Number clubbing: The return of an iconic Chelsea nightclub

Number clubbing: The return of an iconic Chelsea nightclub

As a new incarnation of 151 opens, we ask those who were there what made this Chelsea institution such a good-time hotspot for aristos, yuppies, Sloanes, royalty and reality stars

Words: Ed Cumming

In September 2023, when 151 finally closed for its doors after nearly 40 years in business, a great disturbance in the Force could be felt throughout west London. “I feel like a piece of me is missing,” as one devotee put it. It was easy to understand why. Citizen Kane had his sled Rosebud; Proust had his madeleines; Anton Ego had his ratatouille. They all understood that, when it comes to formative times, even a glimpse – a taste, a sound, a smell – can be enough to trigger a cascade of involuntary memories.

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