Kings Hall (Cheadle Hulme)

I am surprised there seems to be no info about King's Hall Cheadle Hulme. It was one of the first places I went to regularly to see bands. Pete Maclaine and the Dakotas, Johnny Peters and the Crestas in their pink suits (Johnny I think in gold!) The Dreamers and... the one I most enjoyed... Screaming Lord Sutch.

He swung on the side curtains, prowled the audience with a machete and wore a red plastic toilet seat round his neck. At one point he had a pedestal on stage in which he lit a fire (no Health and Safety then) and wafted it with his long hair (before long hair became common) and I believe that Richie Blackmore was in his backing group.

I think the building has long gone but the club was upstairs and sold soft drinks at least that's what I had.

Bob Ainsworth - 28/3/10

The Kings Hall was the first gig I did with 'Bobby Laine & The Confederates' after Duncan left. It was a charity concert organised by Granada T.V. Sports to raise money for the family of Peter Craven of the 'Belle Vue Aces' (speedway) who had recently lost his life.

We were on stage singing the Isley Brothers song 'Money'. Gerry Loftus, commentator for Granada T.V., asked us to sing the song again but then asked the audience to throw money on to the stage. I'm sure that you get the picture and half-crowns really hurt! Jim's beautiful Fender Jaguar and my Precision took a hammering and we dived behind our amps and then stopped playing before leaving the stage for treatment. 

After examining the damage to our expensive instruments Gerry said that we should buy a couple of tins of Dulux and send him the bill!

Alan Jackson - 3/4/10

I used to love the Kings Hall. I was about 17 or 18 when I started to go there, and it was the time when all the famous groups were starting to make records so it was great to see them play live.

You name them, they probably played there! My faves were The Hollies, and after the gig we used to have a chat with them, not realising how big they were going to be in the future. There was no alcohol on sale in there, so we used to go up the road to the Junction pub for a couple; its still there, but not sure if its changed its name. 

Johnny Peters and the Crestas, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Pete Mcclaine and the Dakotas, before they left to join Billy J Kramer, Country Gents, Emperors of Rhythm, Marauders, Freddie and the Dreamers were all regulars to name a few. 

It really was a great time to be a teenager and I'm so lucky to have been there. Happy daze.

Dave Moore - 17/5/10

Saw all the groups at the Kings Hall, downstairs it had a coffee bar, no license , Shane Fenton and the Fentones later to become Alvin Stardust, Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages, The Hollies, etc. The building is still there and is now a Weatherspoons Pub.

Happy days never to be repeated 

Colin Grierson - 21/9/10

I had the best times ever at the Kings Hall. Saw all the bands. My favourite was Johnny Peters, we used to crowd round the stage and try to touch the lead singers in the bands. My first ever alcohol was in the Junction. Met my first love there. Sometimes we missed the bus home and had to walk home. I was in trouble if I was later than 11pm. ( my grandchildren don't go out until 11pm) times have certainly changed don't envy the young ones now.

We also used to go to the coffee bar in the basement, it was open at nights when there was no groups on. Just reliving it all now. I wish.

Pat Wallis nee Dockery - 18/4/12