In 1982 businessman John Holmes opened a new venue in Bradford’s Westgate, in the style of an old Victorian music hall. In keeping with the period, the businessman had restored several aspects of the original decor.
Plasterwork in the ceiling had been painted dark red, white and yellow and the bar and stage had been designed with sloping canopies of tiles. Even the doormen had joined in with the theme by wearing Victorian-style bowler hats.
To help launch Tickles, Radio 2-disc jockey David Hamilton made a special guest appearance on both the Friday and Saturday opening nights, in an attempt to draw in the fans.
One innovation of the music hall was the showing of advertisement slides on the stage backdrop during breaks, coupled with an eye-catching old-style public telephone booth.
Formerly the Tavern in Town pub, Tickles promised to provide its customers with an evening of entertainment, pub grub at modest prices and an abundance of Webster’s beer.
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