New cafe bistro is named after Warrington's Carlton Club

Carlton in Sankey Street is next door but one to where the original Carlton Club was for around four decades and will be dedicated to the buzzing dance venue's memory.

In its heyday in the 1970s, Carlton was one of the country’s top northern soul clubs with its Thursday night sessions often packed to capacity and attracting DJs and revellers from all over the country.

It played host to musical legends such as Edwin Starr, Wilson Pickett, Eric Clapton and Jackie Wilson.

Rick Astley is said to have sang Never Gonna Give You Up there live for the first time while footballer John Barnes was among the club's famous guests.

Carlton Club

The club finally closed in the late 1990s after a licensing wrangle involving an undercover police operation.

Carlton's new life as an eatery will obviously be very different but owner Claudio Stuparu hopes it will be like a trip down memory lane that will spark a lot of conversations.

He said: "Everyone from Warrington of a certain age knows about the club and we’re trying to bring a little bit of history back. People are nostalgic about those days and have their own memories of going there."

Claudio, who also runs Sweet Alley in Marsh House Lane, also hopes to decorate the restaurant with photos from the club's era and there will even be a jukebox packed with Carlton favourites.

The Birchwood resident added: "I’d also like to find some pictures from the original club so if anyone has any old photographs I’d love to hear from them.

"We will even have a jukebox as I know hearing the old tunes will be a special part of the experience for many. It will make them remember everything.

"We have everything ready for opening. We are just waiting for the lockdown and restrictions to finish. We have been working there for around five months."

The plan is for Carlton to be open 8am to late – serving breakfast, lunchtime paninis and full meals like steak, ribs and handmade burgers.

"We’ll be open all day every day for everyone," said Claudio.

Former Carlton owner Derek McCulloch shared his memories of the club with the Warrington Guardian in 1999, shortly after it closed its doors.

Carlton Club

At the time he said: "We had people like Rick Astley, footballer John Barnes, and Heather Small of M-People turning up. Rick sang Never Gonna Give You Up live for the first time at the Carlton. Chris Evans worked for me at the time, and it was me who convinced him he had a broadcasting voice and told him how to go into radio."

Besides running the Carlton, Derek managed glam rockers like Mudd and Sweet from his agency at the Lion Hotel and helped launch Hott Waxx records which became one of the biggest independent record shop outside of London at its peak.

If you have any photographs to send onto Claudio, email david.morgan@nqnw.co.uk