| Activity | The Bank of England Sports Club was established in 1908. The Bank bought an 18 acre site at Priory Lane, Roehampton, to provide the staff and pensioners of the Bank with facilities for outdoor sporting pursuits. Office accommodation was also included, including the Record Office. Initially there were 563 members, made up of clerical staff only, and many sports were played at the club. Cards however were not allowed as it was felt that this would lower the tone. Cricket, football, hockey and billiards were not to be played on Sundays. The club-house soon became too small for the increasing number of members and it was extended 1927. Other facilities were provided for the women, such as a netball court in 1929. The extended club-house had been outgrown by the 1930s and a new one was built in 1937. The clubhouse was destroyed by an incendiary bomb in November 1940 and a new pavilion was built in 1955-6.
For some time, the Bank of England Sports Club was not open to women, despite there having been female staff since 1893. After the First World War, women were permitted to use the club facilities but they wanted a club of their own. In 1920 a subscription of 2 shillings was collected from those who wished to join and in 1921 a club-house, hockey field and tennis courts were provided and the Women's Sports Club was officially formed. However, the women's club existed as a distinct entity, separate from the General Sports Club until June 1970, when it was unanimously agreed to amalgamate the two Clubs.
After the Second World War, the club continued to expand its range of activities. Cricket facilities were provided in 1949 and club members took part in other activities such as ice-skating and card playing. However, many of the staff found the journey to Roehampton difficult. Before the War most staff lived no further than twenty miles from the Bank but there was a mass move to the suburbs. This meant a decline in the number of staff using the facilities at Roehampton. In 1965, the Deputy Governor, Leslie Kenneth O'Brien, completed a study into the facilities and usage of the Roehampton facilities. At this time there were 38 acres, with a club house rebuilt and extended in 1956. There were pitches for cricket, Association and Rugby football, hockey, 27 tennis courts, besides courts for netball, squash rackets and Rugby fives. There were also facilities for athletics, and in all some 34 Bank teams played there. Out of a total of Banking staff - men and women - of 4,300, over 1,000 were playing members of the club, and about 750 more were non-playing members. The Bank paid all the capital expenditure of the club, the rates and the maintenance of the buildings, and also the standing charges, comprising wages, ground maintenance and services. The club's other income from subscriptions and bar profits was used for general expenditure on games and to meet the cost of meals provided for the house staff. The total house and ground staff comprised 17 casual staff being employed also at weekends. Besides being used by Bank staff, the grounds were also made available to other organisations including the Football Association and the All England Lawn Tennis Club. One of the objects of this was to try and ensure that the extensive grounds were adequately used throughout the year and thus minimise the risk that they might have been taken over for housing purposes. The Deputy Governor found that the grounds were not used as fully as they might be by Bank staff and concluded a number of reasons for this. Although beautiful in themselves, with excellent changing facilities, the club was not conveniently situated and a large number of Bank staff had to travel long distances to get there. Moreover relatively few of the Bank staff were required to work on Saturdays and the men in particular were caught up in domestic activities instead of spending their Saturday afternoons at the club. It was decided that the club would be more generally used if there was more family entertainment available and if there were greater facilities for indoor games during winter. It was decided that a sports hall could supply additional all-year round facilities for nearly all sections of the club, namely cricket, tennis, athletics, golf and netball, badminton, basketball, fencing, gymnastics and judo. On 22 December 1965, the Committee of Treasury agreed, in principle, to the Governors' proposal to construct an indoor sports hall and swimming pool in order to widen the facilities to make it more attractive to staff. In the late 1960s, in a bid to encourage use, it was decided to increase the range of facilities to include indoor sports and social activities. A major rebuilding programme was commenced including the extension of the main pavilion (1970) to include improved catering facilities and the building of a major sports complex (1972). The sports complex incorporated a swimming pool, sports hall, and cricket nets, and at a later date, saunas, solariums and a fitness centre. Squash courts were added in 1980.
According to the 'History of the Bank of England Sports Club, 1983-2008' (p.16), it had become apparent to the department that if the value of the Sports Club was to remain, and costs were not going to reduce, then revenue would have to increase. Beginning in December 1995, the Sports Club introduced 'commercial' local members to the Sports Club.
The Sports Club continues to be used by many Bank staff. There are a large number of sports teams including football, netball and tennis which regularly practice and play at Roehampton and compete in many competitions. |