The Royal British Legion Branch & Club
My Visit
I started early on a very foggy and cold October morning, after walking past this place numerous times I had decided it was a great opportunity for a first report. I was only informed very recently that the social club had be closed for quite a few years now but had to wait a while to visit as the pikeys that blight this village regularly had decided to set up camp here, the bonus of this is that they may have given me my way in! As I walked up the road towards the building I noticed that in the relatively short time since it closed, nature was really having her way with it but this is better than vandals, with this being a growing village I thought she was in pretty good nick! No graffiti, the boards still intact on the majority of the windows and even the pikeys seemed to have been quite respectful to her. My Visit
I don't know whether it was just because it was very quiet and foggy or that this used to be a vibrant and buzzing establishment but it certainly had an atmosphere about it, I started to take my external shot’s, scoping the area and remembering how it used to be, always checking for a way in, I found a window on the front of the building with the board down so I had a little nosy inside to find it so pitch dark that you couldn’t see a single thing, I made my way around the other side of the building and whilst taking shots of the entrance to the car park a suspect board on a window a little higher than head height for me (5ft 4) sparked my attention, on closer inspection this was my golden ticket! I had my torch, darkness not a problem! I needed to jump a little so I did, grabbed the window frame, great now all I needed to do was haul my body through – I’m quite similar to a T-Rex in that my arms are pretty useless it was all going pretty well until I heard what I could only relate to the sound of a cupboard door shutting inside, but the place was deserted?! Well I shat me Bridget Jones’s!!!
Being alone and a female with T-Rex arms my better judgment said RUN, I made a hasty return to the road wondering whether I was going mad? Was it a tramp – in our little village? Surly not – maybe it was one of you guys? and then I was brought back to the harsh reality of normal village life by way of a frowning lady in a small car full of babbling kid’s ‘Where’s the football ground love?' As the season is almost upon us I replied ‘IT’S BEHIND YOU’ I’m left feeling disappointed by only achieving external shots of the place, and by the possible ‘GOLD’ that may or may not lurking inside, after all social clubs often leave some of the best things behind. I hope to re-visit soon with company this time, If anyone’s interested give me a shout. Although a bit of a disappointing 1st report and with the possibility of my 1st report ending in ‘The Fetid Pit of Despair’ I manned up and decided to posted it, after all I couldn’t see that anybody had done this site before (although I could be wrong) and thought it may be of interest to those local to the area, although quite a small site it could have potential on the inside.
I really hope this is of interest and in keeping with the site, It is only my first report and things can only get better.......If not and I’ve failed miserably BRING ON THE PITT!
History
The Bramley branch of The Royal British Legion first established a club in the village in 1935, and the building in Ordnance Gate was erected in 1972 after branch members raised enough money to buy the land from the Ministry of Defense.
At the time of the Social Club’s closure The Royal British Legion had served the local community for over 70 years and had 80 members, The Royal British Legion decided to close the branch due to ‘Poor Management’ Which saw the club in over £8000 worth of debt. A local man and his wife valiantly stepped forward to try and save the club from closure in late 2007, A great effort was made which saw the club not only clear the debts of over £8000 but manage to get over £5000 in the bank, despite these efforts the Royal British Legion withdrew the license for the club, for reasons including failure to file accounts so the branch was required to close its door’s for good. Although I don’t know the exact time of closure I think she met her maker in late 2007/early 2008, This saddened the locals and regulars greatly and a once vibrant and lively place was now to be closed. From my own memory and living in this little village all my life In the club’s heyday it was the place to go, It was family friendly and had great big metal framed swings, picnic tables lined the front grass area and coloured lights trimmed the outside of the building, on a Friday and Saturday night it was always busy and the music and laughter could be heard from quite a distance.
This village ain’t big enough for the both of us
It used to be that the local pub was a lonely and desolate place, a place where the old and miserable propped up the bar and drowned their sorrows, It took the pub a long time to find its footing even though it was older than the social club, whilst the social club bathed in the sunlight of happy punters, seeing the majority of the village ‘socialites’ from the old boy’s to families to teenagers getting their first tastes of alcohol. Now this sorry site can only look on as the pub finally enjoys what it can only see as a distant memory. The pub now thrives as the social club dies.
{Some information taken from The Basingstoke Gazette}
Appealing entrance sign
View from what remains of the car park
Stella ' A welcoming gift from the pikeys'
Many stumbled down this path to the car park once upon a time
Overgrown good's entrance
A casualty
Sign's of a happier time
I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure this is busted
Cheers for looking
