RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: chirp on Thursday 04 November 10 12:32 GMT (UK)
-
Can anyone remember the name of a nightclub which was very close to the Odeon cinema on Oxford St Manchester in the 1960s. It may even have been part of the same building. It was quite smart and had a large staircase and flashing lights.
Chirp
-
was it the twisted wheel.
mack
-
No Mack it wasn't the Twisted Wheel. Thanks for your suggestion anyway.
Chirp
-
sorry chirp,i dont know why i came up with that,the wheel was off albert square,until it moved to whitworth st,i can still picture the clubs on oxford rd,but the names elude me.
mack
-
Mr. Smiths
-
No Bodger I think Mr Smiths was rather less posh and situated, if I remember correctly, in or near Aytoun St. I am wondering if the place I have been asked to find the name of was more like a ballroom. I will check back and add anything which may help.
Thank you
Chirp
-
Is it the one that became Annabel's in the 1970s? There was one there that had been a dancing school in the 40s and 50s, I think my mum and dad may have met there :)
There was a post wayyy back where we got onto talking about Oxford Rd, TonyH's post I think - will have to do a search...
edit: not Annabel's but Tiffany's - see reply no.8
-
Got the thread, it was this one:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0aa6/
scroll to reply 14: in Mum's day (1940s-1950s) there was the Plaza Dance Hall, and I'm fairly sure this was Annabels later, but whether it had another name in the 60s, I don't know!
edit: not Annabels but Tiffany's - see reply no. 8
-
Oh what am I like... "fairly sure it was Annabels"... ::)
I was wrong, the one I'm thinking of was Tiffany's (at least I knew it was a posh girl's name!), and it was the Plaza before that. Seen here on this site, with the Odeon's light visible behind it:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0aaa/
It was one of the places Jimmy Savile DJ'd when he was in Manchester.
:) Barbara
-
Sounds like you might have solved the problem Barbara! Many thanks.
Chirp
-
I remember Annabels-think it was on Wood St., off Deansgate.
Tiffanys was on Oxford St.-upstairs. I think it was in St James Buildings. But there was another one a bit further along that was more of a cabaret but I can't remember the name. I think it was upstairs as well. Need to ask around a few old friends-if I can find them.
Eric
-
Many thanks Eric, I would be interested to know the name if you or your friends can remember it.
Chirp
-
Fagins/Rafters. Think it was previously called Takis.
Skippy
-
Possibley the OASIS
didnt Jimmy Saville work there as a disc jockey ?
Ecclescake
-
Don`t know where this club was ,but we used to travel from Liverpool to go there
Heaven and Hell
downstairs was Hell ..and all the well brought up girls went down stairs where all the trendy lads were ...
and all the scallys would go upstairs to Heaven where it was quite snobby, looking for a rich girl....
but all the atmosphere was in Hell ...
must have been a good club for us to travel 35 miles ...oh ...what memories ...and if anyone knows Alice the Irish nurse ...lol...a 5 ft doll....I will never forget her ...absolutely beautiful and happy with it....anyway...was it
Heaven and Hell ?
allan :)
-
Thats it--Fagins was upstairs-they had acts and meals and Rafters was downstairs.
Many questions answered in one go.
Eric. ;D
-
Many thanks to everyone for all the replies; the one we were looking for was Tiffany's.
I have fond memories of Mr Smiths on a Sunday night in the 70s when it was student night and prog rock music was played. I used to dance with Alan Prior's dance group - does anyone remember Alan? He was quite a character, sadly no longer with us.
Thanks again
Chirp
-
Ballroom: you suggest may have been the PLAZA (Mecca) upstairs straight off Oxford Street. (Next block up form the Odeon). They had lunch time dances for the Princely sum of 1/-s. Evenings were turned over to general public dance and less overhead lighting. Jimmy Saville was the Manager. This place was never a night club in my time c1955
-
Surely this was originally the PLAZA. In my youth there was a very steep staircase entry up to it from Oxford Street. Yes and Jimmy Saville did work there as a DJ.
Bill
-
Yes as another Rootchatter has already said, the Plaza later became Tiffany's so it is the same place.
Chirp
-
think it was Tiffany's,if you google it,you will find some really good pictures,Annabelle's was wood st off deansgate,
-
Thanks Walter - where would we be without Google eh? It is fascinating to see pictures of these places we knew in our youth and so interesting to read other people's comments.