November Newesletter

Kingsley Park Working Men's Club.

Newsletter November 2011.
Editor Matt Wright.
Email m.wright@ntlworld.com
http://kingsleyparkwmc.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/kingsley.parkwmc
Kingsley Park Working Men’s Club and Institute
120 Kingsley Park Terrace, Kingsley, Northampton, NN2 7HJ
Phone Bar 715514 Secretary 719800
Email Secretary barryslasberg@kingsleyparkwmc.co.uk

Children’s Pantomime.

This years pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk takes place in the concert room on Saturday 17th December 2010 from 2pm to 4:15pm.
Tickets are free for member’s children and grandchildren only and will be available in November as follows;

Friday 4th Saturday 5th Sunday 6th
Friday 11th Saturday 12th Sunday 13th
Friday 18th Saturday 19th Sunday 20th
Friday 25th Saturday 26th Sunday 27th

Between 7.30pm and 9pm each night from Paddy Mullally.

"WHAT is a Working Men's Club?"

Sometimes dating back more than 100 years, they are to often places which modern leisure seekers do not even think of visiting or so it seems from the dwindling membership and falling attendance figures suffered by many venues.
Many people were shocked when they read a recent story in the Chronicle & Echo which stated the Far Cotton Working Men's Club which had been running for 104 years could soon close unless immediate financial help is found.
Crunch time came on Monday 24th October, when members turned out in force to vote against the proposed closure of the club.
More than 150 of the club’s 500 members attended the meeting and the majority voted against the proposal to dissolve the club.
Chairman of the committee, Kath Dawes, said: “The motion was put to the members and they rejected the proposal to dissolve the club. Now comes the hard work to keep the club open.”
She said the smoking ban, the recession and a 10-day closure imposed by Northampton Borough Council’s licensing authority earlier this year, following a problem with a temporary event notice, had all contributed to the club’s struggle. She added: “We now need to generate some serious cash into the club to keep it open.
“Members are trying to come up with ideas. We need members and the community to give one last big push to save the club.

But what has happened to make life so difficult for working men's clubs today? Kathleen said: "The smoking ban has really affected a lot of people. People think why should I go out and stand in the cold and smoke? They can go to the supermarket, buy something to drink, stay home and drink that. "I think mainly it is because of smoking but also they keep increasing the prices of the budget on beer and the breweries pass on the increases to us. Our prices aren't dear but we do need some that are cheaper."
She continued: "We do have a good amount of support. People have been saying 'we don't want the club to shut' but I say 'it is not down to me, it is down to the members'. We have nearly 500 members and if some of them visited it even one day a week it would be a real boost."
The club is working hard to keep people attending, Kathleen's husband 50 year old Trevor, a trustee, said he joined the club when he was 18.
He said: "We used to go when we were kids, we were not allowed into pubs. It was a lot busier but then there were more houses here, and we had Airflow Streamlines having its union meetings here and other unions had their meetings here. "We always had entertainment on but obviously we have had to. It is still well used and we have a lot of younger members now as they can't take kids into pubs."

Although Kingsley Park Working Men's Club still has an active social scene, membership figures have fallen over the last decade according to general secretary Barry Slasberg, who is also on the national executive'.
He said: "At one stage 10 years ago we had 2,600 or 2,700 members and now we still have about 2,000 members. Numbers are declining but we have to fight for our members by providing what they want."
But governmental decisions have made life tough for WMC’s, according to Barry. He said: "The Government seems hell-bent on impacting on our organization, under the Gambling Act, for example. Families used to play bingo in the WMC, kids would come along with parents who looked over their shoulders. Everyone had a laugh. Under the Gambling Act all of a sudden children weren't allowed to play bingo as it is gambling; but it is no such thing, it is just a fun activity."
He added: "The smoking ban is still having a huge effect on working men's clubs and pubs and businesses. There is a big movement called SOP AC (Save Our Pubs And Clubs). We don't want the smoking ban dissolved but we want the facility to have a smoking room where available.
"There is nothing illegal about smoking, it is a legal pastime which should be allowed."

Meanwhile at Monks Park Working Men's Club in Northampton, the social scene is still going well with 1,480 members, according to secretary Don Harris.
He believes some clubs need to put more effort into the management of their venues, treating them as businesses, despite the fact they are not-for-profit.
He said: "You are not allowed to make a profit but you have to take it in the right direction. People have it in their heads it is just a working men's club but it has to be managed like a business.
"I think we are one of the successful working men's clubs and the smoking ban has not affected us.
"If you have the wrong steward in, things can crumble. In the past it used to be family oriented, your dad would be the steward and mum the secretary and they might not have experience in that field. You need someone in place who knows what they are doing, whether that is pulling a pint or managing the staff and customers,"
He added: "I think the image of working men's clubs could do with a spruce up. It still carries the stigma of being an old person's club. That would help I'm sure."
Emergency Exits & Fire Doors.

Emergency exits must be kept clear at all times. It has been brought to the committees attention that children have been playing on the back stairs between the games room and the ladies toilets, not only have been drawing on the walls but been using stones from the garden to make holes in the walls. Children have been running all over the club including the concert room and games rooms playing hide and seek and tag. We welcome children in the club but only if their parents keep them under control and in their sight at all times.
Fire doors are clearly marked and must be kelp closed at all times. The back stairs between the games room and the ladies toilets are a fire escape and should be treated as such. Not as a short cut from the games room to the smoking area.
Members Christmas Draw 2011.


Tickets for this years raffle are now on sale priced at £1:00 for a book of five. You can purchase tickets at the welfare table, from the doorman or from behind the bar.
Draw takes place Tuesday 6th December at 8pm. Prizes to be claimed by Friday 24th December.
Charity Raffle of unclaimed prizes Monday December 26th December.

10% discount at County Florist.


Show your membership cards and get a discount on all your floristry needs.

Special Offer For Members.

The Golden China Resturant and The Beijing Palace Take Away are offering our members a 20% discount.
To qualify simply show them your membership cards when ordering.


Zumba Keep Fit.

Wednesdays 7.15 - 8.15

In the concert room.

£5 per session.


Games Fixtures.


Tuesday 1st SnookerPoker A Team Barratts Stones A awayB Team Barratts Bears homeC Team Earls Barton away
Wednesday 2nd Air Gun Individuals
Thursday 3rd Fosters League NWMC League Horseshoes awayBritish Rail B home
Friday 4th Men’s Skittles St James home
Monday 7th Ladies Skittles
Tuesday 8th SnookerPoker A Team Barratts Jolly Potters awayB Team Ashby Barratts homeC Team Barratts all Blacks away
Wednesday 9th Air Gun A Team Cock Hotel homeWanderers Monks Park away
Thursday 10th Fosters League NWMC League Free WeekSpencer A home
Friday 11th Men’s Skittles 4-A Side
Monday 14th Ladies Skittles
Tuesday 15th SnookerPoker A Team ByeB Team Far Cotton A awayC Team Bye
Wednesday 16th Air Gun A Team v Wanderers
Thursday 17th Fosters League NWMC League Duke of York awayBritish Rail A away
Friday 18th Men’s Skittles 3-A-Side
Monday 21st Ladies Skittles
Tuesday 22nd SnookerPoker A Team Barratts Legends awayB Team Barratts Stones B homeC Team Queens Park B away
Wednesday 23rd Air Gun A Team RAFA Club homeWanderers Cock Hotel away
Thursday 24th Fosters League NWMC League 3-A-SideFree Week
Friday 25th Men’s Skittles Northampton A home
Monday 28th Ladies Skittles
Tuesday 29th SnookerPoker A Team, Team ChampionshipB Team Barratts B awayC Team, Team Championship
Wednesday 30th Air Gun A Team Vocal awayWanderers Cock Hotel away


November Entertainment.


Wednesday 2nd Bluegrass Jam Session
Friday 4th Jamie Leigh Vocalist 70’s/Modern
Saturday 5th De Souza Trio 60’s/90’s
Sunday 6th Ricky Swann Male Vocalist
Friday 11th Johnny Red Rock n Roll
Saturday 12th Boges Blooze Blues Brothers Tribute
Sunday 13th Kim Vocalist/Multi/Instrumentalist
Friday 18th Andy Stone Modern/ Vocalist
Saturday 19th The 2 Tones Madness/Ska
Sunday 20th Tom Healy Band Irish/60’s
Friday 25th Dave Dynamite Rock n Roll
Saturday 26th Mustang Blue 50’s/80’s Group
Sunday 27th Honeywell Modern/Group


Bingo every Friday and Sunday

BH Quiz night every Wednesday


Festive Opening Hours.

Saturday 24th 11.00 to 23.30 Thursday 29th 11.00 to 23.00
Sunday 25th 11.00 to 15.00 Friday 30th 11.00 to 23.30
Monday 26th 11.00 to 23.00 Saturday 31st 11.00 to 00.30
Tuesday 27th 11.00 to 23.00 Sunday 1st 11.00 to 23.00
Wednesday 28th 11.00 to 23.00 From Monday 2nd Normal Hours