The Nile Club was a well established part of the community.

Everyone knew about it, and though people had varying opinions on the club, it provided a place for everyone to go and have fun.

“The Nile Club was well established and there was never any fights in there, and it was run properly and everybody was having a dance and everybody met up and had a chat.  Everybody loved going to The Nile Club.” (Dorothy Skinner)

“I went to the Nile, used to go from downstairs, upstairs. But I can count on me hands how many times I went to the Nile. It was a place where women went, Some would take their shopping with them and go in. And they’d done their shopping and they were there for the night, put their groceries at the side and they were getting bladdered. One opened a tin of… I don’t know whether it was dog food or cat food, and ate it. Cause she was hungry. It was very rough. Very rough.” (Dorothy Jasper)

If you have any images or memories of The Nile Club/ Moss Side and Hulme, let us know!

Carnival was a time of celebration for the whole community

“I remember the carnival, it was huge, it just seemed like there were hundreds and hundreds of people.  If you got lost from your parent that was it, it was crowded.  I remember the man with the mask and the whip, and I remember one year there was this massive big thing made out of jelly, it was huge and everyone could get jelly. Going to the carnival meant having your best clothes out, you really prepared for it, you made a weekend of it, everybody went to carnival you know.  Not like what you see today.” (Jackie Macneish)

The Russell Club was a key part of the Moss Side community.

“The first club experience for me was The Russell because that was the place to be, especially like New Years and stuff like that and because I had that connection with my dad. He and the bus drivers took it over in, I think it was probably early eighties.

Often You weren’t getting the music you wanted to hear, it was you know more mainstream music and stuff like that, so it just was not the vibe that you wanted.  For me I have always liked being around my own people and just hearing the music I want to hear.  And sometimes just even as form of socialising in a sense, you would know if you were going out on New Year’s Eve you were going to go out to Russell, you were doing it to see everybody.  So it was just that.” (Jackie Macneish)

“I remember Horsemouth playing with Dennis Brown at The Russell club” (Aidan Cartwright aka dubwiser)

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