October 2026 Newsletter
Dear Members,
Great to see so many members at our informal lunch at The Donald in Seville last Sunday during San Miguel. The less said about Sunday’s corrida the better but thank goodness for Pablo Aguado with Iniciado from Jandilla, a truly stunning performance.
This is a rather full newsletter with lots of important announcements.
ANNIVERSARY LUNCH – SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER
This year we will welcome the Matador David de Miranda to The Oriental Club in London. Previous guests will know this is a most prestigious event at one of London’s oldest private members’ clubs. In previous years we have been full so please book early using the attached form or by emailing me (no WhatsApp please).
OCTOBER’S MEMBER MEETING, GUEST SPE
AKER ROBERT ELMSWe’re delighted that our October speaker will be Robert Elms, a fellow club member with a fascinating connection to the taurine world. A British writer and broadcaster, Robert is the author of ‘Spain: A Portrait After the General’ and presented Channel 4’s Bullfight series.For this special evening, Robert will take us into his own taurine story - the people, places, encounters and experiences that have shaped his passion for the world of bullfights. And this is very much a conversation: Robert will be delighted to take questions from the floor, so come ready to join in. Expect an entertaining, personal and thought-provoking evening, with plenty to spark memories, debate and conversation.Do join in and be part of it. Bring your curiosity, bring your questions - and, most importantly, don’t miss the chance to hear Robert tell his story in person.
8th October, 7.30pm BST via Zoom.
- Meeting ID: 894 8117 9469
- Passcode: 952310
WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
Tom W
“I have been attending bullfights in Spain since I was child after being enraptured by José Tomás and El Juli. I continue to visit regularly to mix sightseeing and corridas, having been to fights in Bilbao, Tarazona, Peralta and Palencia this year (Ortega/Roca Rey/Palacio at Tarazona being the highlight). I will conclude my bullfighting season with a trip to Nimes this month. I have an interest in travelling to some of the smaller bullrings to enjoy the local festivals, and intend next year to try and visit Arles, La Misericordia, and Jerez de la Frontera (and then potentially go to other corridas taking place around the same time I will be in Spain). I am a keen amateur photographer so I also occasionally take pictures of the fights.”
Manuel B R
“I am very excited to become a member of the CToL. I've been talking about joining for a while now, and I'm over the moon that my wife and daughter arranged my membership as a birthday surprise. My name is Manuel Broncano Ruiz, and I've lived in the UK for nearly 30 years, since coming here to study at university. I've been an aficionado taurino since I was a very young boy, when I used to be a regular in Málaga. I've been fortunate to attend various bullrings and ferias over the years, and to see my idols, José Mari Manzanares Sr., José Miguel Arroyo "Joselito", and a very young third espada by the name of Morante, alongside Enrique Ponce and José Tomás, in one of those unforgettable carteles en La Malagueta. Nowadays, I continue to follow from the distance, and whenever possible I attend San Isidro and la Feria de Málaga. I look forward to meeting everyone and taking part in the club’s events.“
Matt K
“I am originally from Liverpool and have lived in north London for the past thirty years. I am a journalist and my first introduction to bullfighting was via a second-hand copy of Hemingway’s (mostly coherent) account of the “Dangerous Summer” series of corridas featuring Luis Miguel Dominguin and Antonio Ordoñez, purchased in a bookstore in Tossa De Mar in about 1985 when I was 16. I have attended bullfights in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville and a few other minor bullrings. The last corrida I attended was some time ago; José Tomas’s last appearance at the Monumental in Barcelona. A big occasion that didn’t quite live up to expectation.”
Betty J.
“My love of bullfighting runs in the family, and I’m keen to see first-hand how the sport is experienced here in London. I follow the bullfighting media very closely and I know the club has a magazine. I’d like to know how bullfighting is covered in an English-speaking country. Bullfighting has its own language - very specific words and terms - and I find it really interesting to see how the press conveys them in a different language.”
BOOKS
Patrick Johnston wrote to us from the US. “My dad Walter Johnston was president of your club back in the 60s, and I think both he and my mother, Nicole Johnston, donated books from their collection to the club over the years. My mum passed away in February and I will be emptying out her flat in Caterham, there is some remaining taurine memorabilia, mostly books, you are welcome to have them.” I am pleased to report that Tristan Wood very kindly collected this material and will be adding it to the Club’s stock. Our volunteers are currently updating the library catalogue and we expect to be advising members soon.
TORO 2 – NEW VIDEO GAME
Some members may be interested in this new video game, the distributors sent us this press release…
“Recotechnology introduce TORO 2, a bullfighting video game that will be released on September 9th 2026 in the following formats: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, XBOX ONE, XBOX Series X/S and PC Steam.
TORO 2 is a third-person 3D bullfighting simulator that allows you, in its Career Mode, to endorse the role of a bullfighter on his rise to stardom in the most prestigious bull’s squares in the world. In the versus mode, each player can choose to be either a bullfighter or a bull and then compete against their friends.”
Official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16mc_MSxNeI
Thank you and best wishes,
Anthony
Anthony McAlister
Secretary General
Comments