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Gin fizz in teacups and all that jazz
By Alice von Simson, London Lite 08.02.08
Flapper's delight: Alice von Simson takes a spin on the roulette table at Bourne & Hollingsworth
Strange brew: a discreet tipple at Prohibition Re-Bourne night
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Finding oneself drinking gin out of a teacup is usually a pretty good indication that your alcohol consumption has spiralled out of control. When it is done at Bourne & Hollingsworth on Prohibition Re-Bourne night, however, it is far less worrying - and deeply glamorous.
Bourne & Hollingsworth is a tiny but perfectly formed quirky new basement bar on Rathbone Place in Noho and is named after the department store that once stood on the site. From its décor to its themed events, it celebrates a bygone age, the Twenties and Thirties, when accents were clipped, the area was still called Fitzrovia and hats and moustaches were compulsory.
On the last Saturday of the month the bar pulls out the stops for its special themed nights - from Jazz Age to Pyjama (no winceyettes please, only silk pyjamas) to Blitz parties.
We ventured along for the Prohibition Re-Bourne party, recalling the period in the US between 1920 and 1933 when "strong liquor" was made illegal. The night celebrates those rebels who refused to let the government spoil the party.
In Chicago alone there were said to be 10,000 "speakeasies", illegal drinking dens where the boozing, gambling and dancing went on all night, earning the decade the nickname "the Roaring Twenties". If you've seen Bugsy Malone, you'll know the drill.
Though not mandatory, you'd be welladvised to wear a costume, for once the club reaches its minuscule capacity of 80, only those who are dressed up will gain entrance. Admittedly, dressing up Twenties-style is not all that easy, but my friend Caroline and I discovered that a Primark sequinned headband and a large feather is a pretty good start for the girls, and a false moustache and a trilby the order of the day for boys.
Choosing a dress posed more of a problem. I eventually chose a nudecoloured lace evening dress I had last worn to a costume party as Eve (of Adam fame). After I'd unpinned the false beard from the crotch it looked sufficiently like something "a right flapper might wear", said Caroline.
Descending the steps into Bourne & Hollingsworth, the first thing we noticed was how small the place was. "It's like a living room," I said. "Only smaller."
If the old adage about good things coming in small packages applies anywhere, however, it's here. Everything - from the wallpaper to the wooden dressing-table mirrors in the bathroom - has been lovingly chosen to reflect the period, and the theme is carried out with a panache rarely seen in London. The bar staff wear full costume, Twenties classics and rockabilly are spun on the turntables and the booze is secreted in teapots and plant pots to give that authentic edge. So popular has this soirée become that the organisers plan to host future Prohibition parties at a bigger venue.
Caroline and I ordered traditional cocktails of the era (all £6.50) from a list that included gin fizz and various martinis. They came in lovely porcelain teacups. Balancing our drinks on their saucers, we squeezed out of the crowd around the bar and tried to check out the talent.
This was easier said than done for Caroline, who complained she couldn't tell who was good-looking. I, strangely attracted to men in false moustaches, simply fancied them all.
I don't know whether it was down to the dressing-up or the size of the room, but the crowd at Bourne & Hollingsworth was one of the friendliest I have encountered. People were keen to mingle, and with the music playing at an appropriate level for chatter it was easy to strike up conversations with strangers - a breath of fresh air compared to the usual stuffy or self-conscious London club scene.
A few gin fizzes later, I had introduced myself to half the room and was having a wild old time. "Why don't you try gambling?" suggested one of my new Twenties friends, offering me a handful of chips. Though not exchangeable for cold, hard cash I still found myself getting into the swing of the roulette table.
"Number 34!" I bellowed, leaning across the table, only for my long necklace to get tangled in the wheel and nearly choke me to death. Luckily I managed to disengage myself in time for the floor show, a wonderful tap- dancing performance. This was fun!
As the night wore on, wave after wave of partygoers arrived in fabulous costumes. Some knew the organisers, some had stumbled upon the place via Facebook and others had searched it out after hearing rumours of its existence. Two girls had come all the way from Ireland, explaining nothing this fabulous ever happened in their neck of the woods. Quite.
VIDEO: CLICK HERE TO WATCH OUR NIGHT AT BOURNE & HOLLINGSWORTH
Twenties and Thirties-themed parties are held on the last Saturday of the month. Entrance is free, but arrive early due to the limited capacity. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5pm-1am. Bourne & Hollingsworth, 28 Rathbone Place, W1 (020 7636 8228)
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