Carlisle Ex-Services Men's Club

Built

Founded 1921, in three houses of the early 1850s

Gone

Ceased trading 15 June 2026

There now

Not established

Address

1 Albert Street

The biggest loss on this list, by membership. The Ex was founded in 1921 by veterans of the First World War, the same year the Royal British Legion started, part of the wave of clubs set up to give returning men somewhere to go. It had over two thousand members. On Friday 12 June 2026 the staff were told, and on the Monday it stopped trading. The committee's statement said the decision was out of their hands and that they were absolutely devastated; they asked anyone ringing about a booked party to be kind to whoever answered, because that person had just lost their job.

A hundred and five years, ended at two days' notice. The building is Grade II listed and has been since 1972: three houses of the early 1850s knocked together, red sandstone ashlar with angle pilasters, an eaves cornice and sash windows with margin glazing bars in stone architraves. Four rooms inside, a bar and lounge downstairs, and upstairs a Concert Room for the weekend turns and a Cocktail Lounge for meetings and parties.

It fielded teams at snooker, billiards, pool, darts, table bowls, whist and quizzing. Carlisle keeps its other clubs, the Buffs, Harraby Catholic, the Conservative and Labour clubs, Pirelli, the bowling and cricket clubs. This was the veterans' one, and it outlived by decades the war that made it.

Sources

• In Cumbria: sudden closure announced, 13 June 2026
• Historic England list entry 1197138
• Co-operatives UK directory