: Hits: 2438

Casino (Burnley)

The Casino Club was at The Burnley Casino, Manchester Road, Burnley, Lancashire and opened on Wednesday, December 18, 1963 with The James Brothers, Les Peters, Shelia White, Del Derrick, David Hughes.

Advertised in The Lancashire Evening Telegraph of Monday, December 16, 1963 as

Casino Club Manchester Road, Burnley Nothing like this in Burnley before Dancing - Cabaret - Bingo - Opening Night - Wednesday, December 18th Wednesday To Saturday The James Bros. (T.V. Stars) Les Peters (Acrobat and Balancing With A Difference) Shelia White (Top Of The Pops) Del Derrick(Xylophone Capers) Wednesday And Thursday Only * Special Attraction * Star Of TV And Radio David Hughes Gey Your Membership Form For The No. 1 Theatre Club Of The North. Write Lew Askew, Manager. Tickets now available for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

The Burnley Casino had opened in 1960.

The club was next to The Burnley Town Hall, Manchester Road, Burnley.

The Casino Club was formerly The Manchester Institute.

The club was run I think by Derek Jones. The Manager was Lew Askew (b. Lewis Askew).

They also had The Express Suite also at The Casino Club where Jazz bands would play on Wednesday nights.

It was also known as The Burnley Casino Club.

The club later became The Burnley Mechanics.

John H. Warburg. 11 Juily 2022

The Burnley Casino Club was in Manchester Road, Burnley, Lancashire and opened in 1960.

The Burnley Casino was an early-mid sixties Cabaret Club (2006 picture below), which also featured many famous and not famous groups. It was then in the early 1960s owned or managed by the Howcrofts Brewery, Bolton, who beside this venue also administered the Bolton Casino (later Blighty’s) and I am sure the Wigan Casino which in later years got prominence with Northern Soul.

The Manager of Burnley Casino at that time was Lew Askew, whom later went on to become Manager of the Empire Cinema (2006 picture below), this was on the Burnley Main Street where they also had groups on from time to time.

At that time I put many groups on at Burnley Casino but to be honest with names do not spring to mind. One I do remember putting on their was a band brought down from Scotland via the Northern Star Organization (from Nelson Nr. Burnley) they where called Maureen & The Thunderbeats – they where a very tight group with a vivacious front girl singer.

I was later to book cabaret acts into this venue (probably late 60s early 70s) and the Manager at that time was called Mr. Robinson.

I think it was after the Casino had shut, that another Club opened within the basement of the Old Casino which was called the CAVERN CLUB, this was certainly later, probably in the late 60s (you can see the entrance to this on the photo below).

Today the venue (Old Burnley Casino Club) is called the Burnley Mechanics which has been more recently established since about 1982 and which has got World recognition even today for its Blues, Jazz, Folk etc and was the eminent venue for the Burnley Blues Festival – today the billboards of forthcoming events show many headliners.

This grandeur building attached to the Burnley Town Hall has had long tradition of promotion of the arts, where from the early part of the last century it was actually then a Theatre called the Burnley Mechanics Institute.

Bryan Yorke

We (the Saracens) had a Sunday night 'residency' here for several months. The Cavern Club downstairs opened before the Casino closed - we played there as well, supporting Johnny Kidd & the Pirates on one occasion.

Geoff Peacock - 6/9/13