After more than 100 years of serving the local community, in late 2025, Corks Social Club in Bearwood closed its doors for good. The club had been a community mainstay for years, serving drinks, hosting parties and celebrations for locals, alongside the famous Silvershine Jazz Club, ran by Jazz legend Andy Hamilton. 

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Prior to the closing, in the summer of 2024, Bearwood Community Hub ran a campaign called 'Save The Corks!' to attempt to generate the first £250,000 of the £1,000,000 required to secure the purchase the property and settle the outstanding accounts. Unfortunately, despite a mammoth attempt, this was unsuccessful. 

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The site is now under development to be turned into flats and houses after approval from Sandwell Council. 

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These images were taken during that campaign, to highlight the history and the people of Corks, from a couple that married there, to the regular dance club meetings, as well as the regulars in the bar. Everyone had a story about a wedding, birthday or funeral they attended in the space. 

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Hopefully these images remain as a homage to the 100 years of community service that the building and the people that inhabited it provided.