It's fair to say that Manchester's oldest surviving music venue has seen some changes down the years.
Music fans will know the The O2 Ritz on Whitworth Street as THE place in Manchester to catch some of today's cutting-edge music artists and for its themed club nights. But before it took on the identity of its big-name sponsor, the ever popular venue was known simply as The Ritz.
Originally built in 1927 as a dance hall notable for its sprung dancefloor, the Grade II listed venue was taken over by HMV in 2011 undergoing a £2 million refurbishment. The refurb included hundreds of thousands spent on a new sound and lighting system, as well as soundproofing while preserving its original Art Deco features.
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The acquisition of The Ritz was part of HMV’s push into live venues and ticketing to make it the "complete music provider" in the UK. Despite this, the venue changed hands again in 2015, when it was bought by Live Nation Entertainment and rebranded as O2 Ritz Manchester.
These days, you're just as likely to visit to see your favourite underground artist, a top covers band, or perhaps attend a Taylor Swift or Jillys Rockworld themed club night. But there was also a perhaps less "cool" era for the venue that many people remember it for.
The '60s saw the venue shift away from its dancehall roots to a nightclub. By the '70s and '80s, it was popular for playing disco, soul, funk and electronic music before the opening of the Hacienda just a little further down the same street.
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And it was during this era of The Ritz that many people remember for its 'grab a granny' night. In a recent post on the popular We Grew Up In Manchester Facebook group, people took to the comments to share their memories after a photo of The Ritz was uploaded.
One person, said: "I remember in the '70s, I told my mum I go to The Ritz 'grab a granny' night. She told me she used to go there during the war dancing with American Gi's."
Another remembered: "[I] used to go a couple of times a year for a good laugh in the '80s with my mates. Anyone from age 18 to 80 would go there."
Another post, read: "Many [a] good night in the Ritz. Grab a granny night or a divorce night - great for one night stands late 1970s early '80s."
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Memories of the night have also been shared on various Manchester chat forums over the years. When the subject of The Ritz came up on manchester-forum.co.uk 10-years ago, inevitably, 'grab a granny' nights there were some of its most enduring memories.
A forum member named A_Brit_In_Indy said in 2012: "Oh I loved The Ritz, 'grab a granny' night, the bouncy dance floor and the sticky carpets upstairs, the steak butties or the scampi and chips - LOVED IT!!!"
While a member called Julie, posted: "Oh lord, The Ritz. The mechanics where I worked used to go there, and they used to go for the 'grab a granny' nights."
Strangely, some remember the night as being at the weekend while others recall it being on during the week. For many of a certain generation, it seems The Ritz will always be synonymous with 'grab a granny', with the night even receiving a mention in an episode of Coronation Street in 2017.
However, it isn't the only reason the venue has found a place in many a Mancunian's heart - others posted to say their parents first met at The Ritz. Many wrote of the joy of dancing the night away on its sprung floor, while others fondly remembered the varied and incredible bands they had the privilege to see play there over the years.
What are your favourite memories of The Ritz or other past club nights? Let us know in the comments section below.
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