End of an era for social club (From The Oxford Times)
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End of an era for social club
4:20pm Saturday 5th May 2012 in Oxford
By Oliver Evans, covering Banbury. Call me on 01865 425271
End of an era for social club
A closed social club in South Oxford will be turned into flats under new plans.
Former South Oxford Social Club member Terence Butler bought the Gordon Street club, which closed in 2010 as its membership dropped.
Its planned redevelopment marks the end of 72 years of history for the club, which began life as the South Oxford Civil Defence Club in 1940.
Planning agent Alan Allinson said the venue could not be run as a going concern because of competition from other pubs and cheap supermarket booze.
A planning application has been submitted to Oxford City Council for one two-bedroom flat and two one-bedroom flats.
Mr Allinson said: “The membership dwindled and it wasn’t economically viable.
Gradually it dwindled because people don’t drink and drive, so getting there is more difficult. It had its heyday probably 30 or 40 years ago.”
The former chapel had about 100 members when it closed but its “shabby” interior was in need of major work.
He said: “There have been a number of clubs on the Abingdon Road that have closed because there isn’t the demand. It is the economy as much as anything.
“Cheap booze from supermarkets is obviously going to have an impact.
“There is competition. The pubs adjust their prices to put others out of business.
“It is dog-eat-dog in the licensed trade at the moment.”
City council leader and Hinksey Park ward councillor Bob Price said: “The club was very popular for many years but I don’t think it is a huge loss for the area.”
The community centre in Lake Street and pubs such as the Crooked Pot and Folly Bridge Inn served residents well, he said. But Mr Price said of the flats plan: “It is an area where there is no car parking at all. It could be jammed.”
Clubs that used to be the hub of Oxford communities have bitten the dust in recent years as drinkers’ habits change.
Last month we reported that plans to sell the closed Lord Nuffield Club in Cowley as a conference centre had fallen through. And permission was given last year to knock down the Wolvercote Social Public House, used by the British Legion, in Ulfgar Road.
Comments(9)
guinness lover
says...
10:23am Sun 6 May 12
There was me thinking it had a lot to do with the longest, deepest recession this country has seen for many years, that people just don’t have the money to spend socializing in Pubs and Clubs.
Alcohol can be bought in Supermarkets for a third to half the price paid in Pubs, tell me that has no effect on Pub and club trade.
One large Pub chain are well known for asset stripping, they don’t care if the Pubs are profitable, they run them down then sell them off for building land, especially the large ones with a lot of ground.
Send in the smokers to save the Pubs, I don’t think so.
Bart Simpsonxxx
says...
11:20am Sun 6 May 12
LORD PETER MACVEY 0X2 6EG
says...
7:24pm Sun 6 May 12
guinness lover wrote:They started closing en masse just after the ban, and before the recession. Why are you so scared to let landlords choose, and see which pubs regain their trade. That is the only way to find out in a democracy, or are you happy to live in a dictatorship, do NOT forget in the government that banned it's manifesto it PROMISED to give landlords the choice, so to go back on that smacks of dictatorship.
I did not realize how simple the problem with Pubs and Clubs closing was to solve, just let in the smokers.
There was me thinking it had a lot to do with the longest, deepest recession this country has seen for many years, that people just don’t have the money to spend socializing in Pubs and Clubs.
Alcohol can be bought in Supermarkets for a third to half the price paid in Pubs, tell me that has no effect on Pub and club trade.
One large Pub chain are well known for asset stripping, they don’t care if the Pubs are profitable, they run them down then sell them off for building land, especially the large ones with a lot of ground.
Send in the smokers to save the Pubs, I don’t think so.
guinness lover
says...
7:45pm Sun 6 May 12
LORD PETER MACVEY 0X2 6EG wrote:I still maintain the smoking ban only played a very small part in the decline of the British Pub. I go to the Pub 4-5 times a week and know a lot of smokers, I don’t know of any who don’t use a Pub since the ban. The drink, drive started the decline in a lot of village Pubs, this has been more actively pursued in recent years.
guinness lover wrote: I did not realize how simple the problem with Pubs and Clubs closing was to solve, just let in the smokers. There was me thinking it had a lot to do with the longest, deepest recession this country has seen for many years, that people just don’t have the money to spend socializing in Pubs and Clubs. Alcohol can be bought in Supermarkets for a third to half the price paid in Pubs, tell me that has no effect on Pub and club trade. One large Pub chain are well known for asset stripping, they don’t care if the Pubs are profitable, they run them down then sell them off for building land, especially the large ones with a lot of ground. Send in the smokers to save the Pubs, I don’t think so.They started closing en masse just after the ban, and before the recession. Why are you so scared to let landlords choose, and see which pubs regain their trade. That is the only way to find out in a democracy, or are you happy to live in a dictatorship, do NOT forget in the government that banned it's manifesto it PROMISED to give landlords the choice, so to go back on that smacks of dictatorship.
herrison
says...
9:07am Mon 7 May 12
LORD PETER MACVEY 0X2 6EG
says...
5:40pm Mon 7 May 12
guinness lover wrote:I used to spend 40-50 a pop seven days a week in my local, as did quite a few other REAL pub goers in there. And when we stopped going after the ban, all that were left were the one coke and stay all day to watch the football brigade. The pub didn't last long after that. P.S. Do you agree that landlords should be given the choice on how to run their OWN business and let the market decide whether they want smoking or not. P.P.S. I have a cabby that lets me smoke in his cab and he gets my £200 round trip to London every week or so.
LORD PETER MACVEY 0X2 6EG wrote:I still maintain the smoking ban only played a very small part in the decline of the British Pub. I go to the Pub 4-5 times a week and know a lot of smokers, I don’t know of any who don’t use a Pub since the ban. The drink, drive started the decline in a lot of village Pubs, this has been more actively pursued in recent years.
guinness lover wrote: I did not realize how simple the problem with Pubs and Clubs closing was to solve, just let in the smokers. There was me thinking it had a lot to do with the longest, deepest recession this country has seen for many years, that people just don’t have the money to spend socializing in Pubs and Clubs. Alcohol can be bought in Supermarkets for a third to half the price paid in Pubs, tell me that has no effect on Pub and club trade. One large Pub chain are well known for asset stripping, they don’t care if the Pubs are profitable, they run them down then sell them off for building land, especially the large ones with a lot of ground. Send in the smokers to save the Pubs, I don’t think so.They started closing en masse just after the ban, and before the recession. Why are you so scared to let landlords choose, and see which pubs regain their trade. That is the only way to find out in a democracy, or are you happy to live in a dictatorship, do NOT forget in the government that banned it's manifesto it PROMISED to give landlords the choice, so to go back on that smacks of dictatorship.
Major Oxford
says...
8:57am Tue 8 May 12
LORD PETER MACVEY 0X2 6EG
says...
7:23pm Tue 8 May 12
guinness lover wrote:No answers to my reasonable questions then. I will take it that you are just another of the bigoted anti smokers that do not want us in pubs, how would you feel if we went back to the sixties and had signs on pub doors saying "no blacks no Irish" then?
I did not realize how simple the problem with Pubs and Clubs closing was to solve, just let in the smokers.
There was me thinking it had a lot to do with the longest, deepest recession this country has seen for many years, that people just don’t have the money to spend socializing in Pubs and Clubs.
Alcohol can be bought in Supermarkets for a third to half the price paid in Pubs, tell me that has no effect on Pub and club trade.
One large Pub chain are well known for asset stripping, they don’t care if the Pubs are profitable, they run them down then sell them off for building land, especially the large ones with a lot of ground.
Send in the smokers to save the Pubs, I don’t think so.
LORD PETER MACVEY 0X2 6EG says...
3:10am Sun 6 May 12