Boris Johnson moves to save the Colony

London mayor Boris Johnson (pictured) is attempting to save one of the city's seediest cultural landmarks, the Colony Room Club in Soho, which is currently under threat of closure. In a letter to the chairman of English Heritage, Simon Thurley, Johnson pledges his unequivocal support for the preservation of the drinking dive, once the haunt of the painter Francis Bacon and in more recent times Damien Hirst and his YBA (Young British Artists) cronies, and calls for it to be listed.

"I write to you in support of the campaign to prevent the iconic Colony Room Club from possible closure," writes Boris. "The Colony is a unique and important place for the capital both in terms of cultural and architectural significance. It represents an important part of London's post-war cultural heritage... I hope that you would agree that it is important for London to preserve venues and collections that bring inspiration and artistic pleasure to local, national and international visitors."

So why does it need saving? As reported here, the club's secretary and head barman, Michael Wojas, suddenly announced he was retiring and closing the club in March. He said that he had no alternative because of rising rents, a big dilapidations bill and the fact he was unable to run the club at a profit. When interviewed on BBC2's Newsnight, he further justified his actions by saying that because the historic club had been around for sixty years now was the right time to shut it down.

And recently, to the horror of everyone trying to save the place, Wojas revealed that he intended handing the lease back to the landlord on December 18, apparently without compensation, an act that all but signed the club's death warrant.

However, the members who want the club to survive - the Save The Colony Room Campaign - felt, like Boris Johnson, that the joint should not be lost without a fight. They also felt that with a new manager the club would effortlessly break even. So now they want to remove Wojas and the committee that supports him, believing this is the only way to save the Colony from extinction.

Says a member of the campaign team: "What's unbelievable is that Michael Wojas still maintains he's representing the interests of the members. By closing the club? By handing over the lease? By selling off many of the Colony's treasured artworks? Someone's interest is being served here, but it's certainly not the members."

The artworks are a particular bone of contention. In September, Wojas put up for auction many of the Colony's sundry paintings, sculptures and prints, raising a tidy £40,000. This was allegedly to be his "pension pot". But the Save the Colony Room Campaign contended that a good number of the lots were gifts to the club and so not Wojas's to sell, a claim supported by many of the donors. As a result of intense legal activity, and to the intense chagrin of Wojas, the campaign managed to have the proceeds from the auction placed in an escrow account until true title of ownership was established.