BRSA Clubs

ChrisC said:

Yes, quite amazing it still survives considering Kirkby in Ashfield Loco Shed closed to steam in 1966 and I believe completely to diesel in 1970. I remember being taken by my dad to the staff children's Christmas Party every year in the early 1960’s.

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I'm amazed that it lasted as long as 1970, especially given that Shirebrook MPD was just up the line.

The one in Southport is still going as well.

There was one in Derby, about 200 yards north of the Midland station entrance, on the left hand side of the road. I used to use it in the early 70s 'cos it had a dark room. Long gone, I suspect?

curlcurlimp said:

I'm amazed that it lasted as long as 1970, especially given that Shirebrook MPD was just up the line.

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I always thought that Kirkby in Ashfield shed closed with the end of steam in 1966 but when researching for this post found references to diesels there until November 1970. Does anyone know if that’s correct?

I made the classic move from booking office to Divisional Movements office in 1970, working at DM Euston in Eversholt St. There was, as mentioned, a BRSA club in the same yard as Collectors Corner and it was soon suggested that I join by paybill deduction which I did, and duly received a membership card. At lunchtimes I used the Euston (BRSA) club and sometimes, if passing in the course of work, one at Willesden (which had a particularly officious door man). Curiously, however, the BRSA was not affiliated to the CIU which meant that one could not access other Working Men's Clubs (which were almost all CIU affiliated, denoted usually by a prominent sign outside) using the BRSA membership card - to enter these, one had to be the guest of a member.
There was then a railwaymen's club in Northampton with two branches. This was not, however, a BRSA club but was (from memory) called the Northampton LMRCA and it WAS CIU affiliated. This meant that, ironically, as a member of the BRSA I couldn't use it except as a guest of a member, although members of other trades' WMCs could. I am not sure whether 'LMRCA' was another organisation with a geographic spread, or just a name used by the Northampton branch. I am fairly certain that the Northampton branch near to the station is still operating.
Mention has been made of the club below Euston Station; I remember this well, and will give details without further comment. It was called the Griffin Bar (or maybe Club) and was provided by BR, who subsidised bar prices. Perhaps by coincidence, the Euston S.M. at that time was Mr Griffin (perhaps he was the licensee) and there was a sign outside that read 'Only staff on duty may use this facility'...

One thing you have to remember is the country as a whole has changed a lot in that the railway industry has become more fragmented and also there are no longer "railway towns" the same or towns dedicated to any set industry.

In Derby for example it was known for being a railway town but today only a small fraction of the people living there now work in on the railways and many people who work on the railways in Derby don't live in the city. Also in the days of British Rail most people who worked on the railways were employed by British Rail. This is no longer the case as there are several largely separate employers for example train building is Bombardier, station management is East Midlands Railway and track maintenance is Network Rail meaning that the only connection is that all the staff work in the same industry.

thenorthern said:

Working Mens Clubs, Miners Welfare clubs and Conservative Clubs

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There is a big working men's club in Blethcley and a big Conservative club. The later gets a special one or multi fingered wave every time I walk past. I wouldn't drink in there if it was the last place in the world selling ale.

Labour and Liberal clubs are going the same way. it is a sign of the change in how people work, live and relax.

LMRCA Tyseley branch is still there..

The one in Merthyr now demolished. The one in Abercynon now used by local bikers but the one in Treherbert still open sometimes.

I've been in the one at Exmouth a few times, always seems to have 3 or 4 real ales on; and in good form too. It's right next to the Exe with a view over the estuary. Oddly, it's a GW club rather than Southern.

Turn right out of Exmouth station, about 3 mins walk away.

Skipton LMS Club is right outside the station.

My great-uncle Bob was a railway man, mostly on the lines out of Liverpool Exchange. He lived in Aintree and was a frequenter of his local railway club - in fact as a bachelor it was where he did most of his socialising- but if anybody knows where it would have been it would be interesting to know.

train_lover said:

LMRCA Tyseley branch is still there..

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That's interesting for two reasons. Firstly, it shows that 'LMRCA' was not just a Northampton invention (see my post); but also because Tyseley only became LMR in 1963 (before that, as I'm sure you'll know, WR). Presumably, it's CIU affiliated?

The LMRCA Trafford Park branch is in Stretford, just like the station!
http://www.lmrca.co.uk/?page_id=8

Stampy said:

The BRAZA Club at March is still open - if it's the same thing.

And it's right next to the station

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Have been there a couple of times over the years.

2L70 said:

Colwick BRSA is now next to Carlton Station in Nottingham, KFC wanted the land on the Netherfield Retail Park so they paid for the new building.

Grantham is still going and holds a Beer Festival every year.

Lincoln has one but it’s nowhere near the station on Newark Road.

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Glad to hear Grantham club get a mention...I'm the current club chairman. The club has been going since 1955. The beer festival has now moved to larger premises, the Parish Church.

Lincoln merged with Moorlands social club, the former building replaced by a McDonalds.

I did spot the GWR club in Hereford a couple of years ago.

Being interested in railway buttons and badges I have a number of BRSA enamel badges and fobs. They come in various shapes and sizes and for all regions, often in regional colours. One interesting one is a silver watch fob for BR Western Region Staff Association Festival of Music and Drama and features the GWR coat of arms and is hallmarked for 1970. Another badge has the BR lion and wheel emblem with an odd inscription "U.S.I.C 14th CONGRESS" but I have no idea what this relates to. They also produced some rather attractive sports medals with the BR lion and wheel emblem in bronze and silver.

Czesziafan said:

Being interested in railway buttons and badges I have a number of BRSA enamel badges and fobs. They come in various shapes and sizes and for all regions, often in regional colours. One interesting one is a silver watch fob for BR Western Region Staff Association Festival of Music and Drama and features the GWR coat of arms and is hallmarked for 1970. Another badge has the BR lion and wheel emblem with an odd inscription "U.S.I.C 14th CONGRESS" but I have no idea what this relates to. They also produced some rather attractive sports medals with the BR lion and wheel emblem in bronze and silver.

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Probably a sports competition - https://usic-sports.org

Merle Haggard said:

Mention has been made of the club below Euston Station; I remember this well, and will give details without further comment. It was called the Griffin Bar (or maybe Club) and was provided by BR, who subsidised bar prices. Perhaps by coincidence, the Euston S.M. at that time was Mr Griffin (perhaps he was the licensee) and there was a sign outside that read 'Only staff on duty may use this facility'..

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Indeed it was still there, complete with sign, well into the ‘90s. Although it had been closed a while and was a little dusty!

My daughter has just moved to an ex mining village in Nottinghamshire. This had a Miners Welfare Club. However since the mine closed that Club has not only closed but the actual building has been demolished and new housing erected.

The one in Coatbridge (next tto Sunnyside Station) is now an Indian Restaurant, I have fond memories of British Transport Film nights being held there back in the 1970s which the Station Master at Coatdyke would always get us tickets for this. The building still features a memorial to Railwaymen of Kipps Shed that lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was erected in the early 1920`s and was affixed to the outside wall of Kipps engine shed offices. When the shed was closed and subsequently demolished by British Railways in 1964 the plaque was recovered by local railwaymen and later affixed to wall of what was then the quite new Railway Staff Association Social Club. After the Social Club closed the premises were empty for a while before becoming a short lived pub. then the Indian Restarant. There was a controversy that made the Scottish papers when the owners put a banner up to promote a special offer that covered the plaque.

I used to play bowls against BRNESC on Melling Road right next to Aintree racecourse

Ianigsy said:

Skipton LMS Club is right outside the station.

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That one closed recently and has now been demolished.