End of an era as decades-old social club closes

Shirley and Peter have run the club since 1968

A social club for adults with learning disabilities in north-west London is closing after 57 years.

Neasden Gateway Club is one of the longest running social clubs in London having been founded by Pete and Shirley Bickers in 1968.

The bi-weekly club is ended as the Bickers have decided to retire, and no one else is available to continue to run it.

"I think that's probably our greatest achievement, that people chose," said Shirley. "They're not brought here, but people chose to come and I think that's important."

She added that over the years, they had provided the service to more than 150, "maybe even 200" people.

Club goers and helpers celebrated 57 years of the club with a cake

At the club's closing party, Shirley said: "I'm most proud that so many people wanted to come tonight and that so many people chose to come to the club."

Andy Stroud was a volunteer at the club

One of its longest helpers, Andy Stroud, joined the club in 1969.

"I was an apprentice then and came along to the club with a lot of young people and I enjoyed it so much because the members are absolutely wonderful all the time," he said.

"They're always up front, they always talk to you, they tell you how they feel and it's just a very enjoyable thing to be part of a club."

Shirley gathered photos from the good old days for the closing party

Ahead of the club closing, Shirley has looked through all the folders that are full of pictures taken over the years.

"I was trying to get pictures of every member, and saw that a lot of members have been coming since the 70s, as well as those who have joined more recently," she said.

"The aim has always been to give a space to socialise for those who may otherwise find it quite difficult."

Peter added: "I think that our members needed a social outlet and there was nowhere for them to go because they just weren't accepted in the normal kind of social clubs, at the time.

"So they had to have somewhere separate and that's what we provided.

"It's less critical now because a lot of the members will go to other places but it still takes a lot of confidence.

"Some of our members just won't go out anywhere without coming to the club and they're really going to miss it.

"Not being here, it's going to be a wrench for us. It is an end of an era, more than an end of an era."

One final club night will be held on 9 September.