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5 unusual facts about Working Men's Club and Institute Union


National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs

This is because many were already affiliated to the Working Men's Club and Institute Union (CIU).

Working Men's Club and Institute Union

In the Victorian era, the Liberal Working Men's Clubs were prevalent in increasing the Union's membership.

The Club and Institute Union was founded by The Rev. Henry Solly in 1862.

Sometimes Liberal Clubs were called Gladstone Clubs in honour of the Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.

Together with other club organisations such as the Royal British Legion the Association of Conservative Clubs, The National Union of Liberal Clubs and The National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs the CIU is part of CORCA (Confederation of Registered Club Associations) which lobbies Parliament on behalf of clubs.


Colin Crompton

An attempt by producer Johnnie Hamp to reproduce the atmosphere of the working men's clubs in a television studio, Crompton was famous for ringing a hand-operated fire alarm bell and telling the audience to "give order" when making announcements from "the committee" in between acts.

Georg Holtzendorff

His main work was the decoration of the Gladstone Dessert Service, presented by the Liberal Working Men of Derby to Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone in 1883.

High Spen

High Spen has one pub, called The Bute Arms, and two Working Men's clubs.

Marti Caine

At the age of 19 and unable to pay the £19 cost of her mother's funeral expenses, she auditioned as Lynne Stringer (her married name) at the Chapeltown Working Men's Club outside Sheffield.

Neil Reid

and Reid quickly faded from national prominence to performing on the Northern England Working men's club circuit.

Ouston, County Durham

A Working men's club (The Ranch) is also situated in the neighbouring village of Perkinsville.

Pelton Fell

The Pelton Fell Working men's club was closed and demolished March 2008, several years after the Colliery Inn was closed and demolished only 100 yards from the same location.

Sir Ronald Forbes Adam, 2nd Baronet

In retirement Adam became Chairman and Director General of the British Council, Chairman of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),Principal of the Working Men's College, and sat on the governing bodies of London University's Birkbeck College and Institute of Education.

The Clark Brothers

The Clark Brothers gave their first British performance for King George VI and became favourites in working men's clubs.

The Dooleys

The pair took the group to Manchester for some trials in Northern clubs.

Vernon Lushington

Influenced by Frederick Denison Maurice, he joined the Working Men's College as a singing teacher, and promoter of art and music appreciation; he became part of the group that formed the first College governing Corporation in 1854.

Walter J. Turner

Born in South Melbourne, the son of a church musician – organist at St Paul's Cathedral – and a warehouseman, Walter James Turner, and a woman of long golden hair, Alice May (née Watson), he was educated at Carlton State School, Scotch College and the Working Men's College.


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