Founded in 1985 the club's first president was John Gadsby, a local county councillor and magistrate. We are a club for retired professional and business men. We meet monthly for a talk, conversation and usually lunch.There are also social events and trips. Please scroll down for more information, our programme and photographs.

If you are interested please email  ashbourneprobus@gmail.com

The Chairman then introduced local historian, Danny Wells, who gave us an enlightening talk entitled ‘Cheers’, A brief history of pubs and drink.

His illustrated presentation covered a wide range of subject matter. The building of 5000 new pubs between the two World wars contrasted with the closure of 2900 pubs in 2009 and an average of 500 each year since. Pubs feature in art pictures, sometimes showing the debauchery of alcohol, the exclusion of women and in advertising where Guinness really hit the spot. There have been changing views on health including drinking and smoking and differing social cultures and the temperance movement had a great influence in the 1800’s.Bass is the largest brewery in the world and the famous red triangle was the first ever patent issued.

Historically Ale included only corn, water, malt and yeast, took little equipment but had a short life. Beer included Hops (for bitterness), had a better keeping quality but was more costly to produce. Now the terminology is more blurred and we have the development of micropubs.

Danny concluded with a look at the pubs in the Ashbourne area and used the names to indicate the relationship to the trade. Coaching inns were often on the original turnpike routes. The newest pub in Ashbourne, The Machine, in the old NatWest bank building, is a slight misnomer.

There were several questions.

Peter Walker gave a warm vote of thanks and the meeting concluded, with hearty applause at 12 noon.