Now there was another idea, which, I conclude, emanated from the more
sporting members of the committee. It was, to take a branch club at
Barnes, where there was a handsome and suitable house and grounds well
adapted for the purpose. The place at last decided upon was not only
well adapted for cricket, lawn tennis, and other out-of-door games,
but, being so near London, was of easy access. The terrace facing the
river was also a capital place from which to see the Oxford and
Cambridge Boat Race, and a steamer from Westminster was hired to take
the members down. Naturally, perhaps, the most crowded meeting held
there was on the occasion of a final in the Army and Navy football
match, when many distinguished visitors were present.
As with the Orleans Club, Twickenham, this club was but a flash in the
pan. There came a day when it could no longer be kept up, and so it
was with that in Coventry Street (or Piccadilly East, as it was
called). Both branches of the Lyric Club, in fact, came suddenly to
grief, owing to a great misfortune which it is better not to recall.
First of all held on Sunday nights at the Grosvenor Galleries, the
Gallery Club was quite a place to belong to, and for some time was
decidedly select in its members. It was also at the time quite a
novelty, the best of music being heard and the best of musicians
giving their services. The same may be said of the entertainers, and
their entertainments. Smoke and talk prevailed during the intervals,
and so the evenings passed off cheerily.
When these Galleries of the "Greenery Yallery" period closed their
doors, we removed to the rooms of the Institute of Painters in Water
Colours where the receptions were held. I forgot here to mention that
occasional Sunday nights were graced by the presence of lady guests.
Paderewski played on one of these occasions to a crowded and very
appreciative audience.
Later on we found our home at the Grafton Galleries, in which suppers
were also given, and many a pleasant Sunday evening was spent there.
Like every club of the kind, however, it had its day. Perhaps it may
have been the difficulty of finding variety among the entertainers or
a want of funds to procure the best; but, whatever the reason, there
was obviously a falling off of the original members, and the Gallery
Club came to an end. Even so, it had been responsible for many
evenings that are well worth remembering.
I shall never forget one night at the Grosvenor Gallery when Corney
Grain and George Grossmith sat down at the piano together and sang and
played the fool. They were then at their very best, and I think that
was the night that Weedon and his brother gave their humorous skit on
the extraction of teeth. The title I cannot recall; but the
performance was so clever that the title doesn't matter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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