Gamlingay
Social Club on Waresley Road evolved from the village's older Conservative
Club. Its historical footprint is closely tied to local community groups and
sports development in the area.
Location
and Early Context
* Address: Located at 16 Waresley Road (sometimes noted across records as numbers 6
to 16).
* Conservative Club Roots: The
site historically operated in connection with or adjacent to the old
Conservative Club, which served as a social focal point for the village.
* The Bowling Green: In
1953, the Gamlingay Bowls Club was founded with its original green
positioned right behind the old Conservative Club on Waresley Road before
eventually relocating to the modern playing fields.
Community
Role
* Social Hub: Over
the decades, the building transitioned into a dedicated members' and
social club, hosting events, live music, and local dart leagues.
* Waresley Road History: The
street itself historically featured various local landmarks, including
wartime Nissen huts used for ammunition storage during mid-century
periods, before shifting into the residential and community mix seen
today.
The historical evolution of the social club on Waresley Road unfolds across
specific decades, moving from a political hall to a community hub:
1920s – 1940s: The Conservative Club Era
* The Corrugated Iron Hall: During these decades, the site featured a large, corrugated iron building
known as the Gamlingay Conservative Club.
* The Friday Film Shows: In
the mid-twentieth century, a visiting projectionist from St Ives arrived
every Friday night to screen the Flash Gordon serials, Pathe news,
and movies for locals.
* Saturday Night Dances: The
building became a vibrant nightlife spot, regularly packing in up to 200
dancers on Saturday evenings.
* School Playgrounds: The
grounds behind the club featured a sandpit, a paddling pool, and a
thatched gazebo built by locals. A gap in the hedge allowed village school
children to access it directly from their playground.
1950s – 1960s: Transition and Sports
* 1953 Bowls Foundation: The Gamlingay
Bowls Club was officially founded behind the Conservative Club on
Waresley Road, where members hand-built their original bowling green
before later moving to the Stocks Lane playing fields.
* The United Servicemen’s Club: By
the late 1950s and into the 1960s, the venue shifted identity, evolving
into the United Servicemen’s Club located right at the corner of
Waresley Road and Grays Road.
* Demolition of the Old Hall: As
maintenance and repair costs for the old corrugated structure escalated,
the original building and its surrounding land were sold to local
developers R and H Wales, who subsequently built the strip of
semi-detached houses seen on the road today.
1970s – 1980s: The Modern Social Club
* 1977 Snapshot: Local
records from the Gamlingay Gazette highlight that by 1977, the village had
grown to host six pubs and two main clubs: the R&H Wale Working Men's
Club (near Green End) and the Waresley Road United Servicemen's/Social
Club.
* The
Local League Era: Throughout the 1980s, the permanent building
functioned strictly as a member-owned social club, serving as the official home
base for local darts teams, dominoes tournaments, and weekend live
entertainment