Rowntrees (Manchester CBD)

Rowntrees owned four popular clubs,

• Top of the Town
• Sound - Corporation Street, Manchester 4 and opened on Saturday, October 26, 1963.
• Seen/Takis 
• Spring Gardens 

with all but the last featuring groups two or three nights a week. 

I remember Gary Laine when he was DJ at the Can Can in early 1967. He then did a stint at Sound but came back to the Can Can for a while. I went to Takis in late 67 and it was always really busy. Great times, great music.

Liz Williams - 2/8/09

Love this site. I used to go to Rowtrees Sound 1967/8/9/70. Wwe all went every Saturday night then after it closed, we went to a mini club on Spring Gardens forget what it was called now but you had to knock on the door to get in and they only sold Doubble Diamond - used to make you sick after a skinfull lol.

My favorite songs from then were Chairman of the Board.

John Walker - 8/7/10

I also used to get the late train home.........Kathy.........was Bridge your second name , did you live on Bolton Road. My first taste of soul music, had to borrow a birth certificate as id.

Jess Fisher - 25/10/10

Rowntrees Sound, makes me laugh when i think back. I took a girl and had a meal there ( trying to impress lol) In them days I used to wear the starched detachable collars, the waitress while serving tillted the plate and gravy went all down my collar.

(wasn't funny at the time though lol)

Chad - 11/2/11

I used to go to Rowntrees Sound with my friend Kay Hyde,w e were 15 then and used to get the last train home around 11.30.pm.. to Hollinwood then walk the rest of the way home.Never felt threatened on walks home in those days.

I also used to go to The Magic Village an underground club that was open all night,they used to throw us out at 7.a.m. then the long bus ride home to Oldham on a Sunday morning.

Can anyone else remember going to the Village? They used to sell underground papers like Rolling Stone in that club. Saw lots of great bands there..

Jean Jesson - 9/4/11 

I came from Ashton-under-Lyne and was really lucky, I was only about 15 at the time but used to pal about with lads who were 18-19. One of them had a Ford 1600e with a phillips record player under the dash, where they played all the the Motown hits and Otis Redding plus all the Stax stuff. They used to get me in to the Twisted Wheel, and I used to go to Rowntrees Sound, Spring Gardens on a Friday. Used to go to Manchester Boys Club for their Northern Soul nights and to the Birdcage in Ashton-under-lyne. Great Lads, Great days.Great music.Rowntrees was class.

John Jesson - 9/4/11

68 - 69 - 70 - the best time! Does anyone remember Frank Healy, Dennis Wilson & Jimmy Grimes? Also Time and Place and Nice and Easy - brilliant memories!

Jim Neild - 27/4/11

Went to Sound and Spring Gardens circa 1969/70. I remember at Spring Gardens they used to play Albatross as the last record of the night the other favourite at the time was Heard It Through The Grape Vine.

Me and my mates Fozzi, Phil, Col and Geoff all the Bees Knees in our £2 Everprest suits (they only did sand and light blue) Ben Sherman check shirts and brown brouges. Come out of Spring Gardens and into the Wimpey Bar before catching the allnight bus home. Great times.

Dave Greer - 11/7/11

I used to go to Rowntrees Sound in the late 60's and I went out with a DJ called Georgie Powell (bet he does not remember me).

I used to go to his mother's house in Whalley Range, and he used to hang out of his window smoking a cigarette!!!! waiting for me. I loved going to Sound. I used to go with my friend Valerie McGowan and we would buy 2 halves of cider which would last all night. Money was very tight in those days as my wage at that time was £5.10s and most of my money went to my mother for my keep.

I also used to go to Time and Place, Takis, Rowntrees Spring Gardens, Bier Keller in Wood Street and Piccadilly. I loved Clubland. Danced and Danced !!

Good Old Days !!

Alma Rowlandson - 26/2/12

Another great club, Rowntrees. Used to go in the late 60's, dance all night, then thumb a lift home, not recommended these days. I had a few scrapes, but nothing serious. We used to stand outside the club and just thumb, never had Sto wait more than a minute.

Amy Harris - 22/4/12 

Anyone remember Jimmy Howarth or Howard. He worked on the door at Top of the Town. He worked with my dad and used to let us all in for nothing, great for impressing girls. All it cost was a half of guiness, and leave it on the fag machine.

I was 15 when we started going in there, we all thought is was the best thing ever, the music was brilliant, the atmosphere was was always good, also we went in Spring Gardens and Sound, what a time that was, it will never be replaced, loved every minute of it.

Pete Connolly - 25/5/12

I was one of the djs at Rowntrees/Nice and Easy/Time and Place. I remember all the good sounds that we played . Montz Carn, Stue Dean, Mike Shaft - any one know where they are now? Would like to meet up again and talk of old but good times.

Also would like to see Linda Jackson again to say sorry - it was the worst thing I ever did. Linda knows what I mean.

Paul Bates - 31/3/13

Started going downtown in about 67 with my great mates Martin Mcann and Eamonn Kavangah. We were regulars at Top of the Town, Sound, Spring Gardens, Wood Street Bier Keller, Nice and Easy, Time and Place and many many others. Great times, met my wife at Sound 40 years ago. Miss those days.

Mark Serridge - 30/10/13

The Rowntrees Sound was in Corporation Street, Manchester 4 and opened on Saturday, October 26, 1963. The club had two DJs in Malcolm Just, Gordy Richards and Peter Lee. In The Evening News and Chronicle of Tuesday, October 17, 1967 it said It's A Soul Scene At Rowntrees Sound with your DJ Peter Lee Rowntrees Sound with your DJ Peter Lee Rowntrees Sound Corporation St, M/c.

John H Warburg