Flamingo Flashbacks
Years of Blackpool’s gay history was bull-dozed to the ground a few months ago when builders demolished the town’s much loved old Flamingo nightclub to make way for a new super retail and cultural development. Jeni Quirke reports. 
The building which also housed the original Flying Handbag bar from the mid 1990’s was bought by entrepreneur Basil Newby in 1979 and was seen by many as the leading gay spot for the North West with performers headlining every weekend.
Mr Newby, head of In The Pink Leisure relocated both the venues from the Talbot Road building to Queen Street just over two years ago after selling his land to Blackpool Council, who intend to build a high quality retail, civic, cultural and administrative gateway on the plot.
Basil who also owns Funny Girls and several other venues in the town said that 27 years of his memories were shattered in just seven days as the building was destroyed.
He said: “Watching the Flamingo being pulled down was like seeing a friend being murdered - I was more sad watching that than I was on the day I left it.”
He added: “It was awful because I felt like it was crying out to me saying ‘Basil, what are you letting them do to me, help me, save me!’ – It was horrible!”
Mr Newby said that the only thing he regrets is not staying in the old club for longer.
“Although I love the new club, the old one was just special in some way. It was what I started with in 1979 and Funny Girls and all the rest of what I’ve got wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for The Flamingo.” He said.
YOUR MEMORIES
What was it that everyone loved so much about the old Flamingo club, what made it special, who did you see and meet and what memories will stick in your mind forever?
Clive Brent (Blackpool Gazette Letter)
The old Flamingo club was as famous in the gay world as the Manchester Hacienda was in the straight world. I started going to that amazing club in the 1980s and was lucky to see the late Diana Dors and Beryl Reid perform there. I saw the likes of Lily Savage, Take That, Divine, Grace Jones, Beverly Sisters, Lulu and many more.
How sad it was to see such an icon of our town turn to dust whilst 30 years of fantastic nights still remain in our memories. I went to watch the last day they were demolishing it and groups of people, both gay and straight, were there all telling stories of the times they spent in that club.
I would like to say a massive thank you to Basil Newby for all those years of entertainment, joy and unbelievable nights in the club. The new Flamingo is a credit to him but in my heart I'm there back in the 80s screaming at Divine and dancing myself silly in the old place. RIP Flamingo.
Richard Byram, 36, Retail sector, Oldham
I went to the old flamingo club from around 1989 when I first came out until it closed down in 2006.
There are so many things to miss about the old Flamingo, the atmosphere and anticipation on a Saturday night, waiting for DJ Moz to come on and do the Flamingo start-up tune ‘Rofo's Theme’ then the dance floor instantly filling up, fighting your way down the never ending spiral staircases, just to get on there and party the night away.
I personally will miss the extravagant New Years Eve events - god what a party! 2005/2006 was one to remember. My most special memory is of my 20th Birthday in 1991. I had recently broken up with my boyfriend, and wasn't really looking for love, so I went out and saw a guy I liked in Basils on the strand. When I went out in the evening I went to Lucy’s first and he walked in and we chatted. We then went to the Flamingo where things got even better! His name is Cliff and we are still together today 17 years on.
I have been to the new relocated Flamingo on many occasions, but although it is a great, great club, it lacks that hot and sweaty atmosphere that the old place had. Let her be confined to the history books of Gay Blackpool and may she live on in the hearts and minds of all whoever went in her. Party on!
Denise Trafford, 34, Police Radio Operator, Preston
I went to the old Flamingo from 2000 until the day it closed. Froot was my absolute favourite bit and I had many uplifting experiences in there, walking down one corridor or up some stairs and coming out at a completely different part of the club. Sadly many of my friends don’t like the new one so I don’t see them anymore. I also loved the intimacy and chatting in the Handbag bar when we were all mashed.
My favourite night was always a Saturday and New Year’s Eve was my fave night of the year – it was always the best. The new re-located Flamingo is still the best club in Blackpool but it doesn’t compare whatsoever to the old place. RIP.
Paul Swan, 35, Customer Concern Representative, Salford
I loved the Flamingo - I used to go between 1990 and 1995 and I always had a good night.
I always remember DJ Moz Morris banging out the tunes and my friends and I going barmy on the floor, especially when Amen UK's 'Passion' came on, it was arms aloft and legs akimbo. My personal favourite night was upstairs at Froot with Irene McGarvie.
Although, I've not been to the new Flamingo, as I have such fond memories of the old one, and don't want to spoil the memories I have of the place.
Scott Donaldson, 36, Operating Department Practitioner, Warrington (formally Dunfermline) and Raymond Bailey, 45, Senior sales advisor, Dunfermline
We have some very fond memories of the old Flamingo… The main years we can remember would be in the early 90’s to about 2001. We stopped going after that as sadly our friend died of cancer. Our favourite night would have to be of course Saturday. Our favourite feature of the club would have to be the stages on the dance floor (which we both used to full effect) and the big sweeping stair case which we used to make an entrance onto the dance floor to our favourite tune.
Our most favourable memory was when our crew got split while an act was on stage. An older gentleman was feeling Scott’s arse and as the stage went silent he was overheard by the whole club telling this gentleman on no uncertain terms to remove his hand…
Darren Knight, 27, Project Manager, Manchester
1998 was the very first time I went to the Flamingo when my first boyfriend took me there. It was the only gay club I’ve ever been to with a sex shop in it, which was always good for a laugh. It was also the first time I’d ever sniffed poppers - I collapsed and passed out and my mates hid me under the stairwell for about 15 minutes whilst I regained consciousness.
My first ever experience of a gay bar was in the old Handbag bar, where I was dragged up on stage. I can’t remember exactly what happened, but I had to lose my trousers for some reason. The drag act then asked me to hold her drink and her microphone for just one moment (really I should have seen this coming, but I was wet behind the ears); leaving me with no hands free and then proceeded to pull down my boxers on stage! Of course my modesty was quickly covered with a drink and a microphone…but when that’s your first experience of a gay bar; it scared me!
Kath Talboys, 44, Project Manager/Strategic Director, Blackpool
Flamingo was as comfortable as your slippers- a youth club for olders - a safe place where you could go and always know someone and never worry or feel at risk if on your own. You could wear what you want and do what you wanted!!
I have been to the new re-located Flamingo but don’t go as much due to age as well as changes in friendships, increased pressure of work and changing venue. On the positive side it is much bigger, fab interior, better toilets, sounds, dance floor, seats etc, more inclusive and mixed as is the 21st Century.
On the down side I miss some of the cracks, water and dodgy smells, some of the old faces, old characters, some of the old safety and ease but I’m also aware that I’m older too and things and people move on.
There’s so much to remember and some of the best nights were the ones you didn’t. Key memories include Millennium Marathon, New Years Eves, Balls (Sexual health, Black and White, Red etc), Monday night madness, being caught with a soldier by Basil by the bins (told off as club was a Naff Free Zone but kept me VIP card just), outreach events (including being sexually propositioned by a deaf man in sign language!) and importantly just being with friends!
DJ, Remixer and Producer Moz Morris has been rocking the decks at the Flamingo since nearly the day it opened.
Moz originally started at the club in 1980 as a doorman before moving over to spinning records in the DJ box and he is still going strong by playing at the new club every Saturday night with Fierce.
“The whole reason why I’m DJ’ing after all these years is because I’ve got a real enthusiasm for music.” Says Moz. “I get a buzz from the audience and it works both ways – you get back what you give.
Moz says that the club has progressed through lots of different incarnations over the years. “Originally it started upstairs just as a one floor thing and then Basil eventually bought downstairs which was a drive-thru warehouse, and then it was converted into the embryonic original Flamingo.
“It’s funny really because you really got to see how the scene progressed and changed. It started off very naively, very low-budget and I think that Basil would be the first to admit that when the club first opened it was a straight one that got turned into a gay one with a few minor changes. But it did have a real community feel, he knew everybody and there were a lot of characters around and that gave it its charm.
Moz said that one of his all-time favourite nights in the old club was when Grace Jones performed live on stage for a full hour and a half.
“There’s lots of other little things that will stay with me such as the stupid competitions and the staff cabaret which they used to do. We used to have a lot of fun in there and that side is part of what’s changed and I guess what we have lost.
“As a club there’s obviously a lot of attachment there over the years but what we’ve got now is a much, much better venue. It’s much bigger!. I think a lot of people don’t give Basil the credit that he’s due in terms of the club, and what’s been spent in there and all the rest of it. It’s up there with all the big straight clubs, in terms of facilities and stuff and they really ought to accept that I think.
“There are a lot of memories of the old club but you can’t take away memories and they’re all still there. You don’t need to see the bricks and mortar to keep the memories because there already there with you.
Outnorthwest would like to thank everyone who wrote in with their memories of the club. If you would like to share your experiences and memories then please email jeni@lgf.org.uk and we will publish them on the LGF website
