A Liverpool landmark venue, which is known for being the oldest of its kind in the city, still serves locals today.
The Orrell Park Ballroom, lovingly known as the OPB, has been a meeting spot for people in North Liverpool for decades but it's also attracted some of the city's great musicians and entertainers.
It was first opened on Moss Lane in 1927, above a row of shops opposite Orrell Park train station. The building quickly become renowned as a local landmark, thanks to it containing a spelling mistake in the brick.
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It is believed that the bricklayer only left enough space for one letter L in Orrell, so to this day the name on the building is Orrel Park Hall. Then in the 30s the OPB become a local landmark for other reasons – its famous sprung floor.
In the 60s, it was known for its music and Merseybeat in particular. Co-owner, Mary Smith, from Huyton, said there are even rumours the Beatles performed.
She added: "Over the years there's been all kinds of famous people who’ve been on here, Faith Brown, she done her first impression here. She was a singer and she ripped her dress on the stage and that’s when she went into Nellie Pledge.
"Ringo Star has been on here, he played with the Hurricanes. We've had Cilla Black, with the Big Three, The Dennisons, The Searchers, Bad Manners, we’ve had Heatwave, Crissy Rock, so many more. We get people telling us about who they've seen here and sometimes we didn't even know."
It is also reported that Gerry Marsden met his wife Pauline Behan in the OPB. Back in the 60s, the venue was primarily used for entertainment, so it didn't serve alcohol.
Mary added: "You couldn’t buy alcoholic drinks back then, so people used to run over The Windsor, they told us, to get a drink and then run back in the interval."
Now the venue does serve alcohol much to the delight of the regulars. Mary, who has co-owned the venue for 27 years, said they made the decision to split the ballroom in two around 16 years ago to separate private functions from the main bar for regulars.
She said: "It was a great big dance hall, people would travel all over to use the sprung dance floor. We still have the original floor now. We made the decision to split it into two because we found we’d take a party booking, say on a Friday night, we’d have to tell all the regulars to get out, so we split it."
Now the OPB is known for its live music, sport, functions and bar space where people can go for "a nice, chilled drink." Mary added: "It’s your regulars that count, and the returning parties, once you get a party in we usually then have two or three from the same family.
"For example, there’s a woman who’s coming home from Australia, she had her 18th here, 21st, then engagement party, wedding. Then she emigrated and we had a bon voyage party for her and now she’s coming home and her mum has booked her 50th here.
"But you’ve got to look after your regulars. We always want them to be comfortable and happy. Coming here people can expect others to be friendly, they’re all nice people, our motto is ‘a nice place for nice people.’"
Party bookings are still taken with the owners claiming they are open for any occasion. For more information, or to book, visit www.orrellparkbar.com
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