well thanks to the chess fellowship on this site i attended my first chess club. do all chess clubs work on silent running. i dare not speak in case i put of fellow players.next time i will take my ipod so at least be able to hear some noise.when i play on the net the t.v is playing dog is barking and the wife is complaning.but that does not put me off playing so why the hush hush and whispers.mybe its just that club or am i wrong.david

well the club I go to isn't like that, the only time it's quite is when I go to a tournament

my club is the same dapharoh except it has lots of juno=iours like me

 well i wish i was playing in the U.S.A.i might learn more as i have great trouble beating yanks

My club's in the food court at the local mall. It's not too loud, but it's certainly not the dead silence of some of the chess tournaments I've been to.

i practice playing at work with the tv on and guys playing darts and its fun at the chess club its all huss huss and justering with hand singles.i think i will give up club playing as there is no fun in it

That seems odd to me, but maybe for that particular club that's their standard way of operating.  I totally understand the desire for quiet during a tournament, but if that's the way they normally are at all times, I would go so far as to say maybe you might want to look and see if there's another option around. 

I think many of us who might have been spurring you on towards playing in a club were used to a setting where you might be able to play a game with someone, and then get some feedback from a higher level player (or even your opponent) about things you may have done well or could have done better. Work through some situations on the board, bounce ideas off of each other in the interest of learning--those types of activities are what really makes it worthwhile for me to participate in my local chess club.

It's possible that the type of club that myself and others on this site participate in may not exist in your area.

When the club has an event going on, like the club championship, even though everyone isn't competing it is customary to keep quiet for the benefit of those who are playing rated games.

Some clubs may be that way regularly, with rated events or ladder games all the time, but it wouldn't attract me for casual chess, either.  The banter and commentary at speed chess can be very entertaining for the players and spectators, and I enjoy that aspect.  If Suffolk has other clubs, you may wish to check them out, too - the groups may have divided into serious and social groups as well as nights of meeting.