Pubs of Manchester

All pubs within the city centre and beyond.
A history of Manchester's hundreds of lost pubs.

Sunday 7 March 2010

BRSA Club, Victoria Station Approach

BRSA Club, Victoria Station Approach. (c) Google 2013. View Larger Map.

Like the Railway Mens Club under Piccadilly Station, there is also a forgotten pub beneath Victoria Station.  The British Railway Staff Association (BRSA) Club on the Station Approach shut it 1992 although the ground floor premises still operates as a hairdressers.  The sign on the side of this oddly shaped building confirms the old club's location.


BRSA Club, Victroria Station Approach, 2007. (c) Mickaul at flickr.

Thanks to the efforts of intrepid urban explorers around town we get to see a glimpse inside in the underground part of the pub at 28DaysLater.  The stage area still contains plenty of chairs and tables, and the size of the place is clearly evident, the club's rooms apparently extending underneath the approach and the station itself.

BRSA Club, Victoria Station Approach, 2010. (c) Jim Gillette at 28DaysLater.

The lads who explored the BRSA said there was still electricity supplied to the club as fans were still humming, as I suspect were the drunken ladies who could be heard above waiting for their last trains, back to whichever satellite town they come from that makes the Printworks seem like a great night out.

BRSA Club, Victoria Station Approach, 2010. (c) Gone85 at 28DaysLater.

Finally, some brilliant posters and notices remain in the club, recorded for posterity by these explorers who are doing such a great job of recording Manchester's buildings past & present.  The BRSA Club may also have been known as the Vic Bars as well - can anyone shed any light on this?


BRSA Club, Victoria Station Approach, 2010. (c) Gone85 at blog.


BRSA Club, Victoria Station Approach, 2010. (c) Gone85 at 28DaysLater.

BRSA Club, Victoria Station Approach, 2010. (c) Gone85 at 28DaysLater.

4 comments:

  1. was this the pub also known as the Vic bars and would be open all day? If so it was a dive but a great laugh full of allsorts of people.

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  2. Cheers guys. I was Saturday night Organist at the Club around 1990-91. Tony. www.pianoman.one

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    1. Ok, I never knew it as the Vic. It was a typical 70s-90s Working Men's Club, Organist and Drummer, Cabaret Acts, Bingo. I just did Saturdays there as there was an Organist called Derek? who did Sundays. There was great mature lady compere called Claire who really ran the social scene single handed. It was a clean, friendly club.

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  3. I used to come here once a month with my gran n grandad in the very early 80s ...the Heywood's I used to love going there ... amazing memories

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