At the London nightclub that bore Peter Stringfellow’s name, semi-naked girls entertained not only the usual congregation of professional footballers, pop idols and TV soap stars, but also City brokers, captains of industry, Olympic gold medallists and — on at least one occasion — the world’s best-known scientist.
He introduced nude “table dancing” to Britain and oversaw the transformation of strip clubs from a seedy sub- culture into a semi-respectable activity. “I’ve singlehandedly brought the topless industry into the mainstream,” he boasted. Even Margaret Thatcher once visited his West End club for a Conservative Party fundraising event, although he spared her the sight of naked flesh by diplomatically giving his dancers the night off.
His success made him not only a multimillionaire, but also a