Waterside Miners Club: The End of an Era
The Waterside Miners’ Welfare & Social Club ceased trading and closed its doors for the last time on Sunday 8th March 2020. Miners’ welfares were established throughout the UK from the latter part of the 18th until the mid-19th century.
The original miners’ welfare institutes were funded by weekly contributions deducted from the coal miners’ wages, donations from coal mine owners and latterly the National Coal Board (NCB). The Waterside Welfare served the village well from its establishment in the 1920s until augmented in January 1964 by the new, fully licensed social club.
‘The Waterside’, as it became known, quickly proved to be very popular not only with the villagers but with the Kirkintilloch folk. Kirkintilloch was still a ‘dry town’ when the club opened, and memberships were very difficult to obtain. Providing entertainment, darts, dominoes, pool, bingo, dances, children’s trips to the seaside, Christmas parties and retired members’ treats, as well as catering for weddings and even funerals, ‘The Waterside’ was the place to be – something for everyone.
With the demise of the coal and other heavy industries in the 1970s and 80s, and changing social habits, many of the miners’ clubs were no longer financially viable and had to close down.
In recent years the club has been a key venue in local events and public meetings organised by the reinvigorated Waterside Community Council (WCC), but sadly this was not enough to return the club to profitability.
WCC is hoping that a community buyout of the premises may be possible and is actively exploring all avenues, assisted by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Community Enterprise.
An end of an era indeed, a loss to the local and nearby communities and, most importantly, a loss of employment in these uncertain times.
The original miners’ welfare institutes were funded by weekly contributions deducted from the coal miners’ wages, donations from coal mine owners and latterly the National Coal Board (NCB). The Waterside Welfare served the village well from its establishment in the 1920s until augmented in January 1964 by the new, fully licensed social club.
‘The Waterside’, as it became known, quickly proved to be very popular not only with the villagers but with the Kirkintilloch folk. Kirkintilloch was still a ‘dry town’ when the club opened, and memberships were very difficult to obtain. Providing entertainment, darts, dominoes, pool, bingo, dances, children’s trips to the seaside, Christmas parties and retired members’ treats, as well as catering for weddings and even funerals, ‘The Waterside’ was the place to be – something for everyone.
With the demise of the coal and other heavy industries in the 1970s and 80s, and changing social habits, many of the miners’ clubs were no longer financially viable and had to close down.
In recent years the club has been a key venue in local events and public meetings organised by the reinvigorated Waterside Community Council (WCC), but sadly this was not enough to return the club to profitability.
WCC is hoping that a community buyout of the premises may be possible and is actively exploring all avenues, assisted by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Community Enterprise.
An end of an era indeed, a loss to the local and nearby communities and, most importantly, a loss of employment in these uncertain times.
Edward Z. Smith
2020
2020