Bond’s ‘gentleman’s club’ to admit women after 166 years

A GENTLEMAN’S CLUB that inspired James Bond is allowing women to join for the first time in 166 years in the face of heated protests.

Pratt’s, a private members’ club in St James’s, central London, has changed its rules “with immediate effect” following a meeting of William Cavendish, the Earl of Burlington, and committee members.

The Earl, whose family have owned the club since 1937, explained in a letter to members that “extending membership to women is a positive, necessary and evolving change to enhance and invigorate the club”.

But the move has not gone unchallenged, with some members understood to have made angry objections.

The club, established in 1857, partly inspired the fictional Blades – 007’s club in Ian Fleming’s novels.

Its chairman, Lord Soames, the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill and a former minister in Sir John Major’s government, told The Daily Telegraph: “The proprietor and the committee decided unanimously last week to admit women as guests, which they are partially now anyway, and as full-time members in their own right.

“One person has been in touch [to oppose the decision]. This [admitting of women members] is going to happen, it’s not very unusual and they are going to do so and that’s the end of it.”

But others are far less pleased, with one member calling the admittance of women in the evening, as well as the existing allowance at lunchtime, “a disgrace”.

The member told the Daily Mail: “This email arrived overnight – there has been no consultation with the membership and no ballot.

“In a world where there are few small pleasures, the rules governing membership at Pratt’s was one.

“It will be the end of Pratt’s as we know it.”