This is the history of Mill View Social Club as we currently understand it. We are hoping to unearth snippets of the past from time to time, so please call back regularly
If you have any information that would be of interest to this section, please do not hesitate to contact us. Just pop into the club, or drop us an email here:
We believe that Mill View
Club originally started out as Fulwell Workingmen’s Club at the beginning of
the 1920s, and was located at the corner of Sea Road and Bower Street in Fulwell. It is
denoted on contemporary maps of the area by a square building with the word
“club” alongside.
The club eventually made its way to near its
current location in Station Road,
on land between the Fire Station and Mayswood
Road. However, on 1st May 1942, the
dropping of four bombs in the vicinity caused the destruction of the original
building, as well as other structures in the area, including the recently built
fire station (See contemporary report and pictures opposite).
Sometime in 1948, Fulwell
Club then located to a house “Fulwell House”, next to the Blue Bell pub - currently Sainsbury’s car park entrance, and looking across to Fulwell Infants
school (see picture opposite).
From Fulwell House, the club moved
to its present location around 1951/2 in what was then a prefabricated
structure with building constraints and restrictions. Its membership was approximately 1100 strong, including a contingent of quarrymen who worked at the local Fulwell Quarry. Then in 1957 the club was struck off and
ceased to exist after being closed because of issues regarding illegal gambling
tickets. The deeds to the building were also appropriated by the
authorities. The premises stayed open
for the sale of soft drinks and other refreshments, but was prohibited from
selling alcoholic drinks.
Later in the same year, a letter was
published in the Sunderland Echo inviting all members of Fulwell Club to a general
meeting with the objective of forming a new club. At this meeting Mill View
Social Club was formed. All members in agreement transferred their shares from
the old club, and a loan was arranged with Vaux Brewery.
Minutes of the very first committee meeting, in
a house in nearby Marina Avenue, 16/12/57, are shown below.
In 1962, the loan from Vaux Brewery was paid
off, and the deeds of the building were returned. The same year saw the addition of the current
cellar and main Lounge.
The Steward’s flat, which is now the upstairs
Blue Room lounge and Snooker room, was built shortly afterwards. The Club Steward relocated to the current
club house, which was bought by the club for £19,000 in the 1970s after being put on
the market by the Fire Brigade.
A big thanks to former club stalwart and committee man, the late Larry Loughlin, for much of the above information. Larry was one of the 4 co-opted committee men as stated in the minutes below.
16/12/57 - Minutes of the the first committee meeting of the newly formed Mill View Social Club
Transcribed here:
16/12/57
Held
at 26 Marina Avenue,
Fulwell
Auditor
Steward
Staff
Bankers |
First Committee Meeting
of Mill View Social Club &
Institute Ltd
The
meeting was opened by the chairman Mr T Robson
The
committee consisted of 8 members at present, namely
Mr F Robson chairman
“ D Scott
“ J Clements
“ J Dimmock T
“ G Bell
“ A Young
" A E Varty
" P Townsend Secretary
A further 4 members will be co-opted
The
chairman proposed & D Scott seconded that the auditor should remain,
namely Mr C E Ayton B.COM. A.S.A.A. of
Wood Frank & Co Frederick
Street.
The
committee on vote engaged the Stewart Mr G Reah as from and to include today
The club
will officially open on Friday December 20th. The steward has been entrusted, subject to
the committee’s final approval, of engaging what staff he can for the
present. He has also been empowered to order his stock from the approved
breweries & merchants
The
Bankers will be “Martins Bank Ltd”
The
Steward will be paid £10-10-0 &
all extra help will be paid by the club
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Fulwell Social Club1st May 1942, Fulwell Road Social Club
One High Explosive bomb at
south east corner leaving a crater 32 feet across by 8 feet deep. The
end of the club was demolished and two people were killed in Mayswood
Road the damage there is shown in the photograph below.
Mayswood Road
1st May 1942, 26 Mayswood Road.
Remains of a home made air raid
shelter composed of tin advertisment boards which collapsed when
forced together by movement of earth following upon the bomb exploding
at Fulwell Social Club. The surface shelter shown in the garden
behind, whilst damaged, withstood the blast. Two people were killed
here.
The Mayswood Road incident is mentioned near the bottom of this report of 1st May
The Fire Station is in the centre of the map with the club building just below and to the right. Mayswood Road runs just below the club
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