THE HUNGERFORD CLUB
The Hungerford Club was established on Donald Soper's initiative by the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship backed by Westminster Council in the summer of 1940 in Arch 176 Hungerford Lane, under Charing Cross station. It was an air raid shelter for homeless tramps, alcoholics and derelicts who were otherwise not tolerated in other air raid shelters. This formalised the existing use by them of the abandoned arch by installing a canteen, heating, first aid post, baths, lavatories, and dormitory capacity for 200 in three tier bunks.
It was run by Bernard Douglas Nicholls, a Christian pacifist and member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (who had already been touring the Arches and ministering to their inhabitants), and a staff of fellow conscientious objector Christian pacifists including Doris Alma Steynor (who he married a year later), Stella St John, Fred Murray and Sidney Greaves. Entry was by a pass issued by Westminster ARP shelter department. It was jokingly referred to as ‘The most exclusive club in London’. The members and their clothes were de-
Shortly after the shelter opened Nicholls encountered “the most lousy person known to exist”; Buxton's researchers meticulously went over every inch of the man’s clothing and picked off over 15,000 dead lice. Buxton also conducted field trials of the most promising insecticides; exact counts of lice on the bodies and clothing of his subjects were made, their clothing was then treated with insecticide and they were directed to wear it at all times without washing. They returned to the laboratory three times a week where the numbers of dead and surviving lice would be counted to evaluate the chemical’s efficacy. To ensure they attended they were paid five shillings per visit – around £11.70 at 2021 prices. Buxton discounted some results because he suspected 'lice trading' between subjects had been going on.
A 1950’s Ordnance Survey map of the Hungerford Arches showing Arch 176, the location of the Hungerford Club, and the positions of the photos below.
Photo 3: Bernard Nicholls and member at the entrance to the Hungerford Club
Photo 2: A member having left the Hungerford Club proceeding north up Hungerford Lane. The Club entrance is just beyond the lorry and ‘bridge’, on the left -
Photo 1: The same gentleman? approaching the Club south down Hungerford Lane. Taken from beneath the ‘bridge’ in photo 2. The Club entrance is out of view to the right. The ‘Ship and Shovel’ pub spans the Lane.
Two of Robert Fuller’s sketches of the members of the Club. ‘Joad of the Hungerford Arches’ is not C E M Joad the radio personality, but a tramp who looked very like him, and no doubt was as cantankerous.
Chetham’s Library, Manchester
This humanitarian and social experiment seems to have attracted some interest amongst the metropolitan socialist and artistic communities; the artist Ronald Fuller executed a series of sketches of the inmates, and British Pathé made a newsreel about the Club (though not mentioning it was run by conscientious objectors). The members were also used for research into anti-
‘Arch 176’ 1945 British Pathé newsreel of the Hungerford Club
The Hungerford Club appears to have continued for some time after the war. Arch 176 is now part of Terry Farrell's '1 Embankment Place' development and is occupied by accountants Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) and the Charing Cross Theatre's fire escape route. All traces of the Club have been erased.
Hungerford Lane in 2021 looking north. All extraneous buildings have been removed. Arch 176 is the third from the right with the brick insert, to the left of which are fire escape doors from 1 Embankment Place and the Charing Cross Theatre (once the Players Theatre). The nearer arches contain 1 Embankment Place plant rooms.
© Roger J Morgan August 2021
Postscript: I have just discovered that Thomas Webster Rammell (1815-
[Video linked from YouTube -