Playing music from the 1980s helps Milton Keynes social club take hard line on yobs

The Postal Club, behind Queensway, in Bletchley, applied to Milton Keynes Council to change its licensed hours for the first time since 2005.

But the licensing sub committee was told on Tuesday (Jan 28) that there had been five objections to the club serving alcohol until 2:30 on Friday and 02:00 on Saturday.

Four of the objections were withdrawn but one from a local resident remained on the council’s books.

This meant that club chairman, Pearl Bauk, was invited to appear before a committee of three councillors who would decide what to do about the application.

“I was asked to step in as chair of the club to bring it up to standard,” said Pearl, who used to work in adult social services. “We now have hard and fast rules.”

The club, originally set up for postal workers, reviewed its members list and banned troublemakers, she said, Lifetime bans are imposed for anyone being anti social.

“We take a hard stance and it’s paid off,” she said, adding that the average age of the club has risen to 48. Members have to take responsibility for their guests, and if they misbehave, they are all banned.

“We got rid of a DJ playing heavy, hard music and we play 1980s music instead. We do allow people aged 18-plus but it is not for them any more. I now feel confident we can move on.

“I am not saying we are perfect, but it is something we can work on,” she added.

The club wants the extra hours to be able to host live music and for members’ events. It had been licensed to serve alcohol until 12.30am from Monday to Saturday and 11pm on Sundays, with extra hours only for New Year’s Eve.

But she explained that the perfect member did not want to go “up the city” for their fun, and they get “quite comfortable on our leather sofas.”

The club’s change of management was welcomed by Ron Haine, who chairs the Leon Residents Association. He told the committee, by email, that they now have “no problem” with the new licence.

He said: “In the short time Pearl has taken over the club it has had an amazing turn around. They have cleaned the club up and put in more CCTV cameras.

“Most of the residents say how surprised they are how quiet it is nowadays so we have no problem with a late licence,” he concluded.

After a short adjournment, the sub-committee chairman, Cllr Amanda Marlow (Cons, Loughton & Shenley) announced that the three members had been “really impressed.”

The late hours were granted with a list of conditions agreed with Thames Valley Police.

The committee also wanted to see more lights at the back of the building, and gave the club 14 days to submit a fire risk assessment to the council.