Party back in time to Grey’s Club and the early days of ‘Newcastle’s original disco’

Hand’s up who remembers the old Grey’s Club? While the iconic city nightspot opened back in the 1960s, it has stood the test of time and constantly evolved over the years so there will be a range of locals with memories of the club as it was during the 1970s-1990s and then into the new millennium when it entered a new era with more makeovers to come.

Grey’s – tucked away, almost hidden, in Grey’s Court, an alley off Newcastle‘s central Grey Street – has since been given a new lease of life, taken over by Rise club nights and updated with a modern vibe, wall art, bright colour scheme and drinks deals to attract students. Still billed as ‘Newcastle’s original disco’, it has been all things to all men, and women, over the years.

Anyone who hasn’t been there no doubt will still have heard about it, being one of the few original city clubs to stay the course. It once thrived upon its reputation for an older clientele, with its over-25 entry policy, smart dress code and swanky casino tables.

The policy was said to have been introduced in the seventies when the club was owned by a Newcastle-born pop singer called David McBeth who had toured with the likes of The Beatles and Roy Orbison. One of his strict rules of the time dictated women could not be served pints, only halves – which apparently did not go down half as badly with the then-customers as you might expect.

A manager around that time was Tommy Wright who, back in 2016, shared pictures of the venue’s 2012 facelift and memories of visits to the club by famous names. These included football greats including local favourites Gazza, Jack Charlton and Super Mac, as well as Chris Waddle and Vinnie Jones, plus celebrities ranging from the late Norman Wisdom to local actor Tim Healy. Tommy recalled at the time: “They all just mixed with the regulars, it was that type of club.”

Grey’s was sold to the Ladhar family in 1996. In 2017 it was announced that Rise Newcastle would be taking over the venue, with the events and clubbing brand now keeping the late-night party spirit going. See its Facebook page here and share with us any of your own memories of Grey’s Club from across the decades.

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