Starting from April 2022, Hendon Chess Club will be moving to a new home venue, the Ramus Room at the Cumberland Lawn Tennis Club in West Hampstead (map here). Our final event at the Holly Bush will be on 31st March.
When we moved to the Holly Bush at the start of this season, we hoped we would be there for a full year at least, if not longer. However, the Holly Bush has recently undergone a change of management, and has decided they would like to use the space for something else.
Fortunately, we have been able to secure an excellent alternative venue, at the Cumberland Lawn Tennis Club, 25 Alvanley Gardens, London NW6 1JD, five minutes' walk from Finchley Road and Frognal Station. Our first event there will be on 7th April. As always, our event calendar is up-to-date with the location of each event.
The playing room at the Cumberland Club is light and airy, and considerably bigger than our current Holly Bush room. This should create additional space for social chess even on busy match nights, and should allow us to increase capacity at our blitz tournaments. Players will have full access to the Cumberland’s excellent bar and restaurant. We held a trial event at the venue in January, and it met with strong approval from everyone who attended!
We recognise that the Cumberland Club is further than the Holly Bush from Hendon Chess Club’s historical roots in Hendon and Golders Green. Whether we continue to use the Cumberland Club next season will depend on feedback from our members. Anyone who would like to suggest an alternative venue for 2022/23 is strongly encouraged to raise it with a member of the Committee well in advance of the end of the season, so we have time to investigate and develop the idea.
In the meantime, we hope everyone will enjoy our meetings at the Cumberland Club – we look forward to seeing you there!