3 pic's of the Queens Hotel Southport before restoration gets under way.

Jimmy - aren't they turning it into flats?

Didn't the canopy in the third photo lead down to the basement where there used to be a club at one time? I wonder if that's where the Beatles played when they appeared at the Queens.

I'm sure someone on the VS site said once that all the big names that appeared at the Floral Hall used to drink in the Queens before & after their acts.

Flyp the club in the basement was called Lamplighters(I think)that's going back 25 years ago.Don't know about the Beatles playing there that's before my time.I did get two autograph's of Paul McCartney at his book signing (paintings)at Waterstones in London early last year (I may put one copy up for grabs in a comp on this site,worth best part of £400).I had to camp out on the pavement over night it was bloody cold and raining all that week but well worth while.jimmy-j

Jimmy-J...... Thanks for these pics. I worked at the Queens at weekends around circa 1964. The Guest family ran it then. I remember watching a wedding cake slowly melt in the hot afternoon sun one Saturday in the room at the far left. We desparately held on to those little pillars that held the tiers of the cake up! The building looks so small now. At that time I thought it was huge. The only club I remember was the Club D'Jango, and yes, many acts at the Floral drank before and after at the Queens. Sad to see it has gone into such a state of disrepair. How long since it has been out of commission as a hotel?

About seven years ago I worked part-time at the floral Hall, behind the bar. After work we occasionally used to go over to the Queens for a quick slurp. The hotel itself was not operational but the little bar in the annexe type thingy was still open and occasionally had 'acts' on. Singers, guitarists or Karaoke etc.

The club in the Queens was the Sans Souci.

The part I went into was, I think, called 'The Marine Bar'....it was a bit of a dive.!

Originally Posted by seivad

Jimmy-J...... Thanks for these pics. I worked at the Queens at weekends around circa 1964. The Guest family ran it then. I remember watching a wedding cake slowly melt in the hot afternoon sun one Saturday in the room at the far left. We desparately held on to those little pillars that held the tiers of the cake up! The building looks so small now. At that time I thought it was huge. The only club I remember was the Club D'Jango, and yes, many acts at the Floral drank before and after at the Queens. Sad to see it has gone into such a state of disrepair. How long since it has been out of commission as a hotel?

The Club Django was in the basement of the Queens Hotel every Thursday night. I sawe the Beatles play ther in 1962

What a great site this is! More memories from the dim distant past. Had quite a few in the Queens in the late 50's early 60's. Would I be right in saying that Uncle Macs' was just around the corner, in Seabank St I think or, have I got it all wrong??

Originally Posted by Nick2

Would I be right in saying that Uncle Macs' was just around the corner, in Seabank St I think or, have I got it all wrong??

Right, it's flats now.

I think the bar downstairs was different to the Sans Souci, which I'm sure was upstairs - my dad and uncle used to go downstairs in the 60s and I remember having a scrap in the SS (which was most unlike me) just before I went to Australia - Pat

Nick 2. Yeah...Uncle Mac's was around the corner on Seabank Rd. The "In" place to be on a Sunday night. I'm talking 1959 now when Cliff Richard was all the rage. Sometime poster here Caz Carey used to play guitar at Uncle Mac's along with Geoff Smith who introduced skiffle to the town. You have to be at least 60 years old to know what I'm talking about.

The Club Django was actually in the Ballroom of the Queens hotel on the ground floor. Through the front door and keep on going towards the rear of the hotel. At least, it was when I played there from around 1961 onwards.

Ran some stag nights there for my colleagues, years ago....

Baby-Jane must be a granny now if she's still with us

Originally Posted by smithy99

Nick 2. Yeah...Uncle Mac's was around the corner on Seabank Rd. The "In" place to be on a Sunday night. I'm talking 1959 now when Cliff Richard was all the rage. Sometime poster here Caz Carey used to play guitar at Uncle Mac's along with Geoff Smith who introduced skiffle to the town. You have to be at least 60 years old to know what I'm talking about.

Good one Smithy. Cant remember much about the musicians but Uncle Mac's was the in place for the blokes too (1958-1962ish) cos all the "nice girls" liked a coffee, and that was where to meet them if you were unattached!
P.S. I'm 67

We used to go into Uncle Macs but that would be 1966 I remember they played "These Boots are made for walking " on the Juke Box. We would go in on a Saturday afternoon, I would be about 15.

Yes, the Beatles did play at the Queens (twice I think). The last time they played there was after their first record. I was drinking with Ringo in the bar for two hours before they went on stage and he still took a bottle of scotch back to the dressing room!

Wilky is right, the gigs used to happen in the ballroom. In fatct the avatar shown on here is me playing at the Queens with the Sandgrounders. If my memory is correct I think that we were supporting Freddy and the Dreamers that night but it might have been the Brian Poole and theTremeloes.

The Southport Amateur Ops. Soc. used to go in there after rehearsals on a (Monday?) night back in the early 70's ...I got the impression that it was a time-hallowed ritual even before those times, and for all I know, it continued long after I left town in the mid-70's ...

The Queens has a lot to answer for. I met my wife there in 1969/70 when there was a disco called the San Susi or something like that - now married 32 years !!

Originally Posted by Wilky

The Club Django was actually in the Ballroom of the Queens hotel on the ground floor. Through the front door and keep on going towards the rear of the hotel. At least, it was when I played there from around 1961 onwards.

That's where it was when I played there too!

Dave

I remember lamplighters vividly.......
well, I remember going in, I dont remember coming out that often

I went in there a few years ago.......there was one of these...Bankrupt stock clearance sales...............

I think the third pic is great....it just says "Victorian" to me....its those railing and canopy etc.........

Reminds me of the old Marine lake bridge........

Originally Posted by philed

The Queens has a lot to answer for. I met my wife there in 1969/70 when there was a disco called the San Susi or something like that - now married 32 years !!

It certainly does have a lot to answer for. It is where I first got a taste for the amber fluid when I was 17, 50 odd years ago. Now it just gives me heartburn!!

had many a good night in the Queens too, back in the fifties, learnt the art of boozing in there & the Vic dive, uncle Macs was favourite eatery in those days, second best burgers in town after the continental snack bar, like the advert at the bottom of this page , what do you have to do to win the cup?.

Originally Posted by jimmy-j

3 pic's of the Queens Hotel Southport before restoration gets under way.

great pics of this old building! just shows we can look back now of how bad it was before it was restored!

The 3rd pic interests me and the old canopy for the entrace! how interesting! this pic is like preserved history... any pics of how it looks today? just to compare them on here (or i should go look myself next time im up on the prom!

So sad ..

Originally Posted by seivad

Jimmy-J...... Thanks for these pics. I worked at the Queens at weekends around circa 1964. The Guest family ran it then.

Wasn't there a great looking young barmaid there called Maureen? Best known as Mo if my memory serves me right - and I think it does - she was a corker.

Ronnie ........? used to play the organ.

Help! I'm having a blond moment.

His cousin was Paddy Tabron who played in the Clarkson Wood band.

Any pics of the Queens hotel now, is it still a hotel?

Sincy....These are the only ones I can find on SGB. It's now an apartment building for older people.