By John Baron
Farsley’s The Constitutional has closed its doors for the last time – with its owners focussing their energy at the nearby The Old Woollen instead.
An announcement on The Constitutional’s social media pages this afternoon revealed the closure of the downstairs part of the venue, which has offered comedy, music, theatre, bingo, quizzes and craft beer on Farsley Town Street since 2018.
The private upstairs Constitutional Club and Lounge, which is run separately, is unaffected.
The Constitutional’s announcement said: “As of 6 January, we have decided to close The Constitutional. Instead we will focus all our energy down at The Old Woollen.
“Our story started back in 2014 with the Trouble at Mill pop up nights at Sunny Bank Mills. All we had were a few trestle tables, some old chairs from a church, blankets to keep out the cold, a pop up bar and some hearty home-made tucker.
“Next we took on The Constitutional, our first full-time venue – which brought with it proper heating and a beautiful art deco bar.
“An incredible array of artists have graced our tiny teardrop stage, with big names that a small venue had no right hosting – including Arthur Smith, Don Letts, Mark Radcliffe, Alan McGee and many more comedians, musicians, theatre-makers, writers and even opera singers.
“Now we’re concentrating on our home at Sunny Bank Mills, where all your favourite nights will live on.
“The Constitutional has been a wonderful incubator for our sometimes silly ideas. So look out for more Bingo For The People, hilarious comedy nights, the fabulous drag of Glamour Pussy, the science and art of Quantum Sauce and our boozy favourite, Beer Club.
“2023 is set to be our biggest year yet, with double the amount of shows and some huge names already confirmed. Thank you to each and every one of you that came along while we inhabited those lovely four walls. See you at The Old Woollen! – Choque, Dick, Howard and Beth.”
This article was amended on Saturday, 7 January to clarify the separately owned upstairs club is unaffected by the decision.
