From Private Club to Public House; in Business 200 Years ; in the Days When Bankers Were Seen As the Pinnacle of Society, the Bristol Commercial Rooms Was Their Oasis of Calm. Gerry Brooke Charts Its Rich History in Its 200th Anniversary Year

Western Daily Press › November 22, 2011

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Summary

It was an emotional day when Bristol's Commercial Rooms, a mahogany-panelled and leatherbound haven for generations of local businessmen, finally closed its doors in 1994. It was the last of three gentlemen's clubs situated in the city centre to close, leaving just the Clifton Club to the west of the city as sole survivor.

Despite efforts to raise cash through letting the place for auctions and even weddings, the writing had been on the wall for some time.

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Extract

From Private Club to Public House; in Business 200 Years ; in the Days When Bankers Were Seen As the Pinnacle of Society, the Bristol Commercial Rooms Was Their Oasis of Calm. Gerry Brooke Charts Its Rich History in Its 200th Anniversary Year

As the social habits of Bristol's once close-knit business community changed, so membership fell and a cash crisis loomed.

Although the rules had been relaxed to allow members to bring in female guests at certain times of the day, the facilities were just not being used, especially at lunch...

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