The Bullingdon Club is an exclusive society at Oxford University, noted for its grand banquets and boisterous rituals, such as 'trashing' of restaurants and college rooms.
Founded perhaps as early as 1780, the Bullingdon was originally a sporting club, dedicated to cricket and horse-racing, although dinners gradually became its principal activity. Membership of the club is expensive, with tailor-made uniforms, regular gourmet hospitality and a tradition of on-the-spot payment for damage. Its ostentatious display of wealth attracts much controversy, since many ex-members have moved up to high political posts. The university extends no official recognition to the club, and many local restaurants prefer not to host its events. But it remains a popular topic with the public, as shown by its regular featuring in fiction and drama, sometimes under its own name, and sometimes easily recognisable under another.
