The Midhill W.M.C Affiliated .

[cuttsie]

In or around 1959 ish , I was made a member of the Midhill Working Mens club on East Bank Road , I was sixteen going on seventeen. 

My brother in law Tom Hegarty was the football team captain and I was assistant trainer ,(half time orange peeler and cup of water hander outer ) .

 

I wanted to be part of the club football section who would go into club straight after matches on the mudd covered  hilly pitch that was behind the club .

Tom told me  to apply and face the committee . 

This facing the committee involved attending the meeting on Thursday nights when the members met to discuss future policy inc turns (acts on stage ) among other business  .

 

So the day arrives , I scrub up put on my best suit , drainpipe trousers , five button roll collar (Slinny)  , Mr Wildgoose the secretary looks at me over top of horn rimmed national health glasses , "Right then Judd " says he to me . "How old are tha"  ." 18 " says I to him . 

 

The committee men go silent and look around at each other and start having a bit of a laugh , I begin to wonder if I have some how dropped a bolock.

 

Our Tom has already coached me into what to say but not enough to face this lot of of seasoned steel workers , bin men , bricklayers and bus drivers.

"Eighteen are tha" says Mr Wildgoose , "Well then tha has aged a a lot from last years kids trip to Cleethorpes ant tha" 

 

I look down at committee rooms loppy carpet ,I  gulp a few words of nonsense and get ready eat humble pie .

 

Then the immortal words from Wild goose . Lets take a vote" Who thinks young Judd should be a member " 

I look around and ten hands are raised , I'm in .

to be continued .

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by cuttsie

[Padders]

11 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

In or around 1959 ish , I was made a member of the Midhill Working Mens club on East Bank Road , I was sixteen going on seventeen. 

My brother in law Tom Hegarty was the football team captain and I was assistant trainer ,(half time orange peeler and cup of water hander outer ) .

 

I wanted to be part of the club football section who would go into club straight after matches on the mudd covered  hilly pitch that was behind the club .

Tom told to apply and face the committee . 

This facing the committee involved attending the meeting on Thursday nights when the members met to discuss future policy inc turns (acts on stage ) among other business  .

 

So the day arrives , I scrub up put on my best suit , drainpipe trousers , five button roll collar (Slinny)  , Mr Wildgoose the secretary looks at me over top of horn rimmed national health glasses , "Right then Judd " says he to me . "How old are tha"  ." 18 " says I to him . 

 

The committee men go silent and look around at each other and start having a bit of a laugh , I begin to wonder if I have some how dropped a bolock.

 

Our Tom has already coached me into what to say but not enough to face this lot of of seasoned steel workers , bin men , bricklayers and bus drivers.

"Eighteen are tha" says Mr Wildgoose , "Well then tha has aged a a lot from last years kids trip to Cleethorpes ant tha" 

 

I look down at committee rooms loppy carpet ,I  gulp a few words of nonsense and get ready eat humble pie .

 

Then the immortal words from Wild goose . Lets take a vote" Who thinks young Judd should be a member " 

I look around and ten hands are raised , I'm in .

to be continued .

 

Bloody hell Cuttsie, that brought back some memories,

Tell thi what, tha wouldn't have stood a chance at my WMC..

The committee men there made the Taliban look like boy scouts........

[Tony]

Following.

[trastrick]

1 hour ago, cuttsie said:

In or around 1959 ish , I was made a member of the Midhill Working Mens club on East Bank Road , I was sixteen going on seventeen. 

My brother in law Tom Hegarty was the football team captain and I was assistant trainer ,(half time orange peeler and cup of water hander outer ) .

 

I wanted to be part of the club football section who would go into club straight after matches on the mudd covered  hilly pitch that was behind the club .

Tom told to apply and face the committee . 

This facing the committee involved attending the meeting on Thursday nights when the members met to discuss future policy inc turns (acts on stage ) among other business  .

 

So the day arrives , I scrub up put on my best suit , drainpipe trousers , five button roll collar (Slinny)  , Mr Wildgoose the secretary looks at me over top of horn rimmed national health glasses , "Right then Judd " says he to me . "How old are tha"  ." 18 " says I to him . 

 

The committee men go silent and look around at each other and start having a bit of a laugh , I begin to wonder if I have some how dropped a bolock.

 

Our Tom has already coached me into what to say but not enough to face this lot of of seasoned steel workers , bin men , bricklayers and bus drivers.

"Eighteen are tha" says Mr Wildgoose , "Well then tha has aged a a lot from last years kids trip to Cleethorpes ant tha" 

 

I look down at committee rooms loppy carpet ,I  gulp a few words of nonsense and get ready eat humble pie .

 

Then the immortal words from Wild goose . Lets take a vote" Who thinks young Judd should be a member " 

I look around and ten hands are raised , I'm in .

to be continued .

 

Good memories, Cuttsie. We lived up the road.

 

Saturday afternoons watching Uncle Ken (Morris) play in the mud bowl, rain or shine, and the annual trip to Cleethorpes or Mablethorpe.

 

Later, learning about life with the lasses on Black Banks, and smoking Park Drives.

 

There was a big fire on "the banks". My brother Roy still takes credit (blame) for that one.

 

He was one of the lucky ones who actually later got to play on a level football pitch.

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by trastrick

[Alextopman]

I think the last Steward and Stewardess there were Brian and Rita Burkenshaw, if not they were very close to it.

[cuttsie]

So, Vernan Wildgoose , started to fill in a card , wi my name on it , He handed it to me asking if I wanted to be affiliated , "whats that then" said me . "It means you can go in any working mans club without paying if you have the affiliation ticket " said he .

 

""Thank you I 'le have that then " says I .

Does tha want a wallet asks him , "Please says I " Wallet , affiliation card and club card are handed over to me , I shove  em in my pocket and jump up like a scolded cat to  get out of that up stairs committee room as fast as possible before they change their mind .

"Sit thi sen down " barks Wildgoose , "thats  ten and a tanner tha own us before tha goes out of here ".

Well ten and a tanner that was a big part of my apprentice wage of around £6  a week then , I mean I gave my mam mi wages unopened and she gave me spending money of around thirty bob , And  as it was Thursday that spendo was at its last legs so I started to copper up , 

I managed to find around 8 bob in bits and pieces , put it in front of Vernon and said can I bring rest in tomorrow , he looked up ,looked round , more laughs from bin man Jack and the rest. 

"**** of down stairs and take these beer tickets wi thi " said our secretary ," And don't forget tha own me a pint "

 

I was down stairs as quick as a flash and showed our Tom mi new wallet and cards , He had a good laugh when I told him about my money short fall , but helped me spend the four beer tickets on the Wards Ale that was sold in the club at that time , three for him and one for me , which was fine as Tom was my hero being  football captain for that smashing club .

[echo beach]

I lived in Midhill Road for about 4 years and went to Heeley Bank Infants School as a youngster.

One of my favourite places to play was what we called 'Horse's Field' just below where the club was on East Bank Road.

Left in 1952 for pastures new in Gleadless.

 

echo.

[cuttsie]

Used to walk through those fields both above and below the club . I made a mistake by feeding the horses my snap one morning , (ma would have killed me ) . the morning after the whole bloody herd of them  came belting after me  , . talk about Bananza .

 

No Norfolk park estate then just farm land all the way down to the park as is now .

[cuttsie]

And so , I became a fully fledged member of the Midhill , It was a good time for me , over the years I saw many  turns on that stage , Ron Delta a Sheffield comedian always brought the house down (would not be allowed now )  The four mimes another great act , Ronnie Dukes and Rickie Lee  who went on to TV fame and the London Palladium .

 

The Midhill being the Midhill and its committee of not so savvy business men often mixed up the bookings at the club , 

A large Saturday audience would often be in early to see the latest act only to be told that there had been a mix up in the booking and the said stars were unavailable .

This lead to stamping of feet and booing from the assembled crowd , In turn the concert chairman Jack the bin man would get up on stage , with out stretched arms he would call for calm and inform us that he was sorry about the mix up but he had sorted it all out and Flow was on her way .

 

Flow Midwood lived at the top of Arbourthorne or there abouts and was a club singer who did all the old Vera Lyn time stuff with a bit of opera thrown in , Now Flow was OK  but not what us lot were anticipating for a top Saturday night's entertainment  so bin man Jack's announcement brought even more boos and cat calling , 

Any way this happened on many occasions at the club and in the end it was a running joke .

No matter who they said was on we on many occasions got Flow who was always just five minutes away .

[Padders]

Great stories from Cuttsie,

Sadly most WMC no longer exist, but the memories remain.....

I was a life member at Bellhouse Rd WMC....

BINGO! 

Never played a game in my life, hated it..

Talking when the bingo commenced was a hanging offence, in fact Bellhouse had scaffolding erected round the back for any offenders..

I once got barred for 2 weeks, my crime was eating a packet of Pork Scratching's during Bingo.

Stay safe,

Eyes Down.