The Grampian Club - Corby

 

This was just our second visit to the Grampian Association Club in as many decades, which might seem a bit neglectful, but compared to the other pubs and clubs in town this makes the Grampian practically our local! A third visit and I'll expect my own pewter tankard hanging from the bar and the staff to greet us by name. The Grampian is a bona fide Corby Club Classic, sitting cheek by jowl with the equally iconic Irish Centre on the appropriately named (and coincidentally snake-free!) Patrick Road. A rock-solid red brick staple of the Corby social scene for many years, it's also home to several important clubs and associations in the town, including the mighty Grampian Corby Pipe Band, stars of Corby's annual Highland Gathering as well as this years historic Pole Fair, more of which later...

The Grampian Association was formed as a cultural and social centre for the many workers and their families who'd upped sticks from Scotland to work at the Steel and Tube Works. An early example of the Grampian Association's work was the establishment of the aforementioned Highland Gathering, a hugely popular event for Corby folk to this day. The club itself was built with monies raised from membership of the preceeding Aberdeen and North East Counties Association, as well as a good deal of voluntary work by local tradesmen and a hefty loan from William Younger's and Watney Mann Breweries. This loan was paid back in just three years apparently, which represents a truly impressive amount of Tartan Bitter and Wee Willie downed!

All the key changes at the club over the last few years can be discerned by comparing the present utilitarian frontage (top) with this slightly earlier view (left), taken when the town was still in its original post-war monochrome hue. That's right, the old-fangled Courage beer has been replaced with bang up to date Fosters. Actually, the interior has had a bit of a refurb' too, but then where hasn't in these crazy COVID times!

So not exactly the mellow ironstone and bucolic thatch that characterises so much of North Northamptonshire, but step inside and you'll see the attraction of the place. All polished floors and Stag motifs, it's a very tidy club, clearly well maintained and well-loved by members and visitors alike. Besides, there's way more to the Gramp' (as it's almost certainly not called by the locals) than the rather plain exterior might suggest. There's a hell of a lot of it for a start! The entrance leads through to a substantial function room, stuffed to the gunnels with local Christmas Crafters when we popped in recently. Santa him/herself was also in residence on the Grampian's glittery stage, tasked once again with gauging the good/bad status of locals ahead of this years big Christmas loot giveaway. We came away with nothing needless to say. I can't even look the auld fella/lass in the eyes these days...

Last time we were at the Grampian an antiques fair was in full swing. No Santa on that occasion, though there were plenty of white bearded gents hawking gifts as I recall. The function room has its own bar naturally, but cosier social clubbing can be enjoyed in the adjacent Lounge Bar (below), home on the day to Kittys famous Sunday Roasts. Note how a single Medium Vegetarian Tart is generously accommodated for lunch every Sunday. That's true Corby hospitality that is, and a clear example of the clubs progressive diversity values.

Now, I doubt whether it's escaped the attention of visitors to this blog that there's been a notable absence of Tartan in posts thus far. A swatch of genuine Tartan would of course be one of the top scoring squares on the Corby Pub Safari Bingo Card, if I had one, but who knew the traditional woven cloth was such a rarity in England's most beautiful Scottish town! Three cheers and a double bingo cross then for the Grampian Club, not only does it have an impressive Tartan carpet, the envy of many a Scottish Wetherspoon I'd imagine, but they obviously had a bit left over so decided to carpet the servery in the Members Bar too. A challenging hoover for the cleaners I'd imagine, but a nice touch nevertheless. The Members Bar is presumably for the exclusive use of Members, and Members clearly like nothing better on a Sunday lunch than watching the football (below). I had a look around, nobody asked for my membership details, but I didn't attempt to get served, or watch the football, or anything too 'Membery'. 

The Football, never knowingly not watched in Corby Town

Bit of a one-way Stag to-do!

Bar staples at the Grampian include the ubiquitous Cocktail multi-font, an innovation that's yet to reach the railway arches and industrial estate tap-rooms of the craft beer world. Heads-up time! 2022 could be the breakthrough year for this cool new trend, but as it stands it's yet another local Corby speciality you'll need to visit the town to experience. Note the Slushy machine in the Members Bar, an even cooler trend, and clearly a key benefit of membership at the club, us non-members having to settle for ice cubes and Fanta. I shouldn't wonder...

Even as you skim-read this latest post, excitement will be building at the Grampian ahead of this years Burns Night celebrations. It'll come as no surprise to learn that the Grampian Association do the Scottish bard's big night 'proper', with all the Whisky and Bagpipes, and a full bardic address to the Haggis. And a jolly big Haggis at that! Rabbie himself stands watch over the clubs vintage coat stand (right), because who else would you trust with your beloved Tam O'Shanter!

You can get a good feel for how Corby folk, and Grampian Association members in particular, choose to honour the bard on Burns Night from This Article by Northamptonshire Telegraph journalist and local Corby correspondent Kate Cronin.

Games other than the ubiquitous Association Football are also important at the Grampian Club, or at least they were prior to COVID making them too dangerous to play. A 'resting' Bowling Green can be viewed from yet another bar area at the rear of the building, Lawn Bowls being a little known Corby speciality. I'm not entirely sure of its current status as an active Bowls Club, but the immaculate green was pressed into service as Corby's 'Biggest Beer Garden' during the recent COVID restricted trading, hence the tables on the hallowed turf. The Grampian doing its bit for safe local clubbing and social imbibing.

But it's a sad indicator of the current games scene in Corby that the Memorial Trophy for the (presumably defunct?) Corby Cribbage League has more 'Absent Friends' than 'Winners' commemorated, the last entry being for the 2003 season...