The Upstairs & Downstairs presentations will give you an inside glimpse into life at a London Club, both from the perspective of the club members – and the servants! Here you can join in, as a member, to determine the fate of prospective members, or to take a seat at the table and test your manners against the poshest diners! Presentations begin at 10:45 a.m. each day. Peruse this page to find the sessions most interesting to you and your family! This schedule is subject to change, so please check back prior to your visit to ensure that your favourite is still on offer.
The Schedule
- Saturday, 22 November – Setting the Dinner Table
- Sunday, 23 November – Champagne Service
- Friday, 28 November – Setting the Dinner Table
- Saturday, 29 November – Letter writing with Pen & Ink
- Sunday, 30 November – Serving a Formal Dinner
- Saturday, 6 December – Champagne Service
- Sunday, 7 December – Setting the Dinner Table
- Saturday, 13 December – A visit from Mark Twain!
- Sunday, 14 December – Preparing & Taking Tea
- Saturday, 20 December – Letter writing with Pen & Ink
- Sunday, 21 December – Blackball Balloting
Presentation Details
Click on an arrow below for details about these presentations:
Setting the Dinner Table
Knowing the correct method of setting the table, and the logic behind the rules, is something that will equally serve young and old. Join with our parlour-maids to take the challenge and see how well you can do in placing the plates, silverware and the many different pieces of stemware necessary to host a formal dinner. All ages welcome!
Champagne Service
The service of sparkling wine is an art that we at the Athenæum Club take quite seriously. Club Steward Mr. Embleton has personally trained in these skills at the world’s Champagne capital, Reims France.
The proper way to chill, open, and pour Champagne, are details oft misunderstood. Ably assisted by Sydney, the Club Porter, Mr. Embleton will demystify the process, and instruct you how to best impress your guests, with the service of this favourite holiday delight!
Letter Writing with Pen & Ink
Using an authentic dip pen (or even an actual goose quill) try your hand at the classic skill of forming your letters with pen & ink! Writing paper, letter guides, pens, nibs and inkwells will all be available for your use, along with expert advice from the Club Steward. Children are especially encouraged to attend!
Blackball Balloting
You’ve heard of being “blackballed?” Come and learn the origination of the term, and personally participate in a blackball balloting session. Blackball balloting was the standard method used by 19th century London Clubs to confirm or reject potential members. This is your chance to assist club members in choosing new worthy associates!
Formal Dining Etiquette
Taking part in a formal dinner requires that guests are just as aware of proper protocol as those who are serving it! Join us at the dining table to learn formal dining etiquette as practiced by the Victorian elites. It is more involved than you might imagine!
Managing your £.s.d
Knowing how to manage your money: pounds (£), shillings (s) & pence (d) is an invaluable skill, just as necessary for the lowliest servant as for the most wealthy merchant. Sharpen your pencils, bring the children, and come to this presentation to learn how to make sense of your pence! Coming next season!
Preparing & Taking Tea
Ever since Anna Maria Russell, Duchess of Bedford, first invited her friends to join her in an afternoon repast including tea and small sandwiches, the “taking” of tea by the general populace has become a national institution! The preparation of a good cup of tea, however, requires a careful step-by-step approach. Domestic household expert and noted author Mrs. Isabella Beeton joins us to share her fool proof method. After the tea has brewed, test your knowledge on just how, exactly, ladies and gentlemen take their tea.
Interpreting History 