The average price for a pint in Bristol is £6. Combined with Bristol recently being labelled as being the most expensive city to rent in the UK, it’s no surprise that people are feeling less inclined to go to the pub, meet new people and socialise. So a thought came into my head, what’s happened to Bristol’s old pubs and clubs? Surely they’re still offering cheaper prices – but are younger people like me welcome?
It was dark as I walked towards The Somerville Club, a pen and paper in my bag, fascination pushing me forwards – the streets were quiet as it was a Wednesday night and I could just about make out some bunting billowing in the wind and a red and blue ‘Open’ flashing against a window. I walked up towards the cream building and rang the buzzer – in I stepped.
The club was founded in 1893 as Horfield Liberal Club. By 1923 the name had changed to the North Bristol Liberal Club and subsequently to the non-politically aligned Somerville Club. According to the website, it seems the road name was spelled both with single and double Ms and when the club was named a single M was in vogue.
Anyway, 133 years in, it is among a handful of clubs in Bristol that operate on a ‘members only’ basis. I managed to secure a way in by being friends with one of the bar staff – nerves were high as I was aware that it was only five years ago that the club began allowing women to become members independently.
When I walked in, it felt as though I was stepping inside a pub that time had forgotten. It was warm and cosy with carpeted floors and cushioned chairs and everything was wooden – except for the little fruit machine that couldn’t have been much younger than 50 years old. In a time of AI and endless ‘self-checkout’ machines in supermarkets, walking into this club was like remembering what life used to be like.
I sat down at the bar, on a green cushioned stool and ordered a pint of Madri. £4.40!
Taking my first sip, I noticed that the price for a double vodka was just £4! Was I sure I hadn’t been transported back to the 90s?
My friend behind the bar had told me just the other day how keen the club was to get new members, how desperate they were for it. This surprised me as I thought that such a small and old club would surely not appreciate lots of new faces, surely they’d want to keep it how it is?
So I spoke to the club’s treasurer, Naomi Knotts, who said: “If we don’t have enough people being members, coming in regularly then the club will disappear and it will have to be sold and shut down. We can’t compete with the quality of food on Gloucester Road, so this is an affordable little den and what we’ve got to do is provide something that gives people a reason to come in for.
“For instance we have Open Mic nights on Thursdays, bingos on Wednesdays and live bands once a month.”
I asked Naomi what she would say to new people considering becoming a member.
“It’s a safe, comfortable environment and you get cheap drinks! At only £35 a year, I see it as a no brainer.”
Two well known characters on Gloucester Road, Jason and Sean Keene, are twins who love coming to the Sommerville. They told me: “It’s a chance to meet new people, feel safe and everyone’s nice and welcoming.’ One of the twins, Jason, pointed to my friend behind the bar, smiled and said: “The bar staff are nice, especially trouble!”
My pint was half finished and people had started arriving for the bingo – it was a Wednesday, remember – my friend behind the bar knew all the people’s names and remembered their usual drinks. Everyone greeted everyone with a smile.
A man named Jeff stood next to me to buy his bingo cards, I turned to him and asked him what he thought about new people becoming members: “I say to them, just get in here. It’s a safe place to drink, reasonable prices, good entertainment and good company.” Jeff has been a member of the club for 45 years and welcomes the prospect of getting new, younger members joining up.
Paul, who has been a trustee at the club for 15 years, said: “More members will make it more fun, pubs are going downhill now, they’re too expensive. Here you will always have cheap beer and no trouble.”
As a 24-year-old woman, I’ll admit I did feel safe and even took part in a night of bingo – I won £2! So maybe it’s time more members-only clubs started branching out and encouraging younger people to join, and maybe it’s time for us all to take a step back in time and welcome cheap booze, community focused spaces and support our old clubs that have been around for centuries.