Savage Club

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The Savage Club, founded in 1857, remains one of the leading gentleman's clubs in London today.

Contents

[edit] Background to the name

Two possible explanations are known to exist for the club's name.

The first is that it was named, "in a frolicsome humour", after Richard Savage, "...a thoroughly disreputable actor and playwright of Dr Johnson's time who killed a man in a brawl and was later imprisoned for debt".

The second possibility is that a waitress, when instructed by the barman at the club's first home to take a round of drinks to the company assembled upstairs, and on hearing the noise of drunken merriment coming from the club room, exclaimed, "What! I'm not serving that bunch of savages!".

Whatever the explanation, the name stuck (as did the tradition of drunken merriment), and to this day, members are known to each other as "Brother Savage".

[edit] Location

The club's address has moved around over the years, from its original home at the Crown Tavern, Vinegar Yard, Drury Lane, the next year to the Nell Gwynne Tavern, in 1863 to Gordon's Hotel in Covent Garden, then to 6-7 Adelphi Terrace, later to 9 Fitzmaurice Place, Berkeley Square, London W1, and on to Carlton House Terrace in St James's and elsewhere.

At the moment it is based in two rooms, a bar and a dining room, in the National Liberal Club, at 1 Whitehall Place, London SW1.

[edit] The club today

The club maintains a tradition of fortnightly dinners for members and their guests, always followed by entertainment. These dinners often feature a variety of famous performers from music hall to concert hall. Several times a year members invite ladies to share both the dinner and the entertainment — sometimes as performers. On these occasions guests always include widows of former Savages, who are known as Rosemaries (after rosemary, a symbol of remembrance).

There are also monthly lunches, which are followed by a talk given by a member or an invited guest on a subject of which he has specific expert knowledge.

[edit] Membership

Members are classified into one of six categories which best describes their main interest: art, drama, law, literature, music or science. This category might mirror a member's profession, though there are many members with an interest in one or more of the membership categories, but who practise none professionally.

[edit] Opening hours and reciprocal arrangements

The club is open to members from Monday to Friday, 11am to late, and on Saturday from 2.30pm. Lady guests are welcome on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings; at other times, use is restricted to members, their male guests and male members of affiliated clubs.

During the weekend, members are permitted to use either the United Oxford & Cambridge Club in Pall Mall, or the East India Club in St James's Square. There are also reciprocal arrangements with more 40 other clubs worldwide, giving members a home-from-home when abroad.

[edit] Notable members

[edit] The Savage Club Masonic Lodge

The Savage Club also has a Masonic Lodge (No. 2190), formed at the instigation of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), who as a guest of honour at a Savage Club dinner inquired if there were a lodge attached to it. There was not, and at his suggestion, one was formed, and consecrated on 18 January 1887.

Lodge No. 2190 has had many distinguished members, including one of its founders and first treasurer, Sir Henry Irving, William Sydney Penley, Edward Terry, Augustus Harris and, more recently, Arnold Ridley, the actor and playwright, best known for his portrayal of Godfrey in the television series Dad's Army.

[edit] External links

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