A 100-year-old club in Salisbury has reopened with a £30k refurbishment following a series of unfortunate events.
The Royal British Legion Club (RBL), 9-11 Endless Street, was established in 1922 as a membership club for those who served in the armed forces.
On Saturday, October 8 the club celebrated its grand reopening with a visit from Mayor of the City of Salisbury, Cllr Tom Corbin.
The club closured alongside many other establishments in March 2020 due to Covid restrictions. Five months later, on August 19, a flood damaged the ground floor fittings.
The RBL briefly reopened on July 29 but was forced to close again because the club flooded again just 18 days later.
Club secretary David Crockett told the Journal that, despite the set backs, he wants to modernise the club to be fit for the next generation. He said: "We don't want to be God's waiting room.
"We want to encourage the younger generation to start using us. Without them, the whole system isn't viable."
The £30,000 investment has been spent on refurbishing the bar and replacing the flooring after the carpet had to be ripped up due to flooding. The new bar is painted in the colours of the Armed Forces, including green for the Army, blue for the Navy and cyan for the Air Force.
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With a remit to provide somewhere for members to socialise, the David explained that he didn't want the RBL to feel "like a museum", which was a criticism he had prior to closing.
He added: "We've taken a lot of the memorabilia down so that we can cycle it round. It's a nod to our past.
"The Legion clubs have been losing members for years but we want to be able to flourish and be successful."
Old fashioned restrictions, such as no hats, have been relaxed and the club is going digital. Another important change is that all dogs are now allowed in the RBL.
Barman Steve Rumbell has been pouring pints for over 30 years and that the RBL is "ideal" for him, adding: "It's great to be back. We have a good laugh in here, it's friendly and everyone knows everyone."
A dedicated RBL snooker and darts teams will be starting soon.
The club is a registered charity and membership is available to all adults, not just members or ex-members of the forces.
When the RBL officially opened in 1922 it was located in the Market Place. Despite going through moves, changes and setbacks in its 100-year lifetime, the club hopes to remain a place for people to enjoy sport, drinks and eachother's company.
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