Street, where it remained until its closure. The club adopted the night-owl as its symbol. It was noted for the generosity of its members, who raised £25,000 for limbless soldiers during World War I, and every Christmas, Westminster's poor would queue up outside the Eccentric club for free meals. Like many London clubs, it went through a period of financial hardship in the 1970s. The club closed its doors in 1984, ostensibly for a period of renovation, but was forced into liquidation in 1986. In 1985, many of the club's membership were elected to the East India Club, where some of them continue to meet occasionally to this day in the American Bar which has a backward-running clock (a replica of the original which was once at the Eccentric Club). This is in keeping with numerous other London clubs of the nineteenth century which have lost their premises, but continue to meet as a society in an existing club; other examples include the Authors' Club and Savage Club now meeting in the National Liberal Club, the Portland Club meeting in the Savile Club, and the Canning Club now meeting in the Naval and Military Club. However, a considerable number of members refused to join the East India Club and instead joined the Royal Automobile Club and the Oxford and Cambridge Club; almost all members of the Eccentric Golfing Society went to the Ealing Golf Club. Notable members The third Eccentric Club's members included Ernest Berry Webber Henry Ainley Sir George Alexander, actor Viscount Burnham Joe Davis Alfredo Leonardo Edel Sir Walter de Frece Jimmy Glover, musician Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu Sir Gerald du Maurier Bud Flanagan Dudley Hardy Sir Augustus Harris Sir Seymour Hicks Dan Leno The Earl of Lonsdale Sir James Miller H. Montague-Bates Lord Montagu M. De Paleologue Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (patron, 1980–1986 and 2008– ) George Robey George Robert Sims F. E. Smith Sir Herbert Tree Sir Frederick Wells Sir Henry Wood Sir Charles Wyndham Current club A number of members of the old Club and some new enthusiasts from other London clubs, with a blessing of Lord Montagu, the last President of the old club, in August 2008 founded the Eccentric Club UK. In November 2008, the Club successfully secured the patronage of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was a Patron of the Eccentric Club between 1980 and 1986. Prince Philip has since dined twice