The New Rink has closed its doors and owner Jim Hood is selling up after being in business at the venue for 25 years.

The closure of the bingo hall and music venue, which has a turnover of £100,000 annually, marks the end of an era for Driffield and it is unknown whether it will remain as an entertainment venue.

Anyone interested in taking over the Eastgate North property is being asked to stump up £1,040,000 which will buy them the ground-floor business and six-bedroom accommodation on the upper two floors.

The building is a former maltings which was erected 101 years ago.

Downstairs contains a bar, dance floor, function room, changing rooms and basement. Owner Jim Hood, 71, said he was sad to leave the business he had built up over the years, but is ready to retire.

He said: "I will miss it like blazes. I have made a lot of friends and have enjoyed the social life."

Throughout his time at The New Rink Social Club Mr Hood and his wife, Shirley, have been committed to bringing their customers the very best entertainment they could find from across the country and, for a time, put on an amateur showcase evening for budding musicians.

Mr Hood began his working life when he bought his first lorry for £17 and 10 shillings and completed bread deliveries for a Driffield bakery 50 years ago.

He said one of the reasons for retiring now was the fact the smoking ban was "unworkable" and he did not want the stress of enforcing it.
He said that many of his customers were smokers and on nights when the dance floor was busy it would be impossible to order people who had been drinking to stub out their cigarettes.

He said: "It is the unfair penalties that you are threatened with, that is one of the many reasons for closing. And I don't see why I should be subjected to red tape at my age.

"If you wade into a crowd of people on the dance floor to ask someone to stop smoking you may have a fight on your hands. I have some lovely staff who I can really depend upon, but at the end of the day I am still responsible."

RTA of Stockport is the business transfer agency responsible for the sale and in their property information they state: "(The New Rink) comes on to the market due to an impending and well-earned retirement and has consequently been very sensibly priced to ensure a quick sale."

Andrew Downey, a sales negotiator for the firm, said they had been contacted by quite a few people who had expressed an interest in the entertainment aspect of The New Rink.

DO you have any memories of the New Rink in Driffield? Do you remember any of the artists who have taken to the stage?
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