Nottingham veterans' club faces eviction after 100 years

The club's centrepiece is a full sized snooker table which it has had since 1907

A social club set up for Nottingham's historic Robin Hood Rifles is facing eviction after more than 100 years.

The club's Upper Parliament Street home was sold last year by the Royal British Legion (RBL) and new owners have given them notice to quit.

Members said its unique network of veterans and friends - and collection of memorabilia - was in danger of being broken up.

The RBL said it sold the building as it was not an effective use of funds.

Member John Essex said the club contained a social history of a century

The unit was originally formed in 1859 over fears of French invasion but, while going through numerous reorganisations, served in the Boer War, many major battles of World War One and in various theatres as an air defence unit in World War Two.

The building was bought for the Robin Hood Rifles in 1910 by Sir Albert Ball, father of the air ace of the same name, and the Royal British Legion took it over in the 1940s.

The company was finally disbanded in 1999.

Club member John Essex said: "We've been in this building since 1910, when it was bought for us.

"It's a unique collection of things that belong to the club, have been given to the club. And we've got records and photographs and it's like a social history of the times.

"We have lots of people who like me have never been a soldier or anything like it, who've joined the club because it was a good place to go because they had friends already here.

"And it'd mean that they'd have a curtailment of social interaction."

Barrie Atkins said they might have to sell some of the club collection to fund a move

Plans were submitted to turn the venue into flats and club officials say they have been told to move by 22 June.

As well as providing a social setting, the club boasts a large amount of memorabilia, including military equipment, medals and a full-sized snooker table dating from 1907.

Barrie Atkins, honorary secretary, said: "The guys who served come mainly because they come here and it's like a safety blanket to them and you can chat and things like that, let off a bit of steam, with people who understand them.

"We have an extraordinary general meeting on (27 April) because we have to ask the members' permission to move.

"I had a guy in to price up some of the artefacts and we hope and we have got something worth a bob or two to help us move along."

An RBL spokesperson said: "In June 2023, the Royal British Legion sold the property on Upper Parliament St and gave the tenants residing in the building significant notice of the property going to market.

"The upkeep costs of the building were deemed not an appropriate use of the charity's funds and with no RBL branch residing in the property, the sale was agreed in accordance with the Charities Act legislation.

"The eviction notice has been issued from the new landlord to the current tenants and the RBL is not involved."

The BBC attempted to contact the owner of the building.