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Local paper contributor shares the village news.

A committee and club meeting of the Tatsfield Village Club (L – R) Back row: Stuart Farmer (vice president) Phil Friend, Pete Bath (club secretary). Front Row: Cindy Farmer, John Ellis (President) Tammy Hughes, Leanne Burrells, Ginny Boswell, Abi Collins, Tina Needs.

Written by Dave Bishop for publication in the Surrey Mirror

Regular Surrey Mirror contributor, Dave Bishop, shares the community news from the village of Tatsfield in the Tandridge District of Surrey.

Tatsfield’s Village Club I came to live in the village in the early 1950’s and spent two years living next door to the Working Men’s Club at Number 1 Pond Cottage. I had previously trained as an electrician and I was asked to re-wire the whole club. The job meant a lot of clipping of electrical cables and I found that every surface I touched was covered in slimy and smelly nicotine as most of the male members smoked a pipe or cigarettes. The place was dark and (I thought) not very nice and I never really wanted to become a member. Scroll forward some 67 years and recently I was again invited by ex RAF serviceman and now the new club secretary - Pete Bath, to come and have a look at the place and find out what was going on.

My word how different it all is now - so warm, bright and tastefully carpeted and furnished with two large sections split with a double bar in its middle. As well there seemed to be a dress standard with not overall or boiler suit in sight. There was a friendly welcome from the many people I recognised and there were two meetings taking place - one of six ladies and the other a very involved mixed men and ladies group.

A large TV screen had a football game going on with the sound level just right set that people could talk to each other without shouting. It was explained to me that swearing was not tolerated and if it did happen, the annoying person would receive a written letter prior to disciplinary notice by the mixed members committee. I was shown a large outside area at the end of the club especially for the members who like a quiet drink and a smoke in the fresh air.

Here again the fenced in privacy was great with nice tables and chairs uniformly placed around to use. I was informed that there was a full sized snooker/billiards table upstairs that was well used by many keen players.

There are plenty of things going on at the club on different days including a poker card school, Mondays are for big bingo nights with the local woodworker David Bacon as caller with Fridays being the meat raffle draw (tickets are a pound a strip) with Pete Bath in charge. The clubs diary is filled with bags of cracking bands booked for future entertainment.

Presently there are some 300 members on the clubs books and the opening times are: Monday to Thursday, 3pm – 11pm, Friday 12 midday to 11.30pm, Saturday and Sunday 12 midday to 11pm. There are perks attached to being a Tatsfield village club member as a pint of drink bought elsewhere would cost about £5 but a club member would only pay £3.50. They have a plentiful list of well-known wines which are about £2.50 to £3.50 a glass. As an aside - a bit of back ground info was received from Tatsfield’s village historian Ian Mitchell, that the club was a completed new building in October 1931 and the nine gentlemen committee members ages totalled 701 years.

After taking pictures of the management and staff members I was offered a drink to which I declined as I am a non-drinker and smoker and immediately the question was put “would you like a cup of tea?” Now that’s what I call a proper club.

Something for the weekend This coming Saturday will give lovers of films made by Steven Spielberg the chance to see his latest which is West Side Story at the Tatsfield’s village hall with the doors opening at 7pm and starting at 7.15pm. Tickets are priced at £6 each.

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