59 Greek Street: Home of the Theatre Girl's Club, Soho, London

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When I visited, Greek Street was packed – Soho before Christmas is just like Soho in summer – and my boyfriend and I had to queue to get into Bibimbap at number 11 for a nice, cheap Korean dinner in burning hot stone bowls. The latter is of especial interest to the early story of 59 Greek Street: Solly and Hill were leaders in the setting-up in 1869 of the London Charity Organisation Society which spread an international influence in the giving of aid to the poor, albeit based on the worthiness of the recipient.

Catherine Howe’s new book is a study of the history and denizens of the Theatre Girls Club at 59 Greek Street, a landmark building in London’s Soho district which famously provided a club and lodgings for young women working in the city’s businesses and theatres. While she says the location isn’t great from a retail perspective, the bottom end of Greek Street feels safe and cosy: “I never thought having a business right in the centre of London would feel so village-y. A classical meal can be had at L’Escargot , London’s first French restaurant from 1927 whose tricolour neon sign still lights the way. There’s that place behind the bookshelf, I’d said, referring to one of the many unmarked bars of Soho.

Prominent jazz nightspot where Elton and his then-manager Steve Brown met with orchestral arranger Paul Buckmaster during intermission at a Miles Davis performance.

In the corner was a woman singing Parisian jazz, the kind of music you’d expect in a place like this, and she had tight black curls and a tight green dress. There is no heating in this space - make sure you bring an alternative to use during the winter months. Maude Stanley’s nephew Bertrand Russell, described the Stanleys as full of ‘vigour, good health and good spirits.

Choat, a tall guy in a Bowie shirt and chunky silver rings, took over the freehold of the 1847-born, Grade II-listed pub eight years ago when “London’s rudest landlord” Norman Balon retired after 63 years. Comedy fans will note the plaque over Zebrano’s marking it as the site of the Establishment Club from 1961, run by “only twin” Peter Cook. Choat chuckles when I tell him this, and assures me he won’t refurbish the Coach: “I like it as it is. Asked how that went down with the regulars, Choat says it made no difference as they’re not the ones eating: “They come to drink and talk. In the minds of many nineteenth century social reformers, dependence on alcohol was a leading cause of working-class poverty and brutalization.

It is also possible that she concentrated on Soho’s Five Dials for her social work because her brother Algernon already worked there as a curate with St. Daniel Sachon and Imitate Modern would like to thank Beyond Print who are the printing and framing sponsor for the exhibition.December 2016 – conditional permission granted by Westminster Council for use of part basement and part ground floor as two retail units and part basement and part ground and upper floors as residential to create up to 10 residential units.