members and guests settle in to island life on Friday.
7.00 pm – Meet for a FOC Social supper
Sorrento Restaurant, The Quay, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands. https://sorrento.gg/
The restaurant has prepared an exclusive 3 course dinner especially for FOC with fantastic choices. This will be a very informal evening at the islands best Italian Restaurant.
Saturday, 21st September:
Morning:
Free time to explore the island or socialise at the Hotel.
Our rooms for lectures and presentations will be available late morning at the Duke of Richmond Hotel after breakfast. The Leopard Bar will be open all day for refreshments.
For those venturing out we plan to organise a visit to the German Naval signals Headquarters https://museums.gov.gg/GNSHQ. at 10:30am.
This is a must visit attraction for all CW enthusiasts and the Headquarters was the Channel Islands Communications Headquarters during the German occupation during the Second World War and has been sympathetically restored. Cost is £4 each visitor and is around a 10 minute walk to get to the museum.
Additionally, a programme is being provided by Maria Antonietta (Bob GU4YOX’s XYL) possibly to include some retail therapy around St. Peter Port and an optional trip to Victor Hugo’s House.
Be sure to be back at the at The Duke of Richmond hotel by 2:00pm when the FOC activities will commence.
Afternoon:
Presentations and speakers are planned from 2:00pm
The AGM will commence at 4:00pm and is expected to conclude at 5:30pm.
All members can join the AGM and speakers sessions by Zoom.
Evening:
The evening will be hosted by our President – Bob Beebe GU4YOX.
7:00pm for 7:45pm assemble for a celebratory drinks reception in Cambridge Suite at The Duke of Richmond whilst being serenaded by a local string quartet the Mariposa Strings.
Dinner will be served at 7:45pm in the main Somerset Suite Dining Area. This is a 3 course dinner with a wonderful choice of starters, mains and desserts with coffee and truffles to follow. A vegetarian option is available for each course. You can select your menu choices when placing your booking.
A special gala dinner FOC cake will be baked and kindly donated by “The Little Cake Haven” for all members to enjoy.
There will also be a special FOC raffle with some wonderful prizes. Proceeds will go towards supporting FOC.
After dinner, we will conduct our FOC award presentations.
A bar service will be available until approximately midnight for hotel guests. Carriages will be at 11:30pm
Dress Code:
The dress code for the dinner is “Dress to impress”. There are no formal requirements but we look forward to seeing everyone making a special effort to celebrate this wonderful event.
Bookings and costs:
All Bookings can be made and paid for online. Don’t worry it’s really quick and easy.
The cost of the 2024 AGM and Gala Dinner is £65 per person.
As well as booking for the 2024 AGM and Gala Dinner on Saturday, 21st September 2024, you can also book for the FOC informal dinner at the Sorrento Restaurant on Friday 20th September.
Location.
Guernsey is a small island located in the English Channel between England and France. It is the jewel in the crown of the Channel Islands and has the highest sunshine hours of Great Britain. Guernsey is not in the UK but is part of the British Crown Dependencies.
Guernsey has its own Government and money too; the Guernsey Pound has the same value as the British Pound. Both can be spent here.
The climate is warm and we rarely have snow or frosts. Islanders are very friendly people and crime is virtually non-existent. It is a very safe jurisdiction. If you lose your wallet in town, it will certainly be handed in to the Guernsey Police with all of your money still inside!
It is a wonderful place to live and work and a paradise for children to grow up with golden sand beaches, wonderful sunsets and a haven for star gazers as there is little light pollution and all the island streetlights outside of St.Peter Port are switched off at midnight.
Hotels.
The Gala Dinner Hotel Venue
Duke of Richmond Hotel: https://dukeofrichmond.com
The Duke of Richmond is offering special room rates for this event. This hotel is one of the finest in the island of Guernsey and is highly recommended. The Duke of Richmond has held 2023 room prices for us for this event and will hold a number of rooms until end of Spring 2024.
Members may wish to choose to stay at the venue hotel or consider other nearby options but the Duke of Richmond is one of the premier hotels in the island and is in St.Peter Port.
The following rates have been agreed with the hotel. Please note there is no VAT in Guernsey and the rooms are per couple per night and including full Guernsey breakfast for each person
£241 Seaview Double
£264 King/Twin
£292 Superior King/Twin
£350 Seaview King/Twin
£402 Junior Suite
£502 Junior Suite with Terrace
£575 Penthouse
A link to see the rooms can be found here: https://dukeofrichmond.com/rooms
Please call the hotel reservations department on +44 (0) 1481 726221 or via email to the reservations department at reservations@dukeofrichmond.com and quote “FIRST CLASS CW OPERATORS”. This will ensure you secure the rates above.
It should be noted that September is a highly sought-after month for booking bedrooms at the Duke of Richmond Hotel, so it is advisable to make reservations well in advance.
Alternative Hotels
The nearest alternative accommodation would be at Les Cotils – https://www.lescotils.com/
Les Cotils is a Christian centre and very popular with islanders who wish peace and tranquillity. Room prices are around £100 for a double room with breakfast. The hotel is a 10 minute walk from the Duke of Richmond.
There are of course a wealth of other hotels/Bed & Breakfast/AirBnB options available and perhaps members may wish to stay elsewhere in town or in a rural setting if you prefer.
With our proposed event weekend itinerary taking place in St.Peter Port perhaps a town hotel (select from them on the weblink below) may be best suited if not staying at the DOR/Les Cotils.
https://www.visitguernsey.com/accommodation/places-to-stay-in-guernsey/
Buses and taxis would have to be used to get around however. Hire cars tend to be expensive and with the very small roads here non-islanders can find it difficult to find their way around and drive in Guernsey. The island is circa 9 miles long and 4 miles wide.
Travelling to Guernsey.
Two ferry companies and two airlines operate between Guernsey and Brittany, Normandy in France and the UK. Flights from the UK to Guernsey take around 40 minutes to 90 minutes depending on the choice of UK departure airport. The fast ferry (Condor) is three hour journey from the UK and two hours from St.Malo in France.
By air
– Aurigny Air Services (from the UK or Jersey): https://www.aurigny.com
– Blue Islands: https://www.blueislands.com/
There are 8 flights a day to and from the island from various UK locations, Manchester, London Gatwick (LGW) and Brimingham (BHX) and also East Midlands Airport (EMA) and also Leeds/Bradford.
By ferry from Poole and Portsmouth, UK and St.Malo/Cherbourg from France
– Condor Ferries: https://www.condorferries.fr/
– Manche Iles Express: https://www.manche-iles.com/fr/
