An "always packed" basement bar that attracted thousands in Liverpool decades ago was "the place to be."
Constructed back in 1965 before being officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1971, many will remember that St John's Beacon was built to replace the historic St Johns Market building which had stood in Liverpool city centre for over 140 years. But from the 70s onwards, the site wasn't only a hub for shopping.
The precinct became the place where many people had their first pint, first experience of a nightclub or went out to eat for a special occasion. Many venues and businesses are still remembered today, like Top Rank, St John's Inn, the Sportsman, the Tower Restaurant – and The Moonstone.
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Built as a pub, The Moonstone first opened in 1972 and from there welcomed thousands of customers, music fans and musicians through its doors. Located in the basement of the precinct, where it adjoined Houghton Street, the Tetley venue was designed to attract pop music fans initially, but soon became a place loved for different genres like rock and heavy metal.
On January 13, 1972, the ECHO reported: "The entrance hall to the Moonstone has an illuminated mural panel and marble terrazzo stairs leading immediately down to the main public room. Eight sides pods in greens and yellows, some of them illuminated, are used for ceiling and bar design and decoration.
"In the main public areas is a raised level – the Pod Pad, which has octagonal seating bays with subdued lighting from coloured ceiling pods and a bar of the same angular shape. The Pod Pad can accommodate small groups of people and give them a view of the main dance area which is at a slightly lower level.
"Again, in the dance area the octagonal decorative idea is seen in the long bar counter front and the rows of the stepped seating terraces which border the dance floor. Kaleidoscopic spotlights give coloured rhythm to the music, and pop art posters line walls which range in colour from deep purple to silver grey."
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Through the years, thousands came to love The Moonstone, from spending weekends there with friends to solo acts, bands and more performing on The Moonstone stage to crowds for the very first time. Gina Mylett, originally from Waterloo, started going to The Moonstone in her teens and has many fond memories of weekends there watching her now husband David's rock band, Pinnacle.
Gina told the ECHO: "I started going in 1973 when I was still at school. We would just go in on a Saturday night me and my friend and when I met David the following year in 1974, we started to watch the band play and support them
"It was just like the place to be, all the bands were on. We used to go see a band called Amsterdam Lil, they were the main band we went to see.
"You had the Sportsman, you had the Star and Garter round the corner. They were all sort of within walking distance of each other. Liverpool was a great place to be, especially in the 70s. It was a great place to grow up in.
"I just remember this big bar stretching the length of the club. I remember going down the steps to it and it wasn't like pitch black, you could see where you were going and you could see people in there."
Gina said one of her earliest memories of The Moonstone was heading there after seeing David Bowie perform in Liverpool. She said the popular venue was known for having a great atmosphere and attracting people with all different music tastes and backgrounds.
Gina said: "I think Bowie did two shows and we went to the early one at 6.30pm, waited outside The Empire most of the day and met him and his band, The Spiders before they went in – and that was incredible. After the show we just went onto The Moonstone and I think we put on every Bowie record that was on the juke box.
"It was practically always packed, especially on the weekend when bands were on. Round about that time was when there was all the IRA bomb scares. I remember many a time the sirens would go off and everyone used to have to get out or you could go through The Moonstone to the carpark underneath, I seem to remember us going there.
"It was just a good atmosphere and a good place to go, meet up with friends and other musicians and bands. I think it was always one of the busier bars in town. Anyone could go in from young people to older people."
At a time before mobile phones and cameras were as accessible as they are today, Gina captured moments inside The Moonstone on her own camera. A number of images, courtesy of Gina, show rock band Pinnacle on stage there.
The band consisted of Owen McCann on vocals, Paul Thomas on lead guitar, Gina's husband Dave Mylett on keyboard, lan Lawrence on bass guitar, Neil McKenna drums and later Paul Stewart on drums. At one point, the band also recorded an album, which Gina said is now a collector's item.
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Other bands Gina remembers seeing perform at The Moonstone include Skyfall, Nutz with the late John Mylett, Whiskey River and Pleasure. Gina said: "I think the bands pulled people in. It was just a good atmosphere and a good place to go.
"The music was anything. There were a lot of rock bands but it wasn't just people that were into rock music that went there because I wasn't particularly into rock music. You didn't pay to go in although years later they changed that and bands started putting an admission fee on rather than getting paid by the bar.
"I remember the fashion being platform boots, flared trousers, flared jeans -the bigger the flares the better -shops like Cape and Silly Billies, they were fashionable then. People would call in there before they went to other clubs as well. Dave and I both just have really good memories of The Moonstone.
In later years, The Moonstone became known as Milo's and it's now been some time since we said goodbye to the popular venue. But The Moonstone still lives on in the memories and rare photos from the people who loved to go there.
There is also a dedicated Facebook group to the lost venue. You can find out more here.
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