A new lease of life for Melton's historic Legion club

The Thorpe End venue has been a busy social hub in the town since the end of the Second World War.

It was formerly a members-only club for ex-services personnel but patrons dropped off alarmingly in recent years to the extent that it almost closed down last summer.

The Legion club got a last minute stay of execution when a new committee agreed to take it over and open the building up as a social centre for all.

Slowly, customers are returning to the historic building, which has stood since 1882 as Keswick House before being taken over by the Royal British Legion in 1947.

Activities like bingo, quizzes, pub sports are held regularly, the Melton Band use it for practice and there are also knit and natter and ladies’ keep fit sessions held there.

Drinkers no longer need to be members but they have to pay £1 at a machine near the entrance to get in. It also has large function areas which are used for parties and wakes.

But chairman of the new committee, Andy Peacock, told the Melton Times: “Lack of footfall is our problem. Mainly because a lot of people in Melton think the club is closed.

“A lot of people also think we are doing well. But we are not, we are surviving.

“Wakes, Christenings, birthday parties and weddings are keeping the place going to be honest.

“Day-to-day we don’t take enough to pay the salaries and put the lights on on some days.

“Tuesday market days we are busy and also Sunday dinner times but we need to be much busier through the week.”

It’s all a far cry from when Andy first joined the club back in 1988 when he said ‘it was absolutely heaving’ with people enjoying themselves.

Many Meltonians will also remember the adjacent former Conservative Club being packed as well at the time - it has recently closed after numbers dropped off.

The Legion club is one of the few town venues which can cater for big parties of people - up to 250 of them in the vast concert room upstairs.

It also has a lounge and a room housing one of the county’s last remaining skittle alleys, as well as the bar area at the front.

Food can be ordered through a link with The Glass Pantry deli nearby and delivered there.

“For the town of Melton this place is a real asset,” said Andy.

“People would certainly miss it if it closed.

“Where else would local people go in the town where it could cater for the numbers that we can?”

A major focus at the moment is to attract younger people through the doors.

Andy, who is retired from the RAF, explained: “We are trying to create a more relaxed, family atmosphere.

“We are looking to do family nights when people can bring the children and they can play toys and games in a separate room where the skittle alley is.”

Members dropped off in the last few years, the committee believes, because of a reduction in the size of the British armed forces and the closure of a number of local bases.

The Legion building continues to host the Melton branch of the Royal British Legion although it is a separate entity.

It also retains other links with the military with donated medals, regimental coats of arms and memorial plaques adorning the walls.

The skittle alley room is also known as the Dick Barton Room after the only Meltonian to win a Victoria Cross.

Private Richard Henry Burton was aged just 21 when he showed incredible bravery while serving with the 1st Battalion, the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment in Italy during the Second World War.

Under fire for a sustained period, Private Burton’s selfless actions led to the capture of a vital strategic location on the battlefield in October 1944.

Memorabilia relating to him remains on the wall in the special room at the legion club.

Andy said: “This building houses important parts of Melton’s history.

“We’ve given a home to plaques listing fallen soldiers from places like the old Post Office and the King Edwards VII School after they closed.

“We’ve got medals and plaques people have given us to display or left to us.

“It’s terrible to think these all might have been chucked in a skip if we hadn’t kept the place running.”

Another modern day link with the forces is maintained through the building being used by army dogs and their handlers from the town’s Defence Animal Training Regiment HQ to carry out training exercises in a large building.

The committee is committed to encouraging all members of the community to use the building from now on though.

Vice-chair of the committee, Joe Jackson, who served with the Coldstream Guards, added: “The atmosphere has gone sky high since we took over the Legion building and now we just need more people to use the club so we can keep it going.”

The legion club is open seven days a week although it closes on some evenings when it isn’t busy.

Anyone interested in hiring rooms in the place is invited to approach the bar or call 01664 562651 to find out further details. Room hire is free for wakes.