Another Visit to “The Princess" ............ from Tony Goulding

After a succession of somewhat depressing posts, I have decided to look at a lighter slice of Chorlton-cum-Hardy’s history.  I am aware that the story of this building has already been, recently told on this blog, nevertheless I think my research can further illuminate its story.
       

Princess Ballroom, 1959

The “Princess Ballroom” was originally known as the “Chorlton Palais de Danse” and for a number of years during the mid to late 1940’s its general manager was a Mr. W.H. Wilson. At this time the capacity was given as 800 with the provision of seating for 300. (extra seating could be arranged but for a fee)
   
The 1954 directory records the building, by then (from 1948) “The Princess Ballroom” as run by the co-directors H. Vause and H.P. Barlow. On Friday 9th May, 1958 it hosted the Northern Area semi-final of the Miss Ryvita competition.

For a number of years in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s the club was owned by Mr Bill Kerfoot. Some competition was around during the 1950’s decade, “Chorlton’s Rendezvous” (1) on Wilbraham Road opposite the Lloyd Hotel being one such.
   
As has been already recorded on this blog the building’s heyday was in the 1960/s by which time it had expanded to accommodate up to 1,800 and metamorphosed into the “Princes Theatre Club” (2) and together with the “Domino” club on Grey Mare Lane,

The Domino Club, 1964

Bradford/Openshaw was under the auspices of Mr. Dennis D. Moss. The bookings were administered by the very aptly named Brian Bookbinder. So successful were the shows that in March, 1967 two new “Theatre Club” venues were announced by Mr. Moss – the “Georgian” in Salford and the “Vaudeville” in Levenshulme.
   
Among the many varied acts which appeared in these clubs were some stars of the day such as Billy J Cramer (apparently not one of his better performances), some who would enjoy later success and some others which could best be described as “idiosyncratic”.

In the week of 9th November, 1962, two acts appearing at both the Princess and the Domino were two young artistes Nicky Hilton and Danee Arnold. Nicky Hilton had just been signed up by Parlophone Records and released that never to be forgotten single “Your nose is gonna grow” (3).
The highlight of his later career seems to have been a successful appearance on a Rumanian T.V. Song Festival in, March,
1968. Danee Arnold was soon to change her stage name to “Polly Perkins” and after a varied career as an actor and singer (4) found her greatest fame appearing as Rose Cotton, Dot’s estranged half sister in “Eastenders” from 2011 to 2012.
   
Two of the acts to later become household names were Jimmy Tarbuck, who was just 23, when he appeared there in April, 1963, and, the Crumpsall, Manchester born, Don Estelle. Although Don Estelle was quite an established singer by the time he made his appearance at the two clubs in February, 1967 he was yet to make his breakthrough into the ever popular T.V. sitcoms of “Dad’s Army” and especially “It Ain’t Half Hot Mum”
   
Among the stranger acts booked were McNeil and Trotter billed as “Scotland’s Craziest Duo” and my favourite “Checker Wheel” – (a comedy dancer on roller skates).
   
In the later decades of the last century this venue experienced a sad decline typified by its frequent name changes Valentines, Adam and Eve, Ra Ra’s and Charlie Brown’s were some of its incarnations.  As an old Chorltonian if I rack my brains I can recall most of these names I also recall it once being known as The Ponderosa (5) although this may have been the name of a separate “Disco” room for which I have heard the alternative names of “Drakes Drum” and “The 21 Club”.

After struggling on through the 1980.s by which time it had become a rather dingy place of disco dancing and late night drinking the building was finally demolished in 1989 to make way for McDonald’s Drive-Thru Restaurant.

Tony Goulding © 2019

Location; Manchester

Pictures; Princess Ballroom – R.E. Stanley, May 9, 1959, m17616, The Domino Club T. Brooks 1964, m15454, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass

Notes:-
1) “Chorlton’s Rendezvous” may have just been a descriptive phrase (possibly for the Conservative Club –whose hall could seat an audience of 800 people). In the dark days of 1940 this same term was used for a place on High Lane (perhaps the Masonic Hall / now Irish club) being a venue for “Winifred’s”
2) Apparently this name change occurred                              in the spring/early summer of 1961 as an     article in “The Stage” dated 20th July that year describes a mammoth, 5 hour, charity concert held at “Chorlton-cum-Hardy’s new luxury club the Princess” in aid of a severely injured acrobat.
3) This song was a minor hit for the American singer Johnny Crawford - reaching number 14 in the U.S. charts but it never featured in the U.K. Top 50.
4) As Polly Perkins she was a presenter on the first episodes of the innovative 1960’s T.V. pop music show “Ready Steady Go”.
5) “Ponderosa” is given as one of the clubs formerly owned by Bill Kerfoot in an article in “The Stage” on 23rd April, 1964 describing his new venture into theatrical agency.