Historic miners' institute closes

Shirley Martin says she's devastated the Institute is closing.

A miners' club, which has been a landmark since it opened in 1923, is closing its doors for the last time.

The administrators of Wrexham Miners' Institute say membership is now so low that they can no longer afford to pay the £3,000-a-month heating bills.

Employees and the few remaining regulars have reacted with dismay.

Stewardess Shirley Martin said: "When I took this job up I honestly thought I'd be coming up off here in a coffin - not see it being closed."

"I remember when I worked here years ago, when the miners were on strike, this place used to be packed", she added.

But director Denzil Pemberton said despite its long and colourful history, the institute would close after Saturday because it has run out of money.

"We're just in the position where it would be irresponsible to carry on," he said.

"It's come to the stage now when the heating bills are £3,000 a month - you can't support that on 10 people a night."

The institute's trustees say the building could be sold off.

The future of the institute is still to be decided. Although nor a listed building it lies in a conservation area.

"The building is owned by a charitable trust, it'll probably be sold off," added Mr Pemberton.

This could lead to a loss of a local sporting venue.

Former chairman, Tony Baines, said: "At the moment we host snooker teams, bowling teams, domino teams and dart teams."

"There's a bigger side to this than just the licensed premises issue.

"No-one's told us what the plans are, but if we lose the building we lose all that."