St. Andrews Chess Club was founded in 1970. Its principal officers included Bert Milner and
George Willoughby – both now deceased. I remain in touch with George’s son, David, via
cards at Christmas. The Club’s name was taken from the nearby Presbyterian Church on the
corner of Prospect Street and Baker Street, from which accommodation was rented. In
seasons 1970/71 and 1971/72, I played top board for the Hull Grammar Schools Chess
League team and recall visiting this venue. Over more than 50 years. St. Andrews Chess
Club has moved several times. Its homes have included a hotel in Pearson Park, the Y.P.I.
Sports Complex on the east side of Chanterlands Avenue, The Queens Hotel, George Street
(shared with Hull Civil Service and now demolished) and a social club on Walton Street –
opposite the area used by Hull Fair each year. At present, our room is rented from Our Lady
of Lourdes and St. Peter Chanel, Cottingham Road at a cost of £285 per quarter. During the
winter chess season (September to May), meetings are held twice per week on Monday and
Wednesday evenings. In the summer (June to August), this reduces to once per week on
Monday evenings. The full membership fee is £70 per annum.
I have played at all of the venues mentioned. The following factors link many of them:-
1. A low rent or free room on the understanding/expectation that sales at the bar will
justify the arrangement. Even after the recent 25% rent increase, we are only paying
the equivalent of around £13.50 per night.
2. Accommodation shared with other sport and/or social activity. This facilitates low
rental payments but usually compromises on playing conditions.
3. The rent only covers use of one room. Facilities enabling club members to access
and offer refreshments to guests are not included. Refreshments may be available
from the owner of the venue at a commercial rate.
Does the level of the rent determine the amount of the membership fee or is it the other way
around? You judge, but I think that the answer is clear. Let us consider the three factors in
more detail.
1. On reflection, I am of the opinion that evidence shows that, for many years, chess
players have opted for poor playing conditions rather than pay a realistic membership
fee to secure good quality premises. This usually means sharing with other tenants
whose activities are incompatible with the quietness required for good chess.
Dancing, squash, table tennis, social clubs, bars, etc. continue to be accepted as
suitable bedfellows. If chess club members pay a weekly equivalent of £1.35 by way
of membership fees what do they expect? Our hobby is very cheap compared with
most others, even taking into account the English Chess Federation fee of £20 per
annum and travel costs. For example, my weekly hour of yoga in a modern church
hall, with no other activities taking place, costs £7.00. This is reduced to £6.50 by
booking blocks of lessons. My subscription to Parkway Cinema, Beverley, with its six
screens, costs £150.00. One hour dance classes for children in Hull are around
£5.00.
2. As far as I can see, a chess venue, shared with other activities, has only one
advantage. It reduces the hire charge. The obvious disadvantage is noise from the
other activity disturbing thought processes. I am unaware of any chess governing
authority preventing matches being played at a venue deemed to be ‘unsuitable’, but
it is likely to have occurred somewhere. At present, St. Andrews members choose to
play in a room adjoining dance classes and a brownie group meeting. There is a
kitchen, to which we have been refused access.
3. Having just one room has only one advantage. Financial. There are several
drawbacks:-
It is impossible to conduct coaching sessions when serious games are in progress. Verbal
exchanges between coach and students disturb those contesting competitive fixtures.
Meetings of club officers cannot be conducted when serious games are in progress.
Postgame discussions that could be conducted in a separate room will generate requests for
quiet from those engaged in serious games.
St. Andrews is the only chess club in Hull located west of Beverley Road and should expect
to attract members from this large hinterland. It can reasonably be argued that what we offer
is less than any of the other open clubs. My suggestion is that officers should investigate
whether better accommodation is available within a distance of 1 – 1½ miles of our present
location. A different method of funding would be required, similar to what has been
successfully adopted in Ilkley. Membership fees would be set at a level capable of achieving
this outcome, via monthly standing order payments. The following figures are based upon a
membership of around 20:-
20 members paying £15 per month = £3,600.
90 club evenings per year at £40.00 per evening = £3,600.
To secure good accommodation, most organisations are charging £10.00 per hour. Unless
anyone has a better suggestion, we will have to continue with the present substandard
facilities. There will be very limited prospects for securing new members, especially juniors,
whose parents will opt for taking them to the other open clubs – especially Hull Chess Club.
Parents now expect better for their money and are prepared to pay realistic prices. If in
doubt, ask friends and relatives what they pay for ballet classes, football clubs, cricket clubs,
etc. for themselves or their offspring.
Throughout my life, chess players have usually opted for the cheapest accommodation that
they could find, operating from free rooms in clubs and pubs until told by the publican that
they are not drinking enough alcohol and some other organisation offers better returns. The
costing for my proposal is as follows:-
Annual equivalent of £15.00 membership fee - £180.00.
Annual English Chess Federation membership fee - £20.00.
Total annual expenditure - £200.00.
Weekly equivalent of annual expenditure – Just over £4.00.
Expenses - transport costs, refreshments, etc. are the same whatever we choose to do.
I am proposing that you pay around the cost of a pint of beer per week for your chess. If you
are able to suggest an alternative structure for securing decent accommodation that will
attract new members, I am eager to see details and costings. If a small second room is
available at the venue, I would seek permission to use it for meetings and coaching
sessions. If my proposal came to fruition, we would have to give three months’ notice to our
current landlords. It would also be sensible to seek legal guidance to ensure that the club
does not have to leave any new venue without a reasonable period of notice.
David G. Mills. Joint Club President.
