A little bit of nostalgic New Wave of British Heavy Metal history for you today.
It’s often said that NWOBHM’s roots are traced back to Neal Kay and his legendary Soundhouse and/or the equally legendary Ruskin Arms where many a fledgling NWOBHM band began to spread their wings.
Well, all the way “ooop north” from London in Sheffield was (to us northerners) an equally legendary watering hole which also played its part – The Wapentake.
Back then around 1980 we’d spend time in “the Wap” which I’d all but forgotten about until by random chance recently bumping in to an old acquaintance from those days and we spent a while reminiscing about it.
The Wapentake was the place to be for rock fans from Sheffield and the surrounding area. Situated in the basement of the old Grosvenor House hotel you’d enter by negotiating the stairs to enter the not exactly salubrious surroundings. But surroundings with an atmosphere and community of its own.
It was small and dark with a low ceiling. As I recall, on the left hand side were a small number of little booths with a table. The floor was sticky enough from all the spilled beer that standing still for too long put you in danger of being stuck to the spot.
Holding a conversation was near impossible over the DJ blasting out all the latest and best heavy stuff, though somehow communication of sorts was achieved. Often with exaggerated miming movements and gestures.
The beer from the taps was terrible. I’m pretty sure it was served in plastic glasses all of which. To avoid the terrible beer, the drink of choice was “Newky” Brown (Newcastle Brown Ale) from the bottle.
The table footballs tables were a fine addition and many an enthusiastic games were played with limited ability often impaired by alcoholic intake.
And there was a small stage meaning local bands would play there. For example I can remember seeing Def Leppard there in (I think) 1979 or 1980 whilst they were still good. And also Heritage, Geddes Axe and Haze. Probably some others.
Leppard would return in 1995 to play an acoustic set on home turf.
Alas, the Wapentake is no more with the demolition of the Grosvenor House hotel as part of Sheffield city centre development a few years ago. I suppose you call it progress….?
The usual routine for us back around 1980 was to spend some time in the Wapentake usually on a Friday night. Get the bus in to Sheffield and quite often had a queue up down the stairs to get in.
Listen to some music, play some table football, have a couple of bottles of Newcastle Brown and move on before returning for some more before last orders and the bus home.
Bumping in to that old acquaintance brought it all back – well, these little bits I can remember approaching five decades later.
It seems there are still old folk such as myself who also recall the Wapentake with fondness in a Facebook group. Here it is:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/5166489780/
I hope they don’t mind me “borrowing” the photograph at the top of this post from them…..
Check out the old style parking meter outside the entrance. Do you remember them? Putting enough coins in and trying to remember to go back to put more in before time ran out? No weird parking apps in 1980…..!
Thinking about it a bit more and frantically trying to remember – I think other rock bars/pubs in the South Yorkshire area were the Sportsman the Yorkshireman, Rebels nightclub, the King George in Barnsley and one in Rotherham the name of which I can’t recall.
Fortunately we could catch a bus in to Sheffield, Rotherham or Barnsley quite easily to “rotate” where we went for a drink and to talk about and listen to some music.
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