History

The Golcar Central Liberal Club was formed in 1873 using two newly built houses at Carr Top. The houses were arranged so that there were reading rooms, smoking rooms, bagatelle room and a recreation room. The houses would have commanded a rent of around £30 per annum but the owner had agreed to lease them to the newly formed club for a much lower rent. The houses were centrally situated in the village and thus very convenient for people to attend and 80 people had enrolled on the day of its opening. In 1876 The club decided to buy a bigger property that had recently gone on the market which would provide a more convenient space. The property had formerly belonged to John Dyson, who had died and his estate had put it up for sale for £600. The club had borrowed £500 in order to purchase the building which would be repaid when they were in a position to do so.

Although the new building had been occupied by the club for thirteen months it was inaugurated in November 1878. It was reported as being the fourth political club to have opened in the district. Membership now stood at 165 which had been an increase of 41 on
the previous year. Things kept improving for the club with rising membership causing the need for larger premises, so a new club building became a reality when the foundation stones for the new club were laid in August 1913 by Lord Airedale and Charles Leach MP for Colne valley. The estimated cost of the building was £3000. The club put its old premises up for sale by auction in July 1915 and it was reported that the sale was due to the Liberal Club relocating to new and larger premises. The auctioneers advertised it as “Golcar Central Liberal Club and adjoining caretakers’ house” value expected was £375. The auction took place at the Rose and Crown Inn, Golcar where the property was sold for the expected price.

The opening ceremony of the new building took place in the same month as the auction on a “brilliantly fine” day. It had been due to open the previous autumn but had been postponed due to the outbreak of war. Oliver Taylor was chairman and alongside him was Alderman F. W. Mallalieu, prospective Liberal candidate for the Colne Valley, and his wife plus many more prominent, local Liberals. W. Crowther, President of the Colne Valley Liberal Association was to do the honours of opening the new club.

They had obtained far superior premises than previously having a bowling green and garden plus an additional plot of land below the site. Lots of work had been done by the members and their friends to make the new premises a reality. Their ambition had been to be free of all debt by the time they took possession of the building. The cost of the new club had been around £3000 and they required £1000 to free them from debt. On the opening day it was hoped to raise money to go some way towards reducing this amount. Oliver Taylor stated that the workmen had presented them “with a building on a good site, of capacious and almost splendid proportions, which would be the pride of the Liberals of Golcar.”

Due to the war the decision had been made to keep the ceremony formal as it was felt inappropriate to make it a party in light of the conflict. Therefore the pledge was that the building was dedicated to the principles of liberty and freedom. Mr Crowther was presented with a silver, gilt key as a memento of the occasion.

Although the formal opening had been delayed, the members had moved into the new building in August 1914.

Extracts & Credits: The Political History Of Kirklees