Back in the Noughties, if you fancied a bit of a mad night on the tiles then the bright lights of one particular Greater Manchester town would have been hard to ignore.
Stalybridge in Tameside earned the nickname ‘Staly Vegas” after a host of nightclubs, late-night bars and takeaways opened up in its traditional shopping area around 20 years ago. It was not an entirely complimentary new moniker as many felt the surge in nightlife tarnished the reputation of the town.
In 2005, the Manchester Evening News reported on fears that the town’s booming bar culture was getting out of control. Councillors had demanded action to stop more nightspots opening up saying the town had reached “saturation point”.
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Worries were also expressed that “yobs who crave trouble could be enticed by the town centre’s bright lights and pubs which are packed every weekend.” Some of those fears were realised when several of the high-profile nightspots were marred by violent incidents before they eventually closed.
But for others the transformation of the town provided revellers from all over with new places to bar-hop and enjoy a good night out. However you remember it, we’ve listed some of the nightclubs and bars that are now lost but were once stallwarts of the ‘Staly Vegas’ scene.
Of course, this won’t be a complete list of Stalybridge’s loved and lost drinking-holes, so if you think any others deserve a mention let us know in the comments below.
One of the most popular clubs in Staly Vegas, Rififi and its Amber Lounge bar/restaurant tried hard to be classy with its wood-panelled interior, plush booths and outdoor terrace.
But, fittingly for a place with a name that translates as ‘rough and tumble’, it was marred by violence towards the end and its licence was permanently revoked in 2013.
Another of Stalybridge’s most popular venues, The Pavilion Bars was one of the busiest bars in town. The venue was set over two floors and had four bars, one of them made from marble with a back bar waterfall. Sounds incredibly classy.
However, The Pavilion Bars had its licence suspended following ‘substantial evidence’ of crime and disorder associated with the nightspot in 2011, and closed soon after.
Located upstairs at the Bridge Inn, which was a late-night venue in its own right playing ’70s, ’80s and ’90s party music through to 3.30am, Harpers nightclub catered to a slightly different crowd. Its resident DJ Raymondo played old school and modern chart dance classics until 4am.
And while Harpers nightclub is now confined to history, the Bridge Inn is still going strong.
With Northern Soul all-nighters and regular drinks offers, H2o Bar on Melbourne Street was a big part of the ‘Staly Vegas scene during its time. The bar has now closed and has since been turned into residential and commercial units.
Located on the corner of Caroline Street and Market Street, Sharkeys Bar later became Szoda. Described in a review on review site Yelp in 2009 as “one of the smallest wine bars in Greater Manchester”, it sounds like they packed a lot into a small space with weekends described as “always crammed”.
The venue became Cheers in the early 2010s before becoming the Back To The 80s bar it remains today.
A stalwart of the ‘Staly Vegas’ scene for a number of years, Bar Liquid drew the punters with its regular disco nights before it too permanently called time.
Does ‘Staly Vegas’ awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Millpond was a large bar located on Armentiers Square. Specialising in traditional ales as well as cocktails, the pub was demolished in 2016 and replaced by a large apartment block.
This content was originally published here.
