Lode & District Social Club
Lode & District Social Club, Lode, Cambridgeshire
The Lode Labour Party was formed in December 1924 by 16 members who met in a local clubroom to discuss current politics. After 2 years they were determined to build a meeting hall of their own – Cambridge County’s first ever Labour Hall.
Party members paid a penny a week subscriptions, or 5 shillings to purchase a brick with their name carved in it, the first money being paid into the bank on 31st October 1925. By January 1931 there was £410, 7 shillings and 9 pence.
In June 1927 The Hon. Arnold Keppel, son of the Duke of Albermarle, donated the land on which the hall was to be built and building work began in March 1931.
All the workmen were local tradesman from the village. Mr Eaton Lawrence, Mr Herbert Lawrence and Mr Percy Golding were the bricklayers and the carpenter was Mr Alfred Canham.
The hall was formally opened by Captain W. Stephen Sanders (late financial secretary to the War Office) in March 1933 and continued to be Known as Lode Labour Club until 1998 when it was decided that it was no longer particularly affiliated to the Labour Party and changed it’s name to Lode and District Social Club.
The hall continues to be a private members club, run by a committee under the guidance of its directors, but is also available for hire, for a wide variety of functions, by non-members.
In 2004 Lode and District Social Club began a series of vast improvements to its facilities. A new enlarged bar resulting in a larger members area when the function hall is being used, along with improved heating and new double-glazing was installed. The hall now also has disabled access and a specialised disabled toilet. With continued support the Social Club aims to further the improvements to its facilities and continue to provide a first class venue for all occasions.
Current facilities include a full size snooker table, a pool table and 3 dartboards. All major sporting events can be watched on wide screen televisions from the comfortable sofas in the bar. The whole hall, or just a section of it can be hired for meetings, birthday parties, wedding receptions, funerals, corporate functions and dances; in fact any occasion is possible!
Bingo and Whist drives are held weekly and regular varied functions such as dances, treasure hunts, quizzes and guest singers/bands are organised by the Social Club’s entertainment committee.
Reproduced by kind permission of Ian Middleton
www.lodesocialclub.co.uk
