After his victory at the battle of Waterloo the Duke of Wellington returned to London covered in glory. The city was ready to erect statues to him, but what he really wanted was some steps to help him get back onto his horse after a massive carb-heavy lunch at his club. Here on the kerbside in front of the portico of the Atheneum the Iron Duke’s steps still stand. The club was named for Athene, the goddess of knowledge, and she still exists in a golden frieze over the columns.
The Atheneum was founded in 1824 and had many famous members including Kipling, Dickens and Sir Winston Churchill. Nearby at no. 106 is the Travelers club, founded in 1822. Officers returning from the Napoleonic wars could stay here, as could foreign travelers. Further on, the Reform Club became the location from which Phineas Fogg started and ended his journey in Jules Verne’s book Around the World in Eighty days. Spoiler alert; he won his bet by realising that he had not counted the extra hour afforded by the international dateline.
More, please.
The extra DAY, shoorly.
I’m with Dan Terrel. Fascinating stuff.
Oh – I remembered it as an hour, but I think you’re right. Perhaps I like my deadlines tighter…
Between your books and blog I’ll be running all over London on my next visit checking out all the bits and pieces you’ve pointed out.
I will be in London in a few months, and items from this blog, and books will determine which streets I stroll around
“he Travelers club, founded in 1822. Officers returning from the Napoleonic wars could stay here”
Seven years to return? They were taking their time.
I think you mean officers returning from the colonial wars.
Phineas Fogg definitely gained an extra day. There’s a horror story by Kipling about a man intent on gaining anextra day of life in the same way. Incidentally, you gave the number of the Athenaeum but forgot the street- Pall Mall.
Yes, the Napoleonic wars lasted from 1803–1815. Maybe you were thinking of the The United Service Club, at #116 Pall Mall, founded in 1815, but disbanded in the late 1970′s. The Travellers was founded in 1819 and moved to their present fab clubhouse in 1832. Makes one think of Italy. In which case, I shall retire to the boudoir for late afternoon tea including a couple of scrumptious macarons (one should always treat themselves well) and ponder the great Raphael and Italian palazzos or is it palazzi from the Renaissance.
The article was developed from the various websites of the clubs, and although I usually fact-check, I occasionally let things stand. I assume it meant ‘ex-Napoleonic soldiers’.
From the Travellers’ website, “The original concept of The Travellers Club by Lord Castlereagh and others dates from the return of peace in Europe following the Napoleonic Wars. They envisaged a club where gentlemen who travelled abroad might meet and offer hospitality to distinguished foreign visitors.” The United Service Club was founded by senior officers in the army and navy who probably served in the wars with France. It sounds like the Travllers was formed by high ranking government officials and diplomats; whereas, the USC was formed by military men.
What is it that you can’t do “at any time” by the steps? Stand on them? All these clubs and such a good idea to be able to meet with like minded people rather than the mix you’d have to put up with at an hotel. What is a clubbable man, by the way? It’s not used here but I keep reading the phrase. I know it’s not a rotter you’d like to hit over the head, but what?
A clubbable man (or woman) is a person who is socialable, is a good conversationalist, has similar interests, and would fit in well and would bring something to a club.
A club being several people with a similar interest and meet to discuss topics of common interest. I was for many years a distance member of the more than 60-year old Glenn Miller Society of Dorset.
In English literature I learned that Ben Johnson was the most clubbable of men. He spent a great deal of his time in a “club”, drinking, eating and arguing; and he drew people in or frosted them out, if not had them actually tossed out.
Thank-you Dan. It’s not a phrase we use and I have wondered if the obvious was in fact its meaning. At such a distance it would be difficult to contribute much to the Glenn Miller Society. We do apparently know that about Ben Johnson but nothing about Shakespeare’s social life, so I imagine he spent all his time in an attic somewhere, damp cloth around his brow, cranking out plays. Or meeting up with the “dark lady” of the sonnets, of course.