[Archived] Blackburn Nightlife

[JAL]

Adelphi boys, Adelphi boys, they call us the Blackburn cowboys... happy days especialy when big Ken Pilling had it in the early 80's anybody go in around that time.

[Tom]

I'm 26 and not been out in Blackburn for years, our route used to be something like:

Pitchers

Marleys

T Bar

Borough

Bentleys

Moist (the Mrs at the time worked there)

Blakeys

FJ's

Chocolate

The Lounge

Cav

Out of those now only a few remain. Used to love The Lounge, pricey but chilled out and great.

I wouldnt even bother going now, I said a few years ago when places started shutting that we could have done with a Revolution or Walkabout to spark some life back

[roverandout]

best pub in blackburn is last orders, dont go down blackburn on nights out much anymore, usually saturday afternoons to watch the football, its still better than accrington, which is a sh*t hole, about 5 pubs in accy, manchester is a far superior night out though even though the beers about £4 a pint

[Ozz]

Is The Stage Door still open for, erm, business?

[ABBEY]

does anyone know what pubs are still open in town and are ok...

pub open 1. postal order.

[Tom]

O Neils is still ok for what it is I imagine.

[thenodrog]

The Flat Cap! Bizarre venue flattened for Barbara Castle Way.

Cross between the excellent Funland, Phoenix Nights and Ideal.

[joshbrfc]

Is there actually anywhere to go in Bburn? Never been on a night out there, but heard its just the Postal Order and Liquid nowadays..

As an 18 year old, it seems Blackburn doesn't really offer much, although I've heard it doesn't put off the many chavs which frequent Blackburn on a Saturday night.

It is worrying that BURNLEY is possibly a better night out than Blackburn.. surely this can change? Really don't get why it is so poor.

Just a thread really to discuss, would interest me to hear what people have to say regarding it.

I live about 2 minutes drive from Burnley Town Centre, and yeah... Burnley is a better night out than Blackburn, easily.

[Mc Love]

The question remains....are the women in burnley nicer than the women of blackburn on a night out??

[joshbrfc]

Yeah, because you always get girls out in Burnley that have come from towns such as Preston and Blackburn and places around there

[joshbrfc]

I once was walking into Burnley town with my mates and there must of been about 20/30 girls outside Weatherspoons that had come over from Blackburn for some sort of do, was only a few month ago.. and they were singing Blackburn songs.. and the majority of them were all quite tasty.. and we got talking randomly and started singing at my mates who some were Burnley fans.. then they found out i was a Rovers fan i got in middle of them all started singing with them... that many ###### up, good looking, mid 20's, women.. good times!

[Claytons Left Boot]

Had my batchelor night on the Barbery. If I remember rightly!

We used to do the Barbery Coast every December, usually two weeks before Christmas - late 80's to late 90's for 10 years or so. Started with a good nosh up in the Sir Charles Napier, then made our way to Sams Bar, Sun Inn, Dunn Horse and all the rest of them. Some real characters in those places and they remembered us year on year. The sad thing is, some of them were in every night, down and outs, but interesting folk. There were generally 20+ of us and we peaked at 35 one year! A good mix of Rovers and Burnley fans, we had a great time, with good banter and plenty of singing. After the first 'do' I walked it back to Darwen in the early hours absolutely hammered! Incidentally, I remember my father in law telling me that, in the 1920's and 30's, people came from Liverpool and afar for a really good night out on the Barbery.

[thenodrog]

I once was walking into Burnley town with my mates and there must of been about 20/30 girls outside Weatherspoons that had come over from Blackburn for some sort of do, was only a few month ago.. and they were singing Blackburn songs.. and the majority of them were all quite tasty.. and we got talking randomly and started singing at my mates who some were Burnley fans.. then they found out i was a Rovers fan i got in middle of them all started singing with them... that many ###### up, good looking, mid 20's, women.. good times!

Not being snobby josh but one or two of your statements above don't readily compute.

[JAL]

Having just been on dads taxi duty this evening, I've just driven around the Sudell cross area of town and my what a suprise. This area now is very modern and colourful what a pleasant suprise.

[JAL]

Think the revamp was done about 18 months ago in the Sudell cross area. In the day time it looks OK, but nothing special, but in the evening it certainly has bit of a WOW factor with the bright neon colours especially if you approach it from Preston new road side.

[thenodrog]

Think the revamp was done about 18 months ago in the Sudell cross area. In the day time it looks OK, but nothing special, but in the evening it certainly has bit of a WOW factor with the bright neon colours especially if you approach it from Preston new road side.

Not wanting to disagree Jal but it'll take more than a few flourescent tubes dotted around to restore the nightlife in Blackburn.

[JAL]

Not wanting to disagree Jal but it'll take more than a few flourescent tubes dotted around to restore the nightlife in Blackburn.

True Thenodrog, but it is an area that has undergone improvement which is positive and for me as a critic, is attractive, yet hardly anybody uses it or at least that seemed to be the case last night.

[Mattyblue]

True Thenodrog, but it is an area that has undergone improvement which is positive and for me as a critic, is attractive, yet hardly anybody uses it or at least that seemed to be the case last night.

Sudell and Northgate down to Buffet City the premises are there- they just happen to be shut!

If Bentleys, Borough and the old cinema opened as bars it would quickly be a decent crawl to add to O'Neills, FJ's etc.

[DP]

It's certainly a shame. I was out in Blackburn last year for the first time in a long while. Had a really empty feeling to it. Went in the North Star and saw 2 fights in about 10 minutes. In fact the only place I went in where there was a good atmosphere was the Stage Door! (also part of the Barberry Coast if I'm not mistaken)

93 - 96 was my time really, and the popularity of the place was incredible. Cav/Pepps/Utopia seemed to be the place where most of the town ended up. But there were so many other alternatives, literally. Get dressed up (shoes and slacks on a Saturday night don't forget) if you wanted Brewers, Toffs, Blakeys and the Cav. Or stay casual if you wanted Jubilee, Grapes, Napier and C'est La Vie.

It seems that the deregulation of licensing laws killed the clubs, which in turn has had an adverse effect on makes a 'night out' that bit more special.

People like me are probably to blame too. Young people who left Blackburn only never to return. And these numbers will only increase unfortunately.

[thenodrog]

People like me are probably to blame too. Young people who left Blackburn only never to return. And these numbers will only increase unfortunately.

Nothing to return for unfortunately.

As a generalisation it's the young upwardly mobile that have steadily left in the last generation or two and who are still leaving and it's the less 'worthwhile' who stay here. Not good for the future and I cannot see any way there will be a reversal in the future.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

and it's the less 'worthwhile' who stay here. Not good for the future and I cannot see any way there will be a reversal in the future.

Ffs

[thenodrog]

Ffs

Exactly dgs! I frequently find myself coming out with the same comment on the occasions that I drive through town during the evening. Great minds eh?

[JAL]

Exactly dgs! I frequently find myself coming out with the same comment on the occasions that I drive through town during the evening. Great minds eh?

Think Blackburn has made a great mistake in developing green belt land around the M65 for businesses whilst keeping the doss houses close to the town centre...... grave mistake as it continues to handicap the town.

For Blackburn to improve strategically it has to redevelop a new high tech/white collar area of industry along a reshaped Montague/Freckelton street area, pulling down all the doss houses in this area such as Cherry tree house and the one on Byrom street plus any others.

Then we might begin to see an improved town centre nightlife.

[thenodrog]

Think Blackburn has made a great mistake in developing green belt land around the M65 for businesses whilst keeping the doss houses close to the town centre...... grave mistake as it continues to handicap the town.

For Blackburn to improve strategically it has to redevelop a new high tech/white collar area of industry along a reshaped Montague/Freckelton street area, pulling down all the doss houses in this area such as Cherry tree house and the one on Byrom street plus any others.

Then we might begin to see an improved town centre nightlife.

Too late imo. Any decline needs to be reversed not simply halted. This is why it's done for...

Blackburn used to be a town with very few tee-totallers, now I'd wager that figure will be around 50% and rising fast.

Even after the demise of King Cotton Blackburn used to have some seriously large employers. ROF, Mullards, Cobble, Lion Brewery, Whitbreads Brewery, Pickerings, BAC, Newmans, Netlon, Cupal etc etc. Now just one of those is still employing large numbers of Blackburn people. Nights out are a luxury and without disposable income they are the first to be cut out.

Cheap booze in the main supermarkets and even cheaper stuff in the likes of Aldi, Netto and Lidl makes pub prices look exhorbitant.

Licensing laws relaxed for all pubs so that there is no requirement for people to go downtown for a later bevvy at weekends.

Drugs.

[MCMC1875]

Anyone remember the annual charity 3 legged pub crawl clockwise round Corporation Park in the 70's/80's? Think it went like this: half pint in each of the following:

Sir Charles Napier (start & finish)

Grapes

Bank

Alexandra

Leamington

Gibraltar

Quarryman's

Dog

Corporation

Sportsmans

Hole I'th Wall

Oozebooth

Shear Bank

Carlton

Leopard's Head

Sir Charles Napier (finish)

Might have missed some.