Batman fans asked to help save Gotham

The small Nottinghamshire village of Gotham is hoping that a superhero or two might help save its Royal British Legion building.

The village has a connection with Batman's home city: its reputation for stupidity led to 'Gotham' becoming a nickname for New York.

And now that Gotham's Royal British Legion social club has been forced to close, thanks to financial problems, the locals are hoping that they can buy the building for the village.

Rushcliffe Borough Council has designated the site an Asset of Community Value, giving the villagers another six months to raise the cash.

So far, the locals have raised about half of the £200,000 required for the 4,138 square foot building, which sits on 0.6 acres of land.

"We are likely to be up against the big bidders, but this is worth fighting for. The Legion has supported men and women who knew what combat meant, so we are showing the same spirit now," says steering committee chairman John Anderson.

"It would be fantastic to hear from any American friends of Gotham who might also invest in this exciting venture; we just need to let them know it's possible."

Anyone able to help should email him at johnanderson@bcs.org.uk, he says.

The villagers are hoping to use the building to create an expanded shop on the site, as well as a community-run café and visitor hub where the village archives can be stored and displayed.

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It might seem surprising that Batman's home city should be named for a village of 1,600 inhabitants - but it all comes down to the original Gotham's reputation for madness - or canniness.

Back in medieval times, it was the tradition that any road travelled on by the king would become a public highway, which the locals would then have to maintain.

So in an effort to deter King John from visiting Gotham, the villagers pretended to be mad, fencing in a cuckoo and trying to drown an eel.

Present-day Gothamites are being rather more conventional in attempting to protect their village, in getting the Royal British Legion site designated as a community asset.

Since 2011, it's been possible for a community to register a building such as a pub or local club and win a six-month moratorium to try and raise funds to save it. There's more information here.