19th Century club flourishes in Mutare

 Everything changed a few years ago when diamonds were discovered in neighbouring Chiadzwa and Marange.
At the height of the diamond rush in 2006, anyone with a       roadworthy vehicle would pack a spade and drive to Hot Springs      (in the diamond zone) and hope to discover the Zimbabwean version of the Koh-i-Noor, mined hundreds of years ago in India. Wealth      came to Mutare and rumours abounded of multiple property deals and newly acquired flashy cars.
A few weekends ago, after spending a few quiet days visiting tourist resorts in the Bvumba, I descended the winding mountain road into Mutare and drove through the town and suburbs, looking for signs of wealth and prosperity. If the signs had ever existed, they had vanished like the morning dew, and apart from the brilliant scarlet blossom of the Flamboyant trees lining every street, many buildings, with the exception of one gem of architecture, looked shabby and depressed.
This gem was none other than Mutare Club, a stylish building designed by James Cope-Christie in 1897, and currently a flourishing gentlemen’s club. If you’re a member of Harare Club, you can stay here as a reciprocal member. Alternatively a member can sign you in as a visitor. Attracted by the sense of history surrounding Mutare Club, I was keen to spend a night here. Perhaps some ghosts from the past might be summoned as I stood on the balcony of this well-preserved building, looking out through the flamboyant blossoms towards distant granite kopjes.
Although temperatures were well into the 30s, the club staff were smiling and attentive. Suitcases were carried up the ancient staircase, and maitre d’hotel, Peter Sande, showed me to the best room in the house, complete with air conditioning (ceiling fan) and modern shower. While the bedroom décor was shabby rather than chic, the well-appointed dining room, brought into the 21st Century with a generous grant from Meikles, was bright and welcoming. Each table was set with starched tablecloths and napkins, and glasses and cutlery shone brightly.
I sat down to a lunch of delicious roast lamb with spring vegetables, followed by apple pie and custard. Chef Luke Petros, whose previous job was at the Dairy Den, is an accomplished cook – at least two comments in the visitors’ book refer to the great T-bone steaks he makes. For dinner that evening, I chose an elegantly prepared sole and chips, and spent a quiet night undisturbed by the wraiths of adventurers from the past.
According to a Rhodesian journal discovered in the National Archives, Cecil Rhodes was a frequent visitor to the club, then known as Umtali Club. Preferring to camp, he never spent a night there. CM Hulley’s article affirmed that Umtali Club was also visited by royalty, and by governors. Should another generous benefactor present a grant to restyle the bedrooms and lounges, royal visitors might once again frequent Mutare Club.
The Saturday before I arrived, Mutare Club was the venue for a grand celebration by the Irish Society. Angus Wakeling and his Irish band travelled down from Harare and provided a ceilidh that lasted until the early hours.
Mutare Club describes itself as a “conservative establishment”, so if you wish to stay in these historic surroundings, once patronised by minor royalty and politicians, the dress code for ladies is “elegantly casual”. Gentlemen are asked to put away their shorts and sandals and to wear long trousers and a collared shirt, in the formal style required in the early 1900s.