Absolutely bizzare place. Walking through the doors into the Carlton WMC is like walking through…read morethe door which leads directly to the past.
Located in what, for many many years was a former mining community, the (now elderly) mining element and their (now equally elderly) wives are the main patrons of the place. Its like you'd expect a pub to be back in the 50s and 60s. Men sit around playing dominos, wearing flat caps and talking about the old days and how national service should be brought back. I'm sure most of them are gutted about the smoking ban, as the only thing missing is pipe and cigarette smoke to complete the illusion of a time gone by.
On a Friday and Saturday night, this place really comes alive - some nights its bingo, where the wives huddle in groups, thankful to be out of the kitchen and waiting for the bingo caller to pull that elusive last number to give them a full house. Some nights they have some kind of act in the function room, and again, its like an act from the 50s has walked through the door and picked up where they left off 50 years ago.
Two stars for the entertainment aspect and the fact that it'll appeal to historians who want a glimpse ino how pubs were back in the olden days. I dont know if they have a pub at Beamish Museum, but if not, they should use this as a template.
