Several months ago I saw advertising for a secret ‘speakeasy’ in London.

The Candlelight Club meets one weekend a month unless there is a special date such as Halloween or Christmas, and is a 1920’s party night.

Held in different locations, you don’t get told where the party is until the day before and then have to look for the secret door, lit by a candle.

Marvellous and Mysterious, right?

The best part was still to come. The host with the most is my Twinwood favourite performer, Champagne Charlie.

It also happened to be the 12th birthday of The Candlelight Club, so it was going to be a night to remember.

Well it was a no brainer and I ordered my ticket.

The evening has several options that you need to decide on; whether to book for dinner, or standing room or if you plan on going with a large party you can book a whole table (or two)

I opted for dinner which comes with a table as I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand for any length of time. The information does state that there are chairs dotted about but cannot be guaranteed. I knew I couldn’t chance it so dinner it was.

Now I had to decide which outfit to wear. Luckily I have two flapper dresses, two beaded maxi dresses in a 20’s style and three velvet evening gowns that would suit the occasion.

Right up to the last moment I was going to go with a flapper dress and I was getting ready for work on the Friday and pulled out a pair of trousers from the wardrobe and inspiration hit me.

I knew that there was a good possibility that all the women in attendance would be flappers, so why not go in the opposite direction.

Black and white ankle boots, black pinstripe gangster trousers, white collared shirt, black bowtie and my 1930’s silk top hat.

Job Done!

I also decided to add my mink cape into the mix and I was all set.

A couple of days before the event, I received an email giving the meal options for dinner, which needed to be ordered in advance.

I opted for prawn and melon salad, spiced chicken thighs with green ajillo sauce, served with new potatoes and carrots and a raspberry meringue roulade for dessert.

Now all I needed was the location!

Oh and some sort of transport as the train service decided to strike and there was no way of getting back from London (or pretty much getting there either)

In the end I decided to drive down which allowed me to take a lot more luggage in case I changed my mind about what to wear.

That didn’t happen though and I parked up in a secure garage and that was that.

I was REALLY fortunate in that I had been to an event quite close to the location and knew exactly which direction to head into. With a tube station just around the corner, it was simple and easy for people to get there.

Walking along the street in the direction given, I spotted a secret door in a metal kind of shutter, lit by a single candle.

Eureka!

Entering the doorway, a concierge took the tickets and told me where to go. Entering in another doorway, I followed the corridor along and entered into a large white room, highlighted completely with candles.

No electrical lights at all.

The room had large and small tables dotted around the room with a small stage area set up with instruments.

Oh, didn’t I mention the live jazz band which would be entertaining the assembled crowd?

In this case it was Laura Messenger and her sextet. There was also pre-recorded music playing in between sets, perfectly spun by the DJ, The Bees Knees.

Well, you can’t ask for more than that, can you?

So, how was the event?

In one word, Spectacular!

The evening went off to a flying start with the compere, Champagne Charlie coming out in the most fabulous outfit; red coat, multicoloured waistcoat, all topped off with a spiffing feathered hat.

Oh and purple hair and moustache.

Charlie instructed the audience how to shout for Champagne and performed a song and or two before announcing Laura and her band.

I was really looking forward to her set as I had heard good things about her. The reports were not wrong. She had a great smoky jazz voice and the band were really tight.

The band played a lot of fantastic jazz, some well known but a fair few were a little rarer and I absolutely loved that.

As I said, I had gone with the dinner option which gave me a table right in the middle of the room, facing the stage. A great viewpoint and that much needed chair.

Oh and Dinner was exceedingly good too; the prawn and melon were fresh and had a lovely balsamic glaze. The chicken was soft and the dressing was zesty and complimented the vegetables exceptionally well.

As for the dessert, that was fantastic. A soft meringue roulade filled with raspberries and cream, drizzled with more raspberry sauce. It was light, tasty and really ended the meal well.

After the meal there was more music and people came to the front to watch the performance which was where I came across a small issue as people thronged around the stage which meant I couldn’t see a large amount of it, but I didn’t need to see the fabulous band, I could just listen and enjoy.

The party went on until midnight and the final set was courtesy of Champagne Charlie, this time in a pair of short shorts and a black waistcoat and peacock feathers.

By the end of the night, Charlie was leading a conga line of flappers, peaky blinders and distinguished gents.

What a Lark!

I toddled off with my top hat to enjoy a cup of Earl Grey before bed.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole event and it was such a different kind of night out. I highly recommend it, especially for maybe a Christmas extravaganza or a special occasion.

Going in a large group would be even more fun, especially when the Champagne starts to flow!

Till next time,

SPSG xxx