The Wanderers Club

Looooooong Bar- 1988 Century Festivities- By Rod Pearson (Member since 1971)

1988 marked the centenary of The Wanderers Club.
Festivities were many but the interest of some of us centred round those in the Looooooong Bar -
In those days it had justifiably earned it’s name as a GENUINE long bar that seemed to stretch all the way back to the old Wanderers in town!
It reached to where the current patio is
The evening of Tuesday 4 October 1988 was billed as ‘Beer at 100 Year Ago Prices’!
We resolved to attend. Could we miss it!?
Entrance was barred by a doorman (as was customary in those days).
Only those able to show membership cards could enter. And gents had a collar & tie - & jacket!
The bar was packed. And noisy! And jolly!
With good reason. Beers were 5 cents each! You walked up to the bar with R1.
And came back with 20 – twenty – beers! In cans that were specially printed by S A Breweries - “100 – Wanderers Century – 1888-1988”.
SAB saw the marketing gap & donated the beers, I understand - & we were thankful!
And when you finished those, back you went for more! And more! It’s amazing how quickly one could drink them when they were so cheap!
Eventually the stagger back from the bar counter took a lot longer than the walk there!
An unheard of thing in those days was that ladies were allowed in the bar for the evening – a first. One lady asked the now overworked doorman
“When will this happen again?” “Not for another 100 years” he said.
How wrong he was! Ladies are now allowed in! Without ties!