Working men's club to close after 122 years

A mid-close up image of two people. On the left, a lady in her seventies with short black hair, and brown eyes, wearing silver hoop earrings and a black cardigan over a green top with black-and-white leaf patterns. On the right, a bald man with brown eyes wearing black glasses and smiling. He's wearing a blue zip-up fleece over a lighter blue shirt. Behind them, the interior of a working men's club is visible - a red patterned carpet, red chairs stacked atop each other, a cream wall adorned with photographs and a red clock, and to the right a red door underneath a 'FIRE EXIT' sign.

Committee members Nora Whitfield and Ronnie Bates both joined the club as teenagers

Emilia Martinez-Barnfather
BBC North East and Cumbria

A beloved working men's club is to close after 122 years in operation, despite its members' efforts to keep it alive.

Ryhope Working Men's Club - known locally as Ryhope Top Club - opened in the Sunderland village in 1903, and was especially popular among its mining community.

Club members have enjoyed summer trips, Christmas parties, ballroom dancing and leek-growing contests over the decades.

But this month, the club announced it would close its doors for the final time on 1 June, citing lower custom in recent years.

"The bar is the heartbeat of any workmen's club. Unfortunately, it's died a death," said Ronnie Bates, who became a member of the club when he was 19.

Mr Bates followed in the footsteps of his father, who joined in 1926 while working at Ryhope Colliery.

The interior of a working men's club. To the left of the image, a large red-and-blue mining banner which reads: "RYHOPE MINERS' LODGE DURHAM AREA N.U.M. PIONEERS OF THE MOVEMENT HAVEN OF REST", is attached to a wall. In the centre of the banner is an illustration of a row of terraced houses. To the right of the wall and banner is a stage lined with silver-coloured streamers.

Ryhope Top Club says trading is "no longer sustainable"

The pit's closure in 1966 was the first challenge the club faced.

"It affected Ryhope in a big way - the pubs and clubs suffered," Mr Bates said.

But Ryhope Top Club survived, and remained a big part of the community.

"In the good days, in the '70s and '80s, we used to have a trip away for the kids, the families."

There used to be 12 coaches lined up, he said.

"We didn't go far – Whitley Bay, Seaton Carew, Redcar, places like that. It was a great day."

A mid-terrace building with grey exterior walls. On the left of the building are blue double doors with glass windows. Above the doors is a sign which reads "RYHOPE WORKINGMENS CLUB AND INSTITUTE LTD" with two Heineken logos either side. In the middle and right of the exterior wall are two glass windows with white panels.

"Every room" used to be full at the club, members said

Mr Bates remembers the club often being "packed".

Monday nights saw film showings, while on Tuesdays people came "from all over" for ballroom dancing, and at weekends, "every room was full upstairs".

But customers began to dwindle after the indoor smoking ban was introduced in 2007, and the club had to compete with "cheap alcohol" available in supermarkets, Mr Bates said.

"Then Covid struck, and that really hit everybody hard, obviously. And we've just never recovered from it," he added.

Nora Whitfield, 72, started working as a barmaid at the club when she was 18.

She no longer works for the club, but has spent the last 14 years organising charity fundraisers at the venue, helping to raise money for a local maternity unit, Macmillan Cancer Support, the RNLI, and several other charities.

Four women inside a hospital corridor, holding a large cheque. The writing on the cheque is unclear, but "the co-operative bank" is visible on the top left-hand corner. Three of the women are wearing surgical face masks and hospital lanyards. On the right, a woman (Nora Whitfield) with short black hair and a surgical mask in her hand. A a purple sign on the white wall behind them reads "welcome to...maternity services" and "Our maternity unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital"

Nora Whitfield has "lovely memories" of events and fundraisers at Ryhope Top Club

As well as charity fundraising, Mrs Whitfield tried to bring money into the club by hosting bingo, functions and Christmas parties.

"I've done as much as I can," she said. "It's just so sad the way things are turning out."

Mrs Whitfield and Mr Bates praised the club's steward, bar staff, and committee members, who they say "tried really hard" to keep the club going.

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