This is a preview of a longer episode where I talk candidly about five of my favourite books about London's clubs.

If you'd like to hear the full episode, you can sign up ⁠here⁠.

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I recently posted an Instagram carousel sharing five of my favourite books about London’s members’ clubs, so I thought I’d record a little companion piece for Patreon, where I can go into a bit more detail about why I like them and what you’ll actually find inside.

There’s Anthony Lejeune’s wonderful glimpse inside the old world of Clubland, Seth Thévoz’s detailed guide to clubs past and present, Andrew Jones and Laura Hodgson’s beautiful exploration of club interiors, plus deep dives into two of St James’s most famous institutions, White’s and Brooks’s.

So, if you’ve seen the Instagram post and want to know a little more about the books, consider this the extended version.

Over on Patreon, I'll be doing a monthly exclusive Q&A episode answering your questions about clubs, myself and all things in between. Here's a preview of the very first one.

If you'd like to hear the full episode, you can sign up here.

Along with the monthly Q&As, you'll also get extended podcast episodes, behind-the-scenes content from each recording, and be the first to hear about new videos, visits and other projects I'm working on.

Welcome to a Patreon-exclusive Q&A episode of the Clubs of London podcast.

Rather than focusing on the history of a single club, this episode is dedicated entirely to your questions which were submitted on here and Instagram. We discuss everything from which club I would choose if I could travel back in time, to whether London's historic clubs are under threat, how to become a member without any existing connections, and which club is best for meeting finance CEOs and other City figures.

We also compare the clubs of St James's and Mayfair, explore how London's club culture has influenced private clubs around the world, discuss whether Black's Club has a true successor, which club has the most beautiful bathroom (it's The Walbrook btw) and settle the all-important question of which club has the best-designed layout—following my recent (and rather boozy) lunch at White's, where I completely fell in love with the way the club flows from room to room.

If you have any questions for a future episode, let me know!

Founded in 1824, the Athenaeum Club was created unlike any other club in London. Rather than serving politicians, gamblers or aristocrats, it brought together the leading figures of Britain's scientific, literary and artistic life.

Over the last two centuries, its members have included Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday, Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, Sir Winston Churchill and more than fifty Nobel Prize winners. From Decimus Burton's magnificent Greek Revival clubhouse to its renowned library and remarkable collection of art, the Athenaeum remains one of the most intellectually distinguished institutions in Britain.

In this episode of Clubs of London, we explore the history of the club, its extraordinary architecture, the stories behind its famous members, and why it continues to occupy a unique place in London's clubland.

Follow Clubs of London:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clubsoflondon

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clubsoflondon

Patreon (extended episodes & bonus content): https://www.patreon.com/clubsoflondon

Sources

The Athenaeum Club – Official History: https://theathenaeum.co.uk/the-club/our-history/

The Athenaeum Club – Our Rooms: https://theathenaeum.co.uk/the-club/our-rooms/

Anthony Lejeune, The Gentlemen's Clubs of London (St Martin's Press, 1979)

Michael Wheeler, The Athenaeum: More Than Just Another London Club (Third Millennium Publishing, 2000)

Anthony Trollope, An Autobiography (1883)

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (entries relating to John Wilson Croker, Michael Faraday, Sir Humphry Davy, Anthony Trollope and other notable members)

Decimus Burton Society – Decimus Burton and the Athenaeum Club

Founded in 1762, Boodle's is London's second-oldest club and one of its most understated. Unlike White's or Brooks's, it has never been defined by scandal or political intrigue. Instead, it built its reputation on comfort, privacy and tradition.

In this episode of Clubs of London, we explore the story of the club named after a waiter, whose members have included Adam Smith, Edward Gibbon, Beau Brummell, Ian Fleming and Sir Winston Churchill. Along the way, we discover how Boodle's became the spiritual home of the English country gentleman, why Fleming considered it the ideal club, and how this remarkably peaceful institution has managed to survive for more than two and a half centuries.

Sources: Anthony Lejeune's The Gentlemen's Clubs of London; Andrew Jones and Laura Hodgson's A London Club; the Boodle's Wikipedia page; and Geri Walton's 2014 article, Boodle's: A London Gentlemen's Club.

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For more than three centuries, White’s has stood at the centre of British establishment life. Born as a chocolate house in the seventeenth century, it evolved into the most famous gentlemen’s club in the world, a place associated with prime ministers, princes, gamblers, dandies, soldiers and some of the most powerful figures in British history.

In this episode, we trace White’s extraordinary journey from Georgian gambling den to the pinnacle of London clubland. Along the way, we explore Beau Brummell’s famous bow window, aristocratic wagers, political influence, the Millionaires’ Squadron, Evelyn Waugh, Randolph Churchill, David Cameron and the controversies that continue to surround one of Britain’s most exclusive institutions.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Clubs of London on Instagram at @clubsoflondon. If you have stories, memories, or insights relating to London’s clubs, I'd love to hear from you at [email protected].

• Anthony Lejeune, The Gentlemen’s Clubs of London

• Edward Couzens-Lake, White’s: London’s Most Exclusive Club

• Quills & Quartos, White’s: A Gentleman’s World of Exclusivity

• White’s Club Wikipedia entry

• RAF Benevolent Fund — History of No. 601 Squadron

• Forces News — The Millionaires’ Squadron

Buck’s Club is one of London’s most influential private members’ clubs. Founded by a group of young cavalry officers in the aftermath of the First World War, it became the birthplace of the Buck’s Fizz, inspired P. G. Wodehouse’s Drones Club and helped redefine what a gentlemen’s club could be in the twentieth century.

In this episode, we explore the remarkable story of founder Herbert Buckmaster, the club’s wartime origins, its famous American Bar, the legendary barman McGarry and the colourful characters who have passed through its doors over the last century.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Clubs of London on Instagram at @clubsoflondon. If you have stories, memories, or insights relating to London’s clubs, I'd love to hear from you at [email protected].

Sources

• Anthony Lejeune, The Gentlemen’s Clubs of London

• Andrew Jones & Laura Hodgson, A London Club

• Lew Toulmin, "Buck’s Club"

• Old Shirburnian Society — Herbert Buckmaster biography