OUR HISTORY
In 1910 12 Billiard players arranged to place a billiards table in the temporary Congregational Church on Skipton Road. Formerly the club and hall were the Assembly and Reading rooms situated next to Harrogate library. When the library ceased to use them, in the late 1800s, a local builder Mr. Charles Nettleton acquired them and resited them in their present position.
The minister of the church, believed to be a billiards player, conducted negotiations with Mr. Nettleton and a rent of ten shillings (50p) per week was arranged for the use of one room on a weekday night only. Mr.K.McLean was the first president of the club and the first AGM was held on November 10 1910. The meeting formulated a set of rules and the constitution of the club. The objectives of the club were to offset the challenge of the Working Mens Club and to provide a place for recreation and social events, where fathers could take their sons and "train them up for club life without the initial temptation of alcoholic drinks". Billiards, Darts, Whist and Dominoes were features of the early activities. A billiards table was presented to the club and soon afterwards a further table was purchased for £15.00. Attempts were made to start athletics and boxing but owing to lack of interest these were soon dropped.
Funds for the initial outlay were obtained by loans from the 12 founder members. The clubs first financial difficulties arose in 1912, when there was a deficit of £35.00. Subscriptions were raised to five shillings a year and the charges for billiards were increased. A "Takeover bid" was made by Bilton Working Mens Club members but this was declined. Bilton Working Mens Club subsequently acquired their current home when the former Bilton Grange School closed.
At the outbreak of the 1914-18 war over 50 of the Bilton Social Club members joined the forces. In 1919 Alderman J Shepheard, then Mayor of Harrogate, unveiled the clubs Roll of Honour. Regrettably it is not now known if or how many members lost their lives in that conflict.
A third billiard table was purchased in 1916 when electricity was installed. In the modern world it is difficult to imagine playing billiards and snooker under gaslight! Bilton Social Club won the Harrogate and District Billiards Championship in the first two years after the First World War. In 1920 the club membership had reached 162 with a waiting list.
Later, on release from occupation of the Assembly room, the club purchased both that and the clubroom for the sum of £1,800.
Throughout it's history the club has been in close cooperation with Harrogate corporation and it's officials, and the hall was left as a branch library for Bilton, for a number of years until it was finally transferred to the former vicarage of St. John's Church on Bilton Lane.
With the acquisition of the hall a good source of revenue was created, as it could be let for Birthday parties, Weddings etc. as well as for dances, Whist Drives and jumble sales. In the early 1960s a local hairdresser Roy Elsworth started to run disco dances for teenagers on Monday nights. There were very popular but a bit on the noisy side for members using the club for practice. Subsequently Bingo became popular and the club ran Bingo evenings before the larger Bingo Halls opened. Obviously a small enterprise like Bilton Social Club could not compete with the prize money offered when the large Bingo halls opened, and finally the club stopped it's Bingo nights in 1982.
In 1963 the first fruit machine was installed and soon proved to be quite popular and provided good regular revenue for the club funds. 1963 was also the year that the club ceased to run the weekly Whist Drives.
During this period the club was financially sound and managed to build up savings and even more so after the mortgage was paid off in 1978. Membership has fluctuated quite markedly over the period since WW2 but has never reached the highs of the 1920s.
In 1967 Harlequins Table Tennis Club lost their playing accommodation and relocated to the Bilton Social Hall, where they played for a while. One of their members Max Dodd became a good billiards player and even now turns out for the team occasionally.
Henry William Thrower Senior, the last of the found members, passed away in April 1968 aged 89. During his lifetime the middle table of the three was only even used for billiards. This restriction, not now in place, did however introduce new members to billiards which has kept the Bilton Social Club players successful at the particular discipline. As previously stated the club won the Harrogate Billiards League in 1919 and 1920, at that time if a club won the competition three years running, then that club would retain the trophy permanently. In the 1922/23 and 1923/24 seasons the club again won the Billiards League, therefore in 1924/25 a handicap system was introduced. This system meant Bilton Social Club did not win the Billiards League title again until 1967 by which time the criteria for holding the trophy had changed.
Since the end of WW2 there have occasionally been enquiries from club members about obtaining a bottle licence. These requests have been considered but eventually declined. Fortunately this has proved to have been a wise decision as the club has been able to offer it's facilities to a much younger clientele, although in some instances when they reach the appropriate age, these young men leave to go to other clubs.
Through the years as well as the club winning league titles at both Billiards and Snooker, individual merit competitions, at all levels, have been won by Bilton Social Club members. At the end of the 1995/96 season, six of the club's players won individual trophies, which is remarkable for a small club, although at that time the club had a membership of 121. Furthermore, when the end of season competitions were extended to include a Billiards Team Knockout, Bilton Social Club won the league and cup double in the first year.
In 1979, to conserve energy, the clubroom ceiling had underdrawing installed, which did significantly reduce heating costs. Recently, relatively speaking, the club roof and half the hall roof had to be retiled, which took and appreciable amount of the clubs savings. However with revenue from cellar rental and the long term tenancy of the hall by the Jehovahs Witnesses, plus the members club use, the club is financially stable.
Bilton Social Club was a founder member of the Harrogate and District Billiards and Snooker League and over the years members have occupied various positions on the League Executive Committee. Currently two of the club members occupy senior positions, Steve Charteris is the League Secretary and Ray Gowton is the League Treasurer.
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This potted history has been compiled from club minutes, personal recollections and anecdotes.
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Written by George Arnold Thrower - December 2009
(Youngest of Henry William Throwers 5 sons)
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