Groucho Club
| The Groucho Club | |
|---|---|
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  Location in London  Location in England | |
| General information | |
| Address | 45 Dean Street |
| Town or city | London |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°30′47″N 0°08′03″W / 51.5131°N 0.1341°W |
The Groucho Club is a private members' club founded in 1985 and located on Dean Street in London's Soho. Its members are mainly drawn from the publishing, media, entertainment and arts industries.[1]
The club's facilities include three bars, two restaurants, a snooker room, an enclosed terrace, 17 bedrooms for members or their guests and four event rooms, which are available for hire.[2]
History
[edit]The club opened on 5 May 1985. Its name was in reference to Groucho Marx's saying he did not want to be a member of any club that would have him.[3][4]
The club was owned by Graphite Capital from 2006 to 2015, when it was sold to a group of investors led by Isfield Investments and Alcuin Capital Partners.[5] In 2022, the Groucho Club was purchased through Manuela and Iwan Wirth's Art Farm, which owns a group of boutique hotels and restaurants, for £40 million ($48.9 million).[6]
In March 2024, the club announced that it would be opening its inaugural branch outside of London at Bretton Hall near Wakefield in Yorkshire.[7]
In November 2024, the club's license was suspended by Westminster City Council as a result of a criminal investigation. [8]
Members
[edit]
Anyone who is proposed by two existing members may apply for membership, but applications are favoured from those working in the creative side of media and the arts.[9]
Prominent members of the club have included Cara Delevingne, Nick Grimshaw, Harry Styles, Caroline Flack,[9] Jarvis Cocker, Lily Allen, Melvyn Bragg, Stephen Fry, Noel Gallagher, Luke Pasqualino and Rachel Weisz.[10]
Art
[edit]The club has a large collection of contemporary art, curated by Nicki Carter, a graduate of Goldsmiths, University of London during the YBA period, erstwhile waitress and now the longest serving employee.[11]
The Groucho Club Maverick Award
[edit]Launched in 2010 as 'the antidote to other awards', The Groucho Club Maverick Award celebrates people who have broken the mould in their field by challenging and making a significant contribution to culture and the arts in the previous 12 months, either in the UK or internationally.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Sophie Leris (21 May 2010). "The Groucho Club: a home for hellraisers". Evening Standard. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
- ^ "Inside Story: The Groucho Club – 20 years of schmoozing and boozing". The Independent. 2 May 2005. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
- ^ Well, The Web. "HISTORY – Groucho Club". Groucho Club. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ^ Groucho Marx – Wikiquote. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ Cotterill, Joseph (18 June 2015). "Groucho Club sold by private equity firm". Financial Times. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Alex Greenberger (11 August 2022), Hauser & Wirth Owners Buy Storied London Private Club with a Star-Studded Art Collection ARTnews.
- ^ "'Why would we go to America first?' London's Groucho Club to open in Yorkshire". The Guardian. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "London's Groucho Club forced to close after claims of 'serious crime' on premises". The Financial Times. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Why Is 'The Groucho Club' Harry Styles' Favourite London Hotspot? (Pictures)". Contactmusic.com. February 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
- ^ "The Groucho Club: Private members bar set for £40 million buy out". Evening Standard. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
- ^ "The walls talk in the Groucho Club | Christie's". Christie's. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ "Nell Gifford wins the Groucho Maverick Prize". 2 November 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
Further reading
[edit]- Patten, Alice (2015). The Groucho Club – 30th Anniversary. London: Preface Publishing. ISBN 978-1848094703.
- Thévoz, Seth Alexander (2022). Behind Closed Doors: The Secret Life of London Private Members' Clubs. London: Robinson/Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1-47214-646-5.
External links
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