BY PHOEBE MERRICK

EVELYN Ashley and his son, Wilfrid, owners of Broadlands, together with David Faber, owner of Strong’s Brewery, were united in their ambition to wean Romsey away from Liberalism and make the town solidly Conservative.

One of the steps taken was to make a premises available for the Conservative Working Men’s Club. Since the 1880s this club had met at the Dolphin in the Cornmarket. When the Swan Inn closed in the 1895, it was leased to the Conservative Club at a peppercorn rent. Some years later it was given to them.

Until the 1920s, there was an entrance for vehicles to the west of the ground floor beyond which was a shop on the corner of Church Street.

In 1924 the ground floor was redesigned. The Romsey Advertiser reported that it had had new premises added to it ‘which makes it one of the best clubrooms in Hampshire’. The alterations incorporated ‘the old reading room, stables and storerooms’. The work was undertaken primarily by Messrs Hurst and Sons of Awbridge. The architect was Mr S. C. Greenwood, who had had a hand in laying out the War Memorial Park. Messrs Ely and Son undertook the plumbing.

A new reading room was provided: I wonder what the members read. A buffet was provided as was a lounge. Members were particularly proud of their ‘well-heated billiard room with all conveniences’. It was large enough to house three full-sized billiard tables, ‘which each had top-lights in the roof capable of being used also for ventilation.

Since mains electricity did not reach Romsey until 1929, I wonder how the ‘top-lights’ were lit. There is no mention of a private generator, but something must have been providing the power, unless they were gas.

The building also had central heating and a bathroom. I have been told by friends that the Club has excellent ladies’ lavatories, but it seems that members can no longer bath there. Until this century, the club was an all male affair.

They had a grand opening ceremony and it was said that ‘several hundreds of the members were present’ which seems somewhat unlikely.

David Faber was the President of the Club and opened the new facilities with a talk on the shortcomings of socialism and the need to support the Conservative cause. Toasts were drunk and a ‘smoker’ followed.

Smokers were very popular in the first half of the 20th century, when men would sit round smoking while being entertained by musical interludes or recitations usually of the humorous variety. The evening finished by listening to a broadcasting programme on equipment installed by Messrs Mitchell Bros.