Wolverhampton's Jones Road working men's club close to reopening after major fire

Jones Road Working Men's Club was wrecked by the blaze last May, which happened after a freezer caught fire.

Smoke damage in the interior of the building, in Jones Road, meant everything needed to be replaced, and the entire premises had to be rewired.

After a lengthy wait to get the go ahead from insurers to carry out repair and renovation work, members have been getting stuck into bringing the site up to scratch, and will open officially on September 3.

Lindsay Williams, fundraiser at the club, said: "We were gutted when it happened.

"I've been going to the club since I was 14 or 15, my husband has been coming with me for years as well.

"All my family go and it's where we catch up on a Sunday. It's the same across the board for most people.

"Everything got smoke damaged in the fire, the chairs, tables, curtains, everything inside basically.

"We've had to get everything in there brand new.

"We've still had the bar area open but we've lost quite a lot of customers because it's a bit cramped there. We're hoping now we'll be able to get everyone back.

"There aren't many working men's clubs left because of funding and cuts so we want to try and do our best to keep going.

"I'm not sure how much it has cost, it's all been done through insurance.

"Ian Holt, the club secretary, has been down every day to make sure everything is on track and the work is being done. The insurance don't tend to be in a rush to get things done, so it's taken a while.

"It took about six months before any work could be started. But it should all be finished this month.

"We've set an opening date of September 3 just so we can get everything 100 per cent.

"The whole place has been rewired. It's had new flooring, new carpets and a new bar which is more modern."

She added: "It's looking really good, we just need to get the members back now.

"It's their time to get out and enjoy themselves, have a game of bingo, catch up with friends and socialise.

"We're looking forward to it, we're all excited about opening again. A lot of our members have been coming to the club for years and years.

"When we reopen we are having a disco, a buffet, bingo and a big raffle, which we're hoping to get some donations for."

Anyone wishing to offer donations to the club can do so by getting in touch with Lindsay Williams on 07847 176357.