A Hucknall History

Pubs & Licensed Clubs

Huthwaite Victoria Club

A familiar termed Vic in 2004 is little changed after 1971 extension added an entertainment hall permitting female entry under later titled Huthwaite Victoria Club doorway. It outlived a 1908 CWS background factory, which primarily led North Street developments.

Victoria Working Men's Club and Institute

Members happily embarking on a 1950s bus outing includes fathers of Mrs Jackie James plus Christine Ellis. It may invoke others to share memory of the originally named Victoria Working Men's Club & Institute, as there's little published evidence found readily available to support detailing a modern history. The fact it was already well established at rear of Airey's front shop at least offers a comparable facade on a recognisable property. These were a few clues offering basis to finally feature some revealing research.

Discovering Mr Wm Barnes submitted 1906 proposals for a club and cottages demanded some background to qualify his Hucknall Huthwaite lineage. Turning back to 1891 census sufficiently confirms this family line includes at least one son named John George among younger sisters, all headed by 37 year old William and wife Sarah Barnes housed adjacent the Portland Arms.

Adding to this 1901 farmers household is a coal mining son-in-law with grandson. Affording them separate living quarters within a semi-detached premises incorporating a club house, furthermore accounts for the generously sized 1911 cottages found claiming a recently developed North Street address, when William intriguingly claimed work as Labourer to the Urban District Council..

Resulting plots are clearest mapped out well after that decade of rapid residential expansion had largely filled far west boundary backstreets accommodating continuing growth of a Hucknall Huthwaite mining village, plus a supportive industry. But the private club house location is never actually identified.

Popular national choice of club name might reflect swift modern advancements through Queen Victoria's reign, by simply noting thematic naming of nearby George Street and King Street.

Earliest and best confirmation of a firmly established Victoria Workmen's Institute are dated gazetteers naming secretary or steward officials. A fuller record could only be assured if able to access committee minutes.

The fully titled Victoria Working Men's Club and Institute infers a potential group founding, in recognisable association and strict conformance with a nationally established Workmen's Club and Institute Union. A bar roomed club catering only to the working man was nothing unusual, until realising this could well be the last Huthwaite licensed premises to eventually permit female entry plus membership.

2 & 4 North Street

Past shop frontage always held number 2 North Street address. Mrs Sarah Barnes is found listed as 1932 shopkeeper, confirming a tied family surname retains linked landlord interests with both adjoining premises.

The Victoria Club attracted unwanted publicity for selling beer to a non-member, as reported 13th March 1930 by Nottingham Evening Post. It does emphasise strict need for membership, while suggesting how off-license sales were separately conducted from bottom of rear yard.

Registered above as 1939 coal merchant living next door at number 4 is son John George Barnes, with Emily's housewife description of Unpaid Domestic Duties. A sixty year old Mabel Briggs kept the grocery shop, that living memories best recall being run throughout latter years called Airey's. A fuller named Mrs Annie Airey was given 1941 commercial listing, aside a then haulier Barnes G & Son.

Number 4 North Street was fondly remembered by Bernard O'Conner in London. Following his fathers WWII Royal Navy posting to serve a Huthwaite Medical Supplies centre, the three year old lad recalled their temporary lodgings aside that big factory, where he watched the owner chop and bundle wood in his rear yard shed, before happily sharing cart rides delivering kindling and coal.

Final loss of No 4 eventually came about after becoming longer term childhood home for Mrs Kim Gill. Expressing pleasure being raised there by mother Mrs Edith Horrey nee Lineker, their late 1960s family occupancy was terminated to expand the Victoria Club house. Family relocation facing the cemetery proved closer for mother running her Sutton Road Edith's hairdressing salon.

The Vic

After spaciously homing the Barnes family, realising original construction had capacity for rooming four individual interests queries why designed investment never did fully utilise a sizeable plot cornering North Street into High Street throughout high demands for rented accommodation. The only discernible facts for now are the Victoria Workmens Club and Institute founded in rear rooms clearly managed to take full possession of the entire premises, furthermore making greatest use of available land adjoining.

Converting the whole building into one well equipped licensed facility would rival most existing Huthwaite Public Houses. But a 1971 frontal entrance had opened up a superior modern extension aside High Street featuring a large staged entertainments hall promoting far broader success into the foreseeable future. A newly signed doorway on far left was just personally noted in passing being moved to its present central position, no doubt aiming to accommodate a slightly modified interior layout. That didn't distract one significant advancement already realised. A renamed Huthwaite Victoria Club had finally welcomed female entry to achieve fullest social approval.

Like almost all Huthwaite public houses, the Vic also suffered from rapidly falling 1990 trade. It struggled on after Covid closures, as one of just four remaining premises, until inevitably noting July 2022 Sale sign. North Street will undoubtedly see more changes.