The Serpentine retook its crown as London’s finest summer party last night with a star-studded bash as Mayor Sadiq Khan rubbed shoulders with billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
Gallery director Hans Ulrich Obrist told us he relished the chance to get people from “all walks of life” back together after Covid. He hosted a more muted event last year.
Obrist threw shade on the current Cabinet for not supporting the arts, praising Labour’s David Lammy and ex-Tory culture secretary Ed Vaizey, but wouldn’t say why no one from the Government was there. “I think I’ve answered your question,” he grinned.
Khan stayed for hours: he has good reason to party. The Tory search for a mayoral candidate is in chaos, with two of the final three caught in scandal. One of Khan’s aides told us they “can’t keep up” as bad news keeps coming from the rival camps.
Also there were model Alexa Chung, and writer Zadie Smith, who posed with actors Katherine Waterston and Natasha Lyonne. Fellow thesp Andrew Garfield declined an interview as he’d just been to Glastonbury and wasn’t sure what he would say.
Venus Williams is playing in Wimbledon next week, and said she loves coming to London for the art. What else does she like about the city, we asked? She gestured wistfully at the weather, but all we could see were foreboding clouds.
Groucho Club puts women first
Soho’s Groucho Club is returning to its female-led roots. The club was founded in the Eighties by people including feminist publisher Carmen Callil as a space where women could have the same private club experience as men. It then became more laddish in the louche Britpop Nineties, when the likes of Damien Hirst ruled the roost.
Speaking at the Serpentine summer party last night, new owner Ewan Venters told us that his revamped membership committee, which decides who can apply to join, is now 70 per cent women. They include actor Anna Friel and chef Angela Hartnett. Venters and his co-owners disbanded the old committee recently. He said that although change is “gradual”, there’s already a new atmosphere in the club. Another regular face these days is his friend Stephen Fry, who has returned as a client after a period in LA.
Rocket man will be back
How much for the Rocket Man’s back catalogue? Also at the Serpentine were Nile Rodgers and Merck Mercuriadis, owners of Hipgnosis, which has bought the song rights of stars such as Neil Young for millions. Mercuriadis told us his dream client would be Sir Elton John, who he used to manage, but “he will never sell”. Sir Elton just did Glastonbury as his “final” UK show. But Mercuriadis reckons: “He’ll be back.”
Berry’s work ethic
We ran into politico Alice Robinson at a Centre for Policy Studies event last night. Robinson is married to Sir Jake Berry who was in the administration of Liz Truss. Lady Berry talked proudly of her husband’s work ethic. “Particularly with his work as the chairman,” we mused. “Of the Northern Research Group?” she asked. “No… of the Conservative Party.” “Oh, yes… well, you know, it was only 46 days.” Short memories can be useful in politics.
