THE WELLINGTON
If The Wellington was a woman, it would be Susie Bick

The Wellington is approaching its tenth year, so partners Jake and Christian Panayiotou and Phill Harding have decided the time's finally right to share it with the world – but for the right reasons.

And we've been instructed not to brag about the private members club's A-listers, stories and costs or use any clichés or superlatives in this press release, but to present you with the facts alone, because they speak for themselves.

Hidden behind an unassuming door with a skull-shaped knocker lies the eclectic and dark venue, which is more suited to New York or Shoreditch than Knightsbridge. The Panayiotou father-and-son team opened The Wellington with Harding a decade ago and its interior constantly evolves to playfully reflect the inspirations and interests of the trio, which include death, sex, New York, vampirism, peace and love.

The venue - affectionately known as The Welly - houses an eclectic collection of artwork and designs compiled and commissioned by creative director, Harding. These include a mirrored skull by Damien Hirst, which is suspended from the ceiling above the bar, as well as his rare wallpaper designs featuring flowers and cigarette butts, butterflies, skulls for band The Hours and pictorial in-jokes for Jake and Christian, which include a sketch of Jake's penis.

The Sunday Times recently sent photographer Bran Symondson to Afghanistan to document the unseen relationship between the British Army and the Afghan National Police. Many images from the series now hang on The Welly's walls, including Piece Within His Grasp, a photograph of an Afghan Police Officer's hand with painted nails, holding a gun. Chris Bracey has produced neon art for legendary movies by directors including Stanley Kubrick and Tim Burton and is responsible for the stunning light art in the club. These pieces include the words "The Devil Called My Name" in Jake's handwriting as well as the neon announcement "Jesus Coming Soon" and the red crucifix in the DJ booth, inspired by Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet.

The club also features iconic statues of angels by sculptor Jonathan Wylder, who has created works for royalty, monuments for the Duke of Westminster and a tribute to Mother Teresa which has become a destination for pilgrims the world over. Nick Devereux has also contributed to the club, making a collection of modern idols as religious icons including Kate Moss, the Beckhams, Bono and of course, Damien Hirst.

There are surprises around every corner. Turn one way and you'll find a latex bed complete with wall manacles, turn another and you'll
find a dark and unsavoury cupboard featuring Alice's alternative Wonderland.

When we first experienced The Wellington, we struggled to discuss it without superlatives. So if we were allowed to completely disregard their brief, we would tell you that it's the most original and exciting venue we've seen.

And some of the world's biggest stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jade Jagger, Emma Bunton, Kylie, Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bryan Adams have graced its dancefloor. Mickey Rourke is such a fan; the club transformed a room into his own shrine - the 'Room of Rourke' - where he takes his place on his favourite throne every time he's in town. And its restaurant's newly refurbished black, blood spattered walls and bullet-marked mirrors is a seductive and rock 'n' roll setting for its simple but high-end British cuisine.

Jake shot to fame running the infamous Browns members club, which played host to stars including Madonna, Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Pacino, George Michael, Elton John and Mel Gibson. And Jake and Christian make its local community of regulars feel like family, regaling them with tales from their amazing lives and ensuring everybody feels as special as their surroundings.

Put simply, The Wellington has to be seen to be believed. That's a fact as far as we're concerned. Is Mr Death In? Find out by visiting: www.thewelly.com

THE WELLINGTON CONTRIBUTORS:
The Wellington features works by an eclectic selection of exciting artists.Its six main contributors include:

DAMIEN HIRST
Damien Hirst is responsible for the mirrored skull, which is suspended above the bar of The Wellington. Hirst has also provided them with his rare wallpaper designs of flowers and cigarette butts, butterflies and skulls for band The Hours, as well as very personal sketches of Jake and Christian and pictorial in-jokes from their friendship over the years. These include a picture of Jake's penis, drawn while he was asleep on holiday in Mexico. His influence can be seen throughout the venue, from the deathly skull conceit
to the question "Is Mr Death In?" an anagram of his name which appears on the website and coasters.

BRAN SYMONDSON
Bran Symondson served with the British Army in Afghanistan, having previously worked as a celebrated photographer for a host of Britain's top magazines. Since returning from a gruelling tour in Helmand Province, training the Afghan National Police, Symondson wanted to get back out there and document on film the world that had played a momentous role in his life. And he did just this when The Sunday Times commissioned him to return, with his camera. His job was to document the culture and community of Afghanistan and the unseen relationship between the British Army and the Afghan National Police, which Bran had an intimate knowledge of, having mentored the ANP during his service. The results are moving and incredible. And one of the most dazzling from thisseries - Piece Within His Grasp, a photograph of an Afghan Police Officer's hand with painted nails - now hangs on the wall downstairs in an enormous frame. Bran is also responsible for the haunting and seductive images of the club and its owners, Jake and Christian.

CHRIS BRACEY
Chris Bracey is an extraordinary light artist who has created neon and light art for more than 35 years. He has been commissioned to produce work for a host of top directors, from Stanley Kubrick to Tim Burton, and his neons have been featured in numerous films including Batman, Tomb Raider, Judge Dredd and Eyes Wide Shut. Bracey has enjoyed creative collaborations with an enviable list of designers, artists and galleries which include David LaChapelle, Jo Corre, Martin Creed, Tate Britain and Vivienne Westwood, to name but a few. He also collects and salvages iconic signs and neons from yesteryear and these resurrected pieces have become icons in
their own right. Accordingly, Bracey has won a cult following in Hollywood, where his neon art is hugely collectable. The Wellington team are big fans of his work and first commissioned him to make the iconic red crucifix filled with flowers that now hangs in the DJ booth. He then made a large neon of the immortal words "The Devil Called My Name" in Jake's (slightly hung-over) handwriting as well as the words "Jesus Coming Soon," which both feature in the labyrinths downstairs at The Wellington.

JONATHAN WYLDER
Sculptor Jonathan Wylder is known for his prestigious commissions, most notably his five-metre-high statue for Belgrave Square, commissioned by the Duke of Westminster as a tribute to the Marquis of Westminster. Wylder also made a life-sized bronze sculpture of the Greek God Atlas, to celebrate the new millennium, which was unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen herself. The most moving piece is possibly Wylder's memorial sculpture of Mother Teresa, which was unveiled in Calcutta by the Governor of Calcutta at the Sisters of Mercy Convent, where it still stands and has become a destination for pilgrims the world over. And his personal favourite is of his muse Yasmin Le Bon, a stunning nude of the model draped in haunting fabric. He has since created a host of beautiful angels, which now peer out from nooks and crannies throughout The Wellington.

NICK DEVEREUX
Nick Devereux is a unique painter and sculptor who creates otherworldly pieces of art from charcoal and any other material he can lay his hands on. And he has created a collection of modern day idols as religious icons, including Kate Moss, the Beckhams, Bono and of course, Damien Hirst.

RICHARD PATON
Richard Paton is the artistic director of Rainbow Glass Studios and is responsible for the circular stained glass window feature in the newly refurbished restaurant upstairs, which features a decorative crucifix in bold reds and greens. He has also created the striking bullet-marked mirror panels along the opposite wall, commissioned by Phill Harding, as well as the large, antique silver leaf mirror downstairs. Paton worked in numerous artistic fields for 25 years, but has concentrated entirely on glass in the past 15 years. His love of glass came from the Dada artist Marcel Duchamp and in particular his experimental 'Large Glass'. Since then, Richard has been experimenting in new ways to use glass as an expressive medium but has also refined his craft to make and restore traditional stained glass. His work is very diverse and he likes to collaborate with artists. And he is currently working on a large project for Damien Hirst, who is keen to use traditional craft skills in new artworks.

For more information on the club and its artwork, for interviews or to request a viewing of The Wellington, please contact:

The Cult PR & Management
1-3 The Stables, 17-19 Bonny Street, London NW3 6NY
Matt Glass - 07834353563 / matt@thecultpr.co.uk / 020 3239 6871
Charli Morgan - 07850128177 / charli@thecultpr.co.uk / 020 3239 8172