british club membership

[kiwijustlanded]

We'd like to buy a british club membership on the open market, one that is transferable.  Having just arrived in Singapore, are there any tips or things to be aware of when making the transaction? or where to get the best deal?    

[Why]

on earth would you want to join the British Club?    Much better places around.

[Was told by a Brit]

I was told by a Brit (who is a member of the Tanglin Club) that the British Club is very snobby but not as bad as the Singapore Cricket Club!

[of course]

Never British Club..snobs congregate there. 

[American Mom]

with membership to the club here.

I don;t usually make negative comments, but sometimes it's hard to read posts that are such downers. Come on friends, try to help the OP...

Call the club directly, the team's actually quite a nice bunch. They will give you all the details. It's a fairly good (not a lot of frills) club if you're not looking for anything too fancy, and is great if you have little kids. Lots of activities for kids, esp those in lower school. Good facilities.

The open market listings can usually be found in the Straits Times classifieds. Membership is very affordable.

We joined many years ago, at a great rate. We don;t even live in Singapore now, but will hold on to the membership because we might return some time, and would like to resume going there. I used to like going there in the mornings, read by the pool, do laps, and lunch by the terrace and read a good book. Loved the green surroundings.

Am not British, didn't find people there snobbish, but my british hubby tells me that Brits are generally more reserved, takes longer to get to know them.

[in the club]

I know a few people who are (and were - as they've moved away now) members of the British Club and they weren't snobby at all, very down to earth in fact.  I've been there a couple of times with them and it seemed like a nice place, quite laid back really - kids running around by the pool, dripping water everywhere in their swimmers and nobody batted an eyelid; There are restrictions apparently as to where the kids can go at the club but I can't imagine any club like that in the UK being so accommodating.

I'm sure there are snobby people there but there are everywhere  - it doesn't mean you have to talk to them!

We would have considered becoming members too but it's too far away from where we live and we'd never use it often enough.  OP, I think that's something you have to consider when joining any club here - if you don't live fairly close, will you use it?  Most people I know who have joined one of the clubs have lived within a 10 min cab/car ride.  Any further and you might as well just live in a condo with good facilities.

[I used]

to be a member and I never found it snobby at all.
Nice surroundings - good facilities and ok food.
A great place if you have just arrived with young kids - not so good if you do not have kids.
We gave it up because my circumstances changed and i was not using it enough to justify the monthly sub and minimum quarterly F&B spend.
As clubs go it is cheap as chips to join (the American Club is now over S$ 100k to join for none US)

[Condo]

If you have a good swimming pool and gym at the condo, wouldn't you be better off spending the membership fee of these clubs on restaurant bills?

What is the point of these clubs for thos in such condos?

[BC member......]

After having a corporate membership then annual membership for a few years we bought a full transferable membership a couple of years ago. We looked on the open market (online and in the papers), but the lowest priced one we found was only slightly below the resale memberships available direct from the club. In the end, we bought a resale through the club which the member at the top of the resale list brought down slightly to almost match the open resale price. We took that on the basis that it was hassle-free to buy direct from the Club. The membership can be sold when you leave but there is a transfer fee involved - check with the club. You can resell by yourself or through the Club or a broker. There is still a monthly subscription fee to pay on top of your membership. We used the British club loads when our kids were young to swim, learn tennis and meet and eat with other families, but still use it now for the gym, competitive squash and tennis etc. Sure there are probably a few snobs there like there are anywhere in life but you don't have to hang out with them, and we've always found the staff really friendly and helpful. Agree with a previous poster that if you live on the other side of the island, or in a condo with mega-facilities you won't use it much, but we live fairly close in a house and use it several times a week. We also like feeling that we are almost (by Singapore standards) out in the country up there on top of the hill in the trees. If you don't have kids and are looking for peace and quiet, avoid Sunday afternoons at the pool - it's a zoo.

[Stratford]

What I really like about the British Club is that members aren't allowed to bring their maids to the club (to 'look after' their offspring) as it is intended to be a family club, but there is a supervised playroom for the little ones and another 'teen' room for the older ones. Some other clubs in Singapore do allow maids to accompany their employers.

There is a Christmas party just for members maids each year, which I think is a nice touch.

I've never found the BC to be snobby, but I did get the impression that the Tanglin Club was snobby and not child-friendly when I was taken there by a friend.

My kids have grown up now (my son learned to swim at the BC when he was little) and when we returned to Singapore we chose to re-join the British Club as it isn't stuffy.

 

[bc member]

we are members at the british club and i don't consider us snobby. no one is at the club. that's why we go there. it's one of the most family friendly, laid back places in the whole of singapore. It reminds me of Australia when we visited on holiday last year - unpretentious and people go there to relax and basically chill out with their kids; no one gives a toss really about anything else. I highly recommend it. We got our membership through the club, it was easier and quicker and worth every cent. But we do have another club membership which we got through a broker, and that was painless and quick too. I don't really think it matters that much for BC membership how you get it, but American Club yes, as the membership fee is 10 times the price and I think you'd definitely save money on the open market than going direct through the club or a broker. good luck!

[kd]

We love it.  Now that the kids are older and we have a nice pool at our condo, we don't go there much during the day, but we love the Sports Bar for a quiet drink, just the two of us, or we sometimes take the kids to the Windsor bar for dinner on a Sunday night.  We like the comedy nights and the quiz nights too.  Each to their own - I've never found it snobby!

[local dweller]

The definition of snobbish is different for everyone being there but generally, it means people do not talk to anyone who does not share the same interest or understanding. 

One thing I do not understand why maids are not considered 'family' , in regards to maids that have lived in the family for 5 years or more, and disallowed to step in the club.


Apart from all clubs, I think Tanglin is the worst. Couple of times do I read members suing members or committee members.

[Stratford]

One thing I do not understand why maids are not considered 'family' , in regards to maids that have lived in the family for 5 years or more, and disallowed to step in the club.

TBH the majority of expat postings tend to be for approx 3 years, so it's not often that maids will have worked for the same expat employer for 5 years or more (yes of course there are exceptions!).

It's just not the cultural norm in northern Europe for household maids to be employed, although a part-time cleaner might come in once a week if both parents are working.

The 'British Club' is a club in the sense that it is for singles, couples and families to have some recreation time and to dine or play sports together - in the UK the local pub usually fulfills this role, even more so in the Summertime where there are often lovely countryside or seaside pubs with a beer garden with play equipment for the kids. Pubs often have a cricket team or a football team (tennis is usually in private clubs or the local council recreation parks). There aren't any places like this in Singapore that I'm aware of, but the British Club is a nice hangout for families of all nationalities - I've heard a lot of Aussie and Kiwi accents there recently and there seems to be more Indian members lately.  

It just wouldn't be a nice ambience at the club to have maids loudly yakking away with their friends and put in charge of the kids - especially when they're in the pool - which would surely happen if they were allowed in to the club. There are plenty of other clubs in Singapore that people can join if employers feel unable to spend a few hours with their kids without the help of a maid!        

[wanted help]

 

It just wouldn't be a nice ambience at the club to have maids loudly yakking away with their friends and put in charge of the kids - especially when they're in the pool - which would surely happen if they were allowed in to the club. There are plenty of other clubs in Singapore that people can join if employers feel unable to spend a few hours with their kids without the help of a maid!        


That's why I left the British Club. Though my experience is unusual granted. I fell pregnant with triplets when my older two kids were 2 and 3. You try chasing non swimming toddlers round a pool *that* pregnant. It doesn't get easier when you have three newborns and (still) a 2 and 3 year old. That's just my reason, but I'm sure there are other reasons people might feel like taking the maid along other than just being too lazy/ incapable of looking after their own kids for a while. and btw mine are 4,4,4,6,7 now and I take them by myself sometimes and sometimes I bring my maid who enjoys just sitting around for a while watching the world go by while we have a swim. Don't presume to know everything, why the need to be so snarky.