A little bit of warmth in winter as clubs get ready with festive schedule

Kolkata: With winter approaching, the heritage social clubs in Kolkata are getting ready for heightened activities and year-end celebrations. The November-to-January period is a high-footfall season with locals as well as visiting NRIs preferring to spend relaxing afternoons and evenings at the clubs.All the clubs have lined up a range of programmes, including musical and dance nights, heritage fashion shows, heritage walks, cake-mixing, food festivals and even international sports, events like golf and cricket tournaments and rowing contests.Outram Club held a special night of music and recitation on November 18. The club’s cultural committee member, Aloke Sanyal, said Bengali poet Srijato Bandopadhyay would conduct a story-telling session while executive Ketan Sengupta would perform recitation. “Many club members fly into Kolkata from abroad as well as other parts of India to spend time with their families and enjoy winter in Kolkata. We felt it was the perfect time to celebrate,” he added. Outram Club secretary Sudipto Bose pointed out that there would be performance by singer Raghab Chatterjee as well. “The club will host a series of programmes from December 24 to 31,” he added.At Calcutta Rowing Club, too, several members, who live outside Kolkata, are expected to return in winter, when Kolkata turns the most pleasant. Apart from various entertainment events lined up in the evenings, CRC will host a regatta to commemorate 100 years of reciprocal relationship with London Rowing Club. “To celebrate this milestone journey of LRC and CRC, we have planned an International Friendship Regatta from November 20 to 25,” said CRC secretary Chandan Roychowdhury. There will be 70 participants, including rowers from the UK, South Africa and New Zealand. Five leading rowing clubs across the world—LRC, Southampton Rowing Club, Victoria Lake Rowing Club, and Molesey Rowing Club—will join the regatta at CRC.At Calcutta Club, some members who live abroad put up at the club’s accommodation in winter. Club president Abhijit Ghosh said, “We have Bakery Carnival and International Evening lined up, both signature events.” The members are eagerly waiting for the itinerary ahead, which includes a classical programme, a heritage fashion show, based on 1907, when the club was established, a cake-mixing event, a heritage walk followed by a heritage show and dinner the week after and the Calcutta Club Premier League.Dalhousie Institute secretary Jayajit Biswas said the winter gala had started. “We have a music show by the band, Duo. There will be an English karaoke night on November 24, Scottish dance on December 3 and Hindi karaoke and Bollywood night on December 1,” he said.
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