Countdown to celebration and ‘send-off’ for one-off Grafton this weekend

The countdown is on for a celebration and final send-off for one of Liverpool’s most famous nightclubs, The Grafton.

Former staff members and customers are preparing to say goodbye at a reunion event this Saturday, ahead of its demolition next year.

Planning permission has been granted for apartments on the site of the well-known club famous for entertaining Scousers for decades with everything from ballroom dancing to disco, and its renowned ‘grab-a-granny’ Thursdays.

But owner of the Grafton – and neighbouring Olympia where the reunion will be held – Chris Zorba said there was no way they could see the Grafton go without a fitting celebration: “It will be emotional,” he says.

“It’s been a big part of my life for the last 20 years, and it’s been a part of so many Liverpool people’s lives – their parents went there, their grandparents went there … people met their husbands and wives there. 

“The Grafton was a Liverpool institution, and we will never see its kind ever again.”

Chris adds:

“It’s only right that we celebrate it before it goes for good, and relive some of the many, many amazing memories people have.”

The Grafton 101 Reunion will celebrate 101 years of The Grafton which was open on West Derby Road from 1924.

It was launched as a dance hall and was always packed, especially during the years of World War II when it welcomed soldiers home on leave and American GIs.

“It was part of the ‘60s scene with the Merseycats and the Beatles,” adds Chris, and even jazz king Duke Ellington performed there.

From the ‘70s onwards disco and dance dominated, and it was even used briefly as a comedy club in 2008 before closing its doors once and for all.

“The Grafton is – was – the most iconic club in the north of England. And I never thought we’d be closing it down.

“When we launched in 1990 – Chris’s dad, the late Panayiotis Zorba bought the Grafton from Mecca and he joined around 1994 – we had people coming from all over the country. The first 10 years were unbelievable.

“We tried hard to keep it going but, times change.

“One good thing is that The Grafton was a place for the people, and the apartments which look amazing, will see it being returned to the people and for the good of the area. They will keep the façade of the building and, in some form, the name, and so the legacy and memory will live on.

“Saturday, though, will very much be a celebration of what it was.”

Former DJs Rock Steady Eddie, The JFMC, Craig Burns and Mike Craig will be there alongside live acts, ex-doormen and bar staff.

The JFMC who appeared at The Grafton from 2002-2008 recalls:

“My favourite memory was when I started performing in the Manhattan Disco upstairs, we had queues right down the street every weekend.”

Rock Steady Eddie who was there from 1997-2008 smiles: “My favourite memory was seeing three generations of ‘grannies’ all dancing their brains out to the YMCA, all feeling the Grafton love and stepping away from reality for a night. Absolutely priceless.”

Although the decline of The Grafton means the reunion is being held in next door’s Olympia, every attempt is being made to recreate the look and feel of the original.

There’ll be a DJ stand and glitterballs, and all sorts of memorabilia on display. Old signage from the DJ box and toilet signs that have been salvaged will be put on stage, and music from the 70s onwards will be blasted out from 8pm to 2am.

“It’s a chance for people to meet up, have a great night, and relive their memories in the flesh instead of online,” says Chris. “There are so many stories.

“We’re hoping we’ll have around 1,000 people there so it will be a really good night.

“It doesn’t surprise me that so many people want to celebrate it. There’s such a connection with the place and I’ve been asked about a reunion for years so who knows, it might become an annual event.

“We wanted to celebrate The Grafton 100 but had to wait until we knew what was happening – so after 101, there may be a 102 and so on. We’ll see.

“But for now, I’m looking forward to this Saturday, and celebrating a very special Liverpool club.”

Tickets are still available for The Grafton 101 Reunion on the Liverpool Olympia website or on the door on the night.

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