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Frequently Asked Questions |
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1. Did the Liverpool Tram shown on the home page of this site run during the time in which the Iron Door was in operation?
Answer: No it did not. It is offered here because the Trams were a big part of Liverpool and it provides atmosphere and a bit of comic relief. In fact, writes Tram historian Ron Smith, "The last tram ran in September 1957. Liverpool trams did continue to run in Glasgow until the early 1960s but not in Livepool." For the answers to all your difficult tram questions, please take the time to visit Ron's Liverpool Tram Site.
2. What was the capacity of the Club?
Answer: The original Iron Door, when it opened as a licensed establishment in 1960, would hold approximately 1,650 patrons. After the removal of the bar and bench seating, there was additional space of roughly another 260 guests. So the total capacity ranged from 1,650 to somewhere in the vicinity of 1900 or so. It would not be a stretch to consider that on special "all-night sessions" that there would have been very close to 2000 people at the Iron Door. In 1963, the warehouse next to the Iron Door was acquired and the two buildings were knocked into one at ground and basement level. This provided a massive space and understandly would have resulted in a potential doubling of its occupancy.
3. Were bouncers always in attendance?
Answer: During the early years, 1960 and 1961, there were two full-time bouncers at the Iron Door. They were brothers, Jim & Ben Evans.
4. What was the building used for, before and after it was the Iron
Door?
Answer: Immediately prior to the opening of the Club, the warehouse was used as a butter packing factory. After its closure it became the Pryamid Club.
5. What other businesses were operating on Temple Street near the
Iron Door at the time?
Answer: Opposite the 1st floor there was a spectacle manufacturer with lots of people working in there. Next door, an identical warehouse was empty, at least during the early days. A large bank was situated on the lower right hand side looking down Temple Street. On top on the same side as Iron Door was a building housing lawyers. All other warehouses mainly dealt with fruit. There was one other club on Temple Street called the Curzon Club. This was upstairs on the first floor of one of the fruit warehouses and catered for the theatre people, song and dance men and comedians. They had a lovely piano player. It was a venue for mostly day time trade including, lawyers, bankers, insurance, and shipping people.
6. What were the names of some of the managers over the years?
Answer: Those who managed the Iron Door included Geoff Hogarth, and in 1961 Brian (Jess) James and Clem Dalton were added. Clem is shown in the following photo at the back of the stage with a beard and sunglasses.
7. How was the warehouse heated?
Answer: The Iron Door warehouse was heated with electric space heaters.
8. Were the upper floors of the warehouse used?
Answer: The first floor of the warehouse was used for a cloak-room, an office and served as a space for band practice. It provided a space for overspill from the downstairs area. The upper six floors of the warehouse were vacant. There were no other businesses in operation in the building.
9. How many people were employed at the Iron Door Club?
Answer: In 1960, an ex-boxer by the name of Alan Tanner did the pay box at night, stocked the bar during the day and helped a staff of four cleaners. There were typically two full-time bar staff and six others worked on a part-time basis. Two part-time Corps of Commissioners were on duty every night. Two ex-Irish Guardsmen were bouncers from the spring of 1960 until late in the year. The brother team of Jim & Ben Evans took over these responsibilities beginning in early 1961 until late 1962. Finally, the managers Geoff Hogarth and Harry Ormesher rounded out the list.
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