Every-Man's-Club: Belgium's Eden in a world gone mad

Talbot House was a safe haven oasis amid the ravages of war
during World War I  (Courtesy: VisitFlanders.com)

POPERINGE, BELGIUM — In the cold, dark days of World War I, there was a haven in the small town of Poperinge, Belgium that was known as "Every-Man's-Club."

The motto was as poignant as it was simple, "An oasis of serenity in a world gone mad."

On the 11th of December 1915, a house at number 43 Gasthuisstraat in Poperinge, Belgium opened its doors to welcome British soldiers to a new club called "TalbotHouse."

Talbot House and garden as it was in 1915
(Courtesy: TalbotHouse.com)

Earlier in the year, the large house had been struck by German shrapnel that landed in the garden damaging the rear of the building. The owner, a wealthy beer brewer named Monsieur Coeyoet Camerlynck, opted to remove his family and their belongings to safety and, in the process, offered the empty home to the British Army for 150 francs a month.

Rev. "Tubby" Clayton
(Courtesy: TalbotHouse.com)

Enter Army Chaplain Reverend Philip "Tubby" Clayton who decided to use the property as a soldier's club; a safe haven, a sanctuary, a quiet place to relax even though  gunfire and bombs could be heard just a few miles away at the front.

The club became known as "Every-Man's Club" where soldiers rested, relaxed, get hot meals, showers and slept in clean sheets regardless of rank. Over the front door was a sign containing just seven words that represented the most important rule of the establishment: "All rank abandon, ye who enter here."

By and large Poperinge was spared the destruction of its nearby sister city Ypres just eight miles away. Ypres was completely leveled during in no less than five major battles that took place there.

Safe haven surrounded by war
(Courtesy: TalbotHouse.com)

Poperinge, on the other hand, was used as a garrison town for British soldiers, rapidly becoming a thriving metropolis thanks to its relative safety, restaurants, bars, concert halls, movie theaters and even brothels.

Thousands of soldiers passed through Poperinge each day, either go to or coming from the front. So many, in fact, that the city became known as "Little Paris."

Talbot House, as it was formally known, became a place of serenity in spite of the hostile sounds that rumbled in the distance. There were books to read while sitting on comfortable chairs drinking tea from a bottomless urn.

At the top of the house, one room had been converted into a chapel that was furnished by the soldiers themselves.

Soldiers relax with the world at war less than 10 miles away
(Courtesy: discoveringbelgium.com)

Here men could write letters, meet with friends, relax and enjoy the solitude of being in a "home-away-from-home."

Belgium is a country of beer drinkers meaning that store rooms for hops were, and still are, plentiful. After years of renovation and financial assistance from several sponsors, the former hop store at Talbot House was officially listed as a historic monument in 1998 after being lovingly restored to its original state.

Lamp of Maintenance honors Tubby Claytons birthday
(Courtesy: TalbotHouse.com)

Among the Talbot House relics that can be seen today, is the old lift mechanism that pulled bales of hops to their storage space.

The Concert Hall, another feature of reconstruction was also created within the hop store. Today it displays unique artifacts from the private collections of family members of deceased veterans who donated their photos, relics and diaries to the Talbot House to establish a permanent memorial.

The Quiet Room
(Courtesy: VisitFlanders.com)

Today, the Concert Hall, on the ground floor of the original hop store, features a "Life Behind the Lines" exhibition focusing on Poperinge and the neighboring areas during the war.

In 1916 and 1917, Poperinge swelled to about 250,000 soldiers although during peace time it only had a population of approximately 20,000 inhabitants.

Among the exhibitions are haunting testimonials presented by single narrators. By design, they are slowly paced without music, cg's or fanfare. The speakers stand vertically rather than horizontally, leaving the impression they are talking directly to their viewers.

Artifacts, documents & relics
(Courtesy: TalbotHouse.be)

Illustrated with images, letters, quotations, artifacts and authentic documents, each messenger presents a personalized aspect of the roles they played during the war. For example, American brain surgeon, Dr Harvey Cushing is the central figure who describes medical aid while Lt. John Gamble talks about life in the tent camps.

Perhaps the most popular place at Fulton House was the garden, which Tubby Clayton called "the largest room in the House."

Soldiers who spent days wallowing in muddy trenches and living in cramped tree branches, found the Fulton House garden to be an oasis of tranquility. Recently restored to its original lay-out, the garden still offers restful solitude for visitors a hundred years later.

The Concert Hall was used for shows and entertainment
(Courtesy: TalbotHouse.com)

From the garden, touring guests arrive next at what is known as "the Slessorium", named after its builder Major Paul Slessor. Among the relics in the Slessorium is Tubby's hut, where the chaplain himself lived during the evacuation of Poperinge that took place during a German offensive in 1918.

Following the war, Tubby took his hut to the UK, but 90 years later it was returned to Belgium, and today features much of Clayton's personal memorabilia.

The Chapel was an active place for war weary soldiers seeking
tranquility and peace (Courtesy: VisitFlanders.com)

Old Talbot House is accessible to modern visitors, complete with authentic objects that are on display and still in use. Also newly opened is the Chaplain's room, which was Tubby's room during the war.

With seven historical bedrooms, Talbot House, remains a working B&B today. Visitors wishing to get the full effect of this World War I Eden can do so by making reservations on the Talbot House website.

Talbot House Gardens as they appear today are still a source of'
solitude and comfort  (Courtesy: TalbotHouse.com)

Note, the house is much as it was during the war so each room has a washbasin with hot and cold water. There is a common sanitary room on each floor with showers and toilets that are cleaned daily.

On the night of December 11 at 9 p.m. until 9 p.m. December 12, Tubby Clayton's birthday is honored in the Upper Room with the lighting of the Lamp of Maintenance.

Thus, even when war rages all around, man's capacity for peace and survival continuously innovates new ways to find solace. Tubby Clayton had the right idea, and for three years during World War I, his Every-Man's-Club was a candle of hope in the darkness of despair.