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Mecca Leisure Group (also known as Mecca Leisure Ltd, Mecca Ltd, and Mecca Dance Ltd) was a British business that ran nightclubs, hotels, theme parks, bingo parlours and Hard Rock Cafes.[1] During the 1960s, Mecca was a centre of entertainment with numerous nightclubs throughout major United Kingdom towns and cities. Mecca ballrooms were used for the BBC TV show Come Dancing.[2] Eric Morley was a general manager of dancing at Mecca Leisure Group and was involved in the Miss World competitions.
Notable DJs performing at Mecca nightclubs include Jimmy Savile[3][4] from 1960[5] and Pete Waterman.
The Coventry Locarno is the subject of the Specials song "Friday Night, Saturday Morning", B-side to Ghost Town.[6] Chuck Berry's live version of "My Ding-a-Ling" was also recorded there.
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The Mecca Leisure Group has its origins in the Mecca Agency Limited, a company co-founded by Carl L. Heimann and Byron Davies in 1933 to operate the recently created dance hall chain Mecca Dancing.[7]
In 1989, the company acquired Pleasurama plc.[8]
In 1990, the Rank Organisation made an offer of £512m to acquire Mecca Leisure Group, which was initially rejected, and then accepted two months later.[1][9]
| Venue | Location | Opening | Later names | Closure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locarno Ballroom[10] | Basildon | 1961 | ||
| Blackpool Mecca | Blackpool | 1965 | ||
| Locarno Ballroom | Burnley[11] | 1962 | Cat's Whiskers, Ritzy | 1996 |
| Mecca Locarno[12] | Coventry | |||
| Ilford Palais[13] | London | |||
| Locarno Ballroom[14] | Glasgow | 1926 | ||
| Mecca Locarno Ballroom[5] | Leeds | 1938 | 1969 | |
| Locarno | Liverpool | 1948 | ||
| Lyceum Theatre | London | 1834 | ||
| Southampton Royal Pier[15] | Southampton | 1963 | 1979 | |
| Stockport Plaza[16] | Stockport | 1965 | ||
| Locarno Ballroom [17] | Swindon | 1952 | 1969 | |
| Mecca Dance Hall Tottenham | London | 1910 | 2004 | |
| Hammersmith Palais | London | 1919 | 2007 | |
| Sherwood Rooms | Nottingham | 1957 | 1984 | |
| Locarno | Bristol | 1966 | 1991[18] |
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