£40,000 council demand could kill club after 97 years
Frank Boyd is fighting to save the Buffaloes
ONE of the Capital’s oldest social clubs may close after almost a century in the Capital.
Members of the Royal Edinburgh Lodge No. 854 – Scotland’s oldest Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes Lodge – have been meeting on West Register Street since 1915 but their premises are now up for sale following an “excessive” repair bill from the city council.
Members have failed to raise the £40,000 requested by the local authority for the statutory roof repairs and, as a result, had to put the RAOB Institute on the market last month.
However, if the premises – which consists of a bar and lodge room and are available for £175,000 – don’t sell, members will be unable to relocate elsewhere in the city and the lodge will close for good.
Frank Boyd, 64, joined the Royal Edinburgh Lodge in 1987, where he has been secretary for around seven years.
He said: “The building is not council-owned but we have to pay the bill because it’s a statutory repair. It’s money we just don’t have. We have been here for 97 years now and we thought we were going to make 100, but this really took the legs from underneath us.
“It’s a hell of a lot of money for a roof repair, even though it’s an old building. We have managed to pay £15,000 but can’t manage anymore.
“We are down to about 25 members now so we’re not getting the income we used to and are running at a loss each month. We used to have about 200 members and at one time, about 20 to 25 years ago, they would queue to come in the door. A lot of our members have died off and nowadays, nobody wants to join clubs.”
Mr Boyd, of Broomhouse, added: “I’m fighting tooth and nail to keep my lodge. We are looking for £175,000 to see if we can purchase another premises somewhere in Edinburgh so we can start again to keep the lodge going. If push comes to shove, we will have to rent somewhere. If we don’t get somewhere else it could be the end of RAOB in Edinburgh.”
Mr Boyd is hopeful that the premises will sell as the building is in a “prime position” opposite The Balmoral. The repair work money would then be paid to the council.
The club shares the building with businesses including The Voodoo Rooms and Cafe Royal, which Mr Boyd believes have received similar bills.
A council spokesman said: “The aim of the statutory notice process is to safeguard the physical condition of buildings in the city. This is the owners’ responsibility but if agreement cannot be reached, the council would carry out the repairs and the cost is split equally among the owners.”
HISTORY MEN
The minutes of the Royal Edinburgh Lodge have recorded some important events over the years:
June 6, 1902: Bro Krohn seconded by Bro Edward proposed to send a letter of congratulations to King Edward VIII on the termination of the Boer War.
February 18, 1914: Brother John S Rhind received hearty congratulations of the Lodge on the highly successful statue of the late King Edward which he had modelled for erection in Leith, photographs of which had appeared in that day’s newspapers.
May 26, 1915: Brother Cohen referred with feeling to the terrible railway disaster which had taken place at Gretna to so many of our gallant soldiers on their way to the Front, and expressed Buffalo sympathy with their relatives (most of whom reside in Leith and Edinburgh).
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Comments
There are 18 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
paulr
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 08:33 AMWe all know that the statutory order system is fair and honest, thats why the staff have been suspended and there is a police enquiry going on.
Phil C
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 12:26 AM#16....I looked them up and they look like masons, with silly badges and silly titles and Lodges and all that...but if you say they're not, then so be it. And I couldn't find anything about goats or beavers so you must be right.
SuperSwally
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 07:15 PM"didn't know the Buffs had any connection with the Masons or the Orange Lodge" They dont, and never have. The idiots who are making those insinuations dont have a clue what the Buffs are about. Look them up, you'll be surprised.
Beelzebub's amanuensis
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 06:17 PM##6 & 12 - didn't know the Buffs had any connection with the Masons or the Orange Lodge. You live and learn. Or maybe you're just jumping to conclusions because you've never heard of the Buffs.
jack the cat
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 05:02 PMthe buffs snuffs...it.
2cool4u
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 04:56 PMYa-ba Da-ba Doooooooo!
Pingpal6
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 03:58 PMWhy not flog the painting behind Frank Boyd. I am sure any orange lodge would love to buy it , could be worth a bit
The Diplomat
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 03:39 PM"We are down to about 25 members...." I think the writing is on the wall for this crowd. No doubt they are still selling pints for 99p when they now need to charge £11.75, the average price of a pint in that part of Edinburgh! But I hear they are a friendly club that welcomes all comers so no problem in raising their membership numbers - I'm happy to put up flyers in my chapel since the Parish Priest has now given the go-ahead.
Black Five
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 03:15 PMNot Buffs the word Dinasaurs comes to mind .
jack the cat
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 03:07 PMhe doesnt look anything like a buffalo. can't be a proper member.
Simples
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 02:54 PMWill be very sorry to see "The Buffs" close. I can remember, as a kid, going there for a "Christmas party", great fun. Ended up joining Caledonian 4990 myself, in 1980. These guys do a lot for charities, oap's and the needy. All about "Succor and Defend" Good luck with your fight lads. "SAVE OUR RAOB CLUB"
grumpyscot
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 02:27 PM#5 - he looks more like a train spotter with all his silly badges!
Logie88
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 01:45 PMThey'll just have to roll up their trouser legs and raise the cash.
Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 01:31 PMConsidering that he is the secretary of a social club, he doesn't look very sociable!
Curious Yellow
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 01:30 PMCall in the architect that already rubbished statutory claims!!!
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