MIGHT CLUB QUEEN

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1933, Page 7

MIGHT CLUB QUEEN

MRS MEY,RICK’S CAREER

■MAKING OF “BIG MONEY.”

Disclosures of Low “big money" is nir.de and lest in conducting night dubs wore made before her recent death •by Mrs Kate Meyriek, who,. for 13 yt-ans, wag the on ner of London’s largest and best-known night clubs. Airs Meyriek calculated that £500,000 passed through her hands during her career as ‘‘queen - ’ of the night clubs. IT tween 1913 and 1932 gibe took £IOO,000 in door money alone. Champagne cost her on an average 12s 6(1 a bottle, and ;she sold £50,000 worth. During licensed bonus it was sold for 22s 6d to 30s a- bottle, and after leg hours at oO.s to £2 a bottle. For beer .she paid 4jd a bottle, and sold it for 8d during permitted hours, and anything up to Is 6d afterwards. Sandwiches were 2s 6cl each; a kipper and coffee with bread and butter cost 3b 6d, and til” sane price was charged for eggs and bacon.

At on e of 'her olub s Mr s Meyriek would take as much, as £3O a day at the .oock'tail bar, the liquor having cost her £lO or £l2. A good week at this club would being in about £IOOO, of which £SOO could be reckoned as proi|t. On 'Boat Race Night, 1927, 6 he took £6OO at one c lub. The rentals of the clubs averaged £ISOO a. year, and during one year they amounted to £3700. In twelve months she B pent £IO,OOO in fitting up one club ; in another she 6pent £3OOO on pianos arid £IOO,OOO on musical enter* tainmont,

In lawyer’s fees, Mt, 3 Meyriek spent, between £4OOO .and £SOOO. She paid nearly £SOOO in fines ; while £50,000 ■nr one-tent;h of the money taken bv her clubs—was lost through’bad cheques.