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Working Mens Clubs

V

Villan

Guest
My folks never frequented pubs, but I was dragged around many clubs namely :

1. Handsworth Allotments - Opposite The New Inns pub on the Holyhead Road).
2. Handswoth Social - just a bit further down the Holyhead Road
3. Lea Hall - just off Wood Lane
4. The Brookvale - at the bottom of Marsh Hill

The first two have closed. Anyone frequent these establishments or any other clubs in the area?
 
I used to go to Handsworth Allotments club too.........I particularly recall the Christmas Parties they held there.
About two years ago, I went there again.......this time for a funeral gathering.......it had been about 35 years since I had last been there........and it looked just as I remembered it.
Handsworth Social - I am trying to compose a story for the Handsworth History site.....if you have any photos or memories.........I would be very pleased to hear and include them.
Working mens clubs were a big part of the social life of people in Handsworth. It would be nice to have a story on the site about them :)
 
Hi, Yes these clubs were great, my Mom and Dad never took us to pubs, but I remember very well Xmas Parties for us kids at the Barn. My Dad was M.C. there few a good few years. And his last years before he moved to Cannock nearly 30 years ago was M.C for SALTLEY AMATUER GARDNERS CLUB. He is now 84 and still M.C. for his local C.I.U.Club in Chadsmoor, Cannock, his name is REG CARNELL if anyone out there remembers him please e-mail me with your memories.

While my own children were growing up we always used Handsworth Central Club in ninevah road, oh we`ve had some great times there.
But things change and we dont go there anymore., such a pity, still we have great memories, we held our 30th Wedding Anniversary there and a great time was had by all.!!!
Kind regards,
Jackie Perry
 
anthony, if my information is correct, I don't think you, or anyone else will be going to the Handsworth Cental or Handsworth Social clubs anymore as (could be wrong) they're both closed down. To my knowledge, Handsworth Horicultural Institute, Oxhill Road, and Lea Hall are the only ones remaining.

I am not familiar with the Allotments Club. I can only recall going in there once and bumping into Geoff (Jeff?) Astle of WBA as drunk as a skunk. :shock:
 
I was actually going to put up a post about the'Barn' at Witton allotments, I used to be a member there when I lived in UK, my dad still is. He is also 84 and I am sure that he would know Reg Carnell. He has had allotments at Witton ever since my earliest memories, so that must be at least 50 years. He still tends his allotment and grows all the vegies for the family, but now his shed keeps getting broken in to and all his tools stolen and I think he is now getting a bit fed up with it. His name is Tom Collier. I used to like going to the Barn for the snooker (8 full size tables at the time), they also used to have some good shows on. I remember having to help at the allotment on Sunday mornings (which I used to hate) but the highlight was a bottle of Vimto and a packet of crisps at the 'Barn' then home to roast lamb dinner, upside down banana pudding & custard while listening to the Navy Lark and Round the Horn. Happy days.....
 
Frantic, by mentioning The Barn in Witton you have unlocked and released memories I'd long forgotten. When I attained drinking age,
( 15 !), we used to go "down The Barn" quite often to some of their Saturday night "do's". It was on one such occasion, when they had a live band on, that I'd decided to dance with my best mate's sister who was rather....., well you know what I mean boys. I finally plucked up courage just as the band announced they were to play the last dance of the evening. It was great, and I wondered why the young girl's smiles turned into a giggle. I looked around and quite a few people were chuckling. I'd danced the last dance and was so mesmerised that I didn't realise I'd continued on dancing into the National Anthem !
I wonder where she is now ? must ask her brother !
My older brother was a barman at the Barn for ages, saving up to get married.
I don't suppose The National Anthem is played anywhere these days is it ?
Remember the rush to get out of the flicks before they played it ?
 
Vauxhall and Duddeston Working Mens Club

I think that was the name. The new building which replaced another which I don't remember at all. was designed partly by students (including me) at the School of Architecture, in the Art School in Margaret Street and opened in 1954 I think. I went to the opening night when a few of us innocents were invited to meet the real people it was intended for. We were very green, and all I really remember was drinking some fairly tasteless beer and eating a large raw onion. One of our hosts warned me beforehand to take it slowly, but I saw it as a challenge, and got stuck into it. I still love raw onion!
What a brilliant site this is!
Porky
 
EBBC

It was known as the East Birmingham constitutional club but anyone who joined it called it the 'Conservative club'
Situated at the top of Revesby Walk in Nechells it had a pretty full membership..
It was full for the obvious reasons, cheap beer and Saturday night entertainment..plus there weren't that many clubs around..I think the next closest was the Railway down Inkerman St.
Canon Thomas (known to all around there as Vicar Thomas used it) he also used to fall out of it an awful lot too..
To join you had to swear to be a loyal subject of the Queen and also to uphold the Conservative cause..hence it's local name..
I honestly think only the guys on the committee did so.
Funny thing was, once my Dad got me the membership I only went in about 3 times..just wasn't my sort of place..it hadn't even got a spittoon for Gods sake!
To be quite fair, I'd started using the Ashted Hamlet anyway as I played Darts..
The Club at the top of the Walk is still there..shabbier now, the shops are also an ethnic diversity reflecting the local population and it's needs
But if I close my eyes and remember..
 
I well remember my Dear father used to play bowls at Lea Hall,
still got one of his tankards he won there
 
Does any one remember the club in Victoria Raod, Aston? Mum says it was known as the Labour Club.

Regards, Maureen
 
I have only just caught up with this post Su.

My parents used to go to the Handsworth Horticultural Institute, Oxhill Road every Saturday night and I often went with them, I was over 18 at the time not a child. My mom saved her sixpences all the week to put in the fruit machine and sometime won the jackpot. There was a band and dancing as you probably know and then a break for Bingo. It was a great night and everyone was so friendly, certainly the social hub of Handsworth next to the Uplands Hotel and the bowling club for them any way. Mo O0
 
Yes Maureen,I remember the Aston Mannor Labour Club. My grandfather was a member there until his death in 1951.
If you look at the main site under Victoria Road you will find a picture I posted ( taken about 1947 ) a group of children and adults waiting outside the club for a tram to the Lickies, our family are on the right hand side of the picture.
Mike
 
has anybody got any memories of the hay mils social club
on coventry rd hay mils
, ran by sqizzer he was the shop stewerd at the old morriss comercial cars
in adderly park b,ham , in the sixties ,
and what about the ward end social club in ward end , that was a raving club in its height days one of the biggest with a bowling green as well
sadly that as bit the dust , all gone and been milked
ran by scrupelalous commitees ,
the social clubs are a dying breed now , the youngsters are not intresred ,
 
astonian
i was a member of the ward end ex servicemens club for 24 years until it closed last october.if the members used the club it would still be going.i was on the commitee for about 15 months so i cannot comment on any fiddles that may have gone on.i know i never got anything out of it.it was a wonderfull club.but i'm afraid a lot of clubs are going.some of the ex members use the maitland club on washwood heath road.but it's not the same.when the ward end was closing .a lot of the members who used to use the club came out of the woodwork so they would get a payout.even 1 person who was a life member and had not used the club for twenty years.a lot of the old commitee are now dead and buried. did you know many people from there.some go to the highfield and the gardeners.
 
Member at The Barn, Brookval;e Kingstanding BL and Coleshill BL I loved the clubs and why they should close in this day and age beats me. :(
 
lea hall ,wood lane,view over the allotments,bowling green
 
kingstanding ex service,view from front door
brookvale,view towards,towards gypsy lane
 
towards barn,the barn(happy tuesdays) st theresas perry barr,horticultural handsworth
 
Astonian.
I think this thread might answer some questions about :the ward end ex-servicemans club. I think its post 14 and 15.
 
hello Atsonian, i played with my group a few times at Hay mills and quite a few of the other clubs mentioned.

happy new year to all

shardeen
 
Hi Everyone, Happy New Year to you all :):)

My Dad's stepmother used to run the Saltley Amateurs Gardeners Club and at 14 my Dad used to manage the cellar and work behind the bar. This would have been around 1938 or so. Does anyone remember them? I think her surname was either Bolton, Atkins or Pritchatt !! :dft005:
 
My grandparents were members of the Barn and grandad was Secretary of the allotments, Tom Pugh, the last few years of their lives they lived in the house at the entrance to the club (it was owned by the Barn). I spent many happy hours sitting on the wall outside eating my bag of Smiths crisps with the blue bag of salt and my bottle of Vimto. I loved going to grandads allotment, especially when he had a new lot of piglets.
 
I haven't many old photos of places, plenty of people I don't know, but I still love looking at them. I am sure I must have more that I can share in another box, it's just getting round to sorting through
Denise
 
hi billc
I HAVE JUST BEEN SCROLLING THROUGH THE PUBS AND CLUBS SCENE AND I HAVE JUST READ YOUR THREAD AND ASKING ME IF I KNEW OF PEOPLE FROM THE ONE TIME GREAT WARD END EX SERVICE CLUB IT HAD TO BE THE BIGGEST ONE IN THE MIDLANDS AND BECAUSE YOUR CHAIRMAN AT THE TIME WAS SENIOR CHAIRMAM EXCUTIVEFOR THE LEGION ,AND YES I DID KNOW ALOT ABOUT THE CLUB
AND LOTS OF ITS MEMBERS , THE DECENT ONES THAT IS AND I DO HAVE ALOT OF INTREST WITH THE CLUB ,DID YOU SAY ALOT OF THE OLD COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE PASSED ON I REMEMBER THE SECRETARY AS WELL A DON ,? AND LEN,CHAIR,
AND AFEW OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHOM RAN THE CLUB ARE THESE GUYS STILL AROUND BILL WHAT WAS YOUR SECTION IN THE CLUB BILL IE,
SOCIAL FUNDS , OR THE SPORTS SECTION OR BOWLING SECTION , DID YOU SAY THE CLUB CLOSED DOWN IN OCTOBER I CAME PASSED A COUPLE OF WEEKS IT LOOKED TERRIBLE HAS IT BEEN SOLD BILL CAN YOU RECALL OF ANY ONE OF THEM BILL
WHOS DIED , I REMEMBER A CHAP AND A LADY WHOM USED TO PLAY DOMINIOS
I THINK IT WAS A MICK PERRY DAUGHTER USED TO PLAY WITH THE LADS
DID THE CLUB CLOSED WITH DEBTS BILL ,IS DONE STILL AROUND OR LEN
I RECALL YOU SAYING THE MAITFIELD CLUB THAT WAS NEVER ANY GOOD
THEY HAD SOME GOOD DANCING THERE YEARS AGO AND SOME GOOD SHOWS
Its A SHAME IT WENT TO THE WALL OH BY THE WAY WHOM WAS THE ENTERAINMENT OFFICIER BEST WISHES ASTONIAN ,;;;;;;;;;; -------------------------------------------
 
Great to come across the thread of Working Men’s Clubs, it has brought back many happy memories.

I was a member of the Barn Social for 42 years and it must have been one of the only clubs that would not give Life Membership until the age of 65. Having said that I lied about my age and joined when I was 16!

It is sad to see so many Clubs struggling as they were truly Social Clubs. If, for example, a lady lost her husband the friends would still bring them out socially.

Denise, I remember the name Tommy Pugh well, although the committee at that time seemed way out of touch with us youngsters. I remember that we could were not allowed to use the Bowling Green as we were far too young. The attitudes did change later when the more of the older members gave up!

I also remember that there was a small circular island just outside the entrance where you could be left with a pop and crisps. It was great if you got two packets of salt!

I am sure that I have a few pictures somewhere and I will post them later.

All the Best Pedro
 
hi billc
who was the last steward at the club on its closing period ,
and what date did it close bill,
i can recall alot of the committee people from afew years back
when you said they came out of the wood work bill that i thought was abit harsh
they got wind the club as folded and they was entitled to get back what they thought was theres
after years of you know what discontentment there was a rule for one and a rule for another
but you have got to admitt the chairmanran a very tight ship didnt he
and i think thats why he was not very poplar they told me he had died ,
i would imagine most of the committe have passed away by now
do you know what happenend to don i know he used to live down st margrets rd washwood heath
oh well billsad to hear its gone and i only hope the very old age pensioners
whom was able to live that long and got some kind of reward for there services that made there club what it was in its hay day .it was undoutling birminghams biggest club and best bowling green in brum
in the early years of opening
i have great memorys and storys i could tell about the club which i will never forget
well bill i wish you a very happy new and prosperous new year and a healthy one
best wishes astonian ;;;

and his friend the sec ; was running the show i beleive it was is life long friend don
they worked to gether many years ago at a big company and he was in the navvy
 
My Dad was chairman of the Great Barr Ex Servicemans club (Back of Perrywood Rd). I think it killed him all the stress and committee meetings and of course the beer that he drank at all these meetings.
 
Ieonard I was Secretary at 2 Workingman's Clubs and it didn't help family life, enough said
 
I think even the clubs are feeling the pinch in these hard up troubled times, our local British Legion club has folded, and is now a private members club, you pay £10
a year membership fee, the supermarkets have done this to clubs and pubs, a little while ago Sainburys were selling cider cheaper than bottled water, I went into
Derby this morning, nearly got snowed under, walked past a Nightclub, a poster outside said" Friday night, drinks one price all night 89p, no wonder we are always
seeing young women and girls rolling about waving their knickers in the air. Be easy to get Brahms and Liszt at that price I would have thought Bernard
 
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