Sgt. Peppers (Hillgate, Stockport)

info courtesy John H. Warburg 5 March 2022

Sgt. Peppers on Hillgate (opposite Strawberry Studio's) was previously the Tabernacle. The Tab, didn't sell booze as far as I recall, but when it re-opened as Sgt. Peppers, it had a license.

Primarily a disco, it didn't fill up until chucking out time I recall! I think Peppers had something to do with Tony Stuart, I am sure his daughter may have ran the place for a while and DJ'd there.

Back to the Tabernacle. In the mid 60's they had regular live acts at weekends (records only during the week except for local bands).

I saw a number of 'Direct from the USA acts' there including the Fabulous Coasters (one of a number of touring versions of The Coasters with sometime Coasters members); a dodgy Temptations; assorted Drifters (again with sometime Drifters); a fake Ike & Tina Turner; a dubious Olympics, a real Edwin Starr; a real and very young Jimmy Cliff who had hit then with 'Give A Little'; Ben E King; Geno Washington; Wynder K Frog; The Riot Squad a.o.

Tony Burke - 21/12/11

I remember it well saw Edwin Star and Joe Cocker's Grease Band there - had a drink with Joe. My claim to fame not so good - got kicking in the bogs Any one remember Edgar Brougton Band at Stockport Town Hall?

E Dawson - 2/2/13

At the time St Peppers opened I was playing drums in a group called Glass Onion along with Bill Jones, Bass guitar, Glyn Driscoll, Lead guitar and key boards and Jim Casey vocals. I was driving past St Peppers at the time it was being prepared for opening, decided to look inside and met Tony Stewart.

As a result of my meeting Glass Onion became the resident group.

Fortunately, we had ceased our residency by the time it burned down other wise we would have lost all our equipment!!

Steve McCracken - 12/3/13

I used to go to the Tabernacle and used to work at Sgt Peppers behind the bar for Carol and her mum. Does anyone remember a band who played and they were all painted just like Kiss.quite scary to us young girls. I had only just moved to Australia when it burned down, so never heard anymore about it. Just memoeries now, I do remember Amen Corner and going to the pub next door for a drink of Babycham and Cherry B :-)

Barbara - 14/10/13

A load of us from Clovelly Road in Offerton used to go to the Tabernacle and Sgt. Peppers almost every weekend. Remember seeing Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart on vocals. He had so many amps the place physically rocked when they started. Some of the names of the people I went with were Roy Winfield, Roy Marsh, Mary Morris (from Heaton Norris!) and Geoff Bancroft. Also went to the Masque, the Manor Lounge and the Sinking Ship.

What a lucky lot we were to be teenagers in that era. 

Chris Broster - 14/11/13