It's been over 50 years since St Johns Beacon was built and first opened to the public – and we've said goodbye to a number businesses who once called the site home along the way.
Constructed back in 1969 before being officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1971, it was built to replace the historic St Johns Market building which had stood in Liverpool city centre for over 140 years. Over time, the shopping centre, which also houses the market has seen many transformations, welcoming new businesses and saying goodbye to a number of pubs and clubs.
Many will remember the "first pub in St Johns Precinct" – The Sportsman – which was owned by Greenall Whitley, that originally opened on December 10, 1970. First managed by a Mr James Shinner, the business boasted five bars – each depicting a different sport.
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And among the nightclubs was the likes of Top Rank, built on top of the multi-storey car park which later became names such as Bailey's, Romeos and Juliet's, Studio 54 and Rotters. Before Radio City took over the top of St Johns Beacon in 2000, it was once home to the revolving Tower Restaurant situated nearly 400ft up in the air
The ECHO previously reported how it opened at the top of St Johns Beacon in 1971 and ran for over 10-years. Billed as Liverpool's skyscraper restaurant, it boasted a revolving floor where diners could take in the magnificent panorama of the city – but it wasn't the only business on site ran by owners Empire catering.
Many will remember the days when St Johns Inn was on site. On April 16, 1971, in a feature mainly about the Tower Restaurant, the Liverpool Daily Post reported: "The restaurant is one of three places to eat during a visit to Liverpool's Beacon.
"At street level, there is the popular priced St Johns Inn and 20ft higher than the Tower Restaurant is an observation buffet serving light refreshments. The top of the Liverpool Beacon is 450ft above street level. Total staff at the three restaurants is 125."
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It continues: "The Tudor look of the St Johns Inn at ground level includes hammered beams, rough plater and has the appearance of an old coaching inn. Here they serve grills, hamburgers, salads and ice-cream specialities at down-to-earth prices."
The ECHO previously reported how to make sure the beacon could "meet every taste and pocket," St Johns Inn, at ground level, offered steaks and grills. The kitchen's for the more expensive part of the operation were said to be down at ground level, at the insistence of the fire brigade.
After the long haul up the service lift – nowhere near as speedy as that carrying the paying public – meals were probably not always as piping hot as they could have been. Images, courtesy of our archives, Mirrorpix, offer a glimpse into life at St Johns Inn back in 1980.
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One images shows outside the venue, with a sign advertising morning coffee, luncheons, afternoon teas and suppers. If you look closely on the window, you can see specials advertised, such as toasties for 60p.
Another photo, taken at the same time, shows Joan Smithwick, manager of St Johns Inn. Standing outside looking at the menu, you can see the business offered everything from egg dishes, salads, chefs specials, side orders and afters to a drinks menu, a "from the cellar" section and an English breakfast menu.
On the menu, you can see the chefs special included shepherds pie, steak and kidney pie, grilled steak, fried chicken and more. Among the starters were tomato soup, chicken soup and vegetable soup.
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