But what we do know is that the outdated private members’ club model has been well and truly turned on its head. Will they still be standing in another hundred years? Who knows. Younger members want to be able to network, drink cocktails and tap away on their keyboards – which these new clubs gladly cater for. Entrepreneurs and business leaders unite at these clubs that blur the lines between a working space (which was always banned in the traditional gentlemen's clubs) and a social hangout. They’re far more inclusive than their older counterparts and beautifully done-up, serving exquisite food and offering up a playground for contacts. However, they’ve now got some serious competition because a new wave of clubs have popped up all around town, redefining what it means to be part of an exclusive network. Others, like the Garrick in Covent Garden still refuse to permit entry through their gilded doors to women despite ongoing calls for reform (from inside and out). Thankfully, most of these clubs have today evolved from their archaic pasts, quite rightly allowing women to join too (for some, like the Carlton Club, this only happened as recently as 1998). The Eating Room at Homehouse ASTRID TEMPLIER
