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Banbury’s Trades and Labour Club is closing down
05/08/2021
The pandemic lockdowns have forced the club into a financial position they can’t survive
Banbury’s Trades and Labour Club is closing down. The decision was made by club members at an Extraordinary General Meeting on Tuesday evening.
The impact of the pandemic lockdowns is being blamed. The club will close its doors for the last time in October. The building has been put up for sale.
Club membership stood at 800 a few years ago, but in recent years had fallen to around 350. An increase in membership subscriptions meant the club remained viable. However the pandemic changed that.
Club President David Lydiatt told Banbury FM: “We could cope with the first lockdown. We had enough money in the bank to survive. But with the next lockdown period it was the scale of it. We couldn’t open at all because we didn’t serve food. We still had bills to pay.
“We were basically too big a venue for what we needed.”
Financial support was made available through the various pandemic schemes, but this was not enough to ensure the club’s survival.
At the Extraordinary General Meeting on Tuesday evening members agreed to sell the building on West Bar Street. Four employees will be made redundant.
Mr Lydiatt, who has been a club member for 30 years, said it was an emotional moment: “We had a couple of tears. A lot of them were very sad about it.
“Its got a good history, we’ve had a lot of people through the door, we’ve had some good bands and artists and we’ve been a brilliant venue for the darts.”
There is hope that Banbury Trades and Labour Club can be kept alive. Members voted in favour of using proceeds from the sale of their current building to try and find a new home.
Mr Lydiatt said: “We’d like to keep an eye on the members. Some of them are OAPs, some are vulnerable and some are disabled. We’d like to make sure they’re OK at least once a week – a chance for them to come out.”
Banbury Trades and Labour Club was founded 95 years ago. The club was originally based in Pepper Alley but moved to its current location in West Bar Street in the 1950s. The venue has played host to a large number of bands, comedians and events over the years. Those appearing have included the Cuff Links, Union Gap and the Baron Knights. Before the club shuts its doors for the final time a tribute to Mrs Brown’s Boys is set to entertain members.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Claire On 05/08/2021 at 8:44 pm
I’m sorry to hear this will you be looking for a new tenant?
Best regards
Sheila’s sweets and Sheila’s Shakes