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A Health & Strength Club was established at the Rifle Volunteer on Birchwood Lane on 25 March 1927, and was originally known as the Somercotes Weight Lifting Club. The founder members were Douglas Barnett, Stanley Smith, Sydney Gibson, Cyril Smith, J. Wilson and F. Earnshaw.

The club moved premises in 1930, when it was held behind Annie Mason’s Chip Shop on Somercotes Hill. The name was changed to the Somercotes Physical Culture Club, to more readily reflect the club’s diversity. The Gibson Brothers had a hand balancing act and turned semi-professional in 1930.

In 1932, a group of members formed the Premier Acrobatic Troupe and gave displays all over the Midlands, mainly for charity. In the 1930s, admission to the club was set at 3d per week for boys and 6d for the over18s. Activities included weightlifting and gymnastics.

The acrobatic troupe continued to give displays for charity at carnivals and theatres but due to the outbreak of war in 1939 the group was reduced to just five members, who became known as the Five Equilibrists.

Photo: The Five Equilibrists

After the war in 1946, two athletes from this group, Ernest Steele and William Patrick formed the Two Atlantes. They also turned semi-professional, and performed at a wide range of venues, from theatres to Butlin’s Holiday Camp. They even performed at the London Palladium.

Photo: The Two Atlantes

By the mid-1950s the club had acquired a reputation for excellence amongst its contemporaries, partly due to the success of the weightlifters in national competitions. Jim Mills was, perhaps, the most famous of the clubs members. The Ripley & Heanor News, published on 8 April 1955 ran an article on such a competition: “SOMERCOTES WEIGHTLIFTER'S SUCCESSES. At the All-Midlands Olympic Weight-Lifting Championships at Birmingham last Saturday, Jim Mills, Somercotes Physical Culture Club, won the lightweight title, and his clubmate. Arthur Burnham, won the middleweight title. In 1950, Jim Mills, who is the North Midlands lightweight champion, won the featherweight and 10-stone championships at Birmingham. The same year, Arthur Burnham won the lightweight title. Sixteen counties took part in the championships last Saturday”. The same year, on 3 June, the Ripley & Heanor News once again printed an article regarding Jim’s successes: “SOMERCOTES WEIGHTLIFTER IN LONDON. Jim Mills, Somercotes, has been selected by the British Weight-lifting Association to take part in the British championships at London tomorrow (Sat). He will compete against three other weight-lifters from Scotland, Northants and London, for the British lightweight title. Jim, who this year has won the Midlands and North Midlands Championship titles, started weight-lifting after demobilization from the R.A.F. in 1945, and is now considered to be at the peak of his form, although he recently had a break through illness. During the War he was interested boxing, and as a featherweight was a member of the R.A.F. team at his station. He joined Somercotes Physical Culture Club after returning home, and is now secretary of the weightlifting section. In 1950-51 he was Midlands featherweight weight lifting champion, and also the ten stone champion. He now tips the scale at 10st. 9lbs”.

On 26 August 1955 the newspaper reported: “HEANOR…Last week special guests at the Health and Strength Centre, Elnor Street Gym, were a party from the famous Somercotes Physical Culture Club, headed by Jim Mills, others present were Arthur Burnham, Maurice Smith, Pete Lofley…”

The club once again changed premises in 1972, when they hired a room in a building on Somercotes Market Place. For the fiftieth anniversary in 1977, a social eventing was held at the Devonshire Arms, when current and past members attended. The event was reported in a local newspaper.

Sadly, the club finally closed its doors for the last time in 1986. The room they had been hiring was no longer available, and a suitable alternative venue could not be found. The Derby Daily Telegraph on 6 March that year printed a short article: “Somercotes Physical Culture Club has closed after 59 years – and presented its funds to charity. A cheque for £157 was presented to Underwood, Selston and District branch of the British Heart Foundation by club secretary Ernest Steele.The club was formed in 1937 at te Rifle Volunteer pub, Birchwood Lane, Somercotes before moving to premises on Somercotes Hill. Activities included weightlifting, judo, body building and acrobatics. The club has to close  when forced to leave its premises. Mr Steele… said ‘I’m sorry it closed down but we couldn’t carry on much longer’”

Footnote:

Ernest Steele worked at Riddings Ironworks until its closure in 1969. He was a stalwart of the fitness club, having joined in 1934 as a young man. Ernest supplied many of the facts relating to the Health & Fitness Club and also the associated photographs.

William (Bill) Patrick was well known in the village. He worked as a window cleaner at a time when just about everyone had their windows cleaned by someone like Bill. He knew nearly everyone in the village. A lifelong resident of Somercotes, he sadly died at the age of 62, in 1986.