Wishing Well Club (Swinton)

The Wishing Well Club was at 11 Station Road, Swinton, Lancashire now Manchester 27, Greater Manchester and opened on Thursday, September 20, 1962 with Malcolm Mitchell and the Kelly Brothers.

Advertised in The Manchester Evening News of Thursday, September 6, 1962 as

Swinton's New Luxury Club The Wishing Well Club Station Road, Winton
Grand Opening Thursday, September 20 Malcolm Mitchell The Kelly Brothers Plus Full Supporting Programme.
Annuel Membership for 21 and over; Gents £1. Ladies 10/-. Applications for membership at the New Plaza Ballroom above Club.

The Wishing Well Club was under The New Plaza Ballroom founded in 1957?  It had been called The Plaza Cinema which was founded in ca. 1931 and was operated by The Emery Circuit till The Plaza Cinema closed in 1957.

It later became The New Plaza Ballroom. which opened in 1957? and closed in 1964. The resident D.J. was Leaping Lenny Tickle (b. Leonard Tickle d. ).

The club was on the corner of Chorley Road and Station Road and up to 1964 was The Plaza Cinema with a cinema and dance hall on the first floor and shops on the ground floor. Yates the chemists was on the corner.

It started out as The Swinton Picture Theatre in 1925. It was then taken over by the J. F. Emery Circuit and by 1931 had been renamed The Plaza Cinema. It was now in the hands of Swinton Entertainment Ltd of which J. F. Emery was managing director. The Emery circuit continued to operate the cinema until 1957.

It then became The New Plaza Cinema which opened in 1957? On Wednesday, October 3, 1962 to Saturday, October 6, 1962 TV and Decca Recording Star 24-year-old Mike Preston (b. Jack Davies, Saturday, May 14, 1938, Hackney, East London, England) and supported by the club's resident band The Wishing Well Trio.

Preston had three top 40 his including in November 1959 with 'Mr. Blue' which reached 14.

Advertised in The Manchester Evening News of Wednesday, October 17, 1962 as

For Members Only. The Wishing Well Club Station Road, Swinton. Swinton's New Luxury Club.
Cabaret And Dancing Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Audition spot Wednesday and Thursday. Wishing Well Trio. Compere: Stan Ford. Good parking. Manchester buses 57 and 77 to door.

On Monday, November 12, 1962 famous 20-year-old South African singer Danny Williams (b. Daniel Williams, Wednesday, January 7, 1942, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa d. Tuesday, December 6, 2005, England of lung cancer) appeared here.

The Club was demolished in December 1968 to make way for The Lancastrian Hall. It was later re-named Oliver's, and following which it was used as a Roller-Skating Rink for a number of years.

Information courtesy John H Warburg May 2024