The Union Jack Club is a residential London club for members and veterans of the British Armed Services (and their families), including serving members of the Volunteer Reserve Forces, below commissioned rank. Located near Waterloo Station, the club has over 300 rooms for accommodation (single, twin, double and small flats), a restaurant, bar, small library and function rooms.
The idea in creating the club came from Ethel McCaul, a Royal Red Cross nurse who was served in field hospitals during the South African War at the start of the 20th century. The Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone of the club in July 1904 and later as King Edward VII with Queen Alexandra officially opened the club in July 1907. The original Edwardian building was located at 91 Waterloo Road and was completed at the end of 1904.
During World War II, the area around Waterloo Station was heavily bombed and the club was damaged. In 1970, it was decided to demolish the original building and to construct a completely new one. Demolition began in 1971 and building started in 1972. The club's new premises opened on 16 October 1975. It was formally opened by the Patron-in-Chief, Queen Elizabeth II, on 12 February 1976.
In more recent years, the Union Jack Club would make rooms available, at a reasonable cost, to members of the Civil Service who have business visiting or working within Government departments in Central London.
The club's main entrance is now in Sandell Street off Waterloo Road, opposite Waterloo Station. There are spectacular views of London from the upper floors, where many of the accommodation rooms are located.
Famous quotes containing the words union, jack and/or club:
“Let’s have the Union restored as it was, if we can; but if we can’t, I’m in favor of the Union as it wasn’t.”
—Artemus Ward (1834–1867)
“Men make clothes for the women they’d like to be with or—in most cases—the women they’d like to be.”
—Robert Altman, U.S. director, screenwriter, and Barbara Shulgasser. Jack Lowenthal (Rupert Everett)
“The barriers of conventionality have been raised so high, and so strangely cemented by long existence, that the only hope of overthrowing them exists in the union of numbers linked together by common opinion and effort ... the united watchword of thousands would strike at the foundation of the false system and annihilate it.”
—Mme. Ellen Louise Demorest 1824–1898, U.S. women’s magazine editor and woman’s club movement pioneer. Demorest’s Illustrated Monthly and Mirror of Fashions, p. 203 (January 1870)