These days, the idea of heading down to the local working men’s club is about as alien to most as popping to Mars for the weekend. It’s safe to say that glory days of the working men’s club have been confined to the history books as so many turn their backs on tradition and head elsewhere – most never realising what they’re missing out on.
Let’s face it – when anyone heads out…at least most folk anyway…they’re hoping for entertainment, socialising, decent drinks, maybe some great food and a welcoming, trouble-free environment, right? Call it an old-fashioned generalisation all you like, but chances are these are the boxes most are still looking to tick even this far into 2014.
Which brings us onto the point of the whole debate – are there any ways in which a social club beats the standard pub hands-down? Indeed there are – here’s just a small selection of five to get the point across:
Building Community Bonds
Right off the bat, pubs are all well and good for getting friendly with the locals on a smaller scale, but they don’t come close to the traditional social club. There was once a time when these places were seen as something of a linchpin for the whole community, where residents would come together on a regular basis to chat about nothing and everything, hear the latest gossip and generally build the bonds Britain was built on. These days, it’s not uncommon not to know the name of the couple living just two doors down. Could social clubs change this? Maybe not on their own, but they could certainly help!
Big Breaks for Entertainers
Something else to consider is the entertainment on offer at the modern social club and working men’s club – not only from the perspective of those in attendance. It happens less and less these days, but the local club has proved to be a springboard for some of the UK’s most highly-prized talent. From superstar singers to comedians and all kinds of cabaret performers, there’s often no better way of practicing in front of a real crowd and gaining a genuine following.
Genuine Family Friendliness
A pub might claim to be family friendly because it 
serves chicken nuggets, but a social club is on another level entirely. What’s different was and is the way in which the coming together of so many families all at the same time results in much larger groups of children who are not only free to interact and make friends, but are also watched over by every single person in attendance. And then of course there’s the entertainment for kids, which is always first rate. By contrast, most parents these days aren’t happy to let their kids get out of arm’s reach at the local pub for fear of annoying those at the neighbouring table.
An Affordable Option
The simplest one of the bunch – genuine cash savings! It’s no secret that the average price for a pint of beer across the UK is going up faster than anyone could have ever expected or feared – it’s little wonder so many folk are staying home altogether. Still, while it’s not given away free of charge…sorry about that…you can still count on your local social club to dish out both food and drinks at the lowest prices in the whole area. Unlike pubs, these places have always been run for the good of the community as a whole – not to line the pockets of those working for faceless nationwide pub chains. So if you’d like your money to go further, you know where to go, visit http://www.stgerardssocialclub.co.uk/ for example!
Keeping Tradition Alive!
Last but not least, there’s simply no getting away from the fact that the traditional social club is as much a British institution as the Royal Family, the London Cabbie or the Sunday Roast – where would we be without any of them? Admittedly it’s not like the whole world will come to an end if the WMC as we once knew it ceased to exist, but it would mean kissing goodbye to over 150 years of tradition that in some respects is credited with creating the Britain we’re all so proud of. Heck, even the Queen made it to a WMC as part of her Silver Jubilee all those years ago, so surely if it’s good enough for her…well, you know the rest!
Tradition just doesn’t get any more traditional than at the classic social club with friends and family from all over the community – it’s a treat the UK is lucky to have access to and shouldn’t let go without a fight!
