Top Twenty Club (Milton Street, Hollinwood)

The first all night club that I knew about outside Manchester. Only small, but an electric atmosphere.

Dave Hancock

I was still at school in 1964/65 and I was helping out in the cloakroom of the Top Twenty club. Reverend Black and the Rocking Vicars were playing. I believe Lemmy out of Motorhead was rhythmn guitarist at the time.

It was the first time I had ever seen a band live and I thought they were fantastic!!!! I remember the bass player was a scottish man and his party piece was rotating his head and whipping his hair around, which sent the audience wild.

Kevin O`Neill

We used to leave the Wheel/Blue Note and catch the bus from Picadilly and to the Top Twenty for the morning session, always remember a guy there called Clarky and another called Kennedy

Never knew the place was in Hollinwood - used to just catch a bus and seem to get there (being a Wigganer, Manchester was the place to be, if you wanted to hear the sounds)

Also remember The Dolphin at Picadilly where all the gear was sold. Ahh fond memories 10 dex for a pound (old money). Hey bring back those days

Tunes they played could not be heard anywhere else (1970-71).

Two records really stand out - Hey girl dont bother me - Tams and Jackie Edwards' Feel so bad. It certainly was a long walk back to Victoria bus station but all worthwhile.

Paul Shone - 25/2/12

I was a regular at the 'Twenty' from around '69 to '70. It was the first all-nighter in the Oldham area and used to attract a strong local crowd and, as a previous poster said, we'd see an influx of others from the Manchester venues like The Wheel and the Blue Note for the morning session .

It was a fairly small club as I recall and it could feel packed with relatively few people - producing a great atmosphere. I don't remember seeing any live bands there....maybe the old grey matter is letting me down on that one!

The music was, as you'd expect for the period, classic dance tracks from Motown, Atlantic, Gordy, etc etc.

I still have a few original singles from that time and the hairs still stand up on the back of my neck whenever I dig them out of the loft and put them on the turntable.

What more can you say? It was another iconic piece of the jigsaw that made up the club scene in the Manchester area in the late 60's.

I'm sure lots of people will have many pleasant memories of the music, the people, and places like the Top Twenty - all of which formed the history of our youth and, maybe, of our innocence lost (although, compared to today, I suspect we were pretty angelic!!!).

Ray Bayliss - 21/9/13

Used to go to Top Twenty Club in Hollingwood. Remember the road runner on wall!! d.j was in a little booth a side of dance floor!! Always used to play The Tams - so many good old all-nighter tunes!!

Ruth Hayes - 23/10/13