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Social Clubs and Working Men’s Clubs

I Am Nico

master brummie
Talking about the RAOB club (The Buffs) with Lyn, made me recall the hoards of different clubs I was taken along to with my parents. The different Tradesmen's clubs and social clubs. We had The Tradeshall, Brassworkers, AEU, TGWU, Busmans, Roots, all the Car Factories, Howitzers, Navy, Quadrant, Mayoress, Political Clubs, Districts, Sporting Clubs, Gas, Post Office, Evening Telegraph, Railwaymans, British Legion, Courtaulds all the big factories. They had top class acts for 10p cover charge, chicken and chips in the basket or free and easies, things for children, panto, oaps, fishing, field days, outings. Where have they all gone?
 
We still have an active Naval club here as well as the British legion, but I think a lot of the company social clubs folded for lack of money.
sue
 
Nico

I can tell you that the reason for the demise of a lot of clubs that were run from pubs such as the Buffs were closed down due the fact that most pubs with club rooms closed and a lot of lodges either closed or moved to premises further away and this led to dwindling membership.

As for clubs with their own premises no matter how cheap they were, rising costs and overheads forced prices up so people started to miss the odd night out to compensate for these increases and the trouble is these places need customers seven days a week to remain viable.

In the end a night down the local or the WMC comes a poor second to feeding and clothing your family.
 
alot of these clubs was run by and closed down by mis managements of chairmens and comittee members whom ran these places
and the dwingerling membeships of the members whom was aware of there carying ons which was the ageing populations of the good old exservices people
whom used these places you can say it was the expences and running cost if you like in the recent days of today if you like ;
todays younger generation are not intrsted in the clubsof this type anymore
ward end exservice and longbridge was one of the biggest in the country certainly in the west midalands which felled short of these day
and the changeing inhabbintants of the areas of brum today ; but at the end of the day it was committe members andbad managements that closed them down ; astonian ;;
 
Of course Demographics are a major cause.The generation that survived the war had a huge community spirit, and no TV. As they became more affluent they had cars, so a day out on Sunday meant missing club.. Pub companies and breweries had far more resources to modernise there premises and concentrate on food. Clubs were always amateur operations.. The generation that followed (The 60's generation were more independant minded. I remember I disliked my dads club intently, found it out of date. Now the young generation will not join anything, Scouts, Clubs, Buffs, Masons, local Musical Socs, Golf clubs. They will not subject themselves to any group traditions, or rules.
 
Lots of things changed with the various clubs. In a lot of cases there were enforced changes that they didn't know how to deal with. Many kept women out for much too long so that, when they had to let them in, they didn't know what to do with them. The company socials lost out with automation cutting down the numbers of the workforce. Trade union clubs broke up when the unions started breaking up and closed shops disappeared - you don't get so many in to a single union place when the local works are split between half a dozen unions. I think the Jazz group is still about and don't know of any other musical soc.s of any size from the last few decades.
On the other hand, there are more students than ever so they've got their societies and dos at University. There are also a lot of internet social groups. I know someone who seems to have two meets every week from the same group. There are the age related groups, women's groups, and a few racial things - some of which may get public funding.
The most obvious problem is in finding space for meetings. If you're not connected to somewhere that has a public space you have to hold meetings in a front room or pay £50+ a time for a room in a pub which is a quid or two each even if you fill the room.
 
I don't think the situation is quite as bad as has been painted. We regularly attend at least half a dozen open-mic nights on a weekly basis, some of which are in social clubs, and the others in football clubs. All of the facilities are excellent, and the management appear to welcome us even though in at least one case they don't charge for the use of the room. So long as we put a bit of extra money over the bar, they're happy. But I do agree that the days of the large WMC and company clubs appear to be long gone. We used to go to the Cincinnatti Theatre on Tyburn Road for their musical productions - this was really just an employees' club but on a grand scale. A very small number of larger local companies still have social clubs, but they don't seem interested in staging anything other than karaoke and bingo evenings.

My wife runs a blues jam once a month, and since the pub we used double-booked us the other week, she's been looking for a new venue. There are still places, but difficult to find a good room that isn't fully-booked months in advance.

I agree with Leonard Job about clubs in our parents' day. My old man used to go to a certain large and well-known club, now defunct, and several times took me with him 'to keep me out of trouble'. I hated it. Old men and women wallowing in war-time nostalgia - no thanks! Except I do the same myself today - I wallow in 1960's nostalgia!

G
 
From the age of 16 in the 60's for approx 40 years I played in social clubs throughout Birmingham, regular work was Fri,Sat,Sun nights Saturday being the main night when they were packed and vibrant, Sunday's were usually full but consisted more for the dreaded longer bingo sessions. it was not uncommon (being fortunate playing in one of the more popular bands) to work from Thursday to Sunday. Over the years I saw the demise of these clubs I think due to changes in social outlooks and of course unemployment, higher prices in the economy etc etc. They were mainly run by more mature people who had social clubs in their blood and as they grew older there was none to take their place, the younger generation wanted disco's/night clubs and the social club scene was not exciting. They were happy days and saw a lot of life and sad that most have gone.
 
We still have em here. I stopped going as the beer got expensive and I always sat in someone's seat. But they still attract young people some go to ratted before they go on the town, others like bingo and snooker and pool.
 
We still have em here. I stopped going as the beer got expensive and I always sat in someone's seat. But they still attract young people some go to ratted before they go on the town, others like bingo and snooker and pool.

I agree there are survivors, but as you say in your experience cheap booze got dearer, also clubs did not want to pay for a live bands for various reasons so those survivors have had to adapt to stay open, but it is nothing like it used to be. Lol at your seat issue.....some things never change.
 
We also have a multicultural sociey which changes the nature of the clubs. The new societies have their own clubs. Noticebly here some old schools lamentably churches and some private clubs are now used by new inhabitants for their organisations and religious practices. Our patriotism has slipped for that and I am not very patriotic although I am becoming more than I was.
We had a Scots club which became an irish club, and then closed. A motorcyle club which is now an Irish club, our Irish clubs are open to everybody. The West End club in now a rdaio station. Several WMC's have closed. The big one that drew the top acts and the high bingo payouts. Now they go to Gala Bingo. We had and maybe still have some lovley named clubs, RAOB, Antelope, Cabbage (Savoy) Druid, Moonies? Bamba, The 4 P's (Provinces) 4 Masters, Co Op, all the big car firms, Caurtaulds, West End, the Deaf Club. Brassworkers. Gas. Bus, Railways, Telegraph, Post Office, Navy, Quadrant, Mayoress, Royal Warwicks, some there some not now.
 
I do miss the charachters which seemed to be drawn to the WMC's and old pubs. e.g. Mad Alice who sang, but she couldn't. You knew people by their ongs and maybe not their names. eg Little White Bull, Scarlet Ribbons, Ahai hapeeped ahin hato hasay ha gooda night etc etc, Summertime, Unchanged Melody, The Holy City, nice at easter but not every night, Red Feathers and a hoolie hoolie skirt, Jezebel. The Long and the Short and the Tall, My Lovely Day, My Heart and I.Una Paloma Blanca!10 Guitars.Bill Bailey.
 
I think big gee is slightly confused the Cincinnati theatre was in fact in Edmond avenue opposite Pyoe Hayes park my son had a part In Oliver a great productions
Astonian yes ward end ex an Austin were bug but handsworth hurtucultural was large an even better was the home of all, the midland artists the birmingham an district variety artists association a brilluant club an on cabaret nights lucky to get a ticket

You remember artists such as Kevin smith Ali bongo bob hatch the top comic Steve ford tommy Curley jeanni broad hurst dave ismay to name sn few an if you were a comedian on a Saturday night and you didn't get yhe audience in the first ten minutes at clubs like lower gornal Dudley Wllenhall etc the sports argus cane out ! Heard it before ! For blimey Harry hiw longs he on for till the club secretary turned the microphone iff paid thr vomit off an goodnight an there was no bingonin those days at the bigger clubs a make singer a female dinger an a comedian who done two at least 35 minutes spots
An talking if spots the singers took their own spits an jyst hoped there was a good pianist playing that night !


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Mum sang, - pubs and clubs and , she was lucky enough to take her own pianist and drummer sometimes. Obviously they split the small fee. She sang in variety shows for charity for no fee. I remember Ali Bongo and Dave Ismay. We saw Patsy Powell and The Playboys and a comedienne that was asked not to come back as she was too blue. Vulger Olga. Especially for WMC audiences with children. I don't remember clubs without bingo though. I used to take my pad and draw when it was on. Mum was also in a quartet and I remember their comedian 'dying' on stage at the Druids' Club. As Ronald mentions, the club always backed their organist/pianist, it was always deemd the booked artists' fault if something went wrong. Mum ended up in the M.U. and Equity which supported artists who didn;' get paid for a gig or mistreated. There was a comedian in the 60's called Aster or Asta who was forbidden entry to a WMC in Cov because of his colour and he was not paid. So no artist in Equity or the M.U. would play there. I saw a great show called The Firebirds once they were dressed as David Bowie doing a camp/singing/miming, fireating act, for a 10p cover charge at a WMC, and a singing escapologist called Jack Gently. The Morris Men now reheare at the local WMC they sound like they are coming through the ceiling. They still have a strong tradition here. I have been invited to perform at a folk club but I can't imagine anyone paying to see me! I know I have to pay to cover the room hire. Hope Mr Gee fund a venue.:encouragement:
 
I shall post any group social club images on this thread as members may know relations who were members of clubs. Here goes....... Morris Commercial, Saltley and the Beehive Warehouse club members. Viv.AE10820F-29BE-4C23-8FAE-998FF4816E9B.jpeg
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