What now for Peterborough city centre club as plan for store emerges?
The future of Peterborough’s oldest members club looks uncertain with plans being drawn up top convert it to a convenience store.
Mick Stewart, who has run The Burghley – formerly The Burghley Square Club – in Burghley Road since 2011, says it is business as usual for the venue, known for its live music nights at weekends.
But he admits to being in “limbo” as the application, submitted this week to the city council’s planning department, has come from his landlords, the building’s owners, Pello Ltd.
“We haven’t received confirmation from the landlord regarding this,” says Mick.
“We are open and plan to stay open until confirmation has been received.”
The possibility of the club disappearing from the city landscape will be greeted by many with sadness, particularly those who flocked to the place in its heyday.
The family-run Burghley is no longer a members club, of course, but in the 1960s and 1970s it was a big part of city life, and there was always a queue for membership – which was very carefully vetted by the committee.
The restaurant was so popular with members, particularly on Saturday dance night, that diners had to book weeks in advance to be sure of a table.
And there was always a friendly rivalry with cross membership with the Conservative Club nearby.
The Burghley went through a mini-revival in the early 1980s when it was refurbished and a Bistro opened downstairs to cater mainly for the lunchtime trade.
Membership was thrown open briefly for £1 and there was a queue round the block on the night the offer opened!
But like most private members clubs in the city, including the Flying Services Club, in Priestgate, and its neighbour the City and Counties Club, membership began to dwindle when future generations were not interested in the social activities of their parents' generation and drifted away to discos and then nightclubs.