Have your shoes ever stuck to a nightclub carpet while you drank Mad Dog 20/20 paid for with a £20 note that lasted you the entire weekend?
If so, there's a chance you spent your clubbing years in Oldham in the 1990s. Following the Manchester Evening News' story on lost nightclub Henry Afrikas, people have been reminiscing about the incredible nights out they used to have in Oldham.
Henry Afrikas was a cabaret-style nightclub based on Clegg Street in the 1980s and '90s. A former staff member, Jamie Harrison, remembers how the club scene in Oldham in the 1990s was "booming", with many popular nightclubs filled to capacity every weekend.
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"There were about 10 nightclubs in Oldham, all around a similar size and they were all packed," Jamie said. "There were no dead ones. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were rammed."
After the Henry Afrikas story was published, readers took to the M.E.N. website and Facebook with their own memories of Oldham during a golden period for its nightlife.
On our website, 'mishlv' shared some fantastic memories of Oldham's pubs, bars and clubs during that decade. 'Mishlv' said: "When we were underage, we all went to Butterflies and the Papillion lounge (downstairs).
"I think it was called Romeo and Juliet’s before Butterflies. In the mid '90s, the Papillion Lounge had a regular indie night and it was packed. I’ve never known anywhere like Oldham for its heyday of night life.
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"It was absolutely heaving and you had more choices of where to go than hours in the night. We had regular routes that we would alternate. Our faves were Jackson's Pit, Wrens Nest wine bar, Yates' wine lodge, The Beer Emporium and Revolution vodka bar," adding: "Crazy days and good times!"
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'Macduffy1' remembered: "Froggies and Cats Whiskers where brilliant. Cats Whiskers especially when you stood for a minute at the bar waiting to be served and your shoes stuck to the carpet. Brilliant times had by all and no trouble."
Reminiscing about Henry Afrikas on Facebook, Debbie Lamb said: "Met my man in there [back] in the day - been married 30 years now. The good old days, loved that place. No matter how bad your week had been it cheered up once you got in there. [Mad Dog] 20/20 at the bar, lol."
Mad Dog or MD 20/20 is the sweet, alcoholic drink made from fortified wine that became popular in the early 1990s, just before the advent of alcopops. Many will remember vowing never to drink again after a session drinking MD 20/20 during their youth.
Angela Jane Burke was one. She said: "Oh God... I can taste the orange MD 20/20," adding: "Every Sunday night we'd end up in there [Henry Afrikas] on it, and every Monday morning I'd be swearing 'never again'".
Karl Paddon also had fond memories of Henry Afrikas. He said: "[I] used to work in Doctor Syntax across the road and I loved every minute of it. Them was the days when £20 lasted Friday and Saturday nights."
Rik Broxup commented: "Oldham was a crazy place in the '90s: Butterflies, Reflections, Henry Afrikas, Scruples, Monty's, Alex Higgins' club, Cabaret Club [and] Candlelight, and would all be busting at the seams.
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"Oldham was the place to be, not to mention all the pubs we had. My favourite in the late '90s was Heroes [it] was an awesome place but can't forget Roebucks loony juice!"
Carla Walker remembered Oldham as "such a good place to go." Adding: "You never needed to go anywhere else, it was all there in the middle of Oldham. Henry Afrikas brings back lots of fun memories including Butterflies, Livingstones and Tokyo's".
While Gareth Wrigley summed it up, posting: "Oldham in the '90s was brilliant. Not too much trouble. Everyone seemed to know everyone. Always busy - loads of places to get ya groove on. Miss it."
What nightclubs and bars would you love to see remembered? Do you have any old photos of your clubbing days tucked away in box. If so, email the M.E.N's nostalgia writer at lee.grimsditch@reachplc.com
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