The 69 Club [Edit]

The 69 Club, also known as SNC London, operating from 1965 until December 2021, was the earliest gay motorcycle/leather club in Europe. It was founded by Felix Jones in London in 1965. This was Alan Selby‘s first leather club, and he joined it in 1969 after being introduced to it through Felix. However, as Selby noted, the name was not because of the year but because, “The Club had a constitution that there could never be more than 68 Members, so that there could never be a Member # 69. There was often a waiting list to get in. They had to wait till someone resigned, passed away or was removed from membership through a misdeed.” It was through this club that Selby made the acquaintance of fellow associate Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, and they remained friends until Tom’s passing. Selby also recalled how his days with the club were to shape his future as a mentor: “I learned a lot very quickly from my fellow Club Members, and this helped me in later years to pass on advice to novices who often came to me with questions.”

Honors

In 2023 The 69 Club was inducted into the Leather Hall of Fame.