Club has been providing a warm welcome in our town for a century
CRICH Comrades Club, founded by soldiers who had returned from the horrors of the First World War, celebrates its 100th anniversary this month and has lined up an afternoon of family entertainment, followed in the evening with further live entertainment and a disco.
After the end of the war the men and their friends and relatives formed the Crich branch of The Comrades of the Great War.
With money collected from public subscription and funds raised by whist drives, dances and other functions, in 1921 they eventually had enough funds to open the Comrades Club.
In preparation for the opening in 1921 the club was registered on June 6 under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act. The cost of membership was set at 5 shillings per annum and the membership numbered 118.
The official opening in 1921 took place on September 17 at 6pm, carried out by Mr and Mrs Maurice Deacon of Chase Cliffe House, Whatstandwell.
The address was given by General Geoffrey Meinertzhagen Jackson of the Clay Cross Works. Maurice Deacon became the club’s first president.
The opening ceremony was followed by a game of billiards between Leslie Wright, managing director, Butterley Ironworks Company, and Joseph Payne, club chairman; there is no record of who won. This was followed by a concert and dance at Crich Junior School organised by Mr J. Barker and Mr R. Newman.
The object of the club was to provide for ex-servicemen the means of social intercourse, mutual helpfulness, mental and moral improvement and recreation.
The club is now an independent members’ club that is run by an annually elected management committee.
On Saturday, starting at 10am, the club is staging an afternoon of family entertainment with an old-time music hall theme. In the evening members and their guests will be entertained by a wartime singer and the night will finish off with a disco.
There will be further 100-year anniversary events held throughout the next 12 months
There is live music and entertainment most Saturday nights. Quiz nights, followed by Play Your Cards Right with wine and cash prizes, are held regularly.
The club boasts a tournament-size snooker table, and we have both a snooker team and pool team who both play in local leagues. There is a large screen TV available for viewing big events and sporting occasions.
New members are always welcome.
Kevin Oliver, Chairman, Crich Comrades Club