Old School 'Gentlemens clubs' in Sheffield?

[glaham]

The Tontine Inn in Sheffield was built in 1785 and remained a licensed house until 1850. It was where the wealthy townsmen feasted and corporate banquets were held. Its day ended with the formation of the North Midland Railway. It was built on the site of the Castle Barns, just to the east of the Bullstake. It was built with subscriptions from wealthy men.

[Jossman]

there was a Gentlemans' club on Marlcliffe Rd, Hillsborough. It had beautiful snooker tables and an assortment of exoctic snuff on the bar. Membership was by recommendation only.

[JoeP]

I've always fancied setting up a continental style cafe...perhaps we combine the two. The Parisian or Viennese coffee house, with the newpapers, the journals, the chess game still set up with the last move made in 1999. The players may, after all, come back from the far distant corners of the world where adventure took them.

 

The club with big roaring fires, a menu that features proper steak and kidney pudding and good stonkingly heavy red wines. Not a smoker myself but those cigars HAVE to be in there! It's an excellent way to keep the PC brigade out.

 

Joe

[goldenfleece]

Great idea. Must not forget the obligatory "security" gentlemen, usually dressed in brushed red or purple velvet dinner jackets, to keep out the riff-raff and non members. Usually these chaps are very well spoken and educated, but have the strength of ten horses under their good manners and politeness. After all, one does not want the West Street 'element' barging in for their 24th pint of lager and knocking over the chess table and disabling anyones Cuban cigar.......

[muddycoffee]

Originally posted by Jossman

there was a Gentlemans' club on Marlcliffe Rd, Hillsborough. It had beautiful snooker tables and an assortment of exoctic snuff on the bar. Membership was by recommendation only.

Yes my dad was in it, I think it was called Wadsley House social club, and he took me for a drink there on my 18th. I think they had bowling greens and I certainly remember they had lovely gardens in the past and used to do Wedding Receptions, but haven't been around there for years.

[Fareast]

Goldenfleece ,

Surely in a well-run Gentlemen's Club , there would be some kind of deadly weapon , placed near the entrance ? This could be on the lines of guns our forebears used , when hunting tigers in India.

Any West Street Person , or indeed , any rough element , who attempted to gain entrance to the premises would be shot on sight and the body [or bodies] , removed by the porter at a convenient moment.

The last thing we want to see is our vintage port being knocked back by lager drinkers in baseball caps or other ruffians of that ilk.

[Damon]

^ May I suggest a 'blunderbuss', the large trumpet-ended shotgun contraption as used by irate farmers in the comics of our youth? It should, of course, fire a collection of nuts, bolts and nails rather than your actual bullets.

 

I would willingly volunteer to yank it from its resting place on the wall above the fireplace and 'prang' the bounders as they clutch their smarting backsides and flee.

[HughW]

Other essentials:

 

a large clock (Roman Numerals) so that members can take out their pocket-watches and check the time.

 

A gentleman detective smoking a cigarette in a holder and staring into the distance.

 

Hugh

[Fareast]

Well , yes , Damon , I would think any measure is permissible , if it keeps the great unwashed masses at bay.

I suppose an even greater problem would be when those Viragos of our day , Women Social Workers got to hear of our oasis of peace and tranquillity.They would no doubt storm the fortress with leaflets , pamphlets , resolutions , committees , health warnings , demands for equal access , separate toilet facilities , bans on smoking , strict licencing hours , access for children in areas where no alcohol was to be consumed , play areas , nappy-changing facilities and muzak.

How are the enemy to be engaged ? How would W.C. Fields have dealt with the situation ? Or the Duke of Wellington ? Or Evelyn Waugh ? Obviously one hesitates to maim , in any way , the ,"weaker " sex , but in these days of equal rights , I don't think they can complain , if they too came under fire from the old blunderbuss.A few nuts , bolts and other missiles would certainly give them something to consider and leave them less time for interfering in the lives of English Gentlemen.

[Fareast]

Just had a thought :----if all fails and the , "progressives " tighten their grip on our gentlemen's clubs , I suppose we could operate like the old Speakeasies in days of yore in America.

A coded knock at the door , from a white-gloved hand or a cane. The butler approaches from within , removes monocle from pocket , transfers it to eye and peers through Judas Hole.

"Would that be Lord Smythe-de- Tinsley without ?"

"Of course it is , you damned fool , open up and get me a large stiff one ".

Or words to that effect.

The Speakeasies flourished and made vast profits and I'm sure that the combination of subterfuge and respectability would draw gentlemen in their thousands and confound the modernisers in their tracks.