Central Conservative Club Union Street Oldham

CENTRAL CONSERVATIVE CLUB, OLDHAM – The whole of the site between the Palatine Bank and Hippodrome Theatre, Union Street, will be occupied by this club. The accommodation on the ground floor consists of billiard-room to contain four tables, with raised alcove for card tables, besides a spacious reading room, bar and manager’s room, and all necessary lavatory accommodation. There will be an internal staircase from the inner hall giving access to the assembly room on the first floor which can also be reached by a public staircase from Union Street. The first floor will be devoted to an assembly hall, which is provided with a good stage. There will be two ante-rooms conveniently arranged for stage purposes. At the other end of the room are the board room and ladies’ retiring room; and ample lavatory accommodation. There is a good suite of offices arranged on this floor (with separate lavatory accommodation) for registration purposes, with a separate entrance from Union Street. In the basement is a furnace chamber and fuel stores, and ample storage for general purposes; also an ample cooking kitchen and scullery accommodation. It is proposed to face the building with Accrington bricks, relieved with vitreous terra-cotta dressings. Reinforced concrete will be largely used in the construction of the premises, which, as far as possible, will be rendered fireproof. The assembly hall floor will be laid on springs, so as to be suitable for dancing. The roof of the assembly hall will be formed of curved steel principals, finished in panels with fibrous plaster enrichments. The billiard room, entrance hall and assembly room will also be enriched with ornamental fibrous plaster pilasters. Enriched lead lights will be freely used for glazing. Steps and the dado in the vestibule will be of marble and the floor of the main entrance of marble terrazzo. Special attention will be devoted to ventilation. The billiard room and assembly room will be fitted with electric fans. Mr Charles T Taylor ARIBA, of Oldham, is the architect. [Building News, 3 September 1909 Page 362]

Falling membership led to the closure of the Central Conservative Club in 1996. A a year later it was transformed into Mr Wrigley’s restaurant and wine bar. The name came from Arthur E Wrigley, a Conservative candidate who laid the foundation stone of the Conservative club. The building later became Italian restaurant Parmesan and Pepper and was last used as Indian restaurant the Taj Mahal. In 2011 the building was scheduled to be auctioned. [Oldham Evening Chronicle: 29 June 2011]

Reference : Building News, 3 September 1909 Page 362 with plan and photographic illustration