The Mail's STEPHANIE McKEOWN reports...

BRITAIN has moved on in the last hundred years, what with universal suffrage, the discovery of DNA, daytime TV and Dial-a-Pizza.

But in defiance of such shattering advances there are still surprising numbers who remain oblivious to the passage of the past century; people - apparently unaware of the imminent arrival of the Millennium - who still think men-only clubs are a fine idea.

Here in Oxford they stalk the streets, dreaming of the days when Britannia ruled the waves and the roast beef of Olde England came without a health warning. Then, when the 20th century gets too much for them, they can slip into the Frewen Club, or possibly Vincent's, to talk about their golf handicap and knock out the odd letter to the Daily Telegraph.

But even as Irate of Osney blots his signature, the chill wind of change is beginning to blow round his detachable collar.

The Marylebone Cricket Club may have recently renewed its commitment to exclude women but less than a year ago Henley's Leander Club voted to admit women as members.

It took the Thames-side rowers 180 years to arrive at such a momentous decision but it seems to have worked - there has been no suggestion so far that the sight of women on the premises has led to too many pacemakers doing backflips in the members' bar.

The suggestion, however, that it was time for Oxford's men-only minority to reconsider their refusal to let the barbarians through the gate found little favour. All attempts to join the Clarendon Club, the Bury Knowle Club, the Frewen Club, and Vincent's met with such abject failure that it was decided, on balance, not to trouble the Freemasons. Short shrift on the doorstep

Alan Hobbs, president of the Clarendon Club (founded in 1863, membership 160, no premises of its own) was anxious to emphasise that these days many, if not most, of the club's activities - lunches, suppers, bridge nights, golf, and so on - included ladies as guests.

"But when things have been going for 135 years you don't suddenly uproot them. There are feelings among younger members that the club could take lady businesswomen but there are occasions when the lads like a night out, just as the ladies like a night out," he said.

If women really wanted to be members of such a club, he said the Lady Soroptomists were always available.

Not naturally drawn to the Soroptomists, it was time to ring the Frewen Club (founded in 1869, membership 350, address 98 St Aldate's) where a pleasant woman wanted to know on whose behalf I was inquiring about membership. "Mine," said I. "Sorry, definitely not," said she.

A personal appearance on the doorstep got me no further. "Sorry but it's a private club, members only," said the perfectly nice man who answered the door.

"Can I join then?"

"Not as such, no."

Don Macpherson, a member and past president of the Bury Knowle Club (founded in 1933, membership 100, address 2d, Windmill Road, Headington) came quickly to the point.

"We're doing very well thank you, the only thing is we can't admit you. It's traditionally a men's club and ladies are welcome as guests. It probably wouldn't suit 90 per cent of women - we play darts, we play snooker and we drink pints of beer.

"We've got nothing at all against women, but I don't want to join the Mothers' Union."

If Mr Macpherson ever changed his mind about the Mothers' Union that would be no problem at all. Men are more than welcome.

At Vincent's (founded in 1863, active membership 250, address 1a King Edward Street) however, women - particularly women accompanied by a photographer - are left hanging around on the pavement.

"Women," said club steward Henry Dean, "can't get in here. They come up as guests in the evening and misbehave and make a mess. We don't want them here."

"It's a sporting club for the university," said one member, pointing helpfully at his rugby shirt.

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