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Casino (Bolton)

bolton casino

The Casino Club was at 417 Crompton Way, Bolton, Lancashire and was opened as The Crompton Cinema on Thursday, December 6, 1934 with Alan Dinehart in 'Dance Girl Dance' and Marian Marsh in 'A Man Of Sentiment.'
 
The Crompton Cinema was in Crompton Way, close to the junction with Tonge Moor Road. It was operated by Arthur Hall of The Palladium Theatre, Waterloo Road, South Shore, Blackpool, with 1,200 seats and had a 46 feet wide proscenium, and had a cafe attached.
 
The Crompton Cinema closed in 1959 and was converted into a bingo club. This use continued and then it became The Casino Club in June 1961.
 
The Warriors played regularly at the Casino Club and The Four Pennies also played here.
 
The Casino Club later changed its name to Jacks just before a change of ownership and became Copperfields in March 1972. In January 1976 Copperfields closed and it became a disco-diner The Bees Knees that lasted until 1997. 

John H. Warburg. 24 May 2022
 

Bolton Casino was built in 1934, as a cinema. Throughout the sixties it was known as ‘Bolton Casino’. It was actually a club and you had to be a member to play the gaming tables. Entertainment was the big thing though and many great acts appeared, including Junior Walker and The All Stars, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon, Love Affair, The Fortunes, and many more.

I saw The Who, at the casino, in 1969 prior to their US tour. They played the full rock opera ‘Tommy’ live for the first time before descending into chaos and obligingly smashing their instruments.

Bolton Casino became ‘Copperfields’ in the 70’s, and then the ‘Bees Knees’ for a short time before finally closing as an entertainment venue. It is now a supermarket.

Bolton Casino always seemed to attract sizeable audiences even without the big star acts, local semi pro bands appeared regularly.

Unlike the ‘Palais’, ‘Beachcomber’ etc it suffered to some extent from its position out of town, situated on the A58 ring road (Crompton Way). It was a great venue to play - good stage area and dance floor, decent dressing rooms (no getting changed, and tuning up, in the Van) as well as the gaming rooms.

I played twice at the casino with ‘Cleveland Fox’ in 1968/69. The second time was a bit of a disaster, - we were ‘in between’ Bass players, and we had temporary, or dep player for the night. Prior to us going on he proceeded to remove all his equipment from the stage after a fall out with the band (probably about money). We did the show without Bass which, to say the least, was a bit strange.

Good times.

Maurice Newton


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Comments

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Daniel (Danny) Croke
6 years ago
Danny Croke worked there 1971/1973 Copperfields and Blightys was like the Palladium as far as I am concerned.
Shirley Bassey (we had to close the bar) Frankie Vaughan, Showaddywaddy, Tommy Cooper , Gene Pitney to name only a few ( not enough space to enter all I saw while working at Flood enterprises.
Regards Fred and Zia head waiters if you ever see this and any body that remembers me.
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Ken Howarth
3 years ago
Don't know if you would have remembered my mother she was the cook at the time Lucy Baines and I was a bottle boy
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Carole Gibson
6 years ago
Do you remember if Dusty Springfield appeared at Copperfields in 1973?
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Mike
5 years ago
I was in the traks , resident at the club Monaco in 1967 ish and Dusty played the Casino, she was in BLW7b a Buick riviera and we followed them to the Manchester hotel with the car park that Simon Dee opened his programme with the etype n model... we got her autograph ! Ha 
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Carole Gibson
5 years ago
Hi Mike, I only just saw your reply.  Do you mean that Dusty played Bolton Casino or the Monaco?  She definitely played the Casino as I met her outside (I wasn't old enough to get in!), it was April 1966.  The Monaco was my local at the time, I lived within walking distance and I can't believe I wouldn't have known if Dusty was there as I travelled as far as London at the time to see her.  She did the Talk of the North as well. I run a Dusty fan page on FB and I like to get facts right if I can, hence the question about Copperfields in 1973.  I have a photo of Dusty in the Buick but I can't get it on here, I don't have upload 'privileges'. 
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Roy Stewart
6 years ago
I remember The Four Freshmen performing there for one night. Please inform me of some details. Thanks.
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Geoff Burgess
5 years ago
I played bass with the cortina in the mid 60s Great times
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Tony Burke
5 years ago
Just got a new 3CD reissue on BGO Records of Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band's 4 albums and their A&B 45rpm sides and EP tracks plus 8 out takes. One of the albums is 'Running Wild' recorded live at the Bolton Casino in February 1968. According to the excellent booklet the stage sound equipment and mobile recording truck was set up the day before the gig. Geno traveled up north with their manager and producer John Schroder on the day. They played an early gig in Wigan and drove to Bolton but got lost, arriving with minutes to spare. The Casino was packed to the rafters. The band played their well drilled spot on set of soul covers and ended with Jumping Jack Flash, The Equals Baby Come Back and I Got You Babe. The Wigan gig was used as warm up. Pye Records had high hopes for the album but it stalled. Their other two 'live' albums ('live' as in live in the studio) with an invited audience were red hot and stayed on the charts for many weeks. Geno was Britain's number one soul brother. After the failure of the Bolton live set to chart, they still had touring work but in 1969 Geno went solo. He blamed what he called 'psychedelic bullshit', long guitar solo's, drummers playing jazz tempo's for their demise. But between 1966 and 1968 they were the hottest band on the club scene. Now the question is...did you see the gig that cold February night in Bolton or Wigan? Great 3CD set BTW!
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Paul webmaster
5 years ago
What a great comment Tony.  Many thanks.  Didn't know of this but can imagine the crowd having a great time with Geno.
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Melvin Booth
9 months ago
I played there with Santa fe’ Reunion supporting Geno and we went down so much better than he did that he sacked his Ram Jam Band and asked us to become the new one. Unfortunately after a week rehearing with him it came to an abrupt end when our drummer Dennis and vocalist John decided turning professional wasn’t for them and of course we didn’t want to split the band.
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Barry
4 years ago
I played the Bolton Casino Many times with my group the Perfumed Garden, and also one night when Frankie Vaughan headed the bill. IF anybody has any info old tickets local new paper adverts I'd love to see then for my forthcoming book etc. 

Barry 

Key Boards Perfumed Garden
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Barry
4 years ago
Perfumed Garden who played both Wigan and Bolton Casino many times during the late 60's. Any body have any info, pictures old new paper adverts please  let me know. 

Barry 

Perfumed Garden key boards 
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Bea Holt
4 years ago
My Mum used to work there, she paid the wages and performers, I remember her talking about Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Gene Pitney, Dusty Springfield, Frankie Vaughn, Jimmy Ruffin, all of whom have been mentioned above, but I seem to remember her mentioning Roy Orbison too. Does anyone know if he did perform there?
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H
3 years ago
Hi bea. Did she mention Averton Howcroft? 
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Bea Holt
3 years ago
Not that I recall, unfortunately she is no longer around for me to ask.
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sales@cavernafterhours.com
3 years ago
My group the Perfumed Garden performed at Bolton Casino with Frankie Vaughn. 
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Bea Holt
3 years ago
My Mum was more than likely the one who paid you. X
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Ken Howarth
3 years ago
Hi Bea, your mum must have paid my mum's wage and mine pitty my mother is not here yo ask if she knew your mum.
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Bea Holt
3 years ago
Thanks for sharing Ken. I was quite young at the time but I do remember some of the tales she would tell.
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Geoff Turner
2 years ago
I only went once to the Casino. This was to see Brenda Lee on her 1967 UK tour. 
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Rusty
2 years ago
Hi, I saw the Irish group ‘Them’ at the Casino in 1965/6. I feel sure that Van Morrison was with them. Does anyone else remember seeing them? Thanks
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Geoff Burgess
2 years ago
I was in a group called THE CORTINAS THE HOUSE GROUP and remember seeing them Van Morrison was with them they were very y good 
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Sue
7 months ago
Met my now husband of 54 years at "Bolton Casino" Friday 12th Feb 1971. The american group "The Fantastics" were debuting their new song which became a 1972 hit , "Something Old, Something New" - now, our special song. 
5 months later we were back at with our families to celebrate our engagement! 
We were married 5th February 1972, 51 weeks after our first meeting. We had our son in 1975 & daughter 1977 and now have 4 grandchildren. Both of us became Christians in the 1980s and Jesus has kept us strong and loving together through the ups and downs of life ever since - He continues to bless our lives.
Here is the YT link for "our song" recorded later in 1971 ... the group is wearing the same stage clothes and the choreography is the same as the night we met!!!

https://youtu.be/w6maXTyShEw?si=Ch3RLINKDlRb9RfQ

Bolton Casino - such happy memories! 
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