Friday 27 February 2015

Anne of Green Gables at the National Club

Did you know The National Club was one of the external sets for the movie "Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story" (2000)?

The director decided that The National Club was perfect to stand in for a London hotel. You might not place it immediately because the buildings to the north of the Club were CGI-ed out with a massive green screen and replaced with what looks like Regent Street from the actual London. The director's description of the challenges of shooting on Bay Street and the technical requirements are below, along with some fuzzy screen captures form the movie itself. You will recognize our front door and railing with our logo.





Thursday 26 February 2015

A Blast From the National Club's Past

In preparation for the Club's 140th anniversary celebrations our Past President Stephen Lautens has been searching for some of the early artifacts and documents of The National Club.



Deep in the back of the National Club's vault he found a metal box. It contained a treasure trove of 100+ year old documents, all perfectly preserved. No one at the Club had seen them in living memory. They included the lease from the original clubhouse (1874-1907) at 89 Bay Street ($50 a month), all the documents relating to raising the money to build the new clubhouse (1905-07), the construction documents, and early letters from members grumbling about getting time on the pool tables and limits on betting at cards.



One amusing exchange was from 1915 when a member complained at having been "disturbed" and asked to leave the Club at 1:10 AM while still playing billiards.