Bohemia Village Voice

Mind that green baize - a club member lines up his shot

A reader [JJ Waller of Brighton] wrote recently asking if we could tell him anything about the Bohemia Club in Upper South Road. Accordingly a Voice reporter went along to this delightfully old-fashioned venue to find out more about what goes on there.
The club was started by local businessmen about a hundred years ago, and is still in the original premises, above Bohemia Motors garage. It was originally a political club, its full title being The Bohemia Conservative Club, and the local MP was the president. Now the political activities have been dropped and the word “Conservative” only kept on “to avoid messing about with banks!” These days it is purely a social club where members can play snooker, billiards, crib, darts, shove- halfpenny, and other traditional bar games. There are two snooker tables, one of which has recently been recovered. They are believed to be the original tables put in place when the club was founded.
Anyone can become a member, ladies as well. It used to be a club for men only, but that has now been discontinued, and currently there is one lady member! The club is keen to encourage new members. “We’re suffering due to lack of membership,” said Roy Harris, the club’s secretary. “If we don’t get any new members we may have to close in the very near future due to rising costs. There’s the rent for the premises, the gas bills, the electricity bills. Lots of clubs in the town are suffering as well. It’s a national trend”
Vic Chalcraft, treasurer, said, “Now there’s the no-smoking laws, and you can’t drink and drive. None of it has helped. We need an influx of new members, guaranteed that they’re going to stay.”
Currently there are thirty people on the membership list, of whom about twelve come regularly. Roy Harris explained that due to a government condition on the private members’ club licence, they need to have a minimum of twenty-four.
Adrian Stonestreet has been going out to local businesses on a membership drive. He said, “It’s something completely different. It’s sociable, instead of going home and looking at the idiot box!” He continued, “It’s a nice refuge, where you can go in and have a chat with a few people; a nice retreat. There’s no music, and cheap beer! In a pub it’s just music all the time. And the snooker is very cheap here too!”
The Voice reporter found it to be a homely and traditional venue with a warm welcome and an easy-going friendliness – a pleasant place to relax and socialise. It’s nice and quiet and old-fashioned and companionable and low-key. There’s nothing pretentious about it, just a relaxing and congenial place to unwind and spend an hour or two socialising with a group of convivial people.
Anyone interested in joining can contact Vic Chalcraft on 439827 or Roy Harris on 854779, who can make arrangements for prospective members to come along and see what they think.

At the bar - L-R Roy Harris, secretary, Ian Juniper, commitee member, and Vic Chalcraft, treasurer.

The modest entrance to the club. (Photo J J Waller)