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The Grampians come south
Playing the bagpipes
© SCRAN |
In the early days after the migration south, steel workers donated a penny a week to the Corby Welfare Club. This was the focal point of the Scots community at the time, and central to their sports and social activities. Although the club was established by Scots in the town, it opened its doors to the other 43 migrant nations that made up the workforce, including Russians and Lithuanians.
In 1963, former Gordon Highlander Bill Brown, met up with a few of his fellow Scots and decided to form what was then called the Aberdeen and North East Counties Association. This social club first met in the Corby Conservative Club and was frequented by just a few Scots, to enjoy dances, darts and a drink or two.
Over the ensuing years, social nights became collecting nights too, with half a crown (about 12.5p in new money) a week being donated by every working man. It was with what was to be a massive collection that the Grampian Club emerged.
Steel worker
© Steve Purcell |
Bill, former Grampian Club Chairman for 18 years, says: "We borrowed some money from the Wm Younger and Mann Brewers to get it going, and paid it all back within about three years, and we've been going ever since. We were lucky when we started to build the existing building, in having a number of traders who gave their services voluntarily, Frank McBride did all the brickwork, and we had plumbers and chippies too".
He says although the club is essential to the Scots in Corby, the Irish have their social club too: "We're right next door to the Irish Centre, if you don't like the dance band there, you can come to the Grampian Club, and, if the Grampian Club aren't paying out much on the bingo, the players go off to the Irish Centre, it's all great banter."
Today, the club has over 5000 members and has many different sections from darts and bingo to disco dances and its own pipe band. One of the club's core roles, it established over 30 years ago, was organising the annual Corby Highland Gathering.
Your comments
1 Bill Brown from Bellshill - 19 December 2003
"Coincidently I lived and worked in Corby in 1963 like my namesake in this story before I joined the Navy. I was employed as a Youth labourer on the 'new' coke oven plant. "
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