How much is a bottle of fizz in the Snug?

[Clitheroekid]

I hope it's not as much as some West End clubs apparently charge. I've just been researching a case involving the directors of some lap dancing clubs. The minority shareholder, Diana Langer, complained that the majority shareholder, John McKeown, was behaving in breach of his director's duties. The Court agreed with her, and found that he had, amongst other examples of rascally behaviour, caused the company to sell the business and assets of the "Soho Club" to a company owned by himself for the sum of £10,000 in circumstances where the true value of the club was in excess of £800,000.

At the end of the case he was ordered to pay her £475k as a payment on account towards her legal costs, and he objected, so it ended up in the Court of Appeal, who I'm pleased to say kicked his appeal out.

But in trying to find out a bit more about this gentleman I came across an article in the Camden New Journal from February last year, in which he was rather nauseatingly attempting to justify the existence of lap dancing clubs as some form of social good.

But what really caught my eye was the following sentence:

“There are clubs in the West End of London where a bottle of champagne is £135,000 and people buy it. There’s a group of people within central London, rightly or wrongly, who can spend that kind of money on a whim."

http://camdennewjournal.com/article/the ... -says-boss

This makes the gold plated steaks served up at Salt Bae for a mere £700 look an absolute bargain by comparison!

It's difficult to decide which is more contemptible - the clubs that rip people off so shamelessly or the punters who have so much excess cash that they simply don't care about being ripped off.

And in the unlikely event that anyone's interested in the case itself (warning, it's heavy going) the original report is here - https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2020/3485.html - and the appeal decision is here - https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2021/1792.html

[bungeejumper]

So the whole club was worth as much as six bottles of champagne? Suddenly, a valuation of ten thousand quid seems quite reasonable really.

BJ

[UncleEbenezer]

And to think, over four squid for a decent pint yesterday felt like a lot of money ...

Moderator Message:
Overtly political part removed. - Chris

[Mike4]

[i]“There are clubs in the West End of London where a bottle of champagne is £135,000 and people buy it. There’s a group of people within central London, rightly or wrongly, who can spend that kind of money on a whim."

I'm not sure I buy the idea that £135k is necessarily a rip off, when the transaction is transparent, open and jointly agreed between the two parties.

Now if they were claiming something special about the champagne or lying about it or deceiving the punter in some way than I agree, that is ripping off. But to openly say "I want £135k for this bottle of run-of-the-mill champagne of mine, should you wish to buy it", doesn't strike me as a the definition of a rip off.

Besides, I'm willing to negotiate. Try offering me £100k for it..... I might just accept.

[terminal7]

Ah - SophistiCats Eversholt Street - next door to that font of learning the Euston Bookshop. Many a time I have driven from central London northwards along the side of Euston Station and appreciated the welcoming neon signs indicating the presence of a sophisticated men's' club in an area devoid of a decent bottle of bubbly. Of course those of baser tastes could just pop into the Great Nepalese Restaurant a couple of doors further north. Shame those puritans at Camden Council are trying to destroy a little leisure provision in these times of darkness. Coupled with Ian Duncan Smith's Centre for Social Justice trying to effectively stop gambling, we will all be wearing hair shirts soon.

T7

[BobbyD]

[i]“There are clubs in the West End of London where a bottle of champagne is £135,000 and people buy it. There’s a group of people within central London, rightly or wrongly, who can spend that kind of money on a whim."

I'm not sure I buy the idea that £135k is necessarily a rip off, when the transaction is transparent, open and jointly agreed between the two parties.

I demand the right to spend £135k on a bottle of bubbly, should I so choose. People have died for my right to pay exorbitant sums for a beverage, away from the sort of people who find extreme wealth offensive...

[Lootman]

“There are clubs in the West End of London where a bottle of champagne is £135,000 and people buy it. There’s a group of people within central London, rightly or wrongly, who can spend that kind of money on a whim."

I'm not sure I buy the idea that £135k is necessarily a rip off, when the transaction is transparent, open and jointly agreed between the two parties.

I demand the right to spend £135k on a bottle of bubbly, should I so choose. People have died for my right to pay exorbitant sums for a beverage, away from the sort of people who find extreme wealth offensive...

I demand price controls for strip joints, lap dances and champagne. They discriminate against the poor!

[scotia]

I hope it's not as much as some West End clubs apparently charge. I've just been researching a case involving the directors of some lap dancing clubs. The minority shareholder, Diana Langer, complained that the majority shareholder, John McKeown, was behaving in breach of his director's duties. The Court agreed with her, and found that he had, amongst other examples of rascally behaviour, caused the company to sell the business and assets of the "Soho Club" to a company owned by himself for the sum of £10,000 in circumstances where the true value of the club was in excess of £800,000.
At the end of the case he was ordered to pay her £475k as a payment on account towards her legal costs, and he objected, so it ended up in the Court of Appeal, who I'm pleased to say kicked his appeal out.

Is it possible that £475k towards legal costs is also a bit of a rip-off?

[Clitheroekid]

Is it possible that £475k towards legal costs is also a bit of a rip-off?

I couldn't agree more - and I'm not sure they'd have accepted an offer of 3 bottles and a demi of champagne in lieu!

[Mike4]

And to think, over four squid for a decent pint yesterday felt like a lot of money ...

Moderator Message:
Overtly political part removed. - Chris

People around here are beginning to settle on the view that anything under a fiver a pint is reasonable.

[AleisterCrowley]

Ah - SophistiCats Eversholt Street - next door to that font of learning the Euston Bookshop.
T7

My choices in that area would be the Euston Tap and the Doric Arch, but I'm a bit common

[AF62]

Ah - SophistiCats Eversholt Street - next door to that font of learning the Euston Bookshop.
T7

My choices in that area would be the Euston Tap and the Doric Arch, but I'm a bit common

Those pubs aren't common! Try The Cock just around the corner for an 'interesting' experience (provided you like Guinness).

[Lootman]

Ah - SophistiCats Eversholt Street - next door to that font of learning the Euston Bookshop.
T7

My choices in that area would be the Euston Tap and the Doric Arch, but I'm a bit common

Those pubs aren't common! Try The Cock just around the corner for an 'interesting' experience (provided you like Guinness).

Irish gay dive bar?

I was on that street (Chalton) a week ago eating at Albertini's but on balance decided instead to go to the bar at the nearby Pullman Hotel which has 50 types of gin on offer.

Shout out to the Bree Louise, sacrificed on the alter of HS2.

[AF62]

My choices in that area would be the Euston Tap and the Doric Arch, but I'm a bit common

Those pubs aren't common! Try The Cock just around the corner for an 'interesting' experience (provided you like Guinness).

Irish gay dive bar?

Not quite. Very, very Irish, and pretty much a dive bar, but mainly the type of local pub for locals where the conversation stops and you can hear a pin drop when a stranger walks in.

Shout out to the Bree Louise, sacrificed on the alter of HS2.

Agree with that. Had many a good pint in there.

[AleisterCrowley]

We had at least one TMF/TLF social at the Bree Louise

Try The Cock just around the corner
[splutter]
Obviously not as famous as the Famous Cock.... which is very handy for Highbury and Islington station.

[stewamax]

Ah - SophistiCats Eversholt Street - next door to that font of learning the Euston Bookshop. Of course those of baser tastes could just pop into the Great Nepalese Restaurant a couple of doors further north.

Gracious - I'm pleased to see that the Great Nepalese is still going. I assume it is the same one that displays a large picture of a brave Gurkha who was awarded either a VC or an MC. If so, I used to eat there regularly when I was lodging nearby (and obviously have baser tastes...)

[DiamondEcho]

Ah - SophistiCats Eversholt Street - next door to that font of learning the Euston Bookshop. Many a time I have driven from central London northwards along the side of Euston Station and appreciated the welcoming neon signs indicating the presence of a sophisticated men's' club in an area devoid of a decent bottle of bubbly. Of course those of baser tastes could just pop into the Great Nepalese Restaurant a couple of doors further north. Shame those puritans at Camden Council are trying to destroy a little leisure provision in these times of darkness. Coupled with Ian Duncan Smith's Centre for Social Justice trying to effectively stop gambling, we will all be wearing hair shirts soon.
T7

I remember once going to the PO delivery office at King's Cross and picking up a mail order giant plush penguin. With that unboxed under my arm I then proceded to Transformations by Euston station. https://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory ... rmation-tv
I was surprised to find the whole front of shop was bullet-proof glass, and they had an doorway, a 'ring you in/check you out' perspex box before being allowed in. All very odd. Me and my penguin suddenly feeling intimidted by the glowering trannies inside. All I wanted was a pair of jumbo fake nipples... they weren't at all happy about that either.