Accrington Palace Cabaret Club, Church

AccyGirl · 14-04-2010, 12:58

I wonder if anybody remembers an old picture house that was turned into Accrington Palace Theatre (or cabaret) Club on Blackburn Road, just before the traffic lights at Church, in the early 1960's.
Mick Shaun was the MD, and one of the managers was Eric Rimmer..lots of stars appeared there..including Frank Ifield, Craig Douglas, Emiel Ford..the list is long....they used to also appear at a club in Manchester belonging to the same people, I think it was called Manchester Cabaret Club.........the Accrington club had a 'staff' Van the driver was called Frank..he used to take the stars between the two clubs, and also take the accy staff home.

Barrie Yates · 14-04-2010, 15:53

The only old cinema on Blackburn Rd, Church was the Queen's. It was just over the boundary by the Royal Oak (?) pub.
I don't remember it as a Theatre/Club, but it did become a Bingo Hall - late'50s/early
'60s.

beechy · 14-04-2010, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

The only old cinema on Blackburn Rd, Church was the Queen's. It was just over the boundary by the Royal Oak (?) pub.
I don't remember it as a Theatre/Club, but it did become a Bingo Hall - late'50s/early
'60s.

i do remember it being a cabaret club
but the stars afore mentioned i dont remember
we had to go to the Starlight and Cabaret Club to see such stars in
the early sixties

Barrie Yates · 14-04-2010, 16:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by beechy

i do remember it being a cabaret club
but the stars afore mentioned i dont remember
we had to go to the Starlight and Cabaret Club to see such stars in
the early sixties

Can you remember when it was a cabaret club - I joined the RAF in '61 so only very short visits since then.

AccyGirl · 14-04-2010, 16:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

The only old cinema on Blackburn Rd, Church was the Queen's. It was just over the boundary by the Royal Oak (?) pub.
I don't remember it as a Theatre/Club, but it did become a Bingo Hall - late'50s/early
'60s.

yes, I think it did become a bingo hall ..but was definitely a cabaret club early 60's..in the evenings I worked in the bar upstairs to make extra money...
we sold Watney's red barrel, which I think was new..we had a big red barrel on the bar, we called it keg beer...we also had the old fashioned pumps...it was great cos I got to see all the stars...and collected a few autographs.....Frank the driver used to take us home at night, as none of the staff had cars. Mike Shaun went on to sing regularly at a pub in Clayton le Moors..then later went to Spain. Eric Rimmer took over a pub somewhere in Accrington.

Benipete · 14-04-2010, 16:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

The only old cinema on Blackburn Rd, Church was the Queen's. It was just over the boundary by the Royal Oak (?) pub.
I don't remember it as a Theatre/Club, but it did become a Bingo Hall - late'50s/early
'60s.

The pub was the Oak Tree and the Queens was originally the Tudor Cinema.Mike Shaun sang in the Martholme Grange but the last time i saw him was in a cabaret bar in Benidorm

several years ago.

AccyGirl · 14-04-2010, 17:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by beechy

i do remember it being a cabaret club
but the stars afore mentioned i dont remember
we had to go to the Starlight and Cabaret Club to see such stars in
the early sixties

Hiya..just been digging out some memorabilia...I have a few pictures with autographs ..also the club was called Accrington Palace Theatre Club..Blackburn Road, Church .telephone Acc 35084 (just found a compliment slip)..(Derek Perry was the resident drummer)...

bondi38 · 14-04-2010, 17:37

.Yes i remember it well Mike Shaun was the compare but i only seem to bring to mind Jimmy Forshaw being one of the resident singers down there and i think he is still around last time i saw him was down Asda .
Also Barrie you should remember you only lived round the corner .
Watch f.or Roy Boy coming on he will have all the answers.

MargaretR · 14-04-2010, 17:44

I remember seeing Craig Douglas and Frank Ifield there - but only went there those two times.
I recall that the place didn't last long, because the locals didn't patronise it much.
There was a thriving working mens club scene then, with plenty of live entertainment available cheaper.

Barrie Yates · 14-04-2010, 17:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by bondi38

.Yes i remember it well Mike Shaun was the compare but i only seem to bring to mind Jimmy Forshaw being one of the resident singers down there and i think he is still around last time i saw him was down Asda .
Also Barrie you should remember you only lived round the corner .
Watch f.or Roy Boy coming on he will have all the answers.

Yes I know, but remember i joined the RAF in '61 and was then only home for weekends and short leaves after that until about '67 - then there were very rare visits.

jaysay · 15-04-2010, 09:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by MargaretR

I remember seeing Craig Douglas and Frank Ifield there - but only went there those two times.
I recall that the place didn't last long, because the locals didn't patronise it much.
There was a thriving working mens club scene then, with plenty of live entertainment available cheaper.

If I remember rightly Frank Ifield broke his leg whist performing at the Tudor, was on stage with crutches

AccyGirl · 15-04-2010, 09:50

I can't remember if Frank Ifield broke his leg..but do remember that he didn't drive and the 'club van' ..had to transport him around... it wasn't long after his time at Accrington that he made his big hit 'I remember you oooo'...

keith · 15-04-2010, 20:14

went one night to the tudor as it was called then and mike and bernie winters was top of the bill alas they went down like a ton of bricks they could not raise a smile never mind a laugh I also went a few times on a sunday dinner time for the strippers they were alright

wadey · 15-04-2010, 20:33

Funnier than Mike and Bernie?

Bob Dobson · 15-04-2010, 20:48

The Church cinema was originally The Queen's Hall. It became The Tudor in the 50s when the outside was painted white with black timbers.It was in the late 50s that it became a variety club. The name Queen's was probably given , as was the King's Hall in Accrington, when the population was much keener on Royalty than we are today - The Palace, The Princess and the Empire were of a similar strain. Of course there was also The Regal, a word which means Royal. The building was only just in Church, very close to the boundary