Saturday, December 29, 2007

Morrissey donates $40,000 to help restore a youth club

MorrisseyRocker Morrissey has reportedly donated £20,000 ($40,000) to a youth club which found fame through his former band The Smiths - when they posed outside it for the inside cover of their 1986 album The Queen Is Dead.

Devoted fans of The Smiths have since traveled from around the world to visit the distinctive red-brick site.

Morrissey has boosted a £1 million ($2m) campaign to upgrade the Grade II Listed Edwardian building, which was launched earlier this year.

It was established in 1903 as a boys-only club and was opened a year later by Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout Movement.

In its heyday there was a thriving membership of 2,000 but numbers are now down to about 200, although it caters for boys and girls.

Its tiled interior is virtually unchanged, with original fittings including a boxing ring, snooker rooms and a gym with a viewing balcony.

English Heritage has recognized the Ordsall building as the "most complete example of this rare form of social provision to survive in England".

London's Metro newspaper reports that 48-year-old Morrissey - born Steven Patrick Morrissey, wanted the donation to be kept private but his management team relented after club officials said they needed the publicity to help raise further funds. The money will be used to put insulation into the roof and carry out work on the ceiling.

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