St Mary's social club celebrates 50th anniversary in Billinge

With a section of the Billinge community previously served by a small social club, a decision was made to construct a larger venue due to a planned extension of the nearby St Mary's primary school.

Intending to complement the services offered by St Mary's Catholic Church and accommodate the wider community, volunteers pitched in to help construct St Mary's Parish Club - which was completed after a six-year job in 1974.

With a varied schedule of events throughout the week, the Birchley Road social club has become a popular and adored venue over the past five decades, and it celebrated this with a special event on Saturday, August 10.

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Two punters helping with the social club's volunteer effort (Image: Adele Ritson)
With live music performances taking place on an outdoor trailer, food and ice cream vans pitching up, and toy stalls and bouncy castles organised for the kids, the 'Big 50 Fest' is said to have gone down a treat in Billinge, with around 300 people turning up throughout the day.

While everyone is said to have enjoyed themselves at the free event, club manager Adele Ritson said it was "really lovely" to hear customers' stories from over the years - including those who helped with the volunteer effort 50 years ago.

The social club often hosts private events for special ocassions (Image: Adele Ritson)
Adele, 38, said: "We have a wide range of events at the club throughout the week so I wanted to do something really nice and different for everyone to celebrate the 50 years.

"I heard some really lovely stories, from times when Tommy and Anne Ollerton ran the club, and from those who helped to build the club and scrubbed the floor to get it ready for opening.

"That's why I see this as a real community club; it was built by the community for the community, and this is what I intend to carry on."

Some of the outdoor seating at St Mary's (Image: Adele Ritson)
With St Mary's built by the community 50 years ago, this is why Adele prides the club on offering an events schedule for people of all ages, which range sfrom bowling matches to dementia groups, and cabaret nights to line dancing.

There are also live sports and live music on offer, as well as private events to celebrate special occasions, which has helped to create a lively atmosphere that keeps enticing customers and staff back to the club for generations.

"I started glass collecting at the club when I was 16 and I worked for 12 years behind the bar", mum-of-three Adele added.

"There is just such a good atmosphere here, which is why I came back not long after I left.

"Sometimes I can't even get to the bar when I come in for my shift. It's the type of club that grabs you in and doesn't let go. I love it."

Crowds at the 'Big 50' event (Image: Adele Ritson)