Masque Coffee bar (Manchester Road, Rochdale)

My main Coffee Bar was the Masque on Manchester Road.

It only had about three live groups played there but thousands of Rochdale and out of towners like me, Whitwoth, loved the place.

It was Run by Renne Carr and her daughter Pat. Her son Michael Carr was killed in a terrible accident with two friends in 1968. The coffee bar had a Scooter room with a tv sitting room, with a coffee come burger bar, oop's and coke, a back room for dancing and a juke box in each room.

We loved it. Happy Days!

Margaret Banham nee Earnshaw

I remember the Masque. It was a small but lively place to go. We danced in the back room to LULU and the Pinball Machine. It was alway's full of happy teenagers.

I had many friends there. It was a very old building but very clean. The Cheese burgers....mmm! I remember those. I also remember walking out of the Masque on a Saturday afternoon, to be blinded by the sunshine. It has brought back some happy memories.

Sarah Harris

Any one know if the Carr family also ran a Masque coffee bar in Stockport before (or concurrent with)
the one in Rochdale...probably around 64-66? It was an amazing funky little dive, probably illegal (from the town council's view). Same set-up: coffee, coke, jukebox, steak pies, crisps, etc..

Off Mersey Square, behind that massive viaduct thing in the town center, around where the bus station is nowadays? You had to step down a slippery, unpaved dirt path to get to it..half way down the embankment of that smelly, flea-infested old river! It was quite dangerous, really, to go down there...which, of course, made it all the more thrilling for truant teens like myself...

Anyone remember what I'm talking about? No one I know from my Stockport days knows what I'm on about, but I know I'm not completely mad..this place existed, if only for a short while, I certainly didn't dream it all up!!

Anyone know if Mrs Carr or Pat Carr are still around...or their extended family...who might know of this? Any kind soul out there who could help me reach either of them by phone or e-m for 2 reasons: a research project and to vindicate personal madness! haha!

Brendan "MadScot" Mullen (but not really THAT mad)

Yes, I used to go to The Masque in Brinksway, Stockport. Mike used to run it before opening The Sinking Ship.
Great music at both clubs. Everytime I hear 'My Generation' by The Who I remember The Masque days.
The club was just an old converted 'two up - two down' terraced house by the River Mersey. Brilliant meeting place....happy memories.

Hazel Dressekie - 20/2/09

Oh what memories of the Masque in Rochdale. Stumbled across this site by chance whilst working on nights! Lots of friends down there, Diane bell, Karen Bond, Richard Day, Ian, Rob, Dave can't remember all thier names now, well it is 40 odd years agao. Went back to Rochdale this year (live in New Zealand now) and the place had changed so much and the Masque is long gone. Innocent pleasures on a satuday afternoon and when I was allowed out during the week....Parental control was everything then! Skirts hitched up to our armpits and putting make-up on on the bus into town. Remember the "Black Cat Bones"? Oh happy days!!

June Blackstone (was) - 12/10/12

Michael Carr who owned the Masque in Rochdale was my fiance. He also ran the Medici in Drake Street, the Three Cellars in Milnrow and The Tender Trap in Bacup. In 1965 he opened the Masque in Brinksway, Stockport then went on to open the Sinking Ship in Undergate, Stockport. In 1965 there was a massive fire at The Ship - everyone escaped unhurt but the club then closed. He had many great groups on there including the Jimi Hendrix Experience amongst others. Sadly, Michael was killed in a car accident in March 1968 just 3 months before our wedding, but left his mark on the lives of many people. Good times, great memories.

Brenda-Marie Costello (was Whittam) - 24/3/13

Following my previous note re The Sinking Ship in Stockport, non licenced for alcohol. Michael Carr used to manage a group "The Four Just Men" from Liverpool, who later changed their name to "Wimple Winch". When the club burnt down in 1967 some members of Wimple Winch were involved in the fire namely Demetrious Christopholus and Larry Arends. Michael also had a partner at The Ship - Dave Robinson, who had lost a leg in a car accident.

Brenda-Marie Costello (was Whittam) - 24/3/13

Those were the days in the Masque. Chris, Margaret & myself dancing away to The New Edition, having laughs with the whitworth gang eh Margaret Earnshaw. Always busy and only sold coffee & soft drinks.

Ghislaine Glover - 27/8/13

I used to go to the Masque in Brinksway, I lived on Brinksway next to the old cinema. On several occasions we went to Rochdale on scooters once getting into quite a fight with the local mods. The lad on the door at Brinksway, I think he was called Dave, had an MG which the scooter gang lifted over the broken wall of one of the old houses round the back, of course he couldn't drive it out of the doorway. Going to the toilet at the Brinksway Masque was quite an experience, you had to be there, Happy Days. 

Margaret Allbright formally Wright  - 10/1/14