Clubs of London
Exploring the stories behind London's most fascinating private members' clubs, from centuries-old institutions in St James's to the modern clubs shaping the city today.
Episodes
The Athenaeum Club: London's Home of Science, Literature and Ideas
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
Boodle's: London's Quiet Survivor
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 G
White’s: The Story of Britain’s Most Infamous Gentlemen’s Club
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 journe
Buck’s Club: The Birthplace of the Buck’s Fizz
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,
