Grantham Railway Club given lockdown makeover with help from members

A popular social club in Grantham has been given a makeover with the help of its members during lockdown.

The Railway Club, off Huntingtower Road, has been given a new ceiling and floors and has been redecorated. The club took advantage of lockdown to spruce itself up before reopening on May 21.

A sum of £10,000 was spent on the revamp in time to welcome back members to the club. Trustee Graham Flear admitted that the club had to “beg, steal and borrow” to carry out the job but also gave a special mention to the members who contributed a total of £7,000, which he said “helped us no end”.

A week before the club opened again there was a flood in the bar area when the glass washer leaked, meaning more work to be completed in time for opening.

Committee member Mick Eldred and other volunteers helped with much of the work, including taking down the old kitchen and replacing it with one donated by Harrowby Lodge Nursing Home.

The main room of the club has a new ceiling, lighting and has been redecorated, while the back room has also been repainted and the club has had new flooring with the help of J. Kerr Flooring in town.

Graham said: “We are very, very pleased with it. It was a three-week venture and it lasted five months!

“We hit a few snags along the way but got it finished in time. You only get out what you put into these things.

“When the members came back they were over the moon with it. We are back in the swing of things and just need people to come back out again. There are a lot of people who are still not happy to come out, but hopefully they will get their confidence back and will come back to the bars and clubs.”

The first night the club reopened it was as full as it was allowed to be under Covid restrictions, said
Graham.

The club has live acts booked at weekends right up to Christmas and is ready to accommodate wedding receptions, wakes, charity nights and children’s parties.

Graham said: “I have been here over 10 years. I am part of the fixtures and fittings now and I believe if you build it people will come. I am very confident for the future.”

Bearing in mind labour can be the most expensive part of any job, Graham also thanked Kirk and Crane and Tony Knight for their help with the electrics, Keith Edwards for the plumbing and Ray Brown for the maintenance. Dave and Angie Verdon helped with the decorating. Jewsons and Kesteven Skips were also thanked for their help.