The Lakeside Leisure Complex is a hotel, conferencing, entertainment and associated leisure complex in Frimley Green in west Surrey, England. It hosted the open/men's and women's BDO World Darts Championship every January from 1986 to 2019.[1]
History
edit
The complex was established in 1972, when Bob Potter bought Wharfenden House and the surrounding grounds and lake.[2] He soon doubled the hall to 1,000 seats principally for hosting comedians and musicians, including North American and internationally acclaimed acts. Lakeside was almost completely destroyed in a fire in November 1978,[3] but was subsequently rebuilt, reopening in October the following year.[4]
During the 25th year of hosting the World Darts Championship, in 2010 the lake had largely iced over by 7 January. That day the body of a man, a hotel guest for the competition week, was found.[5] Landowner-managers, Bob Potter Leisure Limited, were fined £85,000 for health and safety violations.[6]
Bob Potter died on 14 April 2023, at the age of 94.[7]
Events
editThe Lakeside became the venue of the World Darts Championship in 1986.[8][9] The Club sponsored the event from 2004 to 2019. It has hosted the new WDF World Darts Championship since 2022.[10]
The venue has hosted acts such as Tommy Cooper, Morecambe and Wise, Sammy Davis Jr, Frankie Vaughan and Bob Monkhouse.[11][12]
The 'Small Business Bureau Conference', held in 1987, was claimed by the organisers to be the largest business conference in Europe.[13]
Facilities
edit- Grand venue
The largest venue is the Main Cabaret Suite which has a capacity of 1,170 with conference and banqueting facilities.
- Others
- the Canal Suite (capacity 350)
- the State Suite (capacity 100)
- Bob's Bar
- the Sharman Suite
- the Wine Bar
It is a mixed members' club, hotel and selection of restaurants with snooker, pool, darts, ten-pin bowling, squash, bars, an events nightclub and well-equipped gym. Near the village, boats can be hired for day trips along the Basingstoke Canal. The borough and adjoining Wentworth/Sunningdale area has a number of golf courses.
Heyday as a club
editDarts commentator and personality Sid Waddell looked back on the early darts era when Lakeside was "arguably the best club in Britain":
Tom Jones, Jim Davidson and other stars packed the joint, while Margaret Thatcher herself said it was one of her favourite places for Tory jollies."[14]
Potter claimed that he and his facilities inspired Peter Kay's comedic business saga Phoenix Nights, whose character is named Brian Potter.[15]
References
edit- ^ "Lakeside Set To Host Biggest Ever BDO World Championships". UK Darts Magazine. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Bob Potter, king of darts who owned Lakeside, venue for decades of world championships – obituary". The Telegraph. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "I'll rebuild - Lakeside boss". Farnborough News and Mail. No. 4241. 28 November 1978. p. 1.
- ^ "Lakeside's night of the stars". Farnborough News and Mail. No. 4331. 26 October 1979. p. 26.
- ^ Darts spectator found dead under ice in Surrey lake bbc.co.uk
- ^ Edmondson, Nick (5 July 2013). "Company admits safety breaches over frozen lake death". GetSurrey. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Obituary – Bob Potter OBE". Darts World. 14 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Darts". The Glasgow Herald. 4 July 1985. p. 23.
- ^ "Bristow left in the dark". The Glasgow Herald. 6 November 1985. p. 22.
- ^ "Darts is Coming Home! Lakeside World Championship 2022". DartsWDF. World Darts Federation. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ Irwin, Justin (2008). Murder on the Darts Board. Anova. pp. 4–5. ISBN 9781906032043.
- ^ Rutter, Jason (September 1997). "Stand-up as interaction: Performance and Audience in Comedy Venues" (PDF). University of Saford, Institute for Social Research, Department of Sociology (PhD thesis). p. 102 (pdf p. 117).
- ^ "Mrs Thatcher would always ask after our town". Hull Daily Mail. 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ Waddell, Sid (2009). Bellies and Bullseyes: The Outrageous True Story of Darts. Random House. ISBN 9781407030449.
- ^ Keogh, Frank (6 January 2004). "Phoenix flights". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 January 2014.