Sheffield retro: working men's clubs of 70s, 80s and 90s

Transcript

00:00There have been contrasting fortunes for Sheffield's old Working Men's Clubs in recent weeks.

00:07Demolition crews moved in on the old wood seats WMC, which is being flattened to make

00:11way for a new block of retirement apartments. But across town, the old Shire Green Working

00:16Men's Club, where the Full Monty was famously filmed, is set for a new lease of life after

00:21standing empty for years. Working Men's Clubs were founded by a teetotaler to improve the

00:28working man and keep him away from the pub, but they soon became less about education

00:32and more about entertainment, with members lapping up the cheap booze, bingo, music and

00:37comedy on offer. There were some 4,000 Working Men's Clubs across Britain in the 1970s heyday,

00:44a number which has reportedly more than halved since then amid rising costs and growing competition

00:49from home entertainment. While many Working Men's Clubs across Sheffield have fallen victim

00:55to changing times and drinking habits, some continue to defy the odds and pull in the

01:00punters. Survivors include the hugely popular Crook Social Club, which was founded in 1919

01:07as Crook's Working Men's Club, and where Def Leppard are among the bands to have graced

01:11the stage. This retro photo gallery shows some of Sheffield's many Working Men's Clubs

01:17during the 70s, 80s and 90s, when there was still a big draw. The clubs featured include

01:23those in Pittsmoor, Burngreave, Chapel Town, Hansworth, High Green and Healy, among other

01:29places. The photos featured are taken from the Starr's archives or shared courtesy of

01:35Pitcher Sheffield.