Wild West as clubs are quick draw

Clubs celebrating country and western culture have long been a popular past time in the region. Some have died, but Sandwell has a number of clubs that are still going strong, with one even recently celebrating its 30th birthday. The Circle W Country and Western Club meets every week at two alternate venues, the Ex-Serviceman's Club in Smethwick and Smethwick Cricket Club.

With more than 120 members aged between 18 and 70 it is one of the biggest in the region and marked its milestone birthday in November.

Entertainment officer and father-of-four Tom Ralph, aged 71, who lives in Walker Avenue in Lye, said: "It's been so successful.

"We've had a couple of ups and downs and in fact the club nearly broke up because the attendance really fell off.

"The most important thing about the club are the people that come here because they are the ones that help create the wonderful atmosphere.

"I have lots of great friends here and we have had lots of people coming to join us since we started.

"The Westerners dress up and there's line dancing and shoot out games."

The club originally started as The Jersey Lily Saloon on Saturday, October 31, 1978 at The Wellington pub in Great Bridge.

It is the only club in the area which operates a weekly Saturday night and during 30 years has only failed to open once when the Birchley Social Club car park was taken over by travellers.

A relaunch on January 18, 1992 saw the present committee assume the every day running of the club and decided it would run as a charitable organisation. Since then the club has given more than £56,000 to various charities and local good causes.

At the club's anniversary at the Ex Servicemen's Club on South Road, Smethwick on November 1, members were treated to a performance by the Rivendale Country duo. Twenty-six people entered the fast draw competition, competing for the The Circle W Remembrance Shield which is dedicated to all the deceased past members and friends of the group.

The winner was called Brad Reeves, 46, from Ivy Road in Tipton with the fastest shot of the night being 0.37 hundredths of a second. "I have been coming to this club since I was 19 years-old and I love it as much now as I did back then," said Mr Reeves.

"I have made some fantastic friends here and they are people that I will continue to be friends with for a very long time," he added.

In Great Barr, Beryl and Bob Cooper run the Silver Trees club which runs at the Ex-Servicemen's Club on Aldridge Road. Beryl said members as young as two attend the weekly meeting which starts every Sunday at 7pm. "On an average week about 80 people turn out. People like to get together to have a re-enactment and the shoot out.

*To find out more about Westerners clubs in the area, visit www.theauthenticwesternsociety.co.uk/rendezvous.htm