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AIBU?

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Original poster

Applying to Soho House

348 replies

Awlondoner · 23/07/2021 10:44

Hi everyone! I am trying to apply to Soho House London at the moment, and have the backing of two proposers. I was wondering if anyone was a member, knew what the process was like? How long should I expect to wait to hear whether I have got in?

Thank you!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
fraddu · 23/07/2021 21:11

@dangermousespants did you confuse me with another poster cause I have no idea what you are referring to?

dangermousespants · 23/07/2021 21:13

@dangermousespants did you confuse me with another poster cause I have no idea what you are referring to?

I have no idea what you're referring to either.

Handsoffstrikesagain · 23/07/2021 21:13

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

JChilesQC · 23/07/2021 21:15

[quote Spidey66]@JChilesQC
I've answered my own question. It's the one at the Clock Tower. It was a KFC a few years back.[/quote]
That's gentrification! Pity the rest of the Broadway has so many vacancies...

Sniv · 23/07/2021 21:24

I read the title and assumed Soho House must be some sort of strip club.

Is it not, then?

fraddu · 23/07/2021 21:26

I said

"I thought the arts & creatives were full of posh people although granted they might not play polo."

which @dangermousespants copied and said

"I earn a very good living as an award-winning writer and actress and I'm from as working class a background as they come. Raised by a single mum who was mentally ill and an alcoholic, ran away from home and slept rough aged 15 to escape her boyfriends molesting me. Worked shit jobs to pay for drama school."

Which I said was anecdotal because it is @Handsoffstrikesagain

Where have I said any of this?

That it's sheer snobbery to claim that anyone working in the arts or working in TV who joins what's basically just a a comfy place to hang out with and meet peers is an elitist twat, cringe, entitled, an exclusionary wanker, a posh wanker, just a wanker, a nouveau try-hard, a has-been, a washed up D-lister who's got something wrong with them. Etc. etc. etc.

Handsoffstrikesagain · 23/07/2021 21:29

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

dangermousespants · 23/07/2021 21:29

I think fraddu is angry with me because I quoted her post saying "the arts is full of poshos."

Fraddu the only reason I quoted you was because that comment happened to catch my eye. That doesn't mean the entirety of my post was aimed exclusively at you or in response only to you. It wasn't. It was a response to the overall attitude running through this thread. And you're not wrong, media/arts is full of posh people. But not all. There's working class people in the arts too.

I'm a working class person who works in TV and is a member of Soho House. I don't like reading comment after comment saying that I'm a wanker, entitled, a posh polo-playing Tarquin. That's sheer spite and snobbery.

Yes there are plenty of posh wankers around. But most people you meet at Soho House or even the Groucho are just regular people who happen to love and be talented at acting or writing.

fraddu · 23/07/2021 21:37

I'm not angry. I just was confused as to why you replied to my post & then went off a tangent about all sorts of wankers.

That doesn't mean the entirety of my post was aimed exclusively at you or in response only to you

I wasn't sure it was, hence why I asked if you had confused me with some other poster as I didn't have a clue what you were referring to.
You then replied I have no idea what you're referring to either which wasn't much clarification but I'm glad you understand now. 😆

sansucre · 23/07/2021 21:47

I used to work there for a while. The housekeeping was horrendous in as much as the place was filthy and unsanitary. I remember a mouse being trapped in reception one time and just running round in laps, and another time several mice ran across the restaurant floor and the GM stamping on one of them. I (and quite a few others) also saw the same GM being showered in shit when one of the waste pipes from the toilets burst. That happened a lot as they hated spending money on the infrastructure.

As a result of my time there, I won't go there and if I have to, I most certainly would never eat a single thing in there.

Anyway, when I was there, the waiting list was a few years regardless of being proposed by two members unless you were proposed by a founding member, (or a celebrity of some kind), then the wait was minimal. Now, they are concentrating on younger members, so if you're over a certain age, the wait will be some time. All parts of the Soho House empire are over-subscribed and packed. I am genuinely surprised anyone would want to join Hmm

Nesbo · 23/07/2021 21:53

I used to work there and they used to ritually murder people in the kitchens before serving their still warm remains as carpaccio.

See, easy isn’t it!

sansucre · 23/07/2021 21:56

@dangermousespants

I don't understand your anecdotal point?

That it's sheer snobbery to claim that anyone working in the arts or working in TV who joins what's basically just a a comfy place to hang out with and meet peers is an elitist twat, cringe, entitled, an exclusionary wanker, a posh wanker, just a wanker, a nouveau try-hard, a has-been, a washed up D-lister who's got something wrong with them. Etc. etc. etc.

People who work in theatre don't finish work until 11pm. There just aren't many places in Central London where you can get a quiet drink and bite to eat at 11pm. Not wanky and nothing to do with being desperate to rub shoulders with minor celebs (people who work in theatre don't get excited by celebs anyway).

Why the need for so much vitriol?

I think your tenses are wrong. At one point yes, there weren't many places in Central London where you could get a quiet drink and a bite to eat at 11:00pm. Things are very different now. Soho House today is a very different beast to what is was at the beginning, and a bit of a cliche.

I think it has very much sold out and lost its mystique in the process.

Btw, I worked in tv and dated a journalist, so was often a guest there which felt weird having worked there too. I guess I have always seen through the shallow illusion of the place, it's just not very special. And without wanting to tarnish all the members with the same stick, far too many were entitled and rude, although this would go unnoticed if you weren't on the staff side of things.

sansucre · 23/07/2021 21:58

@Nesbo

I used to work there and they used to ritually murder people in the kitchens before serving their still warm remains as carpaccio.

See, easy isn’t it!

While I can't confirm this is true, a mouse did once wind up in the meat mincer and didn't live to tell the tale.. Grin
korawick12345 · 23/07/2021 22:10

@dangermousespants

I think fraddu is angry with me because I quoted her post saying "the arts is full of poshos."

Fraddu the only reason I quoted you was because that comment happened to catch my eye. That doesn't mean the entirety of my post was aimed exclusively at you or in response only to you. It wasn't. It was a response to the overall attitude running through this thread. And you're not wrong, media/arts is full of posh people. But not all. There's working class people in the arts too.

I'm a working class person who works in TV and is a member of Soho House. I don't like reading comment after comment saying that I'm a wanker, entitled, a posh polo-playing Tarquin. That's sheer spite and snobbery.

Yes there are plenty of posh wankers around. But most people you meet at Soho House or even the Groucho are just regular people who happen to love and be talented at acting or writing.

Most people you meet at Soho House are certainly not actors or writers😂😂😂. That May well have been the case historically but the bounds of ‘creative’ have now been stretched to basically encompass Anything other than finance! As another pp said, it’s had its day and is now just a very mainstream venue.
dangermousespants · 23/07/2021 22:13

Where have I said any of this?

I'm sorry. Obviously you personally didn't say all those things. I didn't mean to imply that by quoting you. But they are all things that have been said on this thread. When you challenged me with your "anecdote" post I actually didn't realise you were the same poster I'd quoted.

While I can't confirm this is true, a mouse did once wind up in the meat mincer and didn't live to tell the tale.

ShockShockShockShockShockShockShockShockShock

(FWIW the only times I've been in the Groucho was running events, so technically working and not as a member/guest.)

fraddu · 23/07/2021 22:17

👍🏼

dangermousespants · 23/07/2021 22:17

Most people you meet at Soho House are certainly not actors or writers

Just goes to show it all depends who you are and what crowd you run in, doesn't it?

If you're an actor, you're going to wind up sharing a table with other actors. If you're in finance, you're probably going to wind up with a more similar group. Same's true of anywhere. People tend to drift towards those they know, who they have things in common with.

korawick12345 · 23/07/2021 22:27

Well obviously, but your implication that soho house members are all writers and actors is very wide of the mark!

Yesitsbess · 23/07/2021 22:30

This thread is the best thing I ever read.

YABU

Stichintime · 23/07/2021 22:32

How naff, you poor thing.

Handsoffstrikesagain · 23/07/2021 22:36

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

stevalnamechanger · 23/07/2021 22:43

@Doubledoorsontogarden

In normal, pre-covid times I can totally see the appeal of a members club in a busy city, not everyone wants to go to busy venues, in the City on a Thursday night it’s rammed, even if you pre book a space for team drinks it’s hectic, bar service is super slow. These clubs have great facilities, spaces for working and meetings too.

As for the Ned - who wouldn’t want rooftop pool drinks, beautiful surrounds abd s choice of restaurants?!

The pool is tiny and realistically you wouldn't swim whilst people are sat around drinking .

Would never join 😂 have been enough for free to even consider it

user1464279374 · 23/07/2021 22:53

These replies are wild but on a serious note the wait time is usually to do with the "value" placed on your proposers I think, or on you yourself. I had a v famous friend be one of mine, and I got in super quickly. I'm under no illusions I would have got in that fast (or at all!) without them. Other friends have been on waiting list for a long time.

I don't think anyone who is a member thinks it's "cool", most people I know are freelancers in creative industries who want a place to sit which will normally be quiet, let them stay as long as they like, and is predictable.

mustlovegin · 23/07/2021 23:32

Does the scheme have any benefactors?

Some of the properties are massive and look quite empty most of the time. It's surprising they can afford the rent (?) and upkeep in major cities including London even on that number of members with such a low fee

mustlovegin · 24/07/2021 00:02

All industries do better with a wide cross section of members, and the arts and creative industries should not be the preserve of wealthy, middle class people who flock together and maintain the borders so that everyone they work and socialise with is just like them

I don't understand the obsession here with people 'mixing' for the sake of it.
I, for instance, doubt I would have one single thing in common with these types and spending any time there would be my idea of hell. And most likely they would feel the same about me. What's the point when situations are forced? I don't get it.