A CLUB which was the life and soul of ICI in Cleveland has come to an end after more than half a century. Founded by ICI workers in 1946, Wilton Castle club played an important role in the social and business activities of the firm on Teesside.

It offered facilities such as a restaurant, bar, gym, swimming pool, croquet lawn and even its own wine cellar.

From the annual "Smoker", which took a satirical swipe at the company, to good food dinners, wine tastings, celebrity lectures, jazz events, bridge evenings and golf, there was something for everyone.

The sale of Wilton Castle to Wimpey Homes last year forced the club to decide if it could survive without the support it had enjoyed from ICI throughout its history.

Many options were considered for the club to run independently, but none was found to be viable.

So, reluctantly, the decision was taken to disband.

Now Mr Dennis Claridge, secretary of Wilton Castle club since 1992, has compiled a book which forms a light-hearted history of the organisation.

It has been a labour of love, and Mr Claridge stressed that the club was ending on a cheerful and positive note.

"We have tried to manage the whole process. We even organised various parties and farewell dinners to keep things light," he said.

"We did not want people feeling unhappy. Closure is just one of those things. Life has changed for people and for companies and we have to accept that and change along with it.

"Looking back we had some good times which we all enjoyed."

Although mainly light-hearted, his book becomes a little sad at times and he feels this is only natural after such a success story.

The feelgood factor was such that more than 700 members decided to give their dispersal cash to charity.

Mr Claridge, who lives in Guisborough, was planning manager for ICI petrochemicals and fertilisers for more than 20 years. He retired in 1993 but stayed on as club secretary.

At first, only senior workers were eligible to join the club - senior ... and male. Indeed, this was the tone of the club for many years.

Because of the club's culture, Mr Claridge recalls it being a real battle to admit women to the membership.

"The members just didn't want it," he said.

It was not until 1977 that women were granted full membership rights.

When the club opened up to all employees in 1997, there was a surge of applications from women, almost all of them secretaries.

After kicking off with just 25 members, there was not enough room at Marton country club for all those who wanted to attend a special annual meeting to wind things up last May.

"The meeting took the form of a wake but we were positive about it," said Mr Claridge. "We had simply come to the end."

However, the club still exists in an ad hoc way with many members getting together for various activities such as eating out, bridge and sport.

Mr Brian Deans was a committee member for 22 years and ran the much-acclaimed wine cellar.

He said: "It is great that people want to continue meeting and reflects the original atmosphere of the club."

Both men see the cheque presentation as the end of the line, the final act. Both are sad the site is being turned into homes.

"I felt desperate when writing the last line of the minutes," said Mr Claridge.

Mr Deans said: "There is a spirit which has gone and can't ever be recaptured. An era has come to an end."

They and others would have loved to see the site become a country club but they could not get enough support.

"It wasn't viable even though we tried to develop ideas," said Mr Deans. "We made a serious effort to find a way of continuing the club. But it was the essence of ICI and with that gone, the spirit which bound us together had also gone."

Even so, they feel Wilton Castle would have been an ideal location for a country club and that an opportunity for Teesside has been missed.

Compiling the book was a great joy for Mr Claridge.

"I really enjoyed it," he said. "It was a lot more fun than writing reports for the ICI board which I did throughout my career.

"I had never done anything like this before and it was great. The feedback on it has been superb."

The book chronicles every aspect of the club, featuring the often hilarious and sometimes poignant reminiscences of members.

It also has lots of illustrations, from photos of people and events to cartoon-style drawings.

Each former member has been given a copy and it is also available at Guisborough and Yarm bookshops and Sotheran's in Redcar, priced £9.95.