Cast your mind back to the mid 70’s (I think) if you frequented the Dunraven Arms, then you may have seen some unusual sites on a Friday night. I’m talking about the “Dummy Club” that run for about two years. What is a Dummy Club you may ask, it was a long time ago’ and memories have faded over that time but let me try to explain.
The Dummy Club was set up in the Dunraven Arms in Cwmgwrach to raise money for the old age of the village. At the time there were many youngsters (baby boomers) looking for a good time with money in their pockets, as most people were employed at the time. I can’t remember where the idea came from, but someone must have seen it in action and thought it would be a good idea to run in the Dun. All the youngsters joined in and a lot of the older generation as well got into the spirt of it.
Everyone had to buy a Dummy and carry it about with them at all times, if you were found not to have your Dummy there was a 2 shilling fine, if I remember correctly. It was surprising how many people were caught out without their Dummies, there were some unusual catches, like if you went swimming or were showering in the pit head baths, there was no getting away with it. So for 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 day’s of the year you had to carry this dummy with you. So you can imagine the kitty was quite full due to the members not having their Dummy with them.
The Dummy Club quickly developed into a life of it’s own, we created a a Dummy Club committee to see how it could be developed. In the end we agreed that every Friday night we would do something special to create more money for the kitty. This something special normally meant there was some sort of dressing up involved, and to make it a bit more difficult, everyone had to walk from the entrance to the village to the Dun, no matter were you lived dressed in whatever was decided for that particular Friday night. So for example, Alan Penny the landlord of the Dun had to walk out to the Chain Road first before walking back to the Dun.
As time went on the dressing up got more extreme, let’s see if I can remember some of the things we had to do. Let’s start with the easy ones first. For example you may have had to wear different shoes and socks, or you may have had to wear a particular type of shirt (button down collar for example). Then moving up the scale perhaps the committee would decide everyone had to wear a skirt, there were some strange looks from people that day when we had to walk from the Chain Road to the Dun.
Things got so out of hand, that if they didn’t have whatever was required for that night then they would go out and buy it, so instead of being fined a a few shillings they would be spending pounds buying a shirt for example. Again Alun Penny would think as he was the landlord he had to set an example and would often go out to buy whatever was required for the Friday night.
I’m sure there are plenty of other examples of what we used to get up to, but my memory can’t bring them to mind at the moment, so I will ask on Facebook for people memories.
Probably the Zenith of the dressing up was the Cowboy night, when the committee decided tand hat Jeff Penny remembers, “there was a pint for anyone turning up on a horse, if I remember right Ken Slocombe tied his horse up outside, and Tal brought his Palamino into the bar, and my mother Shiela, had her photo taken on the horse in front of the dartboard.” I hope the photo turns up one day.
Here are some memories from some of the participants:
Clive Pontin
Hi Roy it was on a Friday after darts when we played away we came back about 9.30 only to find that the lounge was full, with all the regulars waiting for us to come back and give a song, Leighton Penny played the organ and it was always kicked off with Warren Jones who sang “two Belgian rabbits” then the rest of us who always carried our dummies and every Friday dressed up it became very popular and when we came back after playing darts away, everyone would give a song.
I remember:
Cowboy outfit; mini skirt; wig; makeup; Top hat; 1 Wellington and 1 shoe; grow a moustache; I can’t think of anything else at the moment
Jeff Penny
TheDummy club, omg, what some crazy funny nights, my most prolific memory is the cowboy night, when there was a pint for anyone turning up on a horse, if i remember right Ken Slocombe tied one up outside the Dun, and Tal brought his Palamino into the bar and my mother had her photo on the horse in front of the dartboard. I will have a look through some photos that I have, but most of the memories went with Leighton to Cilfrew. I’ll ask Dawn as well.
Warren Jones
Good days mate, I will always remember we had to walk to the Dun dressed up in whatever was decided, no matter where you lived. Some strange looks walking down from the lamb Ha. Ha, and Alan Penny had to walk out to the Chain Road because he was the landlord. And the day we delivered a chicken to all the old age pensioners that frequented the Dun.
Deborah Lloyd Williams
Yes, I remember it well, I used to collect the money from the members at the time. 79 × Huw Watkins, Tommy Collins, etc
Jean Esnouf
You had to put a peg in your ear and a caulinder on your head in 1975.
Tony Collins
Sheila laughing her head off, when Ken Slocombe brought a horse in the bar on the cowboy theme night.
The dummy club got so big they used to meet by the two bridges and walk to the Dun wearing whatever the theme was for that day. As a youngster used to follow the crowd to the Dun as it was a laugh a minute.
I think it would be fair to say, the Dummy Club was a roaring success and will live long in our memories. Unfortunately we have not been able to locate any photos of the time, but I do have a couple of photos from the Fancy Dress parties we had around Christmas time. So I will post them below in memory of some of our friends who are no longer with us. We will remember them.
John Berry and Paul Tobin.
