The Hellfire Club

The Hellfire Club has hosted alternative-lifestyle parties from a discreet address on Harris Way in Sunbury-on-Thames since 2008, roughly ten miles west of central London with, in the club's words, 'excellent travel links and secure free parking' — a lit, CCTV-covered lot for around 60 cars directly outside. Owner Peter Crosby hosts personally, and the crowd is described on the club's own listing as 'an eclectic mix of intelligent, cultured and fun individuals with an average age in the mid thirties.' The venue spreads over two floors that regulars nickname the 'heavenly upper floor and the devilish lower floor': a wood-panelled lounge with Chesterfield chairs, a fireplace and a large orangery over a natural-wood dance floor with a pole, opening onto 'numerous exotically themed playrooms and a dungeon, combined with an excellent DJ booth, audio and lighting system.' Programming covers the full breadth of the scene — swingers and couples nights through fetish, BDSM and shibari — under a rotating banner of themed parties. Two run weekly: Secret Sunday every Sunday and the midweek Brief Encounter every Wednesday. Friday and Saturday nights carry the bigger events, among them Ladies Night, Bad Girls, The Dungeon, SWISH, and AllBarNone (an 'every genre' night on the fourth Saturday), alongside periodic couples-only weekenders and seasonal specials such as the Naughty 90's Weekend and the Xmas Ball. Entry is 21-plus with photo ID requested from anyone who looks under 25, single men are admitted in limited numbers, and booking is done in advance through each party's Eventbrite ticket-and-deposit page rather than on the door — early-bird couples entry starts from around £10. The facilities lean theatrical: a DJ booth with a full audio and lighting rig, a cinema/live-streaming room, glory holes, a 'classroom,' a terrace garden and a courtyard garden, and — a house signature — a full-size vehicle tucked into the dogging leg of the dungeon. Unlike BYOB clubs, Hellfire runs its own bar, with a happy hour taking 50% off all drinks for the first hour of every party; Skyn condoms are sold on site and safe sex is encouraged. Mobile phones are barred from all public areas except reception, the Terrace Garden and the Courtyard Garden, which keeps the mood relaxed and discreet. The building is multi-floor with ramps but no lift between levels, though staff will help visitors who need assistance between the upstairs and downstairs spaces.