Windmill Club History

The meeting at which the formation of a club was discussed was held at the house of Mr. C. Hodson in Brookfield Road. In 1898 the first Windmill club was built on the corner of Windmill and Glassbrook Road. In 1899 a new addition to the premises was added at a cost of £850 and the old club house and property was also purchased.

A postcard by C F Chapman c1928 The date stone The old Windmill Club

Rushden Echo, 29th June 1900 A library has been opened this week at the Windmill Club and the committee intend to purchase a number of books for the members. At present the Working Men’s Club Union and Institute, London, are lending the books.

During the first World War there were several Rolls of Honour erected in Rushden. In 1917 one was erected in the Windmill grounds. Later in the same year the committee of the Roll sent 3s. 6d. to each of the 50 boys whose names appear on the roll. Over the next six months nearly £50 was sent in monthly sums.

In July 1920 a religious service was held in the Windmill Club concert room to dedicate a memorial to members of the club who had served, some of them falling in the Great War. On the Roll of Honour it listed 138 names of members of the club, 16 of which are of the fallen. It was constructed by Messrs. Fattorini and Sons, Ltd., of Bradford, and cost £110.

In 1927 a new and much bigger Club (the present one) was built on the opposite side of Glassbrook Road. In March of that year whilst working on the new building a Mr. Joe Harrison, a foreman, fell off the scaffolding from a height of 10ft. or so, landing on a stack of slates, severely cutting one of his ears and the flesh behind it. He had several stitches inserted by the doctor but was well enough to go back to work the next day. Later on that year during the half yearly meeting it was decided that a maple floor instead of deal would be laid in the large room upstairs for dances and other purposes.

On 24th March 1928 the new Rushden Windmill Club was officially opened by Mr. Bertie Hall, the national secretary of the Club and Institute Union.

Mr. F. E. Preston was the Architect, W. Packwood and son the builder, and Messrs. Whittington and Tomlin did the woodwork.

The new club was erected (including fittings and furniture) for about £12,500.

The first steward of the club was a Mr. Abbott, who lent the money for the club officials to buy the beer.

To start with the club did very well some of the big names of the day playing in the concert room, it was quite common on a week-end to have a row of coaches lined up along Glassbrook Road having brought people from miles around to see the performers. There have been wrestling matches put on at regular times, even the odd Town Christmas Carol Service.

	1st October 2011 The club closed its doors today, due to financial problems that it had been trying to overcome for some years. Club secretary Jim Milroy said closure was due to threatened legal action by H M Revenue and Customs. Bar supervisor Mr Danny Wright said the club was being cleaned ready for sale by auction.
The Club in 2008

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