British Legion opens its doors to all-comers

Jul 12 2010 by David Whetstone, The Journal

AWARD-winning improvisational comedy group The Suggestibles are helping to breathe new life into Newcastle’s last Royal British Legion Club.

They will perform on Friday in The Mixer, a new arts space at the Royal British Legion Club in Jesmond, as part of a benefit weekend.

The club, near West Jesmond Metro Station, has suffered from a dwindling membership - from 2,000 down to nearer 200 – since it was opened in the 1970s.

Committee member Chris Mabbott said: “It’s a great building in a perfect ‘just out of town’ location and it continues to play a very important role in our members’ social lives.

“However, we’ve got a lot of space and a huge potential to offer to the wider community, so we’re opening our doors to a host of new events and activities.”

Jon Farthing, a lawyer at Newcastle firm Dickinson Dees, joined the club to help preserve the building and its charitable activities. He said: “I’ve lived nearby for over 10 years and felt it was an important part of the community that was heading sadly towards being replaced by new housing.

“I’ve been working with the club since March to co-ordinate a series of new events that appeal to people from all walks of life ... and the hard work has been paying off.

“We’re providing a venue that can be a focus for the community, opening it up to a new audience: families, the arty crowd, students ... everyone!

“We’re over the moon that a group like The Suggestibles are so keen to help us and we’re encouraging all kinds of groups to get involved too. We’re trying to do grass roots work that will save the building and contribute to the good work of the British Legion charity in supporting soldiers from current and past conflicts. We’re open to everyone and are urging people to come along and take part in creating something brilliant for our community.” Bev Fox, a founder member of The Suggestibles, who said: “We’ve lived round the corner from the Legion Club for years and always felt it was a private club that we couldn’t go into.

“But since the club showed us round we’ve been really excited by the potential the venue has to the whole community in Jesmond.

“The members are really welcoming and it’s got a cool, kitsch 70s style that only needs some creative TLC and slight technical additions to become a great platform for artists in a busy area with no other venues for live performance. We’re calling the new club space The Mixer as we want it to be a place that brings a mixture of great entertainment to a mix of people.”

Money raised will go towards the redevelopment of the upstairs 200-capacity function room. After The Suggestibles on Friday, the band The Soviets will perform an innovation called LiveOke, which we guess involves audience participation, on Saturday.

A full programme of events will begin in September, including a Sunday art and craft market. Tickets for the weekend’s events are available via www.facebook.com/mixerjesmond or on the door from 7.30pm. Anyone interested in the new plans can contact Jon Farthing on jesmondlegion@googlemail.com