Private club owner
Lynda Sanderson runs private club The Peacock Club in Gloucestershire
Old job: Opera singer.
New biz: Runs The Peacock Club, a private members club.
Start-up costs: £100,000 made from selling previous property.
Projected earnings: From £100–£400,000, depending if we secure a casino licence. I’m hoping to break even in 18 months.
Rate your risk: High. We’re in an isolated area and the costs are high.
There is nothing like The Peacock Club. It’s a private club that offers members a beautiful country retreat. However, it’s more than a hotel. Members can hire the entire manor house for the weekend for £1,000 to £2,000.
My husband Gerry and I bought this beautiful house with its two-acre gardens. Gerry was an architect, so we revamped the sprawling pile, originally built in 1821. When Gerry became ill, I started taking guests, but after his death last summer, I realised I either had to sell up or find a way to make the house pay its way.
I used to be an opera singer and also sang at Ronnie Scott’s, so I love entertaining and wanted to provide a luxurious weekend with lots of glamour. In September last year, I started a major refurbishment. I brought in a team to rebuild the hall for entertainment and modernise a wing for accommodation.
We have space for 14 guests overnight, and for up to 200 for a cocktail launch or party. We also hold weekday events. So far, I’ve organised jazz evenings and casino nights. And, at the launch in December, we had a marvellous burlesque night.
I employ local staff on an event basis. I need up to 20 people for a grand party, so now have a database of people to call on. Superb service is key, and I hire local women to work as Peacock Girls, who cater for your every need throughout an evening.
The evenings I arrange are deliberately glamorous. I want to bring entertainment and glamour back to a world that seems swamped by doom and gloom.
For more information, visit thepeacockclub.co.uk
