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    Working Men's Clubs...

    What are they all about?

    (A foreigner asks.)

    #2
    Working Men's Clubs...

    Cheap beer mostly and socialising. Bingo, cabaret, line dancing, that kind of thing. Some of them are affiliated to political parties.

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      #3
      Working Men's Clubs...

      Still going strong? Fading relic? etc?

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        #4
        Working Men's Clubs...

        Social clubs don't have to charge excise duty, or VAT, or something, on beer, because in theory they're private "members only" clubs (a bit like golf clubs, only at the other end of the social spectrum). "Members" mind you tend to only have to fill in a form and pay a nominal sum (like £1) to become members. And so yes, as a result, the beer's incredibly cheap compared to "proper" pubs. Most northern towns are full of them - Bamber Bridge has got a couple, and Blackpool's got more social clubs than pubs. I play snooker in one in our village that is supposedly the Catholic Church's social club - it's £1.80 for a pint of Strongbow, which I'm not sure the Pope would necessarily approve of.

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          #5
          Working Men's Clubs...

          They were originally a vehicle for working class self-improvement and education - although they became social clubs relatively quickly (ironically since I'm pretty sure temperance was one of the original goals). My great-greeat grandfather, was quite active in the Burslem club and its educational wing, and through that eventually became an alderman and mayor (where he unsuccessfully fought municipal amalgamation).

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            #6
            Working Men's Clubs...

            it's £1.80 for a pint of Strongbow, which I'm not sure the Pope would necessarily approve of.
            He's a Woodpecker man?

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              #7
              Working Men's Clubs...

              When people mention The Pope, I still picture JP2. This new guy just isn't 'my' Pope, you know?

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                #8
                Working Men's Clubs...

                That's fine, I picture Robbie Coltrane.

                WMCs are fucking mint. That is all I have to add to this.

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                  #9
                  Working Men's Clubs...

                  The Mexborough Concertina band club has a fantastic brewery. Well worth a visit.

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                    #10
                    Working Men's Clubs...

                    Although maybe not from Toronto.

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                      #11
                      Working Men's Clubs...

                      AG:

                      What, your great-grandad was mayor of Burslem, and you support Spurs?

                      Bah, reclaim that glamourous birthright, and get yourself down Vale Park...

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                        #12
                        Working Men's Clubs...

                        It's worse than that Mitch. He supports Arsenal

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                          #13
                          Working Men's Clubs...

                          Probably never even tasted an oatcake. What kind of diaspora is that.

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                            #14
                            Working Men's Clubs...

                            Have we done the "traditional path to glory of Northern standup comedians" bit? Or the weird rules about women?

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                              #15
                              Working Men's Clubs...

                              my grandad used to "work" the door at his local WMC in Dewsbury. By working he meant sat down on a stool checking members card and drinking halves of bitter all night.

                              Maybe the WMC is where he learnt that you could drink 2 halves faster than you could a pint - according to him anyway - i would never indulge in binge drinking.

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                                #16
                                Working Men's Clubs...

                                We too do not recognise the M.U.
                                We come with our hands open in fiendship
                                We can lead you to proletarian visions of posterity
                                WMC!

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                                  #17
                                  Working Men's Clubs...

                                  They're just venues for trendies to dance. Here is my local
                                  http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=531 06923

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                                    #18
                                    Working Men's Clubs...

                                    My grandfather didn't really hold with the football. An eggchaser, he (runs in the family - my cousin is the one of the all-time leading scorers for workington or warrington, I can never remember which...I guess it was whichever was the weaker team in the 70s). To the extent that he cared about football, he was vaguely disapproving of supporting a London side but no more than that.

                                    My time in the north of england was always spent in either oldham or sheffield (where my Mom grew up), though. My grandparents left Staffordshire sometime just before or during the war, I'm not sure why.

                                    I would love to go to Vale park some day. My great grandfather had a trial with them before going on to be (as far as I can tell) a professional ne'er do well.

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                                      #19
                                      Working Men's Clubs...

                                      Oldham?

                                      Ye Gods!

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                                        #20
                                        Working Men's Clubs...

                                        Is that a good "ye gods", or a bad "ye gods"?

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