The Keg O’Kee (Atherton)
The Keg O'Kee was at 82 Market Street, Atherton, Lancashire now Manchester 46, Greater Manchester and opened in 1964.
Roy Bennett (b. 1940 d. August 2001 after six-month long battle with illness), an ex-teacher had brought The Caroline Club and Casino in 1964 and changed its name to The Keg O'Kee. Before that he had travelled around Europe where he met his future wife Hazel known as Sid.
It was known locally as The Keg.
It was originally called The Caroline Club which had opened in 1961. It had started out as The Palace Cinema which had opened in September 1913. In 1920, it was taken over by the Associated Provincial Picture Houses(APPH) chain and was known as the Palace Cinema from around 1922. In February 1929, it became part of the Gaumont/Provincial Cinematograph Theatres(PCT) chain. Eventually becoming part of Circuits Management Association(CMA) which became The Rank Organisation, The Palace Cinema closed on Friday, June 7, 1957.
The owner of The Caroline Club was Roy Jackson (b. 1920, Hindsford, Lancashire now Manchester 46, Greater Manchester, England d. 1989), who named it after his daughter. He also owned The Garrick Club, named after his sons Gary and Eric Jackson which was in Leigh Road, Leigh, Lancashire and opened on Friday, November 23, 1961 with Ronnie Carroll, Louis Hamilton, Peter Robinson, Dane Roberts, Johnny Kennedy, etc. from 7pm.
In 1970 Bennett and his wife Sid converted the casino into Sidroys Club. .
John H Warburg October 2024
Some info came from here
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6014182.mr-sidroy-dies-long-illness/
The Keg O’Kee was a night club on Market St. Atherton.
The building started life ages ago as one of the original cinemas in the town (The Palace Cinema).
It was converted to a club in the early 60’s.
Originally ‘The Caroline Club’ until 1964 it was then purchased by a Roy Bennett, (a local ex Teacher). Roy was an astute, nice guy who saw the value of a town centre night club that hosted good local bands and artists. It was named the Keg O’ Kee, - an unusual name but known locally as simply ‘The Keg’.
Sadly Roy died in 2001 but he’ll be remembered for creating this great little club that packed the audiences in.
I played at The Keg with ‘Cleveland Fox Band’ a few times in the late 60’s and I recollect it always being a great night, with a packed dance floor. Part of the venue was a casino but I don’t remember that too well. My lasting memory, however, will be lugging Marshall cabinets and drums up the side fire escape to the first floor of the club, and back down again at the end of the gig (what fun we had in those days).
Roy married Hazel, otherwise known as ‘Sid’. In 1970 they changed the club name to ‘Sidroys’ and shortly after converted the club to ‘Sidroys restaurant’. This proved a popular move as the restaurant continued successfully throughout the 1970’s and 80’s. Nostalgically though it will always be ‘The Keg’ that people, of my vintage, will remember.
Maurice Newton
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