Nottingham Branch History

The following passage is from the book , A Potted History, the first 50 years of the Old Comrades Association and the Submariners Association. Dennis Churchill the secretary at the time, asked Dave Summers to write the Nottingham Branch History for the book.

Nottingham Branch
Dave Summers

This is a brief history of the Nottingham Branch of the Submariners Association – SOCA as was! Our Branch Secretary, Dennis Churchill, asked for a volunteer to produce the history and I (Dave Summers) was it! Unfortunately, there are only two surviving members of the inaugural meeting and their memories are not all that good now. I took over as Secretary in the mid '70s and remained in the position until the '90s, so I was involved in all branch matters. The minute book handed over to me at the time was a child's exercise book and was falling to bits, so it was put on one side and was unfortunately lost in one of the moves.

In 1956 a few ex-submariners met in the Granby Hotel in Station Street, Nottingham. They thought it was good getting together to remember the good times (was well as the bad) when serving in boats and so they decided to make it a regular thing. They settled on a large pub in Basford (with meeting room) called the White Swan. As word spread the membership got larger and it was decided to join the main body. (it is reported that some of the larger membership originated from the original Leicester Branch when it split up – Editor.) From then on at meeting nights a tote took place and the money was shared with some pensioner gardeners.

The monies then went into the Reunion Fund paid for a coach to Blockhouse well stocked with beer and rum for the journey for all the members who wished to attend, and proved very popular. The meetings became a good social thing that even the wives attended and enjoyed, particularly the comedy shows (we had professional comedian as a member and he organised the shows). Also very popular were the annual dinners held in the Steamboat Inn at Trent Lock – Jack Winstanley owned it during those happy years.

The Branch moved to the Nottingham RNA Club in the middle years, partly to help out the RNA but more to centralise the meeting place for when we had visitors as it was only two or three walk from the bus and railway stations. We had a disagreement with the RNA in the '80s and moved to the Thirland Arms in the city centre. The pub was owned by Fred Slack (an ex-SPO) from boats and we had some happy years there. When Fred decided to sell up we 'mended the fence' with the RNA and they were more than happy to have us back.

Should anyone wish to visit us or be in town in the first Friday of the month at 20:00 hours, you will be made most welcome.