It was as soon as the venue of selection for the London glitterati nevertheless it seems the social gathering is over for famed celeb hang-out The Groucho Membership.
The membership’s licence has now been suspended by Westminster Metropolis Council after a request by the Metropolitan Police.
Neither the police, nor the membership itself, have shed any mild on the “serious criminal offence” that compelled it to shut its doorways, however it’s not the primary time the venue has been dogged with claims of illegality.
In its heyday, an upstairs room was apparently nicknamed the Peruvian Procurement Division, such was its popularity for the alleged availability of cocaine.
It’s a startling fall from grace for a membership as soon as frequented by the likes of Princess Diana, Kate Moss, Harry Types and even Ant and Dec.
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Kate Moss leaving the Groucho Membership. Picture by Rotello/Mcp/Shutterstock
The membership was based in 1985, at a time when only a few personal members’ golf equipment had been open to girls (and actually, The Garrick Membership solely voted to permit girls to develop into members this yr – previous to that, they needed to be invited in and accompanied across the constructing by a person).
A gaggle of publishing heavyweights (Liz Calder from Bloomsbury, Carmen Callil from Virago and literary brokers Ed Victor and Michael Sissons) wished to invent a “new kind of club”, based on the official historical past of Groucho.
They wished it to be “a place where the creatives can mingle, unwind, and spark some serious magic, regardless of gender, a club anyone could apply to join based on merit, the antithesis of the stuffy gentlemen’s clubs of the day”.
It might develop into “the blueprint for the modern members club”.
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British tv presenting duo Ant & Dec attend a celebration being held on the Groucho Membership in 1996. Pic: Dave Benett/Getty
The membership was named after Groucho Marx’s well-known declare that he would not “want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members”.
The group (backed by membership proprietor Tony Waterproof coat) purchased a barely dilapidated townhouse on Dean Road for £450,000, elevating roughly the identical quantity once more to remodel it into the “hottest ticket in town”.
Rod Stewart, Freddie Mercury, and Liam Gallagher had been among the many well-known faces to go to, alongside Keira Knightly and Lily Allen (who was later given a year-long suspension from the membership).
Such was the venue’s success at attracting members {that a} rival Soho membership was stated to have been launched purely to cater for rejected Groucho candidates.
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Nigella Lawson hosted the social gathering for her late husband’s e-book with Angus Deayton and Lisa Meyer on the Groucho Membership. Picture by Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
Tales from contained in the membership quickly turned legend
There was the time Invoice Clinton walked by the doorways one Christmas, solely to be serenaded by Bono singing “Happy Birthday Mr President”.
Julie Burchill, a columnist for The Instances, wrote in a 2005 article commemorating Groucho’s twentieth anniversary: “It seemed symptomatic of the times when my then best friend Toby Young had sex in the toilets with a Lady Diana impersonator.”
Younger is on file as responding: “I can’t claim to have been the first person to have had sex in the Groucho Club’s toilets – the truth is we didn’t go all the way – but I’m sure it’s happened on numerous occasions. The irritating thing was that as I emerged, I was spotted.”
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Pete Burns and Michael Simpson. Picture by Richard Younger/Shutterstock
How did you develop into a member – and what had been the foundations?
“Two current members have to write to the committee to propose you,” wrote PR govt James Herring in 2005. “If you’ve been lucky enough to get the nod, you’ll then get a letter saying you’ll be able to join in three years’ time.”
Membership was reportedly £1,500 a yr, and being a star was not all the time a assured entry. The Spice Ladies had been rejected by the membership committee, whereas Al Pacino was turned away at reception unrecognised.
To protect privateness, after 5pm the usage of cell phones was strictly prohibited, until you had been taking a “short discreet” name. No images or movies had been allowed to be taken at any time inside.
The Groucho Ebook of Guidelines additionally states the next: “The wearing of string vests is fully unacceptable and wholly proscribed by Club Rules. There is enough distress in the world already.”
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Noel Gallagher and Sara McDonald on the Groucho Membership in 2013. Picture by Rotello/Shutterstock
The Prince of Soho
Overseeing the debauchery was front-of-house supervisor Bernie Katz, who partied with celebrities however was recognized for his discretion.
Nicknamed the “The Prince of Soho” by Stephen Fry, Katz was the son of infamous south London gangster Brian “Little Legs” Clifford.
Clifford was a felony and membership proprietor who was murdered at dwelling whereas he slept.
Katz, aged 17 on the time his father was shot, would later write in his memoir: “Never one to miss an opportunity, I sashayed over to his wardrobe and navigated my way across the sea of footwear to his black Pierre Cardin alligator skin shoes I’d secretly always had my eye on. Thank God they were in the wardrobe. You see something good always comes out of tragedy.”
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A horse drawn hearse at Bernie Katz’s funeral. Picture by James Gourley/Shutterstock
He would develop into recognized for his discretion on the membership, partying with celebrities and defending their secrets and techniques till the top of his life.
Katz died out of the blue, on the age of 49, with Sienna Miller, Noel Fielding and Jude Legislation turning out for his funeral – the latter giving a eulogy.
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Sienna Miller leaving the Groucho Membership – she ran out of a aspect door and was led to the fallacious automotive. Picture by Shutterstock
The membership’s downfall
Katz’s retirement (a number of quick months earlier than his demise) was seen by some as the start of the top for the membership. In 2016, 14 veteran members wrote to common supervisor Matt Hobbs with complaints together with “open drug taking” and arguing the membership had misplaced its “unique feel”.
Hobbs left the membership in 2018, a yr after it had introduced a 40% improve within the membership price.
The corporate was purchased in 2022 by Artfarm for a reported £40m.
In keeping with The Instances, a letter titled “RIP Groucho” circulated amongst members this summer season, which pronounced the membership “almost dead”, with complaints together with rising prices and the choice to disband the previous membership committee.
