The party’s over for the ‘Boo’ legend
Popular nightclub shuts after 62 years
GENERATIONS of party-goers have been sharing their memories of one of Britain’s longest-running nightclubs as it prepares to be demolished.
The Bamboo Club in Stockport, known as ‘The Boo’ to many locals, was open continuously for over 60 years until it recently closed its doors for good.
The building off London Road in Hazel Grove is to be flattened.
An application for approval for demolition has been submitted to Stockport Council and barring town hall intervention is due to begin later this month with the land earmarked for future redevelopment.
The club was originally opened in October 1961 by brothers John and Clive Beeley as a jazz club.
The pair opened up as back-up to their father James’s successful catering business, but it eventually became the mainstay of the Beeley’s business empire.
In its days as a live music venue as well as a club, the big names from the world of Jazz from Blues legend Jimmy Witherspoon and the Gordon Robinson Septet to Acker Bilk played shows there.
As did Sir Elton John, when he was a teenager and was part of a band fronted by Canadian Blues singer Long John Baldry.
The likes of metal legends Black Sabbath and 1970s’ Top of The Pops favourites Mud and Sweet also appeared.
The club, which had four bars, was packed every weekend throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s when the emergence of dance music brought fresh energy to the clubbing scene.
And it remained a favourite haunt until it finally closed, understood to be have been last summer.
Former punters have flooded the internet with their memories of the place.
Chinwag said in the comments section of our sister paper the M.E.N.’s website: “Had some great nights in there out around the Grove then ‘the Boo til two’ it was part of growing up in Stockport.”
Sexdoll said: “Wow what a place!! I remember going here in my heyday, had some great nights out here with my mates, shame it’s gone, but all good things come to an end I suppose.”
Marplebluesteve said: “What an institution, my wife and her siblings and friends all went there years ago, as have my daughters for the last 15 years, however I managed to avoid the place!”
Whilst BlueSince71 said: “Had some great nights in the place... but also some to forget. Never far from trouble with fights breaking out etc.
“On reflection and having been a regular across predominantly three decades... the 80s, 90s and 00s... I think the 90s for me was the best with the emergence of dance music.
“Sad to see it go, but I would say it means there will be less fighting spilling out onto the streets at 3am.”
Others shared their recollections on social media.
RioRio Rio said on Facebook: “Save bamboo rock til two. Half of the grove met n married in there.”
Paul Selby said: “Goodbye to The Boo aka The Rock Shop or Passion Rooms!”
Glen R Car said: “Rumour has it the robot dance was invented in ‘The Boo’ when people tried to walk across the sticky carpets.”
Sarah Boustead said: “Omg I loved the place, spent every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in there, Jesus could tell some stories lol.”
Deano Clever said: “Never again I would say till the weekend after when I fell through the doors again.”
Steve Wood said: “Best club in the 80s and early 90s.”
“1969 was the first time I went in the bamboo, the entrance was on London Road through the bakery shop. New Year’s Eves were legendary,” Phil Penny said.
David Wilson said: “Friday nights went in, turned left. Saturday nights went in, turned right.
“What a club the Boo was in the 70s. John on the door, either a yes or no to pass. Always a queue back then.”
George Malkin said: “Can’t believe it is still there, remember finishing a pub crawl back there in the 70s when I was on leave from the Navy, even my children have had night outs in the Bamboo and they are in their midthirties.”
Mick Massey said: “Pub crawl through the grove and finishing at the Boo, if John the owner didn’t let you in it was a taxi to the Bluey in Stockport.
“Some great nights at the Bamboo in the late 70s early 80s. In the early days was a live music venue too.”
Maureen High said: “I remember when the entrance to the club was on London Road, where the kitchen unit shop is now.
“That was in the 60s.
Membership card had a Bamboo on the cover. I wonder if anyone has kept theirs as a souvenir?”
John’s son Simon took over the reins from his dad and uncle, aided by his son Christopher.
The Express understands the decision was made to close it to due to spiralling costs.
Speaking to Charles Yates for the M.E.N in 2017 he put its success down to ‘location, location, location.’
Simon, who lives near the club in Hazel Grove, said: “There is no other club for miles and miles.
“It’s been a fiver to get in for as long as any of us can remember and the alternative for clubbers is probably £60 or £70 in a cab to Manchester. That’s why we get people through the door.
“In the 80s and 90s we were packed out every night we opened, with 600 or 700 through the doors.
“We are open until 3am at the weekends, but back then we had to put the Full House sign up early.”
His son Chris added: “It’s almost a cult thing going to The Bamboo - we get people leaving on a weekend, saying the place is crap, but you know they’ll be back next weekend.
“I started working here when I was 16, filling the fridges on a Saturday and the worse job of all was always emptying the ashtrays.”
John, who worked on the door for decades, said: “In all that time I only got punched once.
“I was trying to stop two guys fighting when out of nowhere one punched me in the face, it turned out he’d only just got out of jail that week.
“We dealt with all sorts and the club is a part of local folklore now and is probably responsible for bringing together more couples than anywhere else in town.
“My son Simon still gets girls coming in and saying things like my grandad met my grandmother in here, while I used to get people telling me their mum met their dad in The Bamboo - it is nice to know we have been responsible for that.”
Co-founder Clive added: “We have had an absolute ball in the business and wouldn’t swap what we did for the world.
“Obviously, it has not all been glamorous and we did have to give up every weekend for around 50 years, but we loved it so much that we didn’t mind.”
“Half of the Grove met ‘n’ married in there.”