How to crash parties and impersonate people

As long as there have been members-only clubs, non-members have attempted to access them, for reasons ranging from mild curiosity to determined social climbing. And a great many gatecrashers have used a combination of techniques to gain entry. More than a decade ago, the Evening Standard attempted to lift the lid on some of the favoured methods used, with its guide by hardened club-crasher Nimrod Kamer. However, many of these techniques are now easily rumbled. What follows is an overview of the principal means that have been used by non-members to gain entry in the past – and how they have been foiled. Indeed, the foiling of such attempts can make for a popular spectator sport among members in the lobby, as well as providing ample fodder for gossip in the bar.