Recollections of city nightspot as it prepares to shut its doors for the final time

Memories have been flooding in of the old Squires nightclub in Preston.
Cameo Vinyl, PrestonCameo Vinyl, Preston
Cameo Vinyl, Preston

Readers have been reminiscing after it was announced on Wednesday that the Market Street club, in its current guise as Cameo and Vinyl, will close permanently after Monday night.

It seems the venue has played host to many a memorable student night, hen do and blind date in it’s 49 year history.

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Irene Holden remembers when the club first opened in 1967. She said: “I remember those days very well as my friend Christine and I were the first two members, then all our squash club also went for many happy years.

Kenny Scott who used to work at Squires in the early 1990s, pictured at the time with a regular customer.Kenny Scott who used to work at Squires in the early 1990s, pictured at the time with a regular customer.
Kenny Scott who used to work at Squires in the early 1990s, pictured at the time with a regular customer.

“I was getting bunny girls in but Mr Panayi, the owner, changed his mind. But our group are still together for natter nights once a month. Now we are all well over 55, but still dance.”

Lorraine Rachel said: “Those stairs! How many of us have fallen down them?”

Aidan Begley, who went every Monday night as a student between 1999 and 2002, said: “Pints 50p before 10pm. Doing a figure-of-eight route from Squires into Quincey’s and back. Meeting Jim at the bar spending his hardship loan. Great memories.

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“I was once the first person in there on a Monday night. What a time to be alive.”

Nigel and Jacqui Crook of Croston, who met in Squires 23 years agoNigel and Jacqui Crook of Croston, who met in Squires 23 years ago
Nigel and Jacqui Crook of Croston, who met in Squires 23 years ago

Anna Jones said: “Quincey’s! The mosh pit! Jumping around to Blink 182 with a Blue WKD.”

Claire Moss said: “Do you remember paying to go in here, sitting on the steps with no shoes on, then we went home for toast and a brew.”

Julie Coene said: “Oh sticky carpets, buffets, ten to two dash, walking the perimeter and damn good dancing, shame! Good times.”

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Paul Ainscough said: “Been a little drunk in there a good few times! All good things come to an end.”

Cameo Vinyl, PrestonCameo Vinyl, Preston
Cameo Vinyl, Preston

James Dion said: “Someone call English Heritage now, this is a travesty.”

Kenny Scott used to work at Squires. He said: “Great memories working there in the early 90’s. It had a great management team, the club was always full and a great atmosphere. The fancy dress nights were legendary.”

Pauline Westwood said: “I was the general manager for six years and have many happy memories.”

The club also did it’s bit as a match-making haven.

Kenny Scott who used to work at Squires in the early 1990s, pictured at the time with a regular customer.Kenny Scott who used to work at Squires in the early 1990s, pictured at the time with a regular customer.
Kenny Scott who used to work at Squires in the early 1990s, pictured at the time with a regular customer.
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Jacqui Crook, 50, from Croston, said she will always thank Squires for helping her meet her husband Nigel, now 52, 23 years ago.

She said: “We had been going there for a couple of years after both our first marriages broke up, but never bumped into each other until one night I was dancing with a friend and I spotted him looking at me. We gave eye contact but neither of us made a move.

“The following week I went in and sat in the same place as usual, but I saw an ex coming over, so my friend and I moved. We were talking, then I heard someone say hiya. I turned around and we had only gone and sat next to Nigel from the week before. We started talking, he asked what I did, and I took a photo out of my purse of my three boys all of them under seven years o.

“I thought ‘oh well this is who I am’. He looked at it and said he couldn’t believe I had three children, we exchanged numbers and he rang me the next Saturday and asked if we could meet up.

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“Eight months later we moved in together, a year later we married, we then went on to have two more children. He brought my boys up as his own, it wasn’t easy as he hadn’t had children before that. The funny thing is both our father’s worked at Leyland buses and we used to go to the Christmas party’s when were kids, then when we were 18 we both went to Snootys nightclub that was joined on to squires then, but we never saw each other. I do believe in our meeting in Squires really was fate, so thank you Squires for helping me find my soul mate.”

Sue Thompson met her future husband Ken Unsworth at Squires in August 1980, their first dance together to the Korgis ‘Everyone has to learn sometime’. The pair were engaged on September 13, 1980 and married in April 1981.

Nigel and Jacqui Crook of Croston, who met in Squires 23 years agoNigel and Jacqui Crook of Croston, who met in Squires 23 years ago
Nigel and Jacqui Crook of Croston, who met in Squires 23 years ago

She said: “Our first dance at our wedding was ‘Making your mind up’, but we loved dancing to Donna Summer.”

Angela Towler said: “Happy crazy drunk times ... and where I met my hubby 17 years ago.”

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Cath Goodfellow said: “Met husband on blind date then went here 23 years ago. Now married 23 years.”

Glenys Harley said: “I had my hen do there in 1981 and still married 35 years later.”

Katie Elisa-Beth is the daughter of a former doorman, known as Ziggy. Referring to her dad and his former colleague Phil Kalia, she said: “They used to take us in during the day and let us run around when we were little. And when I was born in 1989, it was announced over the tannoy.”

Owners The Deltic Group, who also have Evoque in Church Street, said the lease had come to an end in Lime House and they wanted to concentrate on just one venue in the city.

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