End of the Hill Course

END OF THE HILL COURSE

This is a summary of events that took place during 1936 and was the background for the Special Annual General Meeting called for on September 18^th 1936

The lease for the golf course on Helsby Hill was due to expire on 1^st February 1937.

The original agreement leased the land from Mr Arrowsmith who had since died, and his estate had passed to Mr Lewis Brandeth & Miss Brandeth.

From April 1936, discussions took place with Mr Brandeth regarding the renewal of the lease. It was fairly obvious from the initial meetings that both parties to the agreement were in some sort of dispute. It was alleged by the landlord that the farmhouse which was the clubs responsibility was in a deplorable state. This the committee strongly denied stating that the house was in very good order apart from some work required to the outside. Other arguments centred on land which the landlord but not the club wished to include and the rental.

The landlord was prepared to give a 3 year lease at £100 per annum, subject to all other conditions as in the present lease.

The committee resolved the club would agree to a renewal of the lease at an annual rent of £90 for a period of 5 years, subject to the deletion of the clause relating to some land attached to the plan which the club did not require. Mr Brandeth was not prepared to make any alterations to the lease.

The club asked for a meeting with Mr Brandeth but he refused and a letter was received from him refusing the clubs offer and restating his own terms.

On September 17^th, it was announced that 2 members of the committee had obtained an option from Mr T Noden on 50 acres of pasture land with an entrance on to the main road near Horne Mill at £2 per acre.

At the special general meeting, the chairman Mr Britland gave a full account of the negotiations with the landlord and the reasons why the terms offered were not acceptable to the club. Members fully supported the committee’s decision and it was unanimously carried that the meeting reject the terms.

It was agreed that if the landlord were not prepared to make the terms acceptable, the committee shall be empowered to take such action as it deems necessary to wind up the affairs of the club on its present site.

Following the general meeting, a further offer was received from the landlord offering an annual tenancy of £90. The committee decided the terms were not acceptable and to terminate the tenancy as from February 1^st 1937. A letter was sent to Mr Brandeth regarding obtaining turf from the greens for the new course.

14^th Oct 1936, Mr T Noden offered a ten year lease on the new site with an option to buy the land when the lease expired. It was resolved that the club should be transferred to the new site provided money could be found to carry the scheme through.

16^th Oct 1936, at a special meeting the chairman explained that no satisfactory offer had been received from the landlord and the tenancy of the course would cease on February 1^st 1937.

Mr Britland outlined a scheme for transferring the course to the new site. It was estimated that a sum of £513 would be required and suggested that this sum be borrowed from the members. Paper slips were handed out to enable members to indicate the amounts they were prepared to offer. When the slips were collected and totalled, the promises amounted to £519. This was greeted with considerable applause.

The task of transferring to the new course involved moving the clubhouse, mowers, rollers and all other machinery. Fences had to be repaired and some broken windows in the stable had to be made good. In a letter from Mr Brandeth, he stated “I can see no need for you to replace the bunkers and greens”. This sentence eventually led to a court case between the club and Mr Brandeth.

The club removed turf from four greens and stated that they would replace the turf with good field turf.