I have searched on google but cant find it, does anyone know or remember the name of the restaurant that was in st john tower before it was left empty?
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I have searched on google but cant find it, does anyone know or remember the name of the restaurant that was in st john tower before it was left empty?
The original restaurant closed in 1977 over health and safety issues. It re-opened as a "Buck Rogers" space-themed restaurant in 1983, but closed due to lack of business. [so says wiki-whatsits]
Thanks
Worry not Danny, somebody that was there on the day the tower opened will be along in time. :)
[I did not find any mention of what the first restaurant was called. Tower Restaurant. Is my bet though. :)]
The reason why i ask is because i have a picture in my head of the restaurant when it was open, this sounds weird i know, it was closed before i was born, i just needed to know the name so i could look up on google for some pictures of what inside it looked like to see if it matches to what i see
on look it up on google its giving me buck rogers in glasgow nothing about liverpool
It was just called the tower restaraunt,it closed because the revolving bearings siezed up and became a health and safty issue.
It was indeed called 'Tower Restaurant'
Brownie points to me, I think. ;)
Yep,it also closed again on H&S due to no fire staircase within its shell and now has this fitted for fire safty.
In looking into all this I have discovered that the 'Beacon' was prone to much movement in the wind and that there are some in Liverpool who do not dare walk underneath the thing, what big 'safties' they must be? ;)
Tower Restaurant - I dined up there as a kid. I went to the loo only to return to find that my family had deserted and done a runner!
Well not really, the loos where in the central core, which didn't revolve. And if you're more than 10 minutes (#2) the postion of your table had revolved around from where you left it. As did your food, and in my case, the family as well.
It all ended up happily in the end. Children received a certificate to mark the experience. :)
PS. I didn't realise how close I was to almost certain death, being in a building with no emergency escape stairs! Imagine them handing you a parachute with your main menu, just in case the kitchen catches fire!
Dazza, do you recall anything of the decore to help our friend?
Wow,a 120ft drop...:)Quote:
the loos where in the central core
This?
Wrong towe
George if that is not exactly what is being asked it is no fault of yours. Well done Georgie!! :)
The pic in post #14 is the restaruant
It is made to sway a little in the wind, as are all rigid structures of course. There have been a few Radio City DJ's (including Joe Ferguson and Pete Price in the past) who have deserted the place through fear when it seemed to be swaying a little too much for their liking.
Ah but,Ged saying and experiencing is two different matters. :)
Yes and i'd rather talk about it than experience it ;)
The floors I think where carpeted, though can't remember the colour [all restaurants where carpeted in those days]. I remember the brass plates in the floor where the floor revolved. The location of the toilets. Unfortunately most people [kids sepecially] were spell-bound by the view, so don't really remember the interior that well. I had veal for dinner.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oudeis
---------- Post added at 12:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:42 PM ----------
The lift is inside the chimney, as are the service shafts and other risers. The 'chimney' only takes up a small area of the whole.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgePorgie
I don't remember the decor in George's photo. The tables where end-on to the windows, to fit as many in, and to let all diners see something of the view.
There's another thread here 'Radio City Tower' http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/sho...dio-City-Tower
I had a meal in the restaurant with my late Auntie Mary when it was still the Tower Restaurant, circa 1970. I don't remember those bucket style seats so they may be later. The photo below was taken by me in May 2007 so it shows St. John's Beacon in its more recent incarnation as the Radio City Tower.
Chris
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1407/...d74a1bc12f.jpg
It'll be 1971 Chris as that's when it opened. I went on the viewing deck a few times in the early 70s but a restaurant - no, a bit too posh for us :)
Thanks, Ged. I liked the view but wasn't overly impressed with the food as I recall.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
C
Right decision by my dad then :)
HiQuote:
Originally Posted by GeorgePorgie
there always was a staircase the whole way up/down, I visited in about 1989 when it was empty and unrefurbished and had a go of both the lifts and stairs.
It may be that improvements had to be made to fire safety before it could open as the Radio City studio but the stairs had obviously always been there on my visit.
Tim
---------- Post added at 07:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 AM ----------
no stairs always there!Quote:
Originally Posted by dazza
I can remember me and my other half having a meal in the Tower Resturant in 1978. I recall it being quite "posh" I seem to remember that many resturant owners not willing to take it on at the time because the kitchen had to be in the basement/groundfloor and having to take the food up in a lift. It was thought not to be good practice that the food would be getting cold on its journey. I am sure we had a good time - though it was a long time ago now!
I went up in that cafe many times with my mum. It didn't always rotate but it was good when it did. :D
Who can forget the impersonation of the Post Office Tower revolving restaurant in London by the incomparable Spike M (the other one), a masterpiece. :)
St Johns Tower.. staff rest room area...
This area is above the deck area that people visit..
its out of bounds to the public...
When the main restaraunt was open there was a small cafe for day visitors etc..
it was a managed by a Scottie Rd girl... Cathy Mc.. a great friend of mine of over 30 years..
I feel yet another visit coming on.. after seeing this thread....
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...errestroom.jpg
This is confusing - surely the whole top of the tower is normally out of bounds, but on the modern-day tours (certainly early 2000's when I have been a couple of times), they bring you straight into this bar/cafe/rest room then take you round the studios afterwards. Unless the tours have changed?Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerard Fleming
Tim
HiQuote:
Originally Posted by Liz Smith
I'm puzzled here I have seen a kitchen on the observation deck level although some equipment had been removed. (BTW I hate commercial kitchens they are horrible places when occupied and creepy when empty!). I may be wrong but I think the food was cooked upstairs until it closed in the early 1980's but prospective developers were told that in future, food would have to be cooked below (I was told this when I constantly pestered the centre management for info/visits during the closed years), this obviously put off people therefore it remained empty for years.
The tower is only served by a single pair of lifts (albeit 4m/s (800ft/min)) and it wouldn't really be acceptable to travel up with the previous customers dinner! One lift out of order could mean a 5min wait.
Tim