I am presently the Hon. Treasurer of the 33 Club. It is a club formed in 1912 and is devoted to promoting "Good Fellowship" There are usually six meetings each year, three business meetings and three functions, a Ladies Festival, a River Trip and a Stag Dinner. You can find a little more about the 33 Club at www.33club.co.uk 

33 Club

XXXIII

The Club was formed in 1912 and is devoted to promoting “Good Fellowship.” There are usually six meetings each year, three functions, a Ladies Festival, a River Trip and a Stag Dinner, and three business meetings. There is an outline of the history of the Club being written at the moment and will be added in sections as it is completed. The past presidents are also listed and there is a password protected Members section.

            There is not a great deal known about the early history of the Club but it would appear the Club met every month, as in 1940 it is recorded that due to “the conditions” members would meet every two months in future and at that time the club went through a difficult period, but a proposal to suspend activities completely was not carried through. The club headquarters were in the Northumberland Arms, Northumberland Street, W.1., although many events were held in the Connaught Rooms, Kingsway, London.

Inappropriate behaviour was not unknown and hats (Straw Boaters) are known to have been thrown into the river on one Summer Outing and one member confessed to tearing these hats apart with his teeth and pretending to eat them.

Inflation did not seem to be in evidence until the early forties, as the cost of functions up until then remained remarkably constant. It has always been known that in the earlier days of the Club there was a good representation of bookmakers and licensees among the club members and this is evidenced in references to both trades in the Club Minutes as well as the regular benevolent sweepstakes. There are, however, not thought to be any representatives of either among our members in 2007.