Dear CountryClubuk Member

News from your Club: What's new in hotels, travel, theatre, wines, fashion, tailoring and more.

Of all the Italian lakes, Maggiore has long been a shimmering magnet. A former stop on the Grand Tour, preferred retreat of the French aristocracy, the lake retains an aura of inter-war jetset glamour. Visitors are seduced by the Mediterranean-like micro climate, the still, tranquil waters, Baroque architecture and majestic alpine peaks.

Stresa is the cultural hub: all palm trees, belle époque promenade, and piazzas favoured in their different eras by Hemingway, Hilaire Belloc, Debussy and Toscanini. In keeping with our Members' style, we have selected two hotels we highly recommend—and the first Members to book will receive amazingly good Blue Ribbon Club rates.

Hotel La Palma is centrepiece of chi chi Stresa’s celebrated lakefront; the ideal base for exploring the treasures of Maggiore. An elegant, family-run hotel, it is surrounded by gardens in full tropical bloom and has its own private beach. The outdoor swimming pool is by the lake itself, a wonderfully glam spot to soak up the sun.

Farther along the shoreline, the glamorous Grand Hotel Majestic is pretty much perfect: looking out across the lake towards the Borromean Islands, it was a favourite with Debussy and Toscanini. Timeless luxury and traditional service are combined with modern facilities for the best in wellbeing and pampering, including a spa, pool and private beach. All high ceilings and classical columns, it is the full belle époque experience.

Special Blue Ribbon deals: Hotel La Palma. Double Room, including breakfast and tax, for two people sharing, per night: RR c €160. CCUK £113. Junior Suite with Lake View, including breakfast and tax, for two sharing, per night: RR c €300. CCUK £169. Full details and availability.

Grand Hotel Majestic. Suite with Lake View, including tax, for two sharing, per night: RR €770-€840. CCUK £259. Full details and availability.

Ruby is queen of the gemstones. The Burmese ruby is the most valuable by far—and we now have a fabulous Burmese ruby and diamond ring from our jeweller in Hatton Garden. It is superb—a sumptuous, glowing, heart-throb red, a full 3 carats of ruby set off by more than a carat of diamonds. This lovely ring would sell in Bond Street for £15,000 or more.

There is no finer coloured ruby than this. It is known as ‘pigeon blood’ because of its rich and distinct depth of red. In certain light it seems to ‘sing’, glowing magnificently like a hot coal in its setting of 18ct yellow gold, the warmth of the gold richly complementing the red of the ruby.

This beautiful jewel was mined in northern Burma, source of the most highly prized rubies. It weighs 3.15 carats and its beauty is showcased between two high-quality brilliant cut diamonds weighing 1.20 carats in total. Each diamond is a beautiful stone in its own right—being F in colour, and very white, and VS in quality so that it is flawless to the naked eye.

The ring is fully hallmarked in England. It carries a stone certification, an insurance valuation at the full retail price, and full moneyback guarantee.

One only. Code RR01GA03. RRP £12,350. CCUK £6,795. Order Burmese Ruby and Diamond 18ct Yellow Gold Ring.

¶ For more rubies, including new ruby and diamond earrings, click here.

Felicity Kendal is back in the West End! The new production of George Bernard Shaw’s favourite play is now playing at the Comedy Theatre with this darling actress in the title role—and we have two super offers: best seats and dinner at Le Caprice for £60, or £15 off best seats.

The play received superb reviews on its way to the West End, including, from the Daily Telegraph, ‘Felicity Kendal superb, Lucy Briggs-Owen brilliant. A witty, gripping production of one of Shaw’s greatest plays.’

To enjoy this stellar performance to the full, Members can have top-price tickets (usually £48.50) and a two-course dinner and glass of chilled Champagne at stylish Le Caprice before or after the play, for just £60 each. For full details, click here. To save £15 on best tickets, click here. Or call Member Services on 020 7935 0888 for full details and bookings.

As a Club Member you have great deals and tickets to all London plays and shows. Call Member Services on 020 7935 0888.

This is a necklace to make a girl feel instantly romantic. The look comes straight out of the Elizabethan era of pearls and gemstones—enchanting with a low-cut dress for a spring or summer wedding, a garden party, opera evening or ball.

And because the designer, Marie-Anne Favril, has combined large natural white pearls with faceted drops of liquid blue aquamarine, pale gold citrine and lilac amethyst, it can be worn with many colours, from pale nudes to pinks, blues, yellows, greens and lilac—perfect for this season’s pastel outfits. The effect is unusual in being both delicate and eye-catching.

The pearls are 9mm, the necklace is 18in (45cm) long and it will arrive in a presentation case. Code PN01BP01. RRP £200. CCUK £129. Order Ophelia Pearl Necklace.

Our new South Pacific Silk Collection combines tropical island style and new season fashion in the most flattering and stylish cover-ups and party pieces for sun-kissed islands, cruising the Pacific, or for sultry summer evenings at home.

Inspired by long, hot days on the beach and cocktails at sunset, the Collection comes in the finest lightweight silk, and here is a sneak preview—the fabulous pure silk Blue Lagoon kaftan.

Perfect worn over linen trousers or jeans, or as a cover-up over swimwear, the Blue Lagoon is wonderfully sheer and has the asymmetric hem that is a new season must-have. Wear it long and loose, or belted, this is a flattering, easy-to-wear, versatile, invaluable wardrobe addition.

In one colour-way, Pacific blue and turquoise. Pure silk. One size. Code BL01KH01. RRP £65. CCUK £29. Order Blue Lagoon Silk Kaftan.

¶ Worn with Miami turquoise necklace with silver clasp. Code MN04CC04. RRP £125. CCUK £69. Click for more details and to order.

According to Coco Chanel, luxury must be comfortable ‘or it is not luxury’, and this handcrafted, full-grain calfskin weekender bag by Shona Easton is big, beautiful, and so buttery soft and light that it is really comfortable to carry—pure luxury indeed. This fabulous soft leather unstructured style is Shona Easton’s signature English design. It feels wonderfully strokable—and like good wine, it just gets better and softer as the years pass.

Another super thing about this bag is its size. Though it fits easily and comfortably over your shoulder, at 55cm wide by 34cm tall and 24cm deep it is deceptively roomy enough to take everything from your gym kit to your entire weekend wardrobe. It complies with airline hand baggage allowances—and it looks good while it works.

The marriage of design, natural leather, craftsmanship and style makes it practical in every setting: the office, on holiday, for sport, business travel and at weekends. It is also about looking good with your outfits—go for apple green, deep purple or cardinal red to match the season’s fashions, or stick with black, dark chocolate and navy blue for classic style.

On the practical side, it has plenty of useful details: detachable and adjustable shoulder strap, solid metal fittings and two smart-access zip pullers with leather tongues, interior clip to secure keys or purse, and enough pockets for anybody—four highly useful exterior pockets and, within the ritzy shot taffeta lining, a large zipped pocket and four open pockets designed for purse, phone and other essentials.

This super leather bag should cost £300, but our exclusive Members-only price is £139. Code MW01ED01. Order Leather Weekender Bag.

Paw raised, head cocked to one side, ready for anything, this Jack Russell terrier is a small masterpiece in bronze. Full of life, fit and strong, the all-action dog of them all, this fine sporting terrier is by Michael Simpson. It is cast in bronze, in a limited edition of 250.

This English sculptor's eye for animals and art was honed in the Staffordshire Potteries. Perhaps for this reason he is one of the few sculptors to model his pieces in clay, instead of wax, to produce superb to-the-life bronzes.

All who love Jack Russells will be drawn to this dynamic work of art. It will enhance any collection, make a fine addition to the mantelpiece or side table, or become a favourite fine art paperweight on a desk. It is 65mm (2 1/2in) tall and arrives in a presentation case with a card stating its unique number in the edition. Code JR01RC10. RRP £65 plus delivery. CCUK £53. Order Limited Edition Jack Russell Terrier Bronze.

¶ Sporting and wildlife bronzes: see the full collection.