Originally Posted by g jones (Post 958841)

I think personal comments only undermine your case by the way. I have always said their is a lack of credible or coherent argument from the right.

I am proud to have voted to defend workers rights and environmental legislation (which is what this was all about if you followed it closely). It is always disappointing when working people cross over to the dark side, persuaded to support the arguments of the Daily Mail / Tories / Fat Cats but that is something you have to live with.

Originally Posted by Greeny (Post 958943)

Was the Catholic club not a WMC or was that private

Originally Posted by Gordon Booth (Post 958963)

A touch condescending, perhaps?

So the right lack credible or coherent argument and are on the dark side?
A touch of extremism, perhaps?
Can't think why your not in power, must be all those disappointing working people. It must be difficult living with that.

Originally Posted by Rob249 (Post 958990)

straits club is that still going??

Originally Posted by Rob249 (Post 958990)

straits club is that still going??

Originally Posted by gynn (Post 959011)

Back in the 1990s there was a lot of pressure on HBC to grant rate relief to WMCs, and the three problems we kept coming up against were:-

1. We could never find examples of other Councils up and down the country who granted such relief.
2. The constitution of the Clubs tended to treat women as second class citizens.
3. Too many clubs were being run for the benefit of committee men, not the members.

I remember visiting one club that applied for rate relief, only to find a culture of committee men helping themselves to drinks without going near the till.

So its not ALL about smoking bans and price increases. I'm afraid the dishonesty of the few has probably, in the long term, destroyed the enjoyment of the many.

And take that from someone who visited most Hyndburn WMCs in the 1990s.

Originally Posted by Mancie (Post 959336)

Willow Mount was one of the best clubs but I'm talking way back 70's.
Used to go there with the mum and dad of my ex Fri or Sat night. the dad would drink 12 to 14 pints plus the booze he bought his wife, the bingo, and used to tip "the turn"...how much would that cost today?.. the myth of it all being down to the smoking ban is long gone.

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 959337)

Aint all down to the ban, that was just the final nail,;) to my mind the "First" nail was the advent of sodding Bingo, many young uns used to call in clubs early doors fer a game of snooker,few bob in bandits etc, many including me stopped goin in em when that started, to me that was future generations lost fer ever.

Originally Posted by Mancie (Post 959342)

But the WMC weren't really about nipping in for a game of snooker.. they were places for people to spend the whole night ..bingo, the turns, meeting friends even if you had worked with them all week..that's what has gone.

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 959347)

nah mancie before yer time, many used to pop in fer couple of hours game,few pints,etc before hitting the town, many of those lost,may well have frequented WMCs far more when they got older, they were lost forever in many cases.;)Generation may well have been lost?

Originally Posted by Mancie (Post 959355)

Well i'd say most of the people that did use the popular WMC in the past were the more mature working class..I mean they were the ones that provided the income for the clubs.. in them days you had to make a small payment to be part of the WMC...I don't think the young un's have ever been into working mens clubs.
I lay it down to the lack of blokes and women of let's say over 40 yrs old that have jacked in the night out at the local club because there is nowt down there no more.