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Two men who want to keep the memory of a city’s clubbing heyday alive are repeating a popular tour of some its former high-profile music venues.<\/p>\n
Bob Leigh and Phil Johnson have been putting up unofficial blue plaques around Stoke-on-Trent as a way of honouring familiar haunts that have disappeared.<\/p>\n
They recently organised a tour of lost clubs, including The Heavy Steam Machine, which Mr Johnson said was the biggest disco venue in Europe when it first opened.<\/p>\n
Other venues included The Place, which he alleged was the UK’s first “discotheque” at its launch in 1963, and The Void, which welcomed clubbers from all over the country.<\/p>\n
Their first event was a great success, the pair said, but the repeat offering on Friday was set to be their last, organised for people who had not been able to join the first one.<\/p>\n
They said they might record a filmed version in future so people could watch it online.<\/p>\n
“It was great last time – it was so diverse,” Mr Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Among those who attended was a crime fiction author who said he would weave elements from the dance-music scene into a future book.<\/p>\n
“There were some ladies there who used to dance around their handbags who said they just wanted to reminisce,” Mr Johnson said.<\/p>\n
“A couple of rockers” also showed up who had nothing to do with the disco scene but were “interested in heritage”, he added.<\/p>\n
Mr Leigh, who used to DJ at The Void, said the tour would bring back memories.<\/p>\n
“I’ve always considered myself quite blessed to have lived through all the different musical genres,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a trip down memory lane and I think that’s what it is for a lot of other people, that’s why they’re drawn to it.”<\/p>\n
The duo have further blue plaques<\/a> planned, including one at the King’s Hall in Stoke, which they are still working on getting permission to install.<\/p>\n Their idea builds on Historic England’s National Blue Plaque Scheme<\/a>, which celebrates notable people by placing plaques on buildings that were part of their story.<\/p>\n Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\nMore on this story<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n