To say if you were in the V&A lift today

[ThereAreManyPathsToGoal]

and ~ literally ~ barged me out of the way to get to the members room till seconds ahead of me you are RUDE. And next time I won’t seethe quietly I will call you out.

Some members rooms are great, the one at Tate Britain is lovely, with a huge quiet overflow room if it gets very busy. The Tate Modern one has an outside terrace that is good on a warm not windy day. The RA one is full of ladies up from Surrey for a days shopping and culture, they tend to hog a space and build a wall with their shopping bags and date you to challenge them for a spare seat!

Nobody calls anyone out at the V&A.

I mean you could have a heated disagreement over William Morris but that’s as far as it should go.

Now, I'm not saying it was me. Because for one thing, I'm in Leeds. But I do admit to zoning out for a good 5 minutes. (Probably due to my husband prattling on endlessly and me wondering what it's like to be a man for a few minutes!) I don't honestly remember, but if it was me, I do apologise! And I'm not actually a member of the members room, I probably saw the lift button and just wanted a nosy! 😁

No, exactly the same. Pulling someone up on their behaviour, just different consequences.

If you know you know

Ok, yes. Not All Members, but Always A Member.

It's systemic. Lots of lovely people are museum/gallery members and why wouldn't they be? It's a great thing to do. But the whole situation is catnip to a type of superior, self-congratulatory person who likes to feel they literally own a place.

Really, I thought it was exactly the same context? The only thing is it’s hard to take 10 paces away from each other in a lift I guess 😀

Bloody members, paying a yearly fee, helping fund the exhibitions and collections, maintaining a consistent stream of financial support for our cultural institutions. Helping to keep the museums free for all. How dare they swank about 'up from Surrey' with their bags. Gah, they are really no better than they ought to be.
amirite?

100%! Now I realise the error of my ways, I definitely won’t be making that mistake again 😆

Aka "I pay your wages", amirite?

To be fair my V&A membership has nothing to do with any of that. It’s because tickets for their major exhibitions - looking at you Chanel - sell out so fast it’s the only way to see them. Zero altruism here.

This reminds me of when my partner realised he was in the way of some Americans' group photo, rushed to get out of their shot so as not to inconvenience them. He has a dodgy leg from a car crash and he was in such a rush he tripped and fell on the floor and they all laughed at him :/

@ThereAreManyPathsToGoal I'm lost.
Is there very limited space in the members' room or something? Why does it matter if you get there first? Why would you want to shove up someone out of the way?

I wanted to see at the Chanel exhibition at the V&A and by the time I could get there it was completely sold out and the only way to get in was to become a member, so I signed up, despite no longer being based in London. I went to the members room several times over the next year, whenever I was in town. The food was rather lovely but the staff were surly and wilful, to quote the great Margo Leadbetter.

My friend holds membership at various London museums and galleries, the best I've experienced as her plus one is the Tate Modern. Goodness knows what they put in their chocolate cake but it should have a street value. The view from the terrace is excellent too.

Thank you for this rough guide to London institution members rooms (Seriously!).

Do you have any observations about others?

This has made me wonder what other ones exist? Is there a Natural History Museum members room or a British Library or a British Museum members room?

Or even a National Maritime Museum members room? (I'm often out in Greenwich anyway)

Goodness knows what they put in their chocolate cake but it should have a street value.

It would want to be good, have you seen what it costs?

It's not at the Aldi price point that's for sure. I can't begrudge it though, it was properly delicious. One of the best I've had, and I've made a study of chocolate cakes of all kinds!

There is a BM members room,very small, but the advantage is the BM members room toilets are a better bet than their other toilets which are either cunningly hidden or have enormous queues. Don’t know about others, but I do know the Chelsea Physic membership is quite good value as you can take in a friend, and book a table for lunch if you phone ahead, though I don’t do that as I don’t like their cafe since the Tangerine concession left so go down the road to the Army Museum which has a good cafe ( though well used by local nannies ).

Pick them up on it.
Give them a mouthful
Voice your opinion
Told them off.

I don't like 'called them out'

That was my remark about the bags and Surrey, and I stand by it,I have never met such unpleasant people in any members room as the “ladies” in the RA members room, they really are ( a lot of them) quite snotty, and seem to imagine that the members room is some sort of private club with exclusive membership privileges that include sitting on a three seat sofa with a grim expression and a couple of jaeger bags.

Yes. I spent my teens reading Georgette Heyer regency dramas, so, if someone wanted to call me out, I would expect them to slap my face with a glove and demand to meet the next morning armed with swords or pistols.

But the worst I’ve experienced is being called a TERF or a mad feminist. Better than being shot or get a sword through my heart.

The Natural History Museum has one and if you book afternoon tea there you get to go in without being a member.

What accent do you have OP?

I’m just trying to play it out in my head.

Fisticuffs.

This is a masterpiece of a confession.