Imperial (Nelson)
The Imperial Ballroom was in Carr Road, Nelson, east Lancashire and opened in 1925.
It was known as The Imp.
The Imperial Ballroom stood just over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Bridge on Carr Road, on a site now occupied by a group of residential flats called the Imperial Gardens, in memory of The Imp.
The huge, hangar-like structure, dating from 1910, was once the largest indoor building in Europe.
It opened in 1911 as an ice-skating rink and in 1925 became a municipal hall.
Brilliant singer Billy Fury (b. Ronald William Wycherley, Wednesday, April 17, 1940, Smithdown Hospital, Smithdown Road, Sefton, Liverpool 15, Lancashire, England d. Friday, January 28, 1983, St. Mary's Hospital, South Wharf Road, Paddington, West London, England), a magical performer visited four times, twice in 1959 and in 1965 and 1966.
On Saturday, February 17, 1962 Danny Rivers (b. David Lee Baker, Friday, November 27, 1942, Liverpool, Lancashire, England d. Thursday, July 28, 2016, Hospice, Cricklewood, North West London, England) played here with The Jay Walkers and on Saturday, February 24, 1962 Danny Williams (b. Daniel Williams, Wednesday, January 7, 1942, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa d. Tuesday, December 6, 2005, England) played here.
On Saturday, May 11, 1963 The Beatles played this famous Nelson ballroom for the first time and around 2,000 people turned up. The band had just returned to Liverpool from their respective holidays on Thursday, May 9, 1963, The Beatles’ made their second and final concert appearance on Wednesday, July 31, 1963.
The Imperial Ballroom burnt down on Friday, March 19, 1976 and was not rebuilt.
Info courtesy: John H Warburg March 2025
Memories
I never attended the Nelson Imperial, Nelson but I was there when the Otis Redding Show was there on Saturday April 1st 1967 (but I was only 13years old then so they wouldn't have let me in!).
I worked there when it later became Nelson's Column in the early seventies, when Paul Manning purchased quite a few nightclubs (The Manor House,Thornton In Craven, Circulation Club,Burnley and a few more including one in Heywood whose name escapes me!) from Ken Leary (all the records had a sticker with Ken Leary Entertainments stuck on them - some still turn up to this day).
Sadly the former Nelson Imperial burnt down on 18th March 1976 and is now the site of some sheltered accomodation.
Bo Diddley, who sadly passed away only a few weeks ago, was an artist who appeared there in the 60s, amongst many others like the Kinks, The Small Faces, The Walker Brothers and, of course, The Beatles.
Keith Gunton
I gigged there in the late '60s with my band The Manchester Federals. We supported P.J.Proby and his orchestra. It was a revolving stage, and we set up on one side and the stage rolled round when we were due on. Then the next band would set up whilst we performed. All good stuff, but when you were waiting to go on, you never really knew which direction the stage would turn! Happy memories.
Chris Evans - 15/2/09
The name of the club that Keith Gunton can't remember in Heywood waas called "The Richmond ". On the site now is a supermarket, either Lidl or Aldi I think. Hope this helps you.
Brian Cordwell - 1/6/13
Comments
Actually played there one Sunday night wth The Absorbers