T
here is a private members’ club revolution afoot in the capital. Whereas once these places were traditional leather-clad bastions, where conversations were hushed and sartorial codes strict, today London’s most exclusive clubs have jungle gyms, soft play and dedicated spa floors. Welcome to the world of the high-end children-friendly members’ clubs, where small people are entertained and educated while grown-ups work, play and work out. We’ve handpicked four of London’s finest.
Purple dragon has a swimming pool and other “wet play” facilities
Purple Dragon, Chelsea
Conceived by the Scottish entrepreneur Sharai Meyers, Purple Dragon was born from a desire to instil in her city-dwelling children the expansive freedoms of her own upbringing. Established in Battersea in 2008 before its eventual move to Chelsea, the club’s enduring ethos has been to cultivate a space where youthful exploration can flourish and parental needs can be just as equally, and elegantly, met. The sprawling 15,000 sq ft space, set within the private Grosvenor Waterside development, has ample space in which to indulge the vast and varied interests of their younger members, with the activity roster endless enough that there need never be any worry about tiring out even the busiest of little bodies. Beyond the extensive soft play and climbing structures, classes range from Leonardo da Vinci art workshops, ancient Greek pottery adventures and cookery classes to golf, clay pigeon shooting and Formula 1 racing via high-tech simulators, most underpinned by an educational framework.
