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30
Dec 2022
No.12: End of an era as Harrogate's last nightclub closes
In the last article of our series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look back at the story of the closure of Harrogate's last night club - the Viper Rooms.
For generations of young people growing up in Harrogate, nightclubs have been an essential part of weekend life.
The likes of Carringtons, Jimmy's and Josephines are still talked about fondly by people of a certain age. So it's hard to believe not a single nightclub remains.
The last one, Viper Rooms, closed on December 9 — and the end was swift and brutal.
North Yorkshire County Council, which owns the site on Parliament Street, sent in bailiffs to repossess the building and change the locks just hours before the club was due to welcome Friday night revellers.
Repossession notices on door.
Viper Rooms, owned by Paul Kinsey, did not hold back in a social media post announcing the club's demise after 15 years. It said:
Paul Kinsey
Gary Fielding, corporate director for strategic resources at the council, responded by saying it was "protecting the best interests of North Yorkshire’s taxpayers".
Mr Fielding added:
Viper Rooms is no more.
The closure of the Viper Rooms means two of the four commercial units in the Royal Baths, which North Yorkshire County Council bought off Harrogate Borough Council for £9 million in 2018, are now empty.
The JD Wetherspoon pub and the Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant continue to trade. Mr Fielding said the Viper Rooms site had already generated "significant interest from potential tenants" and a "new agreement for the final one is in the final stages of negotiations".
So what about Harrogate's nightclub scene? In its social media post announcing Viper Rooms' closure, the owners said they would release a “new venue announcement soon”.
But with so many pubs and bars staying open late these says, nightclubs no longer mean as much to many young people.
Have they become an inevitable victim of social trends, or is Harrogate's nightclub scene set for a revival? The next year should provide some answers.
Read more:
- 'Significant interest' in Harrogate's former Viper Rooms, says council
- Viper Rooms: council issues statement after repossessing Harrogate nightclub
- Harrogate nightclub Viper Rooms closes suddenly
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