By the end of the 19th century, every prominent actor in Britain had joined Macready’s Club. A much-loved star of the music hall joined in 1911 and sang at the club’s Christmas festivities every year until a German bomb landed on his house in 1943 and killed him and everyone else living there.

Excerpt from Decline and Fall of Macready's Club

By the early 2020s the club was in serious decline, subject to sustained criticism and mockery, because its woefully out-of-date 19th century rules did not allow women to join, and a recent poll of members — leaked to the press by unscrupulous reformers — had decided by a slim majority to keep it that way.

Excerpt from Decline and Fall of Macready's Club

When JJ bearded Hector in the coffee room one night and asked him ‘what the hell did he think he was playing at ‘, Hector — who was not at all drunk — told the Court of Appeal judge, to ‘go fuck himself, in every conceivable way’.

Excerpt from Decline and Fall of Macready's Club

While some barristers have a ‘commercial’ practice, and others have a ‘criminal’ practice or a ‘chancery’ practice, Brigit van der Linden had what might be called a ‘grievance’ practice.

Excerpt from Decline and Fall of Macready's Club

Quentin Latimer KC advised Macready’s Club that in ordinary English usage, a woman can be a gentleman. “That’s bollocks!” said the general. “It would seem they’re irrelevant,” said Martin.

Excerpt from Decline and Fall of Macready's Club

“Shall we get someone to kill her?” asked Quentin… “Joke!” Nothing in JJ’s expression negated the possibility that he took the suggestion seriously.

Excerpt from Decline and Fall of Macready's Club