Ardwick Lads Club Palmerston Street, Beswick

ARDWICK LADS CLUB - The foundation stone was laid yesterday of the Ardwick Lads and Men’s Club in Palmerston Street Ancoats. The club was formed some seven or eight years ago and now has a membership of about 230. As the present quarters in Grove Street are cramped, Mr Paul H Schill of the firm Schill Serbohm and Company Limited, Portland Street and an active member of the executive committee, bought a site for new premises in Palmerston Street and at his cost a handsome building is to be erected, of which Mrs Paul Schill yesterday laid the foundation stone. ..... Mr Schill has put the work into the hands of Messrs W and G Higginbottom, architects, of St Ann Street. According to the design, the entrance of the club is to be placed in the centre of the buildings in Palmerston Street. The lads’ part of the club is on the left hand side of the entrance and consists of a large gymnasium 70 feet long by ?0 feet wide, with a gallery on three sides for spectators, and three full size fives courts. Dressing rooms and bath and lavatory accommodation are provided in separate rooms leading from the gymnasium. The men’s department is placed on the right hand side of the entrance and comprises a large reading room and a billiard room with two tables, with lavatory adjoining. A skittle alley is also provided, leading from the billiard room. A bar for providing tea and coffee etc for the members is conveniently placed for supplying refreshments both to the lads’ amd men’s departments of the club. In the back portion of the premises is a large classroom, and also the caretaker’s residence. On the first floor, and approached by a fireproof staircase from the vestibule, a large room for meetings and entertainment is provided. This room could be used as a restaurant if requires, as there is a large kitchen adjoining, which will be fitted with a cooking range. There is also to be a games room for draughts etc, a library, three large classrooms for educational purposes, a committee room, and a private bedroom for the use of any member of the Committee. All the rooms are lofty and well-lighted, and will be warmed chiefly by hot water heating apparatus. The building will be substantially built, and the elevation to Palmerston Street will be of grey bricks with terra cotta dressings. One of the chief features of the club is that it possesses almost an acre of open playground at the back of the club buildings, which will be levelled and well cindered, and used for practising football and other games. The buildings, which will be finished in good time next year, are being erected by Messrs Robert Neill and Sons, under the superintendence of Messrs Higginbottom. [Manchester Guardian 28 December 1897 page 5]

THE ARDWICK LADS CLUB, A GENEROUS GIFT - The Ardwick Lads’ Club, which has been in existence for ten years, entered into possession of new premises yesterday. The new building is in Palmerston Street, Pin Mill Brow, and has been erected at the sole cost of Mr P H Schill, one of the members of the Committee. It is very handsome and commodious, and, as Mr W J Crossley remarked it declaring it open, Acompletely takes the shine out of the other lads’ clubs in the city.@ The architects were Messrs W and J Higginbottom, and the builders Messrs Robert Neill and Sons. [Manchester Guardian 7 October 1898 page 9]

ARDWICK LADS’ CLUB, ANCOATS — The foundation stone was laid on the 27th ult. of the Ardwick Lads and Men's Club, in Palmerston-street, Ancoats. Messrs. W. & G. Higginbottom are the architects. According to the design, the entrance to the club is to be placed in the centre of the buildings in Palmerston-street. The lads' part of the club is on the left-hand side of the entrance, and consists of a gymnasium, 70 ft. long by 40 ft. wide, with a gallery on two sides for spectators, and three full-size fives courts. Dressing-rooms and bath and lavatory accommodation are provided in separate rooms leading from the gymnasium. The men's department is placed on the right-hand side of the entrance, and comprises a reading-room, and a billiard-room for two tables, with lavatory adjoining. A skittle-alley is also provided, leading from the billiard-room. In the back portion of the premises is a class-room, and also the caretaker's residence. On the first floor, and approached by a fireproof staircase from the vestibule, a room for meetings and entertainments is provided. There is also to be a games-room, a library, three classrooms, a committee-room, and a private bed-room. The elevation to Palmerston-street will be of grey bricks with terra-cotta dressings. The buildings are being erected by Messrs. R. Neill & Sons. [Builder 15 January 1898 page 66]

Lads’ and Men’s Club, Ardwick, Lancashire —These premises, which were opened on the 6th inst., are situated in Palmerston-street, Ancoats The building has been erected by Messrs. R. Neill & Sons, from designs prepared by Messrs. W & G Higginbottom, both of Manchester. [Builder 15 October 1898 page 349]

Foundation stone laid 27 December 1897. Opened 6 October 1898

Reference    Manchester Guardian 28 December 1897 page 5
Reference    Manchester Guardian 7 October 1898 page 9 - opening
Reference    Builder 15 January 1898 Page 66
Reference    Builder 15 October 1898 page 349
Reference    Simon Inglis Played in Manchester page 104-105
Reference    Hartwell Page 384