The Bung- Gone But Not Forgotten !
The Bung…..Gone But Not Forgotten !
( Many thanks to Simon George for his help putting this together, images used are a mix of hedgegrower shots and some neat images from Simon )
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It
was incredibly sad to see work start on demolishing the Bungalow Club on Hardcastle Road
recently.
The Bung, as it had become affectionately known, so very recently but for too short a time a place, a hub if you like where County fans could (and frequently did ) meet before and after games at Edgeley Park.
The old place had been the but of cruel jokes for years previously …..the crumbling structure…….the ever so indefinable fragrance in the air and the queues…..the almost impenetrable queues for beer that was at best average would be a recurring feature of Bung life as supporters became regular customers!
The brewery and other creditors were poised like impatient vultures to pull the plug when Help the Hatters along with Saint Saviour made the bold (many said foolish) move to engage with Bung management and brewery in meaningful conversation which resulted in a stay of execution as Help the Hatters looked to turn the fortunes of the old place around whilst giving fans somewhere to have a drink and a natter on match days.
Straight away with John Fitzpatrick leading the way there were numerous work parties about the place eventually transforming both the external fabric of the building, the surrounds that needed much more than a Percy Thrower on the job, and the quaintly crumbling interior which received much attention from day one.
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| image Simon George( 2 John`s at work ) |
Working Parties started in 2013, and it was in that year that the Bung hosted an early meeting of ` Stronger Together/ Your Town Your Team
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| Simon and his skirts! |
On to 2014 with fans weighing in with ideas and dosh, we saw the Players Fund flourish boosted in no small manner by the voluntary levy of 50p per pint sold in the Bung.
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| Fitzy in action ( image Simon George) |
The year saw the Bung`s first Community Bonfire sponsored and organised by Help the Hatters and the Supporters Cooperative.
And……gradually…..the interior and exterior of the club was being transformed via umpteen Working Parties – it was awesome to be a part of!
https://hedgegrower.blogspot.com/2014/11/help-hatters-update-51.html
An idea of what was what in 2014 can be gleaned here…
https://hedgegrower.blogspot.com/2014/12/help-hatters-review-of-2014.html
But Help the Hatters regular Simon George gives us another insight into the Bung in 2014 with this anecdote….
`The Bung may be gone...but has that chilli? I can't think of The Bungalow without thinking about THAT chilli. Way back in 2014 Help the Hatters working parties were charged with sprucing up The Bung in readiness for pre match supporter use. Whilst most of us were issued with paint and brushes another team tackled a kitchen clean up. It was this team that discovered the chilli lurking in the fridge. It was sat in a large oblong roasting dish and had mould growing at one end. I don't recall why it wasn't disposed of at that point but suspect that it was because we were only helping out and weren't custodians of the chilli. So, it stayed. The following week`s working party was when this mouldy chilli cemented it's infamy to all those present. A portion was missing. It was glaringly obvious that a portion of the chilli had been served up at some point`. `
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| Kitchen Crew in Action. |
………………………………..
2015 was arguably the year that changed the Bung the most as the results of Help the Hatters` hard work began to show in the fabric of the building and its surrounds.
https://hedgegrower.blogspot.com/2015/05/bung-update-and-call-to-arms-from-help.html
And then Blossoms did a sell-out gig at the Bung – how wonderful was that?
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| Blossoms at the Bung ! |
Other top bands followed including Fracture featuring Tom Bennett & Roger Wylde, but Blossoms will always be remembered for their brilliant support!
https://hedgegrower.blogspot.com/2015/02/blossoms-and-mantells-wow-bung.html
The same year saw County legend George Haigh at the Bung to present a trophy and cheque for £1000 to the Supporters Cooperative for the establishment of an annual `Young Player of the Year ` award! It was so great to see George!
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| George hands cheque to SCSC Chair Pete Towey. |
SCAN had one of several reunion evenings during the year and Simon George has supplied some images from that occasion along with a couple of shots from the Fracture gig mentioned earlier in this piece….
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| SCAN Evening |
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| Fracture on stage. |
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| Fracture with added support ! |
Here`s a prime example from 2015 of how things were gradually sorted by Help the Hatters ….
https://hedgegrower.blogspot.com/2015/02/help-hatters-update-56.html
And throughout all this activity the Bung was beginning to look just a bit like home…..
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| This image - Simon George. |
Amazingly, Blossoms came back again to support another Community Bonfire and for a time the old place was buzzing.
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| Blossoms support Community Bonfire. |
And a couple of shots from Simon from that evening :-
Unfortunately, it could not last and eventually the unequal struggle to make the Bung a viable proposition ended with the realities of 21st century capitalism forcing closure on the Bung.
An amazing adventure, a brief beacon of hope with the football club languishing in `non-league` was over!
Much is not mentioned in this account that probably should have been, but it is an attempt to mark the end of something worthwhile that engaged the energies and resourcefulness of County fans.
When hope for County looked in short supply great dreams were nurtured within the Bungs crumbling walls.
We will enjoy the redevelopment as it unfolds behind the Railway End but the `Bung` will be remembered with affection by those that worked hard to make it better for County supporters!
hedgegrower
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