Blighty's ex-Monaco (Farnworth)
The venue was split into two floors by a huge sprawling staircase.
John H. Warburg 20 October 2022
Can't understand why "Blightys Club" which was located in Farnworth is not listed? This was probably the biggest Cabaret Club in the country in the early 70's.
Tom Casey - 7/2/11
Does anyone remember Carol Cottam? She went in this club in the 70s and met a man called Ian Hamilton fron Irlam in 1977? Would love to get in contact with him if anyone can help!! My email is
Kerry Henry - 1/4/11
Blighty's was one of my favourite venues. Graham Warner was the manager then when I worked it. He also doubled as a musician in the band at times. Which was a 7-8 piece. I used to top the bill there on the "Spanish nights" because I think I was the only singer that could do a full Spanish spot. Aaaaah ! great memories.
Blighty's is now a small housing estate. Sob.
Tony Garcia - 18/2/13
Before it was Blighty's, it was the Monaco Club and was always packed at weekends. We went to see The Answers play there. Tom Casey was a real good drummer and Dennis Shuttleworth a fab guitarist. It was the best club outside Manchester city centre. It seemed to go more for a variety club feel when it changed to Blighty's. That's when I moved on to proper music venues.
Sandra Olive - 22/5/13
I was stage manager @ Blightys in the early 70's for a couple of years when Gerry Slinger was manager (& his wife was THE BOSS). 1st nite Bob Monkhouse was top of the bill. More acts: the Four Tops, 3 Degrees, Tommy Cooper, Bruce Forsyth (when he was in his 60's!) an all-star jazz group - Art Blakey, Dizzy Gizzespie, Theloneus Monk, Kai Winding, Charles Mingus. LOADS more. 3-day week killed it.
Some great nites there. Days less so, cleaning bogs!
Tim Bayliss - 2/9/13
I worked there and Dougie Flood was one of the owners. He retired to Tenerife in the 70's - hope he is still around, he was a nice man. Last time I worked there, Frank Ifield was topping the bill, long time ago.
Tony Dowling - 2/9/13
Worked Blightys many times and even before when it was the Club Monaco, owned by Ken Naylor who also had the EMPIRE CABARET CLUB in Milnrow; Ritz Theatre Bar in Oldham; Ritz Club in Brighouse and Candlelight Club (formerly Savoy Ballroom) in Oldham, who booked me for all his venues alongside Matt Monro, Tommy Hunt, etc.,etc., and I later went out with his daughter, Kathy Anders from Rochdale, who became Miss England and Miss UK.
After I won the Singer of the Year award at the Broadway Club in 1971 (Norman Collier won the Comedian award and Black Abbotts the group), Dougie Flood opened a sister club in Farnworth called Blightys and Gerry Slinger the manager booked me all the time supporting Showwaddywaddy, Jack Jones etc., and The 3 Degrees, who came out of their dressing room wearing long, one piece, Mermaid style fawn dresses which were completely transparent and left absolutely nothing to the imagination, just as I came offstage! Never been the same since!!
Neither were the 3 guys sitting on the front table who fainted with excitement when they were introduced by Mort Allen the compere with the band called John Browns Bodies who had played at the Broadway Club. True story! Pics on my site paulstevensentertains.info
Also, I did know Ian Hamilton.
Paul Stevens - 5/9/13
When I was s.m. there (posh job description for what it was!) Dougie Flood had another club on Rochdale Rd (Talk Of The North?) & Gerry Slinger was boss of Blighty's (& both, later Copperfields in Bolton). Gerry's wife Winnie was more bossy than the boss. Maybe she held the purse strings?
Tim Bayliss - 5/9/13
Always a great night out. Tommy Cooper had the audience in hysterics before he said a word. Showaddywaddy were absolutely brilliant, especially with the smoke rising during ‘Johnny Remember Me’.
David Brown - 20/10/13
The Four Tops at Blighty's Farnworth Bolton 1972
Phil Middleton
Can anyone remember what the club was called before it became the Monaco ?
Kath Scott
Jeff Reeves died in the 90s. he was at the time being looked after by Foo Foo Lamar at his house in Alkrington during his illness. Doug Flood would send him a wage every week until his death. I used to deliver it.
Des Byrne
Does anyone remember the Dj upstairs in the disco? His name was something like Jeff Bloom?
Liz
Met my wife, Lesley, there on Friday 13th October 1972.
Bernard
Comments
I also played Blighty`s around 1973 with Grendel
I worked at the Blighty's and Copperfield's ( food waiter, with head waiters Fred and Zia they where Legends)mainly circa 1971-1974 while training to be a chef at Bolton Tech (Still working as Chef/Lecturer). Showaddywaddy fighting in Copperfield's is one of my biggest memories, they had a Mustang waiting outside when finished while we were waiting for transport home at 3 in the morning,
After that we did a short stint as resident band at the Bolton Casino.
We did 3 years as a showband.
Recorded at the Hulme Hippodrome for radio ones Terry Wigan Show!
Embassy Club , cats whiskers in York and lots of work from Stu Littlewood and Bunny Lewis come to mind.Sadly Roy passed away suddenly in South Africa last year.
Any memories? Mike Holt.
Fred from Malta was the Maitre d ( head waiter) at copperfields
Showaddywaddy played there too , I saw them fighting with the Teddy boys ... massive Wild West type fight , chairs everywhere... I could write a book
Whispering Johnny Allen was stage man and Host was Ken show and Kevin was the manager
3 degrees Tony Christie Neil Sedaka were all there
Gerry would collect tables with us at the end
Rough but a fair man
I was then started as light man at copperfields then started as head waiter manager was an extraordinary youngster Kevin’s brother I think
Those were the days perhaps best times in my life now living in Australia oh I also worked as assistant manager in Bolton golden lion
Eddie Dogramaci
Stuart Heap played bass with Melvyn and Mick also. Great Times as we had to follow Freddie Starr and Delmonts of which we always started with Reach Out.
Happy Times.
Anyway it would be great to find out about anyone from the years of 1960 up until 72 !!... when my father refused to play the piece of scrap paper with chords on that was handed to him by Roger whitaker as my father used to disappear for 3 months at a time hand writing 13/16 pieces of music for 52 members of the orchestra.. so after my dad had explained this to him 3months earlier that this is the whole blightys experience and to trust his score writing, Rodger said he wouldn’t perform unless my father played exactly what was on scrap paper, dougie flood had only just got the club 2 weeks previously .. so my father told mr flood and Flood sacked him on the spot for not doing what Mr whitaker requested ( flood was obviously a fan ).. and so my father walked out,, a week later, just before the next weeks performance the orchestra walked out in respect for my father, basically quitting their jobs , leaving flood on his own. That was the end of the big band years... Mark Paine
As one of the waiters, I had the opportunity to serve Neil Sedaka a drink after he took the stage, never forget when I asked what car he had;
“Pink Cadillac “ he replied with a biiiig smile
As entertainment manager booking the acts and organised theme nights. I met so many famous faces of the day one time we had Gene Pitney on and he asked me to organise him some iced Tea as I’d visited my family in the USA lots of times during the school summer holidays so I knew what he wanted, but the girl behind the bar that I asked to take the drink through to Pitney didn’t and he got a cup of builder’s with some ice cubes in the cup. I thought I’d never stop laughing at the expression on his face - he took it in good part though I remember in the late 70’s I organised a Mrs Mops night out and invited cleaner from firms all over lancashire / Manchester to come for a free night out. It was free entrance and a free chicken and chips in the basket supper. I booked Reg Coates experience as the main “turn” and the women went a bit mad for him. Graham Warner was dead against the idea but I said fill the club with women and the men will follow plus women drank more shorts, bar takings were through the roof and we had a great time. I remember having a write up in the Manchester Evening News about the night. That was just one of my memories from my time there it was a fab experience. I remember my hours were noon to 3pm. Then 7pm till whatever time we finished cashing up the food and bars.
As entertainment manager booking the acts and organised theme nights. I met so many famous faces of the day one time we had Gene Pitney on and he asked me to organise him some iced Tea as I’d visited my family in the USA lots of times during the school summer holidays so I knew what he wanted, but the girl behind the bar that I asked to take the drink through to Pitney didn’t and he got a cup of builder’s with some ice cubes in the cup. I thought I’d never stop laughing at the expression on his face - he took it in good part though I remember in the late 70’s I organised a Mrs Mops night out and invited cleaner from firms all over lancashire / Manchester to come for a free night out. It was free entrance and a free chicken and chips in the basket supper. I booked Reg Coates experience as the main “turn” and the women went a bit mad for him. Graham Warner was dead against the idea but I said fill the club with women and the men will follow plus women drank more shorts, bar takings were through the roof and we had a great time. I remember having a write up in the Manchester Evening News about the night. That was just one of my memories from my time there it was a fab experience. I remember my hours were noon to 3pm. Then 7pm till whatever time we finished cashing up the food and bars.