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Aylesham
Above showing the now closed "Snowdown Working Man's Club." Photo
kindly sent by Stuart Eaton.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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. |
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From the Dover Mercury, 23 April 2015.
End of era for welfare club?
The derelict Colliery Welfare Club.
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. |
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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.”
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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.”
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From an email received 28 July 2015.
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.
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.
Stuart Eaton. |
LICENSEE LIST
KENT Mr & Mrs 1930-40s+
ADAMS George & Doreen to 1966
FENTON George & Mrs 1966+
FOARD John & Patricia 1972-73
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