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The Londoner's Guide to London
13 October 2008
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Hollywood A-Listers, Celebrity Parties and a Dose of Royalty

Posted by: Kelly Hussey 18/07/2008 @ 10:21
Subject: Clubs

Ooh that John Gough is a naughty one - last week he promised, PROMISED to tell us who his mystery Hollywood A-lister is, and he hasn't! He's having too much fun keeping us all in the dark - keep guessing, there are a few more clues this time around. This has to be one of John's busiest weeks yet - he had to leave out a tonne of stuff (it's hard being the View London Guy About Town!), check out his highlights...

I have had the busiest week for quite a while this week, and more than lived up to my Guy About Town tag. Z-list birthday parties, product launches, ex-royalty, dancing on tables in the best clubs - it’s all here this week! I’ve spotted so many celebrities this week that I couldn’t possibly fit them all in, but I’ve brought you as many as I can! I’ve been rocking a new look this week by the way – I’m growing out the white hair, so my black roots have created a 'silver fox' effect, which bizarrely the ladies seem to love! I don’t like to tell them they’re barking up the wrong tree with me… Then again, maybe it’s the David Dickinson-esque tan they’re loving?

Celebrity Spots
I joked last time that I was becoming a celebrity magnet, and this week I couldn’t turn around without bumping into a Z-lister or tripping over royalty.

I popped into the fabulous Bar at the Dorchester the other day with a bunch of sexy female single friends (all very Sex and the City), and soon generated a bit of squealing and excitement when we spotted Take That’s Mark Owen heading out wearing a cute trilby. Minutes later, one of my many blonde female friends followed a heavily pregnant Natasha Kaplinsky to the bathroom, before dashing back to the table to breathlessly report the newsreader was wearing Nine London maternity wear and diamonds from Chanel.

Another place you’re guaranteed to spot celebs from Z-list to A-list is Cipriani. Popping in there this week I saw Patsy Kensit heartily tucking into her food in a devilish leopard print dress, then on the way out I was chuffed to bump into Sarah, Duchess of York. I’ve met her a few times at charity do’s, so was pretty pleased to be able to impress my dining companion by stopping to talk to her, and arrange to pop back later to go dancing at Annabels. Dancing with a drunk ex-royal is quite a power trip, believe me!

The same night, I popped into Groucho. I usually love this club - it’s a media land institution after all. However, it was ruined this time by the trashy celebrity offspring that have taken over. Jaime Winstone and her boyfriend Alfie Allen were joined by her sister Lois and T4 presenter Miquita Oliver. I’ve never met this gang properly, or been introduced, but if their table manners around other drinkers is anything to go by I’m very grateful for that!

Finally, I hit up Embassy London on Wednesday for the birthdays of ex-Big Brother inmates Liam and Brian. I got to have a great chat with Brian about his forthcoming single, which he admitted to me was conceived one drunken night in “Bas Vegas” (Basildon in Essex). However, the highlight of the party had to be Jodie Marsh – dressed in what can only be described as a sparkly swimsuit over a pair of tights and huge heels, I already felt like I’d seen far too much before she climbed on top of a speaker and started gyrating to the music. It was too much for me, I had to scarper!

Top Club
Annabels gave me a night to remember this week. You know you’re going somewhere special when you come here – it’s the only nightclub the Queen has ever set foot in, after all. What keeps it head and shoulders above its imitators, however, are the staff – they are really receptive to what their members and guests want. I remarked to the barman that every other members club in town offered a more varied and exciting choice of cocktails. More fool I, as five minutes later he’d whipped me up two different cocktails for my companion and I to try. Now, granted, Annabels members pay a large joining fee and extravagant annual dues, but you don’t get that service at most clubs. I told him I’d read that smoked flavours are the in-thing for cocktails this year, and he told me he’d think of something along those lines for me next time. I’m gonna go back next week and test him out!

Top Bar
Keeping up with the fancy theme of my top choices this week, is the bar at the Dorchester Hotel. Sweep in through the lobby and straight into the dramatic black and red bar where you’ll be greeted by efficient and neat waitresses, keen to show you to a seat, serve you nibbles and talk you through the cocktail list. I particularly recommend the Dorchester’s twist on a mojito, which features the additional ingredients of Limoncello and Champagne. It comes in a decorative wooden cup, complete with solid gold straw, a flash of drama and panache, which makes the £10 or so price of cocktails that little bit more palatable. Kate Moss popped in here a few days ago with Topshop boss Philip Green, which only goes to show supermodels are capable of super choices!

The Big News
I caught up with my favourite clubland DJ this week for some news about his forthcoming projects. Sam Young has DJd for Elton John, the Sex and the City premiere, and Vivienne Westwood, but now he’s wrapped up work on co-producing the new Wiley single. Called Summertime it features Daft Punk, Kenna (signed to Pharrell) and Killer Kella, and has been getting lots of attention from Radio 1, 1Xtra and Kiss. Now he’s finished that, Sam’s back to what he does best – check him out over the weekend playing at Chinawhite on Friday, Boujis on Saturday and the Veuve Clicquot polo on Sunday.

Wicked Whispers
I promised I’d spill the beans about Mr Hollywood this week, didn’t I? Well, sorry, I’m having too much fun listening to all your wrong guesses about who this gentleman could be, so you’ll have to keep trying! We finally ventured out in public though, as he accompanied me on my adventures to Cipriani, Groucho and Annabels this week, and managed to impress me considerably by making a 20 second phone call to some invisible minion, and making a Mercedes S Class and a uniformed driver appear a couple of minutes later when I was cold and drunk at 1am in the morning. That’s the kind of Hollywood magic I enjoy! He can be very temperamental (he has to eat at least once a day at the same Italian restaurant in Soho or he gets a bit fidgety), but let’s face it – when you’re approaching 50, you’ve earned the right to have things the way you like them! Lots of clues for you this time – are you any closer to guessing who he is?

Drunken lunchtime drinks at Holland Park local boozer The Castle with an old friend who has recently moved to the BBC yielded some great gossip for me this week too. Can you guess which minor royal is signed up for this year’s season of Strictly Come Dancing? You heard it here first!

Top 5
I tirelessly trawl an average of 30 venues every week to pick the best for you. It’s a hard life, but I do it so you don’t have to – these are the best right now...
1. Maya
Incredible decor, a spooky entry that feels like you’re stepping through glass and the sexiest staff in Soho puts Maya at the top of my list.
2. Embassy London
It might be Z-list heaven, but Embassy plays damn fine music, and my favourite bit is you can check yourself in the mirrors whilst you dance. Vain much?
3. Kingly Club St Martins Lane
Enjoying a drink on the mezzanine level of the new Kingly Club is an experience to savour. It’s members only up here, and the wines and spirits are all specially selected by a dedicated Director of Wine, Guillaume Glipa.
4. Naval and Military Club
I went here for the BT Home Hub party this week, spotting many celebs I simply couldn’t fit in above, including Pixie Geldof. What a cool place! Totally stuffy, totally Sloaney, I really enjoyed mixing things up a little!
5. Heaven
Heaven is so far removed from my usual clubs of choice, but sometimes you’re so drunk you just want to have fun! Wednesdays is the night to check this place out for the legendary WORK night. Visitors in recent months have included Ken Livingstone (no, really) and Beverley Knight.

Comments

by  annamarie  18/07/2008 @ 11:47
Oh i love little mark owen, hes so cute! As for annabels, ur just lucky to get in - dont you need a title just to work there?!
by  terrytarr  19/07/2008 @ 00:09
You never cease to amaze me - do you have some kind of deal with celebrity agents to follow them round or something?!
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