The Regency Club (Didsbury Road, Heaton Mersey)

Does anyone remember the Regency Club?

It was run by 'Major' Bill Reid and his wife and provided all us very thirsty youths with an after-time passport to the beer after a night in the Plough Heaton Moor and the HM Rugby Club on Green Lane.

As long as we got to the Regency before 12.00 the Major would allow us in for, I think 2/6d. In order to make it legal to drink till 2.00am a guest would have to have a 'meal' - which was a ham butty that was made by what seemed to be the million, by a little elderly lady in the kitchen. You got a raffle ticket receipt for your sarnie - proof that you had dined in the establishment in case any of Stockport's finest made an appearance to 'check-up'. I remember Bill well - he always had plenty of time for young people as long as they behaved themselves.

Some years later he had a Hotel in Burnage which we used to visit on a Saturday and if we had partaken of the waters to excess, Bill would stick you in a bedroom and you sorted it out the next morning with him - what a star!

Chris Thorpe - 24/8/13