On 17^th December, 2010, the Crown and Manor closed its doors to members. The Club had planned a welcoming goodbye for any old members who wanted to say farewell to its portals and about 60 did. However, the weather was as unwelcoming as it could be, heavy snow, bitter cold and the cracks and crevices and leaks that were endemic in this 90 year old building were obvious to all who came. One fear that was expressed by everybody was “Would the ‘new’ Crown and Manor be able to recreate the history  and atmosphere of the old building into the new.” This came from young and old: from our present members, to all the Old Boys from the Association who gathered for their farewell on the 21^st November 2010. Well, the answer to that is a determined Yes. Well previous to our closure on 17^th December, plans had been laid by the present management to ensure that the old building will live on. Wonderfully evocative photographs of it have been taken by a professional photographer. All our wonderful memorabilia has been carefully stored and the plan is to create a memorial wall in the new Club so that our history can be seen at a glance.

Our temporary building in Penn Street has already created an atmosphere of its own.  In the vast spaces of the old building, it was possible for a member to go unnoticed, except to those members of staff with whom he was personally involved.  Not so in Penn Street.  In its more cosy and confined areas, the staff are finding that they are able to become involved on a face to face basis with all our members and their training in youth work is being used to its best. The lack of space, has created some weird situations: youngsters sitting around a table tennis table doing their Spanish or French. A little group tucked away in a corner going through their reading and funniest of all, was the sight of the Committee holding their executive meeting around a table tennis table. Far from causing dissent, it has made everyone pull together to make this work! The management of the Crown and Manor would like to say a huge thank you to all the residents of Colville Estate, who are our new neighbours, for their welcome and support. From the chair of the Tenants and Residents Association, Maggie, who has supported us in every way she can, to the self-appointed guardian” who lives nearby and keeps a protective eye on us all. For those of you who are interested, the new building at Wiltshire Row is like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Those of us who live nearby check the site for progress every day and look forward to the time when we can move back to the old site.