71 Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HD 020 7930 5151
[email protected] www.oxfordandcambridgeclub.co.uk
Providing a comfortable, convivial and convenient home from home for members
CLUB HISTORY Almost 200 years after first taking its place amidst the grand classical palazzi of Pall Mall, today’s Oxford and Cambridge Club traces its origins to the 1820s having been formed by the gradual coming together of several distinguished West End clubs founded by and for the members of Oxford and Cambridge universities. The 19th century saw a proliferation of new clubs in and around St James’s, some 200 springing up to join the handful of older, more raffish establishments which had developed from the 17th century coffee houses. For the most part these newcomers were dedicated to meeting the demands of an entirely new breed of club member including academics, professional soldiers and sailors, as well as diplomats, lawyers and literary types and of course new graduates. Among the first was the United University Club in Suffolk Street (1821), the Oxford and Cambridge University Club opening its
own doors a few years later after a meeting chaired by Lord Palmerston to resolve the problem of long waiting lists. Others followed but in 1938 the New University was absorbed into the United University and, with consolidations continuing into the 1970s, the members of both eventually joined their fellows in Pall Mall. The sale of Suffolk Street enabled renovations and significant improvements to be made to the Club house (see overleaf) which today is one of the finest anywhere. Providing a comfortable, convivial and convenient home from home for members, its superb facilities, spacious accommodation and unrivalled reputation for fine dining and first class service continue to evolve to meet the changing demands of business and leisure but without sacrificing the traditional style and ambience which continue to draw new members to the pleasures and privileges of London’s clubland.
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it is the sheer sense of space and proportion which most impresses today. The cool, elegant, Grecian interiors now returned to their former splendour
Architecture and Design Following a painstaking programme of restoration and redecoration, the spacious Grade I listed home of the Oxford and Cambridge Club has once more – in the words of architectural historian William Palin, writing in Country Life – emerged ‘from the shadows as one of London’s richest essays in Greek Revival architecture’. It always was an exceptional building, the Club having been temporarily housed in nearby St James’s Square before the decision was taken in 1834 to build on Crown land on the south side of Pall Mall. With the building committee at that time including William Gladstone, the task of designing a more permanent home fell to Sir Robert Smirke, a leading neoclassicist of his day. Smirke’s impressive portfolio – including the Royal Mint, British Museum and a major portion of Somerset House – meant he was well-placed for this highly ambitious commission on such an important site. Certainly his eclectic, complex but coherent design for the façade succeeded in reflecting the educated sensibilities of his client – the
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seven reliefs are based on designs by Smirke’s Royal Academician father – whilst more than holding its own against several architecturally highly distinguished neighbours. Inside, however, it is the sheer sense of space and proportion which most impresses today. The cool, elegant, Grecian interiors - having survived both a wartime bomb (which failed to detonate) and some early20th century alterations – now returned to their former splendour with only the most discrete modifications to meet members’ changing demands and expectations. These include fully-equipped business and banqueting rooms, more than 40 comfortable en-suite bedrooms, and a new terrace to the rear with extensive views of the Westminster skyline. Together with the traditional pleasures of the magnificent Coffee Room, elegant Morning and Smoking Rooms and of course, the Club’s justifiably famous Library, such developments mean that membership of the Oxford and Cambridge Club has never looked more compelling.
the preferred location for lunch is still the unrivalled magnificence of the lofty, first floor Coffee Room overlooking Pall Mall
FOOD and WINE The larks and eel pies have gone from the menu, Oxonians no longer dine off dark blue plates and Cantabrians off light, and members and guests looking for beef or mutton with an unlimited supply of beer must now expect to pay slightly more than the ‘one shilling, with threepence table money’ which was levied for lunch at the turn of the last century. Club members today continue to enjoy fine food in splendid surroundings however, with a similar guarantee of good value and exceptional service. Moreover, with breakfast, lunch and dinner served seven days a week, and a congenial bar, the Club house is not just the perfect place to entertain friends but also a convenient halt for alumni in need of a light lunch or a quick drink with a friend. Unsurprisingly for many the preferred location for lunch or dinner is still the unrivalled magnificence of the lofty, first floor Coffee Room overlooking Pall Mall.
Here the à la carte menu devised by the Chef includes traditional roasts, grills and seasonal specialities as well as more contemporary dishes and vegetarian options. But elsewhere in the Club, on weekdays, lighter buffet lunches are served in the more intimate Blomfield Room – an increasingly popular choice for members unable to linger – whilst sandwiches and hot snacks can be ordered and enjoyed throughout the day, perhaps on the sunny new Library Terrace. Of course the Coffee Room too continues to offer exceptionally good value, especially the popular fixed-price lunch menu at the convivial Club Table. But it is also a place (for those with time to do so) to contemplate the Club’s celebrated cellars with 44,000 bottles selected by the Wine Committee, and a full-time sommelier on hand to advise, although free barleywater is no longer provided for members’ horses waiting outside.
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All have private bathrooms, hospitality trays and flat-screen televisions, and with a continental breakfast included they represent really remarkable value
ACCOMMODATION With many 19th century London club members traditionally hostile to any innovation or change – for years there were objections to the introduction even of bars – the provision of overnight accommodation was a surprisingly late development given that today it is one of the very real benefits of belonging to a West End club. Indeed it was not until 1912, and the addition of a new dormer storey constructed for the purpose, that our own Club gained its first 10 members’ bedrooms. That it did so was even then only in response to a shrinking waiting list, something which was thought to have resulted from the (then rival) United University Club’s pioneering decision to build some bedrooms of its own. Since then the accommodation at No. 71 has more than quadrupled and been continually upgraded to make this Club one of the most comfortable and best equipped in this important regard.
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In part this is because the arrangements are so flexible, members and their guests being able to book single, twin or doublebedded rooms, or the spacious and even more luxurious Chancellor’s Suite. The latter sleeps four and, with its extensive views over Marlborough House to the striking Westminster skyline, is proving immensely popular. All have private bathrooms, hospitality trays and flat-screen televisions, and with a continental breakfast included they represent really remarkable value for anyone wishing to stay in the heart of London. Further discounts are available at weekends, with the convenience of 24-hour check in, an on-line booking facility and of course front desk staff who will be happy to arrange an early morning cab for anyone needing to be on his or her way. That your guests can stay at the Club even on those occasions when you choose not to is another more recent innovation which has proved a huge success.
Today it holds more than 25,000 volumes with a librarian in attendance during the week to assist members
Library Much valued by members, and recognised as one of the finest of its kind in London, the Club Library occupies a set of spacious and beautifully appointed rooms on the second floor. Today it holds more than 25,000 volumes with a librarian in attendance during the week to assist members. Once largely theological in flavour, the collections have evolved over the years and now form a high quality general library which is one of the jewels of our Club. Particularly strong in history, biography, literature and works dealing with the cities of Oxford, Cambridge and London, the selection of new titles is the responsibility of the library committee whose members seek to cater for the enjoyment of members as well as for more serious study and research. To this end one room to the rear is designated as a Silence Library for those who wish to work in peace; otherwise quiet conversation is permitted in the North and South Libraries where members can
also take tea or coffee whilst perusing the wide range of periodicals and national newspapers to which the Club subscribes. At present these number more than 70 regular titles, in addition to which the Library receives the latest editions of many standard annual reference works so that we have, for example, a near-complete collection of Wisden. Members can similarly enjoy long runs of Punch and the Gentleman’s Magazine or refer to complete sets of the Victoria County Histories, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and bound volumes of the Ordnance Survey Maps of Great Britain. Aside from new acquisitions and certain reference books, volumes in the collections are available for new members to borrow. A special arrangement with the London Library in St James’s Square – the world’s largest private library – means loans can also be arranged from that institution’s more than 1,000,000 volumes.
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A highly experienced team is able to plan and arrange everything from a small business meeting to a wedding reception for more than 150
BANQUETING In what continues to be an important aspect of any thriving London club, the Club house at 71 Pall Mall is exceptionally well suited to the diverse demands of modern entertaining and banqueting. A highly experienced team is able to plan and arrange everything from a small business meeting for three or four, to a party or wedding reception for more than 150. The Club is equally fortunate in that it has three elegant private function rooms in addition to the magnificent Coffee Room and the Smoking Room – arguably the Club’s most distinguished interior – which may also be hired for occasional private parties and functions. Members clearly enjoy the opportunity to use their own Club in this way, and for their guests over the years the experience has provided something special and memorable that a hotel or more conventional venue would struggle to match. With its rich, coffered ceiling and
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elegant period furnishings the second floor Smoking Room, for example, can accommodate a drinks party for 175; the Coffee Room can seat a similar number for a private lunch or dinner in a quite spectacular setting. Otherwise, for smaller groups, the beautifully restored Princess Marie Louise Room, the Marlborough Room and the King Edward VII Room can all be reconfigured for receptions, dinners, business meetings and even lectures. Of course detail is always the key to success, and with many years’ experience of organising everything from small birthday lunches and board meetings to full-blown receptions, the Club’s banqueting team is as imaginative as it is painstaking. Knowing what is possible at the Club, and understanding how best to tailor exclusive events to meet and exceed the expectations of members and their guests, their professionalism and quiet expertise is the perfect complement to one of London’s most outstanding venues.
Throughout the year Pall Mall also hosts a huge range of different social functions, including writers’ lunches, concerts, and discussion dinners
BUSINESS AND PLEASURE With a younger membership than its Pall Mall neighbours, and a recognition that a successful club must provide a good deal more than a decent meal and a comfortable bed every now and then, a continuing commitment to meeting the changing needs of members and their guests means that the Oxford and Cambridge Club is flourishing. Besides more recent developments such as a Wi-Fi connection and dedicated business areas, for example, the Club has formalised an arrangement with a nearby sports club giving our members ready access to pool, gym and sauna facilities in addition to the squash courts and billiard room they already enjoy at No.71. Also, for a number of different sports, regular tournaments are organised each year (both within the Club and against others) with similar competitions taking place for keen players of bridge, chess, backgammon and golf. Throughout the year Pall Mall also
hosts a huge range of different social functions, including writers’ lunches, concerts, and discussion dinners with some eminent speakers joining us (many of whom are members themselves) along with many other events. The Younger Members’ Committee is more active than ever too, organising a wide range of exciting functions. After nearly 200 years, the Club also continues to maintain very close links with a network of other private members’ clubs both in London and further afield. Reciprocal arrangements mean our own members are guaranteed a warm welcome in some 150 other first class clubs. In this way – whether working in the City, travelling within the UK or visiting more than 40 countries around the globe – they can enjoy a combination of conviviality, comfort, fine food and wine and first class facilities and service that none but the best kind of club can provide.
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The Club effortlessly combines the historic charm of its nineteenth century roots with all that makes life in the twenty-first century convenient and efficient
71 Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HD 020 7930 5151
[email protected] www.oxfordandcambridgeclub.co.uk
