The Trades Club
Holme Street Hebden Bridge West Yorkshire HX7 8EE
The Trades Club Social Club (to give it its Sunday name) was built in 1923 as a joint enterprise by half a dozen local trades unions back in the days when Hebden was a thriving centre for the cotton industry. The unions levied a one penny contribution from each member per week, and when finally built, the building was equipped with a fully sprung dance floor for the purposes of ballroom dancing. It’s still there, though used for more energetic dancing than its designers originally envisaged. Anyone who's anyone has played at the Trades Club: Patti Smith, Edwyn Collins, Scritti Politti, King Creosote, Peter Hook, Martha Wainwright, The Fall ... I could go on. It's an absolute gem of a place; just go in for a pint and a chat on a Saturday afternoon and gaze at the posters of times past, or check the website before you hit town – there could well be one of your fave bands on. The beer's good, it's friendly, intimate and all sorts of folk pitch up for a right good night, the perfect end to which is a wood-fired pizza from the amazing mobile wagon that parks outside.
