The Shimmy Club

The Shimmy Club
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedMay 2013
Defunct2022
Area served
Glasgow, Scotland
ParentScotsman Group

The Shimmy Club was a nightclub in Glasgow that operated from 2013 to 2022. The club installed a one-way mirror allowing viewing into the hand washing area of the women's toilets, prompting Glasgow City Council to intervene, forcing the club to temporarily close for a week to rectify the issue.

The club

The Shimmy Club was a nightclub that also hosted disco events for children, located at 25 Royal Exchange Square.[1][2] It was owned by Scotsman Group, previously known as G1 Group.[1][3]

History

The club opened on 3 May 2013[4] and included a one-way mirror enabling patrons in one of the £800-per-night private rooms to view into the hand-washing area of the women's toilets.[1][5] Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Margaret Curran called for the police and authorities to take action.[6] Reports about the mirrors made news in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Qatar,[6] and Portugal.[7] On 14 June 2013 Glasgow Licensing Board forced the club to close for seven days, to remove the one way mirror, and to provide equity training to staff.[1] Police Scotland investigated complaints about the mirrors.[1] In 2016, playwright Adura Onashile wrote the play Expensive Shit based on the events at the club.[8] The play featured at the 70th Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[8]

On 30 March 2022 the club announced it was closing.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Shimmy Club shut down for week after putting women and children 'at risk'". the Guardian. 2013-06-15. Archived from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  2. ^ Glasgow, What's On. "The Shimmy Club, Glasgow City Centre". What's On Glasgow. Archived from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  3. ^ a b Campbell, Sarah (31 March 2022). "'The end of an era': City centre nightclub announces shock closure". Glasgow Times. Archived from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  4. ^ Alexander, Derek (2013-06-16). "Glasgow nightclub closed after installing two-way mirror in the ladies' toilet faces new storm over X-rated Facebook rants about women clubbers". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  5. ^ Cramb, Auslan (21 May 2013). "Female clubbers complain about two-way mirror in ladies". www.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  6. ^ a b Crichton, Torcuil (2013-05-24). "Fury over installation of two-way mirrors looking into women's toilets at Glasgow nightclub". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  7. ^ "Espelho "policial" numa discoteca em Glasgow". www.jn.pt (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  8. ^ a b "Nightclub that let men watch women in bathroom inspires Fringe play". www.scotsman.com. 2016-04-30. Archived from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2022-11-22.