Hard Times for Working Men's Clubs

Source from:  Evening Mail 07/27/2010

FOR decades now working men's clubs have provided a safe haven for their members. But the increase in cheap alcohol available from supermarkets, mixed with the affects of a credit crunch, has finished a lot of Barrow's age old institutions off. It is not all doom and gloom, however. Despite the demise of eight clubs in the last decade, there are still a handful of establishments that remain open - albeit a shadow of their former selves. One of those keeping the club scene alive is the Labour Club and Institute in Cavendish Street, Barrow. Bill Turner, secretary of the Labour Club, says it is still ticking over and has even seen a slight increase in people using the club in recent weeks. He said: "Things are ticking over nicely. "We're covering our overheads and paying our way. "In the old days the son followed the father into being a member of the club, but those days are long gone. "The culture with the younger element now is to stop at home getting drunk then go out to the night clubs late on. "It's been on-going for years. I noticed it in here when the older members had gone and you start looking around, wondering where people are. It's only then you realise what is happening. "They're still coming in to play snooker and darts, but the old card games are long gone. "In the heyday, you were actually queuing up to get a game of cards. But all the modern technology has put a stop to it. "The smoking ban has had an impact to a certain extend, of course, but on the whole the public seem to have accepted the fact that they have to go outside for a cigarette. "From our own point of view, decoration wise and cleanliness is 100 per cent better than it was." Asked about the impact of the cheap supermarket beer has had on business, Mr Turner said: "The younger element may stay at home to drink but I don't think the older ones do. "People still enjoy draught beer when all is said and done, particularly lager. "You still see the regulars who go out together on a Friday night and we put turns on at a weekend which does encourage them to come in. "We do our best, and funny enough over the last fortnight we've been busy. "You've got to adapt to the situation. "But you always feel a bit dispirited when you hear of another one closing." Among the clubs that are still in business are: The British Legion working men's club in Holker Street, Barrow Engineers and Trades Club, Travellers Rest Social Club, Cemetery Cottages Club, Central Working Men's Club, West Shore Bowling Club, Greengate Club, Kill-One Club, Navy Club and the Barrow Nautical Club. A host of clubs began to shut their doors from 2001. They include: The House of Lords and The Municipal Club. The Barrow Island Conservative Club closed in 2004, followed four years later by the Railway Club. This year has seen the demise of two Conservative Clubs, in Barrow and Ulverston, and the United Club. One club that shut its doors for the final time last year was the Vickerstown Institute, on Walney. Former chairman of the club, Ray Turner, is not so optimistic about the future of the working men's club. In light of the Barrow Conservative Club's closure next month, he said: "It's a sign of the times. It's very sad. We are not the only ones that have shut and I don't think we'll be the last. "Clubs now, in my view, are finished. The people who have all the money at the minute are the young ones and they are not coming into the clubs. "The government don't help and the breweries definitely don't help." Mr Turner also pointed to the contribution of the smoking ban for the down fall of clubs, but he insists there was much more to the demise of his own. He said: "People stopped at home and went to the cash and carries instead of coming to us. "We noticed a rapid decrease (in people) but I don't put the smoking ban wholly down to the club's decline - people have tightened their belts, it's as simple as that. "In the next six months I expect we'll see another two clubs shutting. "If you look at what has happened to club land in this town, it is frightening." Enditem