It is the news everyone at Shrewsbury Chess Club has been hoping for – we have a new home and our future has been secured!
Music venue Albert & Co Frankville, which lies in the shadow of Theatre Severn opposite the Welsh Bridge in Frankwell, will be the club’s new venue for the foreseeable future, writes Peter Kitchen.
The club has already held its first match at its new home – Shropshire Chess League champions Maddocks A were welcomed for a Cox Trophy semi final tie, details of which can be found here.
The move means the club will once again have a weekly club night, although this will probably involve a switch from the traditional Friday night meets to Wednesdays.
Players will meet in the upstairs function room at the venue – a spacious and well-lit area that will has so far proved ideal for competitive chess.
The owners of the bar were one of a number of establishments to get in touch on hearing the club’s recent SOS, which gained significant and most welcome coverage in local media circles.
Club secretary Mark Smith said he wished to play on record how grateful the club had been for all of the offers of help, and said it has reaffirmed both his and the wider membership’s faith in the kindness and togetherness of the local community and town centre businesses.
It comes after the club left its previous home at the Nerdy Café in Mardol at the end of May, when the future of that venue appeared uncertain. It had been revealed before Christmas that the club would have to move at the end of the season, but without an alternative the club’s existence – stretching back more than 100 years – had been placed in severe jeopardy.
It is now hoped that securing a new, centralised venue and a regular club night will enable the club to increase its membership and thrive going forwards.
Already several familiar faces from the club’s recent past have attended club nights, while there have also been expressions of interest from potential new members, thanks in part to the club’s activity on Facebook.
It comes after the club’s first team enjoyed its most successful season for many years, finishing third in division one of Shropshire Chess League and securing runners up spot in Shropshire Online Chess League – missing out on the title to Oswestry B on points difference.