Liston's Bar was named after the Stockport comedian, ventriloquist and impersonator Harry Liston, it had a dance floor, and was upstairs after you'd gone through the door. These three 1971 pictures from the archive show Swan Court off Market Street, now covered by the Arndale Centre - one of countless streets and their pubs, forever lost. In Underground Manchester, William Connell, that murky character and alleged expert, claims that Liston's was one of the gateways to Manchester's secret tunnel network [1]. The shabby 'Music Hall' sign and frontage betray the fact it was a buzzing venue in the '60s and '70s by all accounts. This picture from the Image Collection shows the entrance to Swan Court from Market Street (on the right as you walk down Market Street, before you reach Corporation Street) and you can make out a couple of signs for Liston's Bar.
Liston's has evoked some great memories from folks who frequented the place in the '50s, '60s and '70s. Susie remembers courting in Liston's after the pictures (cinema) in the '50s, while in the '60s there was Eric the camp waiter who would speed your drinks to your table which was bolted down with your chair to minimise injuries when it kicked off as it regularly did. By the '70s, Ed recalls that barrow boys from the nearby markets would keep their merchandise and barrows in the club and also tout match tickets for the football.
1. Underground Manchester, Keith Warrender (2007).
