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Those of a certain age on here will remember these places dotted in their legion all over the UK.
Working class peoples living in their concrete esso parrafin asphalt jungle council gaffs and prefabs could get together to escape the 24/7 knuckle duster of life and the slow motion riot of the 238 bus to the local injection moulding factory for their 8-4 shift , and have a few pints of Long life and a double diamond in the local labour/conservative/lib dem club .
I remember the East ham working mens club, ( now a block of flats) , Blokes in pringles and wexmans at the bar, Their women at the tables knocking back skol white top while the club secretary in his knock off Eton Rifle regimental blazer badge sculpted in bullion wire with hand-finished embroidery , was flogging raffle tickets for a beano to Thorpe bay to a pissed up joyus crowd. An organic collective of people who share a bond.
The word 'community' to me has been rendered down over the years i distilled into a saline nothingness.. imo Working mens clubs are at the heart of the 'community'. To me 'Community' means shared values and a shared background where we were spawned from, those shared hardships , those shared parameters of living in a gilded cage of the working class area you grew up in. Like our Grandads, nans, mothers and fathers that put the slog in during the week and then came together for a piss up at the weekend at the local working mans club.
Most of them are gone now. Flats, chicken shops and fu cking paddy powers with electronic roulette wheels have taken their place. Evil.
Well, today i joined one. These Dojo's of working class culture for good or bad are dying out.
I'd love to know who is a member of one on here. We should support them. I come from the East end so i don't know if they were as popular in west london as they were in the east..
I hope they are/were.
[Post edited 15 Jan 22:24]
You know what a love letter is?
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 07:51 - Jan 16 with 1285 views
As a miner in the East Kent coalfields our club was Betteshanger, what a place
On Sunday morning it use to open at 10am for the pit football teams, amazing how many supporters we got on a home match, who never actually saw the game
Then the Sunday lunch strippers... most were .... well let's just say experienced, and one day one of the lasses paid the cardinal sin of doing the floor.... she sat on one the lads laps and plonked here left breast into his beer.... pandemonium ensued, where teeth and snot was everywhere.... as her minders were taken apart by hairy @rsed miners
Then the Sunday mic session... old Harry or Ted crooning into the mic with Sinatra or Bennett numbers, forgetting half the words, and then getting, never mind the words Harry, just sing the song
Finally closing the proceedings with Ghost riders in the Sky.... great days
Think most miners clubs have morphed into something and glad to say mine is still going strong
Went just before Christmas for a lunch for ex miners.... and so sad to see most are now gone, and those that are left, so old and frail. A generation apart
[Post edited 16 Jan 7:54]
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 08:01 - Jan 16 with 1240 views
There have been a lot of factors behind the decline of the clubs: homes becoming more comfortable with better entertainment and cheaper drinks from the supermarket, the expectation that men should spend more time helping out at home, the loss of big factories where neighbours worked and the scattering of office workers on long distance commutes and even working from home, to name a few….more generally shyness and discomfort around strangers.
At the same time, you wonder if the clubs and their members want to change to make them more likely to survive. It’s their club so it reflects their tastes, but the clubs are dying out with their core customers. My son and his friends went to one in Kingston thinking they could watch football there more cheaply than the pub; you’d think someone would see them as potential new blood, but they were grudgingly signed in and no-one thought to discuss membership. I’ve seen mothers and their young kids in Wetherspoons after schools, the Mums having a quick one, the kids doing homework. Do clubs offer homework clubs and maybe sandwiches in a side room?
I can imagine the reaction of some old boys to having kids running around, or the blue-hairs in the bar if they ran a board games night or some other hobby groups, but it would be good for those people to get out into more mixed company and offer the clubs more of a future than nothing, which seems to be the current option. The Barnes Home Guard club I mentioned was lucky enough to have space to pull off a development jackpot and keep the two member groups largely as separate as they want to be.
All big talk from me. I’m not a member of one. My nearest in my new location is a Conservative Club, which doesn’t look particularly enticing, but I suppose I should check it out.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 08:44 - Jan 16 with 1146 views
Lots of these places are struggling so any new members I'm sure would be most welcome. As mentioned, great community, esp. for the "I know a geezer that can help" sort of thing. Support them, you don't get them back when they are gone and some developer snaps up the land.
I visit these two fairly frequently ;) - Hammersmith Club, Rutland gr: great pool tables which are free for members - Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne pl: 4 snooker tables :), lights £1/10 mins
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 08:46 - Jan 16 with 1141 views
Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 22:40 - Jan 15 by MrSheen
In the next road up from me in Sheen was the Home Guards Club…not making those any more. It had a really low profile apart from an annual music festival on Mayday weekend, until some bright spark talked them into building a small indoor swimming pool at the end of their garden, they were charging a fortune for “swimming” membership . The older members weren’t interested. We had the funeral drinks for both of my mum’s parents at the Home Guards club in North Harrow.
I wonder what happens when a WMC closes. Do the last members standing split the proceeds from selling the premises?
Re. your last sentence. Pretty much.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 08:49 - Jan 16 with 1137 views
I find it fascinating how a humble drink can reveal a rich social history. Equally interesting and related is this documentary about the London Docklands Development Corporation:
A stark illustration of London's industrial decline which speaks of many of the issues raised on this thread.
I joined my local club in Littlehampton about 18 months ago now. 10 minute walk from home, cheap drink, pool tables, dart boards, juke box, live music, and conversations that would have your West london hipsters choking on their soy latte.
Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 08:46 - Jan 16 by southbound_tram
Re. your last sentence. Pretty much.
Remember building society “carpet-baggers”, small speculators who opened multiple accounts in the hope of a demutualisation windfall? I’m surprised there aren’t vultures joining clubs with the intention of voting to close them. I imagine it’s been thought of and some protections put in place.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 10:45 - Jan 16 with 955 views
There is one Working Mans Club and one Con club near me. Every pub within a two mile radius has closed. At least half the members only visit to renew membership in the hope of a payout.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 10:59 - Jan 16 with 936 views
Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 01:15 - Jan 16 by Boston
...and as for strippers, Village Inn, Wembley High Rd. Get in about 11.45am on a Saturday, two pints and an eyeful before heading down to Hanger Lane on the way to Loftus Road.
[Post edited 16 Jan 1:16]
My family ran The Village Inn in '85 and '86. We lived upstairs.
No strippers in our day, y'r honour!
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
When we were teenagers and were in dodgy guitar bands, the only places that we could get a gig was the clubs - working mens', tories, catholic, anything. No gig money, maybe a pint each and lots of grief from the poor locals. how they put up with us, God alone knows.
They're nearly all gone now, and the couple that are left around Harrow seem to have gigantic yard sales on union jacks. They look like 1920's Raj Clubs.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
This is a really interesting topic, the traditional background of working mens clubs being based around the major local industries/employers are long gone.
I'm thinking the railway clubs, the miners welfare clubs, clubs attached to the major factory in a small town.
And where these clubs have seen major structural, community and demographic changes they've died out.
There is though, as others have said, still a need for third places for people to be in community with each other - it is so unhealthy for our lives to be work -> home -> work -> home etc.
There's a village just outside Leicester called Desford, and there they've got a Sports centre called Sport in Desford. It's got a football pitch and tennis courts there, but its an absolute hub of community activity. There's loads of different sports clubs based there (football teams, running clubs, tennis clubs, indoor sport stuff for the hall, yoga groups, mums & tots etc). Every time I go there its an absolute hub of community activity every day of the week, I think it's a brilliant place.
We need more of this (and those mentioning board game nights etc are just as valid). This is where the traditional club needs to adapt to to survive IMO.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 12:15 - Jan 16 with 821 views
Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 23:20 - Jan 15 by Lblock
Some of my earliest and fondest memories would be the times in the LT District Club in Acton with my Dad and his motley crew “Safest place in London to get a drink through on a Sunday” was their strap line….. you’ve still gotta stop and remember pubs shut at 3pm and re-opened at 6pm back then!!!!!
It really was separatist in terms of the sexes an all. Women on the tables; men at the bar with the occasional drift to the fruit machine and us kids in a corner on Pac-Man or outside if the meteorological conditions allowed (ie anything apart from rain - which it did although the summers felt longer).
Every club had their own bag man knocking out hooky gear, snide Gallini or a book of fake LV’s The place would be run with an iron fist by the Steward of the day, until he came up with three bars on the one arm bandit and the jackpot meant additional consumption of Courage Best with a snowball with Tia Maria for any lucky lady in the vicinity
Sadly these places are the most dying of breeds and if you’ve found one to join then fair play. The last one I was a member of was run into the ground by a crooked Treasurer who sent us bust and the bitch didn’t do a minutes time, got a payback fine of a grand all despite coughing guilty to serious fraud charges. Place was sold with proceeds divided by members
The one nearest me now was knocked down for flats with the proviso a new bar was built as the ground floor. They did that but never actually fitted a bar and the doors have never opened three years since finishing.
The only community clubs I see thriving now are the Somalians
LT District Club was not far from Acton Town Station right? Just off Bollo Lane? My memory could be playing tricks with me. Went there a few times when I was a nipper in the early 80's as my Dad and Cousin worked for London Transport/Acton Works. My Dad from about '74 to '85. My cousin was there from around the same time up until he retired a few years ago.
I pretty much grew up in Acton British Legion though. From late 70's to early 2000's before moving to Hanwell. About 15 years go it was converted to some sort of Mosque/place of worship I think.
Occasionally frequented the South Acton Working Mans club (The Bottom club), as well as the Acton United Services Club (The Top Club).
Great days, great people/community.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 12:44 - Jan 16 with 781 views
Speaking of strippers (we were, weren’t we?) who remembers The Woolpack in Hayes? What lunch breaks they were!
I think my best memory was taking some American work colleagues there one time. “So, it’s just going to be a Briddish version of our Tiddy Bars,right”? “Weeeeelllllll … sort of …”.
Er, let’s say they were shocked, but it was the first place every subsequent visitor wanted to go to.
What a great thread, nice one, Disco.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 12:53 - Jan 16 with 760 views
Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 10:59 - Jan 16 by BrianMcCarthy
My family ran The Village Inn in '85 and '86. We lived upstairs.
No strippers in our day, y'r honour!
Long gone now I’m afraid, ‘‘twas always an “experience” popping into there! Used to drink in St Joes opposite Wembley Conference Centre back in the day, loved it, plus their liberal interpretation of the licensing law was something to behold! We’ve got 4 down here all a couple of minutes walk apart one of which is a Royal Legion.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 13:14 - Jan 16 with 729 views
Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 23:26 - Jan 15 by GaryHaddock
I frequent this one.
Decor hasn’t changed since the 70s and I had a beer with a fella there the other day who’s been a member since 1950 or something and remembers his Dad’s last pint in there before leaving for war.
I should love the Trades due to my proximity to it but I've had a few interactions with them about hire where they were really rude and it's soured me on it
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 13:57 - Jan 16 with 646 views
Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 06:45 - Jan 16 by Discodroids
i must stop these starting these threads aftter 8 pints of lowenbrau. ffs.
Please don't, they're quality!
Do you and qprxtc have a rota?
I have a vague recollection of having a date in what I think was called The Railway Club, in Aylesbury, Bucks. It was my date's pick, it was her preferred boozer. In spite of being a local, I'd never been there before but it was packed, welcoming and very easy on the wallet
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 14:14 - Jan 16 with 626 views
Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 13:57 - Jan 16 by R_from_afar
Please don't, they're quality!
Do you and qprxtc have a rota?
I have a vague recollection of having a date in what I think was called The Railway Club, in Aylesbury, Bucks. It was my date's pick, it was her preferred boozer. In spite of being a local, I'd never been there before but it was packed, welcoming and very easy on the wallet
Was a life member of the Hammersmith ( kent house) club until I moved away and changes were made to the club and life memberships were cancelled. But having been brought up in the club from birth, played football for them for nearly 20 years and drank there 3 or 4 nights a week loved the place. My dad and his brothers were life members as were my cousins and brother. We loved the place. Great nights with the football team and one memory was as part of Dave Clements testimonial year the club hosted a 'gentleman's smoking evening' which was attended by most of the team and management. It was the year Villa beat us in the semi final replay at Highbury. Bowles and I had a little disagreement when a drunken me asked Stan to get a couple in the replay as my missus had never been to Wembley . He gave me a fiver and said there was a dog meeting on saturday! Looking back it was quite funny but at the time I saw red and stan and I swapped blows, then ended up later in the evening in the river bar having a beer together . Loved that club.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 14:18 - Jan 16 with 617 views
Out of interest, why is the beer so much cheaper? Some tax concession, volunteer staff, no rent to pay or margin targets to meet? Combination of the above?
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 14:23 - Jan 16 with 591 views
Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 13:14 - Jan 16 by robith
I should love the Trades due to my proximity to it but I've had a few interactions with them about hire where they were really rude and it's soured me on it
That is a shame.
I hope you persevere with them.
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Working Mens Clubs/ Constitutional Clubs. on 15:13 - Jan 16 with 533 views
At my local club a lime and lemonade half pint is 50p , down the road in the nearest pub its £4 , the girls behind the jump all volunteer A packet of chilli pork scratchings is 50p and the good thing about the club is tey are not arsey about membership , New years eve ticket was a fiver started with hot mix bingo then an Abba tribute band then a disco yes its not the Hacienda but your priorities change as you get older
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