Jeremy Clarke Jeremy Clarke

Can working men’s clubs survive the smoking ban?

Reactions to the smoking ban at a working men’s club

Reactions to the smoking ban at a working men’s club

I pressed the buzzer on the wall of the darkened doorway of the Custom House Working Men’s Club in east London. It wasn’t clear whether the shabby building was open for business or not. I pressed again and waited.

In the early 1970s there were over 4,000 working men’s clubs in Britain. Today that number has halved to about 2,000. Recent hikes in the cost of gaming and drinking licences and loss of custom owing to the comparative cheapness of supermarket beer means that many of those that remain are struggling to make ends meet. Kevin Smyth, general secretary of the Club and Institutes Union, estimates that ‘a further 200 could have their fingers prised off the ledge’ as a direct consequence of the smoking ban. Anecdotal evidence indicates that takings have already fallen dramatically in some clubs. ‘It’s too early to tell at the moment how it’s going to go,’ says Mr Smyth, ‘but I certainly am worried about the future.’

The lack of a welcoming electric light in the doorway made me wonder whether the Custom House Working Men’s Club had folded already. After a while, however, the door opened revealing a young barman smoking a cigarette. ‘Can I come in?’ I said. ‘I’ve come to see how you’re all coping with the smoking ban.’ The barman shrugged and walked away.

Inside the club, Tammy Wynette was making her heartfelt plea for ladies everywhere to stand by their man. In one half of the room about 30 people were playing bingo. In the other half the tables and chairs were deserted. But the double fire doors on this side of the room were propped open and in the dark and narrow alley outside an elderly couple were seated at a makeshift table, smoking.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in