Ocean (Nottingham)

Ocean
Map
AddressGreyfriar Gate
LocationNottingham, England
Coordinates52°56′57″N 1°08′58″W / 52.9492°N 1.1495°W / 52.9492; -1.1495
OwnerAndy Hoe.
TypeNightclub
Genre(s)R&B, indie, retro hits and dance
Construction
Opened8 October 1929 (1929-10-08)
Construction cost£30,000 (equivalent to £2,300,000 in 2023)[1]
ArchitectEvans, Clark & Woollatt
Website
iloveocean.co.uk

Ocean, formerly the Astoria, is a nightclub located on Greyfriar Gate in Nottingham, England. The club is used as a student night club for both of the universities in Nottingham.

History

The building opened as a palais de danse to replace Victoria Halls in Talbot Street. It was known as Greyfriars Hall and was opened by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Walter Wessen, on 8 October 1929.[2] It was designed by the Nottingham architectural practice of Evans, Clark and Woollatt for W. A. Walker at a cost of £30,000. The main dance hall with a floor of 105 feet (32 m) by 85 feet (26 m) which accommodated 600 dancers.

One of the main events of the year was the General Hospital Ball which transferred to this venue in 1929.[3]

On 12 May 1940 three men were discovered inside the building by a police officer, and charged with breaking and entering[4] and stealing goods worth over £200 (equivalent to £13,800 in 2023).[1]

It reopened as the Astoria Ballroom after the Second World War on 29 March 1948.[5]

In 1957, the name was changed to the Sherwood Rooms. It was owned by the Mecca Leisure Group. In the 1970s the main front was rebuilt. In 1984, it was acquired by Barry Noble and adopted its former name Astoria.[6]

It subsequently changed its name in the 1990s to MGM and in 1999 became Ocean[7] a club mainly used by students.

References

  1. ^ a b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  2. ^ "A new centre for dancers". Nottingham Journal. England. 9 October 1929. Retrieved 3 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "General Hospital Ball". Nottingham Evening Post. England. 14 December 1929. Retrieved 3 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Greyfriars Hall discovery". Nottingham Evening Post. England. 13 May 1940. Retrieved 3 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Amusements Guide". Nottingham Evening Post. England. 26 March 1948. Retrieved 3 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ Minnis, John (6 February 2018). "Buildings in the Broadmarsh Area of Nottingham: An Architectural and Historical Investigation". Historic England: Historic Places Investigation: 29. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  7. ^ Whitfield, David (10 June 2017). "These are the Nottingham nightclubs you went to in the 80s and 90s". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 3 March 2018.