The Trades Club
Polly Checkland Harding
The Trades Club, a celebrated small music venue and socialist members cooperative club, has a long history of combining standout gigs with support for political causes. Here, the likes of Patti Smith, Laura Marling, Everything Everything and The Futureheads have all graced the stage, cementing The Trades Club’s reputation as one of the best live music venues going – and leading to a place in the finals of the NME Small Venue of the Year Awards several years running. Open during the day, punters can enjoy a varied selection of authentic Javanese and Sumatran food from Rostini’s Indonesian Kitchen or Dapur Nin’s Indonesian Cuisine from 4pm onwards. In the performance space, the facilities have lately been updated, including a new stage, PA system, mixing desk and LED lighting rig.
The Trades Club was built in 1924, and was a joint venture from half a dozen trade unions at a time when the cotton industry was thriving in Hebden Bridge. Members contributed one pence per week, and the new building was equipped with a sprung dance floor for ballroom dancing that’s still in place today (if with a rather different use). As the cotton industry declined and the factories closed, the building fell into disuse, until it was taken over by the Hebden Bridge and Luddendenfoot district Labour parties. The first floor was leased to The Trades Club Social Club from 1982 onwards, operating as an independent socialist members club until it was formally constituted as a members cooperative in May 2016.
Today, The Trades Club is an active supporter of campaigns including We Shall Overcome, a movement led by musicians, artists and community organisers that looks to offer practical help to people affected by austerity, national and international anti-fracking campaigns, and Extinction Rebellion action. This venue is special for its efforts to marry fantastic live music with political activism – discover The Trades Club right in the heart of Hebden Bridge.
