A Merseyside club lived many lives before it brought back "the spirit of the sixties."
Built in 1884, the Lathom Club on Lathom Avenue in Seaforth was first a social hall before it became a cinema. Opening as a picture house in 1912, the cinema's motto was "come once and you're a regular patron," but four years later it was shut when the arrival of war disrupted business.
After WWI, the site was used as a school kitchen before being bought by Crosby Corporation in 1949. But it took on a new lease of life in the sixties when it was revived and became synonymous with Merseybeat.
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Many former customers and fans of The Beatles will know the Lathom Club was the first venue where the band were advertised to appear - under their Silver Beetles name. They were booked to play on Saturday May 21, 1960, but failed to show up, deciding to go on a tour of Scotland backing Johnny Gentle instead.
But the Fab Four did return and played 10 times between 1960 and 1961. The last of the group’s 10 gigs at the Lathom Avenue venue came on George Harrison’s 18th birthday, February 25, 1961, just before the height of Beatlemania.
By the 1970s the Royal Naval Association Club took over the site and when it was on the verge of closing in the late 80s, businessman Brian Corrigan stepped in. On June 6, 1991, the ECHO reported: "Now, after a £250,000 revamp, the spirit of the sixties is being rekindled.
"In the club's heyday the Fab Four, Jimmy Tarbuck and other big names were regulars on the bill. Before that, the premises housed the area's first cinema."
"Mr Corrigan explained: "I went out on a limb on this because I thought the place had great potential. It took an enormous amount of work to get it right, with a new stage, balcony and décor.
"It was always my desire to bring back the Merseybeat era, with that sort of feel and music. We have a lot to live up to of course.
"The Beatles played here in 1961 when they were known as the Silver Beatles. In fact, there have been moves afoot to put it on the Beatles tourist trail."
Many will remember visiting the popular venue through the years, to enjoy a pint with friends or soak in some Beatlemania. Incredibly popular, it was a familiar sight in Seaforth across the generations, attracting locals and tourists alike for years.
Do these awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
To mark the 40th anniversary of Sgt Peppers album, life-size replicas of John, Paul, George and Ringo kitted out in replica jackets, haircuts and the instruments from the front of the cover also graced the Lathom Club. Many will remember other famous figures on display and famous faces popping in through the years for various events.
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But, the venue has now been closed for some years. The ECHO previously reported how there were plans to knock down the 19th century social club and replaced it with a block of 12 one-bedroom flats.
But Sefton Council's planning committee said the area’s poor air quality meant it was unsuitable for new flats, with one local councillor, Cllr Paul Cummins, describing the area as “the most polluted spot” in the borough. Last year, the ECHO reported how the development could go ahead after an appeal, where a series of conditions around construction and design layout were imposed.
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