Anabelles - Peterborough 'First Lady' of clubbing is 50 years old
PETERBOROUGH’S oldest (and still dancing!) nightclub celebrates a 50-year anniversary next month.
It was on Friday,14th November, 1975 that a new era for Peterborough’s entertainment opened when Anabelles opened on Bridge Street in the city centre.
“I don’t believe that there has been anything decent as far as night life is concerned in the city for a long time,” the club’s operations director Gary Thornton said at the time.
“Peterborough is an expanding place and I could see that it was in need of a good nightclub. It’s taken time to find a suitable site but now we’re ready to open.”
Fast forward 50 years – and three name changes from Anabelles to Canters to Winners and to its present name for the past 26 years of The Met Lounge – and its obvious to see that whilst many other venues have come and gone over the half a century then something in the way the venue was initially designed has meant it’s stood the test of time.
So now – for one night only – the lady is returning…
On Friday, 5th December, the original sign (well a specially made duplicate) will be raised over the entrance doors and for five hours it will be as if clubbers are returning to the era of 1975 to 1983 when Anabelles was THE original nightclub in the city.
And to make it even more authentic, and to appeal to the people who frequented the club on the Friday night sessions, Met Lounge owner Steve Jason has persuaded the ‘”original” Friday night DJ to come out of retirement for one more time..
Yes, Tom Bryan will dust down the 7’’ records and return to host the night!
Tom joined the club in early 1976 and was resident DJ on Fridays in the building for over 20 years until 1996. However, on this night the music policy will be strictly anything that Tom may have played up to Anabelles transformation into Canters, which happened in 1983
According to the original press release Friday nights at Anabelles was just good general disco/dance music. However local clubbers from the area will probably remember that alongside the disco music in the early 80s, Tom’s Friday night also become the leading New Romantic night when tracks from bands such as The Human League, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran and Depeche Mode packed the dancefloor – and it was when the boys wore as much if not more makeup than the ladies.
“I’m bringing every record I’ve still got,” said Tom, “everything from the Tamla Motown to Philadelphia record labels, plus the sounds of Barry White, Candy Staton and then Greece and Saturday Night Fever era, disco records like The Real Thing and Hot Chocolate to the early funk stuff like Edwin Starr – even Len Boone – everything and anything I played from 1976 through to 1983.”
If you went to Anabelles on a Friday night in this period then this is your night!
If you were 18 in 1975 then you’re probably not quite as mobile as you were but that’s not an excuse – the night is also about raising money for good causes and on Tom’s request, 50% of advance ticket sales will be donated to Prostate Cancer Research – a subject close to Tom’s heart.
Club owner Steve Jason and Tom are also putting their heads together to try and recall if any other DJ’s from the area stood behind the hallowed turntables at the club on Friday nights in this period.
"I definitely went on holiday at least once a year in the seven years so someone must have covered me,” said Tom. “If we can find another DJ who was there then they’re more than welcome to come along and help me on the night.”
And there’s more. It would seem on Fridays back then all ladies arriving before 10pm were given a free glass of sparkling wine – so this offer is also being repeated on t December 5 and, controversial as it might be, there’s going to be a dress code. I will not be quite as strict as it was in 1975 but according to the manager in news cuttings at the time “This discotheque will cater for the well-behaved, well-dressed people. We will not let people in wearing jeans.”
•Advance tickets for the night go on sale this Friday (11th October) from Skiddle.
In 1975 entry on Fridays was £1 – this equates to £7.97 in today’s terms but there will be ‘early bird’ tickets on sale for just £6.
Don’t hang around – you can only celebrate your 50th Anniversary once and ‘Anabelles’ is determined to celebrate hers with the best people and the best party in town! And with it being less than three weeks to Christmas! I bet Tom will sling in the odd Christmas Party classic for you! By the way Tom’s 77 Now!