Chesterfield’s legendary Aquarius in starring role once again

A free, all-day Aquarius event takes place on Friday, May 24th, featuring an exhibition, a talk, and a chance to collect copies of the new 'Remembering The Aquarius' book, which tells the story of the iconic cabaret club that first opened in 1972. The event is part of a wider National Lottery Heritage Fund project to celebrate the venue and its legacy.

The Aquarius was an instant hit when it opened on the back of the cabaret craze that swept the country in the late 1960s. The Spanish-themed venue brought some of the biggest names in entertainment to perform for local audiences. Names like Bob Monkhouse, Charlie Williams, the Drifters, Ken Dodd, and scores of other renowned artists all wowed local crowds in the 1970s and 1980s. Coaches came from miles around to experience the atmosphere.

Cannon & Ball famously did their first ever headline show at the venue. Even Oliver Reed turned up as a punter one night.

Neil Anderson from Dirty Stop Outs, who has helped run the project, said: "Next week’s event will be a celebration of what has been achieved over the past couple of years as part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund project. Former club-goers, staff, artists, and more have all contributed to creating a legacy to one of the region’s most ground-breaking and popular venues. The event is free and it will be a chance to share stories and reminisce about a much-missed piece of Chesterfield history."

The event runs from 10 am until 4 pm.

Robin Colvill of the hit comedy troupe, the Grumbleweeds, says the venue played a key role in their success: "We used to do a lot of gigs at the Aquarius – we’d perform three to four weeks every year. We were very popular – it was always heaving. Because of the Aquarius, we did a BBC Radio show and that led to a TV show."

Newbold Parish Centre is situated at: 91 Sheffield Rd, Chesterfield S41 7JH. Information from 01246 209433.