Coxhoe & District Working Mens Club

Well I haven’t been to ‘Coxhoe Club’ for a few years now, but it has fond memories for me. Growing up in Coxhoe my parents — sometimes only my dad, sometimes them both — went to the club every weekend. On special occasions, such as New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and during the Coxhoe Carnival, I got to go with them, and then when I became old enough, I often went there with my own friends, or with my parents and their friends.
On Friday nights they have bingo for the women, while the men play snooker. This is a tradition that no amount of girl power or women’s rights campaigns will break. In fifty years I imagine it will be still the same — if working mens’ clubs exist then, which I hope they will. Following that, there is sometimes a turn on in the club — a woman usually — who will sing, while people dance and get drunker and drunker on the £1 pints of lager, and flirt with their neighbours and have a great time.
On Saturday nights there’s usually another show on. Saturday nights attract a younger clietele, for some reason, but this isn’t a bad thing.
On New Year’s Eve there’s a massive party. Tickets are around £10 each for each member plus one guest only and it’s hugely popular. Everyone knows each other — mostly they’re all from the same village or local villages — and there’s a wide mixture of age groups and personalities. The following day people return to the club with packed sandwiches, which they consume whilst chatting and playing party games.
Sadly, working mens clubs are becoming less cool nowadays. They aren’t as plushly decorated as some of the more fashionable bars, and they’re located in villages or in side streetsfar away from the more popular nightclubs.

went in there briefly and it had a lovely atmosphere.
I was only allowed in as my boyfriend was a member, It is a shame it is not open to everyone as I think they could do rather well if they did this.