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The Cromford Club (Cromford Court, off Market Street Long lost under the magnificence that is Arndale!)

The Cromford Club was run by Paddy McGrath, an ex-boxer.

cromfordclub1950s

Memories

Peter Byrne, spoke of Doorman BIG George on the Manchester Cavern page ... 6'4" and 18 stone was very big then.

That was my Dad, unfortunately he died early 2009, heart attack, running a pub, behind a bar and pulling a pint for a customer ... 69 years old.

In November 1964 he was running the Cromford door (with Jimmy "Swords"..anyway, one night at home I was sick, Doctor came out, gave my (8 months pregnant) Mum a prescription, she got the bus into town where she went to the Cromford.

Dave Lee Travis (of course wearing his parker) took her in his Jeep across town to the all night chemist.

I remember a photo of Dad stood in front of Mick Jagger (Guarding him) who did a guest appearance on a tiny stage about a foot high...their heads were about the same level even though Mick was on the stage. I would sell my soul for a copy of that photo.

David Lloyd - 27/7/12

Thank you David, it is very sad to hear of your dad's passing. I will always have great memories about our time at the Cavern, and your dad, he was an important part of all our time in the sixties. Take care.

Peter Byrne - 28/8/12

Hi, My late Father 'Big George' Lloyd worked on the Cromford/Cavern door in the 60's. If anyone has memories or gossip about him while he was there please email me, all lowercase DML1D @ HOTMAIL.COM

If you're interested, in the early 70's my parents decided to try and get a pub, to do this my Dad went working at the "bottom Kings on Oldham Street (before anyone asks it was because there were 2 Kings pubs on Oldham Street, the other was at the top of the Street). Anyone remember him from there?

David LLoyd - 22/6/13

Somebody must know. My late father was Big George (Lloyd) - the doorman. Whenever he spoke about this club he called it the Cromford Club, not the Cavern. Anyone know why? I suspect the staff called it the Cromford, the punters the Cavern.
If you know please advise.

David LLoyd - 8/10/13

Hi David, I worked with your dad at the Cavern on Cromford Court from 1963-64. with Dave Hall. The manager was called Dave Sledge his wife was called Wendy she was on the till.

I know your dad didn't work at the Cromford Club - the door man was Billy Gilmore from Salford. He worked the door on his own for years. he was a good friend of mine.

Hope this helps. Cheers!

Bob - 13/10/13

david lloyd

This is my parents. My Mum worked a few places in town. Not sure if this place is recognisable but.....

David Lloyd - 18/2/14 

David, re your Dad, George, the Cromford Club he mentioned was in fact another club in Cromford Court - it was a Casino if I remember rightly and your Dad probably went there after his shift at the Cavern Club.

Grace Butterworth - 23/10/13

Hi Dave - Remember your dad, he worked the doors with Alan - prince to top man.

P Clarke - 15/11/13
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Comments

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Harry Simkiss
4 years ago
hi there just come across your comments i was looking for early 60s clubs.
i remember big George very well as me and mates used  to go regular and George always very welcoming
i used to go out to gigs with Terry Kaye  comedian and  Paddy would give us a free meal
it was a great club that had everything cabaret, restaurant , casino, even a sing song at the bar .happy days 
hope you are well ,your DAD  was  a lovely man 
                               kind regards Harry 
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Beverley Fletcher
4 years ago
Hi, my Dad worked the doors at the cromford it was Alan Price
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Dominic
4 years ago
Does anyone remember George Carman who was a regular at the Cromford in the 1960s/1970s? 
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Roy Webster
3 years ago
I drank (and had the occasional flutter) in the Cromford Club in the late 60s. I don't remember the Cromford Cavern.
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David Williamson
3 years ago
I visited the Cromford club in the 60s. Jackie Blanchflower wife use to sing there.
David Williamson 
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Norman Davenport
2 years ago
Quoting norman davenport:
I wasn't aware of the cavern club, but I worked at the Cromford club as the Chef for some three years from 1966 to approx 1969 / 1970 George was the doorman (and on the odd occasion if he expected trouble he wood rush down to the kitchen at the opposite end of the club and borrow my rolling pin it never got dented ) The Crays came to Manchester and with the Cromford running most of the gambling in Manchester made it their first call, thats a long story, but they left and never came back. Sir Mat Busby was a regular, a man truly loved, on odd occasions we did private catering parties for regulars Sir mat was usually there. The Cabaret was often top class with all the best comedians from T V top singers and a top female impersonator, Bunny Lewis. Frank Carson. Bernard Manning were just two of the comedians Les Dawson was another (sorry keep getting flashbacks it is sixty plus years ago.  Paddy McGrath was the owner who was born about a mile away in the two up two down terraced houses moving to Sale / Altrincham area. The Manager was Arthur Conway a large man always smiling with the typical Black dress suit with a shiny collar I think he ran the catering for all of Belle Vue he was always seen without a bug cigar in his mouth.  The Cromford club had a large dining room, a hundred plus with a good stage three-piece band and resident singer spotlights and good sound system. A large bar L shaped seating area could hold around a hundred plus. The Casino was of the bar, running in its own room along the side of the dining cabaret room.  Brendan ran the bar in the casino,  I think there were about six gambling tables.  It was a very respectfully run club, I was about nineteen when I started and invited my parents to the Cromford on odd occasions, they loved it. I think There was a hippy club around the corner not in Cromford Court, don't know mutch about it.  Hope you look at this David I will try to email you but its many years since you posted your request ( 2013 ) Best wishes Norman Davenport  SORRY DAVID YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS NOT WORKING
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Anne williams
2 years ago
What a wonderfully nostalgic letter for me. Reading your post has brought back so many memories. I worked at the Cromford club in 1964 as a croupier. The names you mentioned bring back such fond memories, most especially dearest Arthur Conway, I can still see him now with his cigar, he was a real gentleman in every sense of the word.  Also, unless I’m mistaken and mixed up, Owen Radcliffe (I am 80 now but still feel 21 inside) was one of the management. Darling Brendan, everyone loved Brendan, I remember he got me a TV from a “friend” and brought it to the house, I was a bit unsure how my Mum would react to him, but she loved him, and knew immediately that he was gay which didn’t phase her in the slightest. Another lovely man was Murray Gold, the casino manager, I heard on another group a while ago that he had died some years earlier. My only recollection of a doorman was big Tom, a Scottish gentle giant.  Jean Blanchflower was the resident singer.  We certainly saw our share of celebrities in the Cromford, but have to say when they were in there nobody acted like a prima Dona, they were just one of the crowd. I had my 21st birthday dinner there in 1964 the Seekers were performing, if they were on whilst you were working there then we might have met at some time. I have lovely memories of working at the Cromford club, it was an exciting, wonderful,time, sadly there’s nobody I can talk to about it, so these sort of groups are very welcome.  Hope you get to read this, and maybe someone else that was around then might pop up.   My name when I worked in the clubs was not Anne, it was Arlett, more befitting the glamour and lifestyle of those days.
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Sue Hackett
2 days ago
I wonder if you remember my Dad - Edward Philip Barlow - he worked at the Cromford Club in the early 1960's. I was told as a croupier.
He mentioned "Big Louey"?
He was also good friends with Arthur Conway - remember him saying he had visited Arthur in 1990's?
My Dad is no longer with us, but would like to hear more
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John Hogan
2 years ago
Hi, My Dad was Frank Hogan, bass player at The Embassy Club from 1959 until his death in 1987. I remember him telling me that he started out playing at the Cromford until Bernard Manning poached him when he opened the Embassy. Sadly, I have no way to verify if that’s true but I’d be interested to know if anyone does remember Frank on either bass or guitar at the Cromford. 
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Norman Davenport
2 years ago
Just looked back and nice to see you to Anne have memories of the Cromford club what good times they were sadly not to be repeated
I don't think we were there at the same time but little will have changed. I remember Brenden got on the mike one night I think it was before we opened what a hilarious act he put on. I saw Brenden in Manchester one night around 1973 or 4 he was working in a bar and saw me walking down the road and ran out to speak to me. At my age, I also look back with fond memories and all the people I met
 As it said on the ashtrays happy days at the Cromford club ? should have said nights but way before my time there it was open day and night from what I heard.  All the best anne nice to know you have these memories too. Best wishes to all Norman
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Jo
1 year ago
Hello - I’m writing from Australia because Paddy McGrath is/was my mums uncle. I believe that his brother’s Mark and Joe also either worked there or were regulars. Would anyone be able to send either picture or stories about any of them?  Thanks Jo 
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Suzanne Leake
1 year ago
Hi,  was wondering if anyone has any memories of Peter Michael Jones who managed the Cromford Club in the 1950's ? I believe he met his wife Jean there and left to work for a wine merchant in  anywich in the 1960's ? Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks, Suzanne 
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Marie Stokes
5 months ago
My Mother was a  friend or Arthur Conway and his wife Sylvia and I was a friend of their Daughter Carol. My mother Mary Stokes worked as the Commis chef during the time she was there. Can remember Brendan, when they had a big party to get ready my mother, Arthur and Sylvia would go during the day to try and get everything ready for the night and both myself and Carol went with them. If Brendan was there he made sure we were looked after with plenty of orange or lemonade drinks while we waited for them. Can remember mum talking about Jimmy being on the door.  Also as mentioned there were quite a number of big named stars that appeared there, she said Vince hill was lovely and always came into the kitchen to have a chat with them during the night and thank them for his meal which not many did. She also managed to get me quite a lot of autographs Vince Hill obviously and many more but now all sadly lost. I have a photo somewhere of Arthur,  Sylvia  and I think Paddy and a few others. My mother enjoyed every minute she worked there
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Christopher Ashworth
2 weeks ago
A couple had a pub near me in abbey hey he was called john Gibbons someone said years ago he use to play an electric organ in the cromford club
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