When Jongleurs opened its doors, what was then known as alternative comedy was in its infancy. Twenty five years on, the list of those who made their names there reads like a Who's Who of modern British comedy, including Graham Norton, Arthur Smith and Jack Dee.

Like the Comedy Store, which had opened four years earlier in Soho, Jongleurs was all about finding new talent. It was founded by Maria Kempinska, who was brought up on a Watford estate by her Polish refugee parents. After her father refused to let her pursue a career in psychiatry, she started teaching drama in youth clubs, which led to her promoting a poet who was to appear at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Inspired by what she saw at the Fringe, Ms Kempinska decided to open a venue and approached a pub in Battersea that she remembered as having a huge upstairs room where she used to go roller-skating. She persuaded the owners to let her use it on Friday nights and, after securing a £300 overdraft, was able to launch Jongleurs.

It was an immediate hit and Ms Kempinska was soon fielding calls from people who wanted to appear. Although she had conceived Jongleurs as a platform for a wide range of entertainers, she soon realised that comedy provided the best chance of success.

In 1990, by which time her husband, John Davy, had joined the business, Ms Kempinska teamed up with Regent Inns, the owner of the pub, to expand Jongleurs. A second venue opened in Camden and in 2000, with eight clubs, the couple sold their 51 per cent share of the business to Regent for £8.5million. They continue to book the acts and retain the rights to the Jongleurs name, which is licensed to Regent in Britain in perpetuity and is becoming well-known internationally.

It is all a far cry from 1983 when Ms Kempinska put her bicycle up as collateral to secure the £300. Her bank manager was clearly a man with a sense of humour.

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