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The About page of the Hollygarth Social Club of Leeds Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England, the premier venue for live music and dancing in Wharfedale.
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ABOUT THE HOLLYGARTH
The Hollygarth is a social club in the Wharfedale town of Ilkley, in the north west corner of West Yorkshire, England. The original Hollygarth Social Club was founded sometime in the 1930s and was based in a not particularly large rented house on the north side of Leeds Road in Ben Rhydding. That property is now a house at 293 Leeds Road, next door to the Chinese take away, a couple of hundred yards west of the present clubhouse.
The Hollygarth name probably stems from the name of the original clubhouse building, which in fact still goes under the name 'Hollygarth House'. The old club also acquired the affectionate nickname, 'Nignogs', and many people still refer to the present Club by this name. The name apparently stems from the success of a certain Fred Burdock in recruiting support for the proposed original club from across a wide spectrum of the local community. Someone applied the term 'Nignogs' to the club to signify the mixed social and occupational representation within its membership. The name has since stuck.
In about 1966, the owners of the old club property (the Harrisons) decided take it back, forcing the Club to be wound up. The Club's assets were apparently put into trust at that time for the purpose of re-establishing a club when suitable premises could be found. The new Club then had the good fortune to acquire the present clubhouse, a former Co-operative Society retail store, just a short distance away on the opposite side of Leeds Road. The present Club and clubhouse were officially opened in 1967. Then, sometime before 1977, the new
Concert Room was added and in the recent past the room has been substantially renovated.One of the particular highlights in the life of the Club, recalls Club stalwart, Peter Bennett, was the especially harmonious atmosphere within the club on the night of the Silver Jubilee celebration in 1977.
The Club has approximately 400 members. It is family oriented and welcomes accompanied children in the concert room at suitable functions. Since it's construction, the concert room has been central to the life of the Club and it has been Ilkley's premier cabaret style venue for regular live music, dancing and comedy. With a capacity of 160, the now completely re-decorated (Jan 2002) concert room is available for hire for your own private or family function. Ring 01943 432051 or E-mail
secretary@hollygarth.com. If required, outside catering can now be arranged for your function.
The Club itself is a member of the C.I.U. and welcomes affiliated members of other C.I.U. Clubs.
If you would like to know more about the beautiful town of Ilkley, it has its own web site, >
www.ilkley.org with lots of up to date information.Thanks to Derrick Barratt & Peter Bennett providing much of the above information.
If anyone else is able to contribute new or more accurate information to this page about the history of the Hollygarth, it would be most welcome.
E Mail > webmaster@hollygarth.com.
or, go to: 
Site designed & maintained by Kevin Gilmartin. © 2001-02, Hollygarth Social Club. This page last updated: