"Sir, the great chair of a full and pleasant
town club is, perhaps, the throne of human felicity."
Dr. Johnson on clubs.
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| Thanks to Cheezburger.com |
In a Georgette Heyer novel, I think it's
'The Grand Sophy' - the heroine decides to throw over convention and take a
drive along
St James's Street
in her high-perch phaeton. Her relatives were shaken to the core - and the
reason for their shock?
In regency times St James's Street was a male dominion, the home of gentlemen's clubs and shops of masculine interest
where a chap could purchase a new gun, buy his cigars or the latest shaving
soap in peace. Can you imagine that in the 21st century - a whole road given
over to gentlemen? The temptation was too much for me and with the pluck of a
modern day Sophy, I went for a walk along St James's to see what had become, in
particular, of the clubs.
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The bottom end of St James's Street - near St James's Palace,
in Georgian times. |
In the early 19th century a satirical poem
published in the Comic Hand observed how on a gentleman split his time between
wife, mistress and his club. In the Regency there were three premier clubs:
White's, Boodles and Brooks - all situated on St James's Street and providing a private
escape in which to gamble. Each club had a distinctive atmosphere and catered
for slightly different niches, but each boasted comfy chairs, grand interiors
and first-rate service.
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St James's Street in Victorian times -
Whites' club on the left. |
In Sophy's day, as she turned off
Piccadilly the first gentlemen's club she would pass was White's at number 37.
Further down, Boodles at number 28, and on the opposite side of the road, 60 St James's Street,
Brooks'.
 |
Hogarth's "The Rake's Progress"
Set in St James's Street with St James's Palace in the background.
|
White's was
the most exclusive club, so rarified that it was said that on the birth of Horace Walpole's son and heir, the new father
despatched his butler to put the child's name down for White's, before even
registering the birth. However, the down side of White's were the fortunes
wagered at the gaming tables, the club known as 'the bane of English nobility'
because of reputations and inheritances lost there.
As Walpole
wrote:
"In
less than two hours, the Duke of Cumberland
lost four hundred and fifty pounds at Loo
[a card game]
Miss Pelham won three hundred and I, the rest. On another occasion, I lost
fifty-six guineas before I could say Ave Maria."
 |
| Whites' famous bay window - as it is today. |
It was White's famous
bow window that Sophy wanted to see on her drive. The bay was created when the
main entrance was moved, and it's view was considered the prime location to see
and been seen (even though, according to Beau Brummell's rules, no one sitting
in the window should acknowledge a greeting from the street.) Indeed, that
arbiter of male fashion, Brummell, adopted the bay as his unofficial state
room. When in 1816 gambling debts forced Brummell abroad, Lord Alvanley took
the position of honour. Alvanely
reputedly bet 3,000 pounds on which of two raindrops would reach the bottom of
the bay window first.
 |
| Whites' in the modern day. |
MP George Selwyn,
was a member of White's - his claim to fame is that he was a member of
parliament for 44 years and did not once make a speech in the House of Commons.
In the modern day
a former chairman was Ian Cameron, father to the British Prime Minister, David
Cameron.
 |
| Boodles' Club - in the 1960's. |
Sophy then passed Boodles , which was
the domain of the country set - fans of hunting, shooting and fishing - and of
course, gambling. The club was
originally called 'Savoir Vivre' but was later renamed after the head waiter,
Edward Boodle.
 |
| Boodle's as it is today. |
In modern times - Ian Fleming, author of
the James Bond novels was a member.
 |
| Brooks's in the modern day. |
Brooks's was the most overtly political
club and became the unofficial Whig party headquarters although membership
wasn't restricted to politicians. Members included Sir Joshua Reynolds, William
Wilberforce and the Prince of Wales. The founder, Brooks, was a wine merchant
of whom it was written:
whose
speculative skill
In hasty credit and distant bill,
...nursed in clubs, disdain[ed] a vulgar trade,
Exult[ed] to trust, and blush[ed] to be paid
 |
| Brooks's gaming room. |
It seems George Selwyn (see White's Club)
wasn't a fan since he described Brooks as:
"the
completest composition of knave and fool that ever was, to which I may add liar."
My walk along modern St James's left me struggling to imagine the former glory of this road. In Sophy's day, from with her view from a high carriage, it must have been a daunting and spectucular sight, but now the car is king, the building looked sad and a little neglected. However, I can report that walking along past the clubs in no way created a scandal - which is a sign of progress....of sorts.
Man is a social animal - Aristotle.
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