DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Thursday, 07 March, 2024.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1926-

Snowdown Working Men's Club

Closed Sept 2011

 

Aylesham

Snowdown Working Man's Club Snowdown Working Man's Club

Above showing the now closed "Snowdown Working Man's Club." Photo kindly sent by Stuart Eaton.

 

The following has been taken from http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk

 

A BRIEF HISTORY

I stumbled across this site following a fairly disappointing (access-wise) visit to the nearby colliery and thought it would be worth documenting it as I haven't seen a report on it on this site before.

The Snowdown Working Men's Institute was founded for the workers of the nearby colliery, the deepest in the Kent Coalfield and infamous for having some of the worst working conditions of any mine in Britain. The first record I have found of the Institute dates from 1926 and refers to the accounts from the previous year, although it is likely the institute itself was founded shortly after the colliery was opened. The club closed in mid 2009, presumably due to lower custom and rising costs, the second of three working men's clubs in Aylesham to have closed in the past three years. The site has now been sold to developers.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, 17 December, 1926. Price 1½d.

SNOWDOWN INSTITUTE AFFAIRS

Alan Jesse Pudwell (Secretary), Snowdown Working Men's Institute, was summoned for failing to make an annual return for 1925 to the Register of Friendly Societies. There was also a summons against the Institute.

Defendant pleaded guilty.

The Chairman: You would have thought they had plenty of time since May as they had no work to do.

Defendant said it was neglect and forgetfulness. He was now preparing the return.

The Chairman said that there would be a fine of 10s. 6d., and costs, £1 9s., against the Secretary. There would also be a conviction against the Institute and a fine of 10s. 6d.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 5 February 1937.

Extensions

An extension until 11 p.m. was granted to the Aylesham Working Men's Club for the 3rd annual dinner of Snowdown Colliery Welfare on February 6th.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 31 December 1937. Price 1½d.

WINGHAM PETTY SESSIONS.

The County Petty Sessions were held at Sandwich on Thursday last week, before Messrs. C. J. Burgess, H. W. Plumptre, W.G. Cgandler and O. S. Hogbin.

NEW YEAR'S EXTENSIONS.

Mr. Girling applied for an extension of one hour till 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve, for the Snowdown Working Men's Club. The first two were in respect of special concerts and the other for a new Year's Eve social.

This was granted.

 

From the Dover Express, Thursday, 1 September, 2011. 60p

THIRD WORKING MAN'S CLUB IS FORCED TO CLOSE

Hayday of 1,000 customers a week remembered

Report by Kathy Bailes

A WORKING man's club in Aylesham has shut for good after going into voluntary liquidation.

The closure means the loss of jobs for one full-time steward and three part-time bar staff, and an end of more than 50 years of history for the Snowdown Colliery Welfare Club in Dorman Avenue South.

Mounting costs were responsible for the end of the club, which played an important part in the lives of generations of Snowdown Colliery miners and at its peak boasted or serving 1,000 members each week.

It was built in 1958 as a settlement of a claim by Snowdown miners against the National Coal Board.

Aylesham and District Community Workshop Trust secretary Derek Garrlty, 67, said: "I remember the first chairman was Sammy Hart. He was the first in a long procession of miners in charge of the club, along with Frank McKenna, Frank Deary, Phil Elkin, Sue Hill and Dave Ritson.

All stepped up to keep the club going."

"It was a very popular club in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, with keen competition to be a committee man."

The club was one of the focal points of the mining community and used to hold weekend events with singers, dancers and comedians on the stage in the big hall - until the popularity of bingo, bands and discos took over.

Mr Garrity, who comes from a mining family and has lived in Aylesham all his life, said: "At Christmas the club gave each member's child a present, a pantomime and in the summer holidays they took them to the seaside - usually Margate - with five shillings in their pocket to spend in Dreamland."

The club was the trading arm of Aylesham & Snowdown Social Welfare Scheme, with the aim of raising funds for the charity, but member numbers decreased and it became insolvent.

AyIesham has now lost three workingman's clubs, the Welfare, the Legion and the Snowdown clubs and the Greyhound pub.

Dad-of-two Mr Garrity said: "It should mean a brighter future for those clubs that are left but this is not automatic. They need to serve the needs of a wider community and compete with a much wider choice of entertainment."

Darts Players 1960s

Above photo mid 1960s, showing from left to right, Barry Kelson, George Travers, Ivor "Derby" Eaton, Cecil Armstrong, Robbie Coates, Jimmy Mayer. Kindly sent by Stuart Eaton.

From the Dover Mercury, 23 April 2015.

End of era for welfare club?

Snowdown working mans club 2015

The derelict Colliery Welfare Club.

Club bar

A miner props up the bar in 1993.

A dilapidated symbol of Snowdown’s mining history could be demolished to make way for new homes.

A planning application has been lodged to knock down the former Colliery Welfare Club in Aylesham Road, which went into voluntary liquidation and closed in 2009.

The club was built in 1958 and was enjoyed by as many as a thousand members when the pit was operating in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

But Aylesham and District Community Workshop Trust secretary Derek Garrity says the village has to move with the times.

The scheme submitted to Dover District Council is for eight semidetached homes with parking on a site which is deemed “contrary to the village’s development plan”.

The welfare club was hugely popular in the village but business dwindled when the colliery closed in 1987.

Mr Garrity said: “It was right next to the pit so very popular with the men and a focal point for the community, but times have changed.

“We have to respect our past and heritage but can’t live in it and I’m afraid the building is now just an eyesore, having been empty for six years.

“The fact is that we need more new quality homes and they have to be better than the eyesore we have there now.”

Mr Garrity says the community is well-catered for with the remaining Aylesham and District Social Centre, known as the Ratling and the new Aylesham Welfare Leisure Centre, of which he is secretary, which has a licensed bar but also extra facilities, including a gym and 17 acres of sport pitches.

 

From the Dover Mercury, 4 June, 2015.

Working men’s club homes approved.

Eight homes are going to replace the neglected "Snowdown Working Men’s Club" site in Aylesham.

The dilapidated clubhouse, in Aylesham Road, will be demolished, and four pairs of semidetached houses with vehicle access will be built.

The decision was made by Dover District planners last Thursday.

Cllr Bernard Butcher said: “I believe any construction there would be an improvement of the site.”

Planning chairman Cllr Frederic Scales said: “We feel it needs to be done so let’s get on and do it.”

Developers will need to make sure noise-mitigation measures are in place before construction starts.

The front of the houses will look on to Holt Street.

Concerns had been raised about the impact the development would have on the sewage system, and about the houses not being in keeping with the area.

And some people commenting on DDC’s planning application website said developers had not contacted them.

The environment section of the outline report said: “While the site is located in the countryside, it has been previously developed with the Working Men’s Club.

“The existing building is in a dilapidated state and its removal will be an improvement.”

 

From the Dover Express, 4 June 2015.

Club is set to be demolished.

AYLESHAM: Dover District Council’s planning committee agreed to the demolition of the derelict Snowdown Working Men’s Club and the building of eight dwellings.

Cllr Frederick Scales said: “As a planning committee, we’ve been waiting for this day to come for a long time. We feel it needs to be done and let’s get on and do it.”

In 2009, an application, which included the erection of six dwellings, three flats and a clubhouse, was refused due to harm to the countryside and overdevelopment.

The building was formerly closed in 2012.

Cllr Bernard Butcher said: “It’s an eyesore. I do believe any activity there would be an improvement.”

From an email received 28 July 2015. Location of original Snowdown Working Mans Club

The attached pictures show the small copse in which remains all that is left of the original Snowdown Working Mans Club, i.e. that which preceded the one which is shown on the Aylesham pages and which closed several years ago.

The old club was replaced by the new one in the early fifties. The Club Stewards were Mr and Mrs Kent for much of its life. It was located about 250m West of the colliery; you can see one of the pit buildings in the picture.

Location of original Snowdown Working Mans Club

George and Doreen Adams, stewards of the new Working Mans Club were succeeded by George and Mrs Fenton. The Adams's became Landlord/Lady of the Ravens at Tilmanstone.

Location of original Snowdown Working Mans Club

Stuart Eaton.

 

LICENSEE LIST

KENT Mr & Mrs 1930-40s+

ADAMS George & Doreen to 1966 Next pub licensee had

FENTON George & Mrs 1966+

FOARD John & Patricia 1972-73

 

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

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