PENARTH’S Royal British Legion Club has closed down despite a last-ditch bid to save it.

Long-serving members had called for a special general meeting to discuss alternatives to closing the Station Approach based club, but after no suitable solutions were found the closure of the club was confirmed on Thursday, January 29.

The club, which has been based in the town for more than 80 years, closed its doors for the last time on Saturday, January 31.

The branch is set to continue after finding a temporary base at The Office Bar, where Penarth Royal Air Force Association club are also based on Windsor Road, but the 400 members of the RBL club will no longer be able to use their original headquarters.

Harold Ford, who has been a member of the RBL Penarth branch since 1973, said it was a “sad loss” that “80 years of Penarth’s history was laid to rest”.

In a letter to the Penarth Times he added that members were frustrated by the way the special general meeting was held, describing it as a “sorry state of affairs”, as he felt the alternative solutions were dismissed.

Former CPO Ford, who used to go to the club every week with his son, added that he understood why the club had to close, but criticised the branch for not improving facilities for its members.

“The main cause is the lack of usage by the 400 members,” he said.

“Add to this the poor access to the club, the stairs, it made it very difficult for disabled access and, yes, a stair lift was fitted. How demeaning is that to an ex-serviceman?”.

The decision was made to close the club following a vote by members at the AGM last year.

Falling membership and changing drinking habits have been blamed for closure of the club.

Phil Morris, chairman of the Penarth Royal British Legion Club Ltd company, said that “sadly and regrettably” members had voted to close the club due to “difficult trading conditions”.

The branch had been based at the club since it was formed in 1932.