Former central London celebrity hotspot to become clay pigeon shooting ground
A former central London hotel that was once home to Marco Pierre White's celebrity hotspot Titanic is set to become a clay pigeon shooting experience.
Developers have applied to turn 77 Brewer Street near Piccadilly Circus into a restaurant and 'competitive socialising' ground, which will see customers use real deactivated shotguns to shoot virtual targets.
The venue would occupy the huge subterranean space next to Brasserie Zedel in what was once the Regent Palace Hotel. In 2008 it was redeveloped and the Art Deco restaurant known as Titanic moved from the ground floor into the basement.
Most recently it was the widely criticised 'immersive' Batman-themed restaurant Park Row, which closed last year, and previously it had been home to Mash steakhouse. It is now vacant.
Pierre White's Titanic restaurant and club was open from just December 2008 to January 2002. It became well known as a celebrity hangout, with Noel Gallagher, the Spice Girls, actor Billy Zane, Natalie Appleton and supermodels Sophie Dhal and Sophie Anderton pictured partying there.
The Soho Society has objected to the new plans for the space, which will include a restaurant with space for up to 550 covers.
In a submission to Westminster council a spokesman for the group, which represents people who live and work in the area, said: 'There is a growing concern regarding the overconcentration of bar and leisure establishments in the area...The potential for increased alcohol consumption, even with a focus on food, raises public health and safety concerns.
'It is vital to consider the implications this may have on local crime rates and community safety.'
The Metropolitan Police said it initially had concerns about firearms being at the site, which is in an area with high crime rates and where 'organised crime gangs target intoxicated tourists'.
But in a submission to the Westminster town hall, an officer added: 'The applicant has given a full appraisal of the weapons and how they have been decommissioned and stored.
'The relevant decommissioning certificates have been reviewed and the Met Firearms team have been consulted and we are happy that the guns pose no risk to the public.
'The applicant has gone above and beyond ensuring the equipment is stored safely and they have all been fitted with a tracking device to ensure they are traceable should they be stolen or lost while out for maintenance.'
Clays, which also runs virtual shooting experiences in Canary Wharf and the City, was granted a licence for the venue last year. Planning permission for the Brewer Street site will be decided by councillors on Tuesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
8 hours ago
- Eater
What to Eat and Drink for Pride 2025 in Seattle
Pride this year is a celebration and an act of political resistance against a resurgent anti-LGBTQ brand of right-wing politics. In Seattle, as usual, the largest event will be the official Seattle Pride Parade, which will bring more than a quarter-million people downtown to march on June 29. But the whole month of June will be filled with Pride events, like neighborhood Pride festivals, meetups, and even a 'Pride Pet Vaccine Clinic' where LGBTQ pet owners pay only what they can. Pride in Seattle is not particularly focused on food and drink, but anytime anyone is celebrating, they're likely eating and drinking, too. What follows is a list of food- and drink-focused Pride events in Seattle — either Pride-themed menu items, or Pride events taking place at restaurants and bars. If you want to celebrate Pride by eating at a LBGTQ-owned establishment, the Seattle Times has a good list. We'll update this article as we hear about new events or specials, so if you are reading this and know of something that should be on the list, please email us at seattle@ Pride brunches On any given weekend there are drag brunches all over Seattle — here's our guide to the best ones — but during Pride, a lot more pop up. On June 8, the Fairmount Olympic Hotel is hosting the 'Big O-lympic Drag Brunch and Show,' which runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes a 360-degree photo booth, a DJ, and performances from 'Seattle's top queens, hosted by a soon-to-be-announced icon.' A $90 ticket (plus tax) gets you food and a glass of sparkling wine; a portion of proceeds go to Seattle Pride. For more info and to book tickets go here. The day of the Pride Parade, June 29, there's an official drag brunch at the Hilton Motif, also downtown, which is fundraising for the Pride Impact Fund. The brunch starts at 10:30 a.m. and there's a host of events including a drag show, pop-up market, and a 'refreshment retreat' after the parade. Tickets are $87.21. Also on parade day, the gay-owned businesses El Suenito Brewing and Frelard Tamales — which share a space near the waterfront on the Ballard-Fremont border — are throwing their own drag brunch, featuring Drag Race star Geneva Karr. The event starts at noon and runs until 1:30 p.m.; tickets to this 18-plus event start at $30, with group and VIP packages also available. Other events On Friday, June 6, the Capitol Hill location of upscale ping-pong parlor chain SPIN is throwing a Pride event from 8 to 11 p.m. It'll feature 'Drag Pong Battles' pitting drag queens against 'SPIN pros' in 'high-energy paddle duels,' according to a press release. There will also be a photo booth, 'Sing-Along Pong,' complimentary rainbow Jell-O shots, and a special cocktail whose sales will benefit the Trevor Project. Tickets are $10. On June 14, the popular Ballard brewery Reuben's is hosting a no-cover 'Pridefest' that will feature rainbow flights of beer, a 'danceable DJ soundtrack,' and limited-edition merch. Sales of the Pride-themed Crikey IPA cans will benefit Seattle Pride. The Greater Seattle Business Association — a LGBTQ-allied chamber of commerce — is throwing a luncheon and pop-up market on Wednesday, June 18, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (the meal starts at noon). This is much less raucous than the Pride brunches above; the featured guests are Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu and Washington State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen. Tickets are $65. Finally, local charcuterie maker Boards by Erica is hosting a charcuterie-making workshop at Capitol Hill brewery Outer Planet from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on June 27. Tickets are $60.54 and include the materials for your charcuterie boards, plus a flight of beers to accompany the cheese and meat. Sign up for our newsletter.
Elle
10 hours ago
- Elle
Are Influencer Brands at Risk Without Influencers?
Style Points is a column about how fashion intersects with the wider world. In 1912, the first influencer cancellation took place. (Well, unless you count Marie Antoinette's.) Lady Duff-Gordon, a socialite and designer of the line Lucile, survived the sinking of the Titanic—but was rumored to have bribed the lifeboat's crew not to save as many people so she could make it to safety. When she reached dry land, a trial ensued, with many of her Lucile-wearing stans in the audience. By those standards, today's influencer scandals—like this winter's tempest around Swedish influencer and Djerf Avenue designer Matila Djerf's alleged mistreatment of employees—pale in comparison. But that story is proof that influencers have always been around in some form, and that their role as social lightning rods is nothing new. And with so many influencers now not just promoting, but designing, brands, it's a markedly strange time for the industry. While in the past, a celebrity or model's behavior could sink an endorsement deal, what happens when the spokesperson themselves also owns the means of production, so to speak? 'Any time you put a name on a label, whether it is an influencer brand or a designer's name, you risk that individual running into reputational issues and harming the brand in some way,' says Susan Scafidi, the academic director of Fordham's Fashion Law Institute. While influencers are using their vast followings to leverage their own brands, that following is 'built on shifting sand. There is always a danger that something will happen and the whole sandcastle will crumble.' To avoid that 'key person risk,' as it's known in the business, there are a few ways to future-proof an influencer-led brand. Some investors will ask for a 'morals clause.' Says Scafidi, 'It sounds very 19th-century, but it is about reputation.' She always recommends to emerging designers that they create some sort of separation between the personal and the professional. For example, not making the name on the label their own, and maintaining separate social media accounts. At the same time, 'we want someone to follow who isn't just a generic company without a face. So we're basically dealing with a double-edged sword,' she says. 'On the one hand, a great influencer with a personal touch and appeal to followers is brilliant marketing. On the other hand, humans are fallible.' Which explains why several brands founded by influential people, like Toteme (co-founded by Elin Kling) and Anine Bing, don't lead with the image of their founder front and center. (An approach famously pioneered by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen at The Row.) Lia Haberman, author of the In Case You Missed It newsletter and creator economy expert, points to Emma Chamberlain and her coffee company as a sort of Gallant to some fellow influencers' Goofus: 'She's trying to establish a good product versus [it] simply being an extension of who she is and who her fandom is. She has encouraged fans to approach and consume Chamberlain Coffee, but at the same time, she has not pinned all its success on herself. She doesn't post constantly whenever there's a new product launch; it's a pared-down presence. And I think that's smart.' Muddying the waters is the fact that the definition of 'influencer' has morphed so much in recent years. Designers like Olympia Gayot and Joseph Altuzarra now command huge social media audiences, as do some editors and stylists who were previously relegated to more behind-the-scenes roles. While they're increasingly expected to 'influence' as well as design, edit, or style, with all those new eyes on them, they may face the same pitfalls as more traditional influencers. Then there's the matter of the economy. (You knew we were going to get there at some point, right?) In times of financial turbulence, says Scafidi, 'people start to blame fashion. And because fashion is close to the body and therefore closely affiliated with the person [wearing it], fashion gets blamed more than, say, real estate. We save our rancor for fashion, not for someone who has a big house, because we don't see the house, but we see the person on Instagram living an amazing life, apparently having a limitless supply of outfits. And because of that, resentment bubbles up.' (On the other hand, cancellations rarely stick these days. As Haberman says, 'If you hang in there long enough, everyone can make a comeback.') Haberman predicts that micro- and nanoinfluencers, who have the most average-Jane appeal, will rule the next few years, while mega-influencers will ride out any small scandals and be fine. But, she says, 'I do think the middle class of influencer is going to struggle. Through no fault of their own, just because of that perception that they're neither relatable nor aspirational.' It's a tough balance to master—just ask Lady Duff-Gordon.
Geek Tyrant
13 hours ago
- Geek Tyrant
James Gunn Reveals He'd Like to See PEACEMAKER Go Head-to-Head With BATMAN in His DCU — GeekTyrant
James Gunn has planned out a handful of exciting movies and TV series to kick off his DC Universe, but he still has a ton of characters and team-ups to play with as he moves into his future phases. We will most likely have to wait until Comic-Con to hear more than what we currently know about the DC slate, but in the meantime, Gunn mentioned one interesting head-to-head he would like to see go down. During an appearance this past weekend at CCXP 2025 in Mexico City, CBM reports that Gunn and Peacemaker star John Cena were asked who they'd like to see Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, battle in the DCU. While Cena did not provide an answer, Gunn enthusiastically responded he wants to see Peacemaker fight the Dark Knight himself, Batman. It's easy to think Bruce Wayne would beat Christopher Smith no problem (James Gunn himself supports the idea). However, it's worth noting that, while the Caped Crusader is a trained killer, Peacemaker is one as well. He may be goofy, but he knows very well how to hurt someone when he needs to, so he'd likely give Batman a good challenge. Will this happen? It's difficult to say, especially with The Brave and the Bold having no release date as of yet. However, it's an exciting possibility that Gunn could realistically be planning to make a reality. Would you like to see this fight go down? Peacemaker Season 2 will be released on August 21, 2025.
