The next time you’re standing in line for a club, cursing the wealthy socialites getting waved in behind the velvet rope, you can blame one man: Lord Brougham, Peer of England, Minister of Lord Gray.  Lord Brougham’s trip to Nice in December 1834 was abruptly cancelled after a river passageway was closed, leaving Brougham to stop in Cannes. He was so taken by Cannes and his stay at the Pinchinat (the current Rue de Port) that he settled permanently here, attracting a huge wave of British expatriates. Suddenly flush with British debutantes and celebrities, Cannes was cemented as a destination for the affluent and influential all over Europe, meaning Lord Brougham has been stopping you from getting into the VIP ever since.