The Dorchester pub and transformation into Board in the City

Dating back to the early 1860s, this establishment served as a local hub for generations. Inside, two bars catered to different tastes: the larger one boasted a stage and multiple dart boards, while the smaller offered a pool table and access to a smoking area.

Live music from local bands, a jukebox, and TVs provided entertainment and created the classic atmosphere of a traditional Southampton pub.

For more than 30 years, starting in 1974, the Lennon family ran the Dorchester, their tenure coinciding with their popular Lennon's nightclub across the street.

Local DJ Hammy's sets became a stuff of local legend.

However, the Dorchester's story took a turn. In 2014, the pub closed following the suspension of its license.

A series of incidents, including a large brawl, complaints from residents about noise, and issues with door staff licensing, led to the revocation of the premises license.

The then-pub's landlord, Raymond Bird, subsequently resigned.

The future of the building remained uncertain until planning permission was granted in 2015 for a change of use to a shop.

Then, an unexpected development emerged: plans to transform the former pub into a board games café.

Despite initial uncertainty regarding planning permission for this specific change, Board in the City opened its doors on March 4, 2016.

This transformation marked a significant shift for the building, from a traditional pub to a community-focused space.

Board in the City operates as a not-for-profit board game cafe, a family-run Community Interest Company with various outreach programmes, adding a new chapter to the Dorchester's long history and offering a different kind of gathering place for the local community.

Often we lament the disappearance of a local pub and its conversion into a convenience store or razing to make way for a new block of flats, but this change turns a community-used space into a space vital for the local community,