MEMBERS of Kinver’s Constitutional Club have been celebrating a milestone as the venue reached its 80th anniversary.

The club, based on the village High Street, was started in 1937 when the building was bought for £2,000 by four members of a Kinver gentleman’s club originally located near the Cross pub.

The Con Club’s building was previously the Green Dragon Hotel, owned by Hanson’s of Dudley, who acquired the pub after the landlord, a Mr Glazzard, left for Australia to escape financial problems.

An account of that period on display at the club says Mr Glazzard initially left his family behind but his wife and children caught up with him at the docks and joined him on his journey down under.

During the 50s and 60s the club’s upper floor provided a home to a variety of village services including a dentist, clinic and registrar.

In 1972 snooker legend John Spencer visited to open the new snooker room which boasted three tables.

Further expansion means the club now has four tables and regularly hosts competitive league snooker.

The club also hosts competitive Boules on its new court which is regarded as one of the finest in the midlands.

The Con Club is a non-profit members organisation which has seen its membership grow from 300 in the 60s to 2,800.

It may be best known for the wide variety of real ales on offer in the bar which boasts a whopping 18 hand pulls, possibly the longest row of beer engines in the West Midlands.

The club, which marked its 80th birthday with a day of celebrations on July 29, has been described by CAMRA as a real ale heaven and has been awarded Club of the Year awards on many occasions including the prestigious National Club of the Year.

The club also supports a number of charities nominated by its members, the latest to benefit is Action Heart at Russells Hall Hospital.

Club secretary Chris Page highlighted the significant place the Con Club has in Kinver life.

He said: “It is part of the community, you have to be a member but all the members have a say in what goes on at the social club.”

Con Club social committee member, Gail Taylor, added: “You can walk into the village and outside nothing will be going on but when you walk into the club you will know everybody who comes in, it is like a meeting place for village people.”