Club History
Excerpts from the Brief History of the Horfield and Bishopston Unionist Club as produced in the year of it's Centenary 1899-1999.
Original Club premises on extreme right.
Note the iron mongers shop adjacent and still in same use
at present
On Thursday the 25th of May 1899 Queen Victoria celebrated her 80th. Birthday. The Bristol Times and Mirror also reported that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, Member of Parliament for Bristol West opened a Unionist Club at Horfield on this auspicious day.
The opening ceremony was a simple one performed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer who unlocked the front door and made a tour of the building with the visitors assembling in the billiard room.
On the ground floor a spacious billiard room has been created and a bar formed at the back of this room. A spiral staircase leads to the first floor where there are two rooms for smoking and reading.
In 1927 consent was given to alter parts of the building subject to approval by Bevan Hancock, Trustees of the Will of the late Nevil Maskelyne. Plans for a two-storey building containing a billiard room equipped with four tables and on the ground floor, two skittles alleys were approved and the building work completed.
External view of the club Decorated for the Coronation of George VI in 1937
View of Snooker Room as it was in early 1950
The years of 1971 and 1972 saw extensive developments to the premises with full central heating installed, an external staircase removed and replaced by an internal one to give the external front elevation a better appearance. A new stillage was made and a completely new bar and back fitment installed with redecoration of both the lounge and men's bar. Floor levels were altered resulting in even height to the bars in both main rooms.
In early January 1975 building work commenced on a first floor room, originally part of the stewards flat and later a committee and television room. The room, now known as the Nevil room, was enlarged and included a small dance floor and a bar and was designed with the younger element in mind. It was not opened until December that year due to considerable problems with the original architect, ending in a favourable financial settlement for the Club. The room increased in popularity and was in use every Saturday evening when dances were held, with other uses during the week but unfortunately there has been a decline in recent years.
It was at this time that the Saturday night draw was introduced and by 1976 it had become so popular that one third of the profit was returned each week to an "Entertainments fund". Another very popular draw was the Christmas one which was now producing some 500 prizes and both of these draws continue to the present as essential to the Club.
By 1979 the club was so popular that a long waiting list for membership had accrued and the committee increased the intake for that year by 100 full members.
The activity and popularity had never been greater and looking back it appears that a zenith was reached in the years of 86 and 87. Concern was expressed in 1988 about the decline in membership and this trend continues to this day.
Adding to some of the clubs memorabilia a print of the sailing ship "Churchill: In Full Sail" was purchased. It may seem appropriate at this point to name some of the items we have and they include a limited edition of a lithograph of Sir Winston Churchill K.G. by Sir Oswold Birley and a bronze statue of him in his Knight of the Garter regalia by Karin Churchill. Also, following a generous bequest by one of our members, we have acquired four original watercolours by a local artist, Anthony Pace member of Bristol Savages and President 1988/89, of scenes in the City of Bristol. It is sometimes difficult to persuade committees to allow money to be spent on such items but they all add to the interest of a club and produce discussion among members and guests, quite apart from any increase in monetary value over the years.
West end of Club in 1996
The Nevil room, which had not been redecorated since it was constructed in 1975, came in for complete refurbishment in 1997 and an extended dance floor area was created. New seating, furniture and lighting were installed. A completely new look was given to this room.
This brief and at times probably inaccurate record of the last 99 years has been written as a tribute to all the past and present Officers, Trustees, Auditors and Committee members who have given a lot of time and effort to ensure that our Club thrives and continues in its long held beliefs laid down in its constitution a hundred years ago.
The few photographs are scattered through the pages to show some added interest. The photographs are more or less random ones showing the club as it was and as it is now. The old exterior ones of Gloucester road are in a collection of "Bygone Bristol" and were kindly donated by Mr. & Mrs. J. D. Fisher. Others were taken by club members and hence the variability.
John Fish
President
PRESIDENTS |
|
1899-1906 |
Sir Michael Hicks Beach M.P. |
1906-1927 |
Lieut Col. George A. Gibbs J.P. M.P. |
1928-1934 |
C.T. Culverwell M.P. |
1936-1946 |
I. Angell James M.P.C.S. L.R.c.P |
1947-1950 |
Col. The Right Hon. Oliver Stanley M.P. |
1951-1957 |
Sir Walter Monckton K.C.M.G. K.C.V.O. M.C. M.P. |
1957-1964 |
W.B. Kingston Esq. |
1965-1982 |
Sir Robert Cooke Kt. |
1982-2007 |
The Right Hon William Waldegrave M.A. J.P. M.P |
2007- |
John Fish Esq. |
PRIME MINISTERS DURING THE CLUB'S HISTORY
1895-1902 |
Marquis of Salisbury |
Conservative |
1902-1905 |
Arthur James Balfour |
Conservative |
1905-1908 |
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman |
Liberal |
1908-1916 |
Herbert Henry Asquith |
Liberal |
1916-1922 |
David Lloyd George |
Coalition |
1922-1923 |
Andrew Bonar Law |
Conservative |
1923-1924 |
Stanley Baldwin |
Conservative |
1924 |
James Ramsay Macdonald |
Labour |
1924-1929 |
Stanley Baldwin |
Conservative |
1929-1935 |
James Ramsay Macdonald |
Coalition |
1935-1937 |
Stanley Baldwin |
Coalition |
1937-1940 |
Neville Chamberlain |
Coalition |
1940-1945 |
Sir Winston Churchill |
Coalition |
1945-1951 |
Clement Attlee |
Labour |
1951-1955 |
Sir Winston Churchill |
Conservative |
1955-1957 |
Sir Anthony Eden |
Conservative |
1957-1963 |
Harold Macmillan |
Conservative |
1963-1964 |
Sir Alec Douglas-Home |
Conservative |
1964-1970 |
Harold Wilson |
Labour |
1970-1974 |
Edward Heath |
Conservative |
1974-1976 |
Harold Wilson |
Labour |
1976-1979 |
James Callaghan |
Labour |
1979-1990 |
Margaret Thatcher |
Conservative |
1990-1997 |
John Major |
Conservative |
1997-2007 |
Anthony Blair |
Labour |
2007- |
Gordon Brown |
Labour |
Looking up Gloucester Road towards the club, which is just beyond the terrace in the distant right seen in the chemists shop photograph.
Chemists shop opposite club looking down Gloucester Road. Not so different today.
Photos courtesy of J & D Fisher, Horfield, Bristol.
The following happened after the previous information had been compiled.
Since going to press a very important decision was made at a Special General Meeting on the 2nd October 1998 by a substantial majority to make our Lady Associate members, Full Members from 1st of January 1999