Mr A E Haddon (president) was in the chair, supported by Mr J Martin (vice-chairman), Mr F Bird (secretary), and members of the committee. After the dinner there was a smoking concert, the artistes being Messrs Archie Hall (comedian), Fred Reeves (baritone), and Albert Jenner (tenor).

The Chairman said that one of the greatest ambitions of the club, to have a room that would seat all the members, had been realised. As members of the Windmill Club they were passing through a critical period, but, if they supported the committee, in five or six years time they would have no regrets at having put up such a splendid new building. They had been severely criticised by temperance reformers recently for putting up those premises, and it had been stated that their main object was the selling of beer. For that he offered no apologies, for they as workers could take their stand—they were out to help themselves.

Mr H Thompson, secretary of the Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire Club Union, said the building of new premises had been thought about for a number of years. There had been 30 clubs which had had extensions this year owing to the large increase in the number of their members, while eight new clubs had been built. That showed that locally the club movement was making progress. Those who criticised them perhaps did not know that last year 20 per cent. Of the total income of the clubs had been spent on education and in regard to sport 360 trophies had been competed for.

Mr Thompson said that the club movement had four of the finest convalescent homes in the country, which were owned, controlled, managed, and financed by the clubs and their members. Last year a cheque for £1,000 was handed to Northampton Hospital. He hoped that their critics would take a leaf out of their book and do likewise. The total amount per member spent on intoxicating drinks and minerals was 3s. 4½d. It was generally those people who criticised who were working to keep working class to a bare subsistence wage and had never done anything to raise the status of the working man.

Mr Thompson concluded with a reference to the reported statement of the Rev Ian Carroll, “To go into the Windmill Club is like going into hell.” The committee had investigated that remark, and the reverend gentleman repeated it, but shortly afterwards Mr Carroll had left the district. If the Windmill Club was like hell, the speaker hoped that that would be his place, for his best friends in the brotherhood spirit belonged to that organisation.

Thanks to the caterers (Messrs Morbey and Sons, Wellingborough) were carried on the motion of Mr Chater (Northampton) and Mr Smith (Wellingborough).

The games report (secretary Mr H Elmer) showed that in competitions the club had played 148 games, won 100, lost 45, and drawn three.