When everything is at its height—summer, hats and hopes—Royal Ascot is the place to be, and you are entered in a draw to win two pairs of badges worth £2,000 for the first day of the meeting, Tuesday, June 17.

The prize includes the full Champagne hoop-la in The Carriages Restaurant overlooking the Old Paddock: entry, parking, grandstand badges, Champagne reception, five-course silver service luncheon, all-day bar and all the rest. The prize is worth £1,034 per pair of tickets. Click here by 6pm on May 31 to double your chances of winning.

For all who doubt their luck, if you book through the Club you will receive the full spread for the Tuesday in The Carriages at £425 plus VAT. The Royal Ascot Meadow offers a four-course lunch with wines and extra trimmings for £179, again plus VAT. In the Royal Ascot Village alongside the course, a four-course luncheon and all-day complimentary bar, including Champagne, costs £335 plus VAT.

Prices for Members are of course less than others pay—for full details of the above arrangements, click here. To inquire about other days of the meeting, and buy badges only, call Member Services on 020 7291 8600. If you wish to join our CountryClubuk table, please tell us when booking.

A stunning faceted oval cut ruby weighing more than one carat is the gorgeous highlight of this classic Clara Bow oval diamond and ruby cluster ring. It has a fabulous Twenties look that is pure screen goddess in style.

The large, beautiful ruby is encircled by .40 carats of brilliant cut diamonds (quality SI, colour G) and the setting is 18ct yellow gold, which is the perfect colour of gold to bring out the richness of a ruby. The ring is fully hallmarked in England, and is an exceptionally good price for such high quality.

The ring will arrive in a presentation case with an insurance certificate at the full retail value, and is fully guaranteed. If you are unsure of the ring size, this can be altered after presentation, at no charge.

Clara Bow Ruby and Diamond Cluster Ring in 18ct yellow gold. Code CB01JK02. RRP £1,900. CCUK £995. Order.
The Clara Bow diamond cluster ring also showcases a large sapphire with the diamonds, instead of ruby, set in 18ct white gold: Code CB02JK02. RRP £1,450. CCUK £795. Click for details and to order.

It does not take long to fall under the spell of Château de la Barre. Midway between Tours and Chartres, it stands in 100 acres of private grounds, home to the Count and Countess de Vanssay, whose family have lived here since 1404. The château is filled with cherished heirlooms, now augmented by modern necessities including an internet room.

The rooms at Château de la Barre are comfortable oases with luxurious draperies, period antiques and crisp linen. For a three-night Garden stay for two, Members pay from 640€ (about £511) to 910€ (£727); the usual rate is 710-990€. The holiday combines visits to at least three outstanding gardens with château and sightseeing forays. Included are one gourmet dinner for two with wines, coffee and brandy, served by candlelight in the Grande Salle à Manger, English breakfasts, fresh flowers and port wine in your room, a private tour of the château, and a glass of Champagne with your hosts to welcome you to their home.

For more details, click here. To book, call the Club on 020 7291 8600.

It is no surprise that good, corn-fed British beef steak has rocketed in price because of the cereal price increase—so we have organised a selection of the very best prime steaks for Members at a special Club price.

These steaks from Rick Stein 'Food Heroes' Alternative Meats are delicious—they come from pure beef cattle reared on the rich grass pastures of Cheshire and Shropshire (they travel no more than 50 miles to slaughter). The meat is well hung, tender, and the texture, juiciness and flavour are all excellent.

The 16 steaks include four of each cut: fillet, sirloin, rump and T-bone (which is essentially a double steak including both fillet and sirloin). Not only does this bring you great steak, delivered to your home, but you save £20. The hamper includes 4 sirloin steaks (about 220g each); 4 rump steaks (275g each); 4 fillet steaks (220g each); 4 T-bone steaks (440g each). Weights of individual steaks vary slightly. Code SB01AM01. RRP £113.39. CCUK £83. Order Cheshire Steak Box.

The excellent Terrace Firepit will kick-start your outdoor living—keep you warm, light up the scene, barbecue your food, and do it all safely and at a really superb price through the Club.

The firepit is from the clever designers at Direct Designs in Somerset. It has a large firebowl (77cm diameter) for extra warmth, and better clearance from the ground (44cm) than its smaller cousin, the Firepit Brazier (which is Members' favourite and another great deal at £59—click for details).

The stainless steel of the Terrace Firepit will take the hottest fire and last virtually forever. The feet will swivel to stabilise the brazier on uneven ground, the protective spark guard is hinged so you can add logs without removing the guard, and air-filled handles allow you to move the firepit when it is still quite hot. Code TB01DD01. RRP £120. CCUK £69. Order.

¶ To see more firepits, braziers and outdoor grills, click here.

Perhaps best known in history as co-respondent shoes, these splendid sandalwood and white leather brogues are now the Beau Brummel among men’s shoes. They are made in England by our Club shoemakers, Alfred Sargent, a family company established in 1899 and still run by the fourth generation of Sargent brothers, who maintain traditional standards.

The result is a fine classic leather shoe, the Ellington, beautifully made, with a leather sole, and we are delighted to have a strictly Members-only price for these and other shoes made by Alfred Sargent.

Ellington Two-Tone Leather Shoes: Fitting F. Sizes 6-13 including half sizes. Code EL01AS01. RRP £170. CCUK £127.
Also in black and white (George) or ebony and ivory (Melly). Order shoes.

Our new and very smart waxed cotton coat is ideal for the season’s showers. It is hard-wearing yet light and practical, and much better than many ‘drover coats’, which are heavyweights for winter but too hot and cumbersome for the rest of the year. Ours is perfect for walking or riding in the rain and, last, but not least, it is a real snip at a mere £69.

It is well made in lightweight waterproof cotton canvas oilskin with a detachable storm cape, extra-long rear saddle vent, and leg straps so the coat does not flap about and frighten the horses.

It is perfect for walking, for horse or dog exercise, from early morning to late, and because it looks smarter than most, as a raincoat at events and country shows.

Half lined in cotton. All sizes from S to 2XL. Men and ladies. One colour. Code RC01JJ01. Non-members £119. CCUK £69. Order.

This is the fitted tweed ladies' jacket we have been looking for: warm, smart and flatteringly cut. The fennel green tweed is unusually attractive, including soft blues in the weave and a pretty chestnut windowpane check. It is tailored in England from highest-quality medium-weight 14oz tweed, which will last for years.

It is classic hacking jacket, waisted in style, single breasted, with two side vents for shape and movement, and two flapped and jetted front pockets. It has three front buttons with horn motif, and four matching sleeve buttons. The brown silky lining includes a buttoned interior pocket for security. Sizes 8-18. Code HJ01CC04. Non-members £250. CCUK £125. Order.

To dine at The Ritz is pure pleasure: gilded Louis XVI in style, with a lofty, frescoed ceiling, pillars and statues; surroundings of crisp linen and fine bone china; where delicious food is brought to your table beneath silver domes by white-gloved waiters. For a perfect evening, dine at The Ritz then have best seats at the theatre to see a really good show.

The sumptuous special pre-theatre menu is as refined and tasteful as the setting. Dinner will start with a glass of Champagne and go on to feature such treats as Ritz crab cakes or sea bass flambé, followed by something splendid such as Ritz raspberry soufflé. From now until May 31, our Members can enjoy this delicious dinner, combined with best available seats for one of three fabulous performances: Monty Python’s Spamalot (total cost £75), The 39 Steps and The Vortex, starring Felicity Kendal (both costing £70). The offer is open from Monday to Thursday evenings, subject to availability. To book, call Member Services on 020 7291 8600.

This elegant Spode vase, with its two-centuries-old Blue Italian pattern, will enhance any traditional floral arrangement. The pattern has been in continuous production since 1816, and is thus one of the world's all-time classics. Loved by collectors, and highly attractive, the soft blue and white goes with almost every style of décor and colour scheme.

The origin of the pattern has been lost in the mists of time, but the central scene is thought to be of Italian ruins, framed by an Imari border inspired by Chinese porcelain. Now, for 2008, Spode's designers have created a new vase in Blue Italian—the hexagonal. Its traditional trumpet shape, gracefully fluted at the top, creates some of the most attractive floral arrangements since it allows the blooms to fall and arch outwards naturally, echoing the flare of the vase. This makes it more versatile than any other shape.

These vases look extremely elegant as a pair, perhaps on a mantelpiece or hall table, and because each vase is 27cm (10 1/2 in) tall they are perfect for flowers of medium or tall height. Without flowers they look equally good, and they make a desirable gift.

Pair of Spode Blue Italian Hexagonal Vase: Code BV01SP01. RRP £80 plus delivery. CCUK £68. Free UK mainland delivery. Order.