This very famous Soho strip club is closing after nearly 100 years

"The Windmill became a strip club in 1930s and was London's first club to have naked women on stage with the introduction of 'Windmill Girls' (nude 'living statues') in 1932. Back then it was famed for never closing - even at the peak of the Blitz - and it became an unlikely poster child of British resilience and resistance. It subsequently turned into an adult cinema before going back to its roots in 1970"

"But as of this month, the famous risqué club has shut its doors for good. The closure is a result of the collapse of Big Country (the company that has operated The Windmill since 2021) amid a legal dispute with strip club chain Spearmint Rhino, which became the club's landlord in June last year. The long-standing row was over rent costs and a leak in the basement in 2023 that left parts of the building unusable."

"The Windmill has faced several other difficulties in recent years. Its adult entertainment license was removed in 2018 following an undercover operation that found dancers flouting 'no touching' rules. After a £10m refurb, it reopened in 2021 as a 350-capacity dining concept and bar with a cabaret. Then, last year, it faced complaints from local residents over it being too close to Soho Parish Primary School (300ft away)."

The Windmill became a strip club in the 1930s and introduced 'Windmill Girls' as nude 'living statues' in 1932, becoming London's first venue with naked women on stage. The venue stayed open through the Blitz, later became an adult cinema and returned to stage shows under Paul Raymond in 1970. The club closed after operator Big Country collapsed amid a legal dispute with landlord Spearmint Rhino over rent and a 2023 basement leak that left parts unusable. The Windmill lost its adult entertainment licence in 2018 after an undercover operation found dancers flouting 'no touching' rules. After a £10m refurb it reopened in 2021 as a 350-capacity dining, bar and cabaret venue but faced complaints about proximity to a primary school. Joint liquidator Duncan Coutts said the liquidation followed prolonged operational and legal challenges and that creditors will be treated fairly.

Read at Time Out London