Social Clubs, Working Mens Clubs, Rate Payers Clubs...

It's not very often that I feel that strongly about something, strongly enough to get on my soapbox and start spouting off, and Rio 5 don't have any political leaning, we're just here for the fun and the beer thanks, but...

With Post Offices closing, local shops being put out of business by the Supermarkets and Pubs closing, the heart of our communities are being ripped out, and so whole area's of housing estates are becoming ghetto's, no-go areas which become run-down and destroyed. Coupled with this the fact that not many families sit down to a meal together every day, due to working patterns etc... the fabric of community life is evaporating, no-one knows their next door neighbour or whats going, no-one keeps an eye out for each other any more and that is very sad.

The only bastion of community life left now is the local social/working mens club, these places are great for entertainment, the concert rooms are nice and large, the stage (complete with resident huge Hammond organ) has plenty of room for "the turn", the beer is cheap and you can have just as much fun as a night in town (and you don't have to spend £10 on a taxi there and back, £6 to get into a club, take out a small mortgage to get a round in and get food poisoning from a dodgy kebab)...

So Rio 5 played Inkersall Social Club, where they have live entertainment on every Saturday night to a mixed crowd of young & old (and we won £20 on the bingo) in a wonderful room with our light show which, despite the small number in the audience (approx 30...) was very well recieved.

And you can't tell me that there weren't families on the estate where Mum & Dad watched (and moaned about) TV all night whilst the kids were in their rooms either on the internet or playing on their Playstation and didn't have a conversation about current affairs...

Get yourself down to your local social club, meet the people that live around you, make new friends, arrange a BBQ, keep the pub trade going and see a decent band... You'll feel a whole lot better if you do...