Riverpark Ballroom (Chester)

The Riverpark Ballroom was at 2 Union Street, Chester, Cheshire and opened in 195?

The Riverpark Ballroom was on the Grosvenor Park side of the junction of Union Street / Vicars Lane with Love Street.

The Riverpark Ballroom had been called The King Arms Tavern and then The Union Arms in 1828. It reverted back to The Kings Arm Tavern in 1850.

It was later extensively enlarged towards the rear and became The Grosvenor Skating Rink. It later became The Broadway Dancing Acadamy Ballroom, nicknamed The Ack, a favourite of Amercian servicemen stationed around Chester during WW2.

The Riverpark Ballroom was run by Whetstone Entertainment that also ran two other ballrooms in the Merseyside area, The Orrell Park, Orrell Park, Liverpool 9 and The Plaza Ballroom was in Duke Street, St. Helens, Lancashire.

On Thursday, August 16, 1962 The Beatles played here for the first time, with drummer Johnny Hutch (1940 - 2019) replacing Pete Best (b. 1941) who had been sacked by The Beatles manager a few hours before the gig. Best hardly surprisingly, during the course of the day, decided not to play this engagement having previously said that he would fulfil it.

On Thursday, August 23, 1962 The Beatles played here for a second time. Amazingly The Beatles rhythm guitarist, lead vocalist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) played this gig even though it was his wedding night. Earlier that day he had married Miss Cynthia Powell (b. 1939).

 The Riverpark Ballroom closed in 1963 and was demolished.