Mecca Leisure Group
{{Short description|UK business}}
{{about|the former parent company|its social and bingo club leisure subsidiary (now owned by Rank)|Mecca Bingo}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Mecca Leisure Group
| logo =
| logo_caption =
| image = 1950s advert for the Locarno ballroom.JPG
| image_size = 220
| image_caption = 1950s advert, on a public transport, for the Mecca-owned Locarno Ballroom in Glasgow.
| location = London, England, UK
| type = Private
| founder = {{flatlist|
- Carl L. Heimann
- {{nowrap|Byron Davies}}
}}
| area_served =
| industry = {{flatlist|
- Nightclubs
- cafes
- casinos
- hotels
- {{nowrap|theme parks}}
}}
| key_people = Michael Guthrie, Chairman
| foundation = 1933 (as Mecca Agency Limited)
}}
Mecca Leisure Group (also known as Mecca Leisure Ltd, Mecca Ltd, and Mecca Dance Ltd) was a British business that ran nightclubs, hotels, theme parks, bingo parlours and Hard Rock Cafes.{{cite web|url=http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/23/The-Rank-Group-plc.html |title=The Rank Group plc - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on The Rank Group plc |publisher=www.referenceforbusiness.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-16}} During the 1960s, Mecca was a centre of entertainment with numerous nightclubs throughout major United Kingdom towns and cities. Mecca ballrooms were used for the BBC TV show Come Dancing.{{cite web|url=http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Come_Dancing |title=Come Dancing - UKGameshows |publisher=www.ukgameshows.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-16}} Eric Morley was a general manager of dancing at Mecca Leisure Group and was involved in the Miss World competitions.
Notable DJs performing at Mecca nightclubs include Jimmy Savile{{cite web |url=http://www.meccadancing.com/ |title=A Study in Branding Popular Entertainment |publisher=meccadancing.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130128083552/http://www.meccadancing.com/ |archivedate=28 January 2013 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web|url=http://www.djhistory.com/interviews/jimmy-savile |title=Jimmy Savile |publisher=DJHistory.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922053228/http://www.djhistory.com/interviews/jimmy-savile |archivedate=22 September 2010 }} from 1960{{cite web|url=http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=20031028_83919925 |title=Leodis - a photographic archive of Leeds - Display |publisher=www.leodis.net |date= |accessdate=2011-01-16}} and Pete Waterman.
The Coventry Locarno is the subject of the Specials song "Friday Night, Saturday Morning", B-side to Ghost Town.{{cite web|url=http://www.thespecials.com/music/view/38date= |title= The Specials - Music / Lyrics |accessdate=2015-08-15}} Chuck Berry's live version of "My Ding-a-Ling" was also recorded there.
History
The Mecca Leisure Group has its origins in the Mecca Agency Limited, a company co-founded by Carl L. Heimann and Byron Davies in 1933 to operate the recently created dance hall chain Mecca Dancing.Nott, James (2015). Going to the Palais: A Social and Cultural History of Dancing and Dance Halls in Britain, 1918-1960. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|9780199605194}}. pp. 26-27.
In 1989, the company acquired Pleasurama plc.{{cite journal |last=Ball |first=Aimee Lee |title=Mr Universe |journal=New York Magazine |volume=24 |issue=27 |date=July 1991 |page=38 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VukCAAAAMBAJ&q=new+york+magazine+mr+universe+1991&pg=PA38}}
In 1990, the Rank Organisation made an offer of £512m to acquire Mecca Leisure Group, which was initially rejected, and then accepted two months later.{{cite web|url=http://www.rank.com/about_us/history.jsp |title=Rank Group Plc - About us - History |publisher=www.rank.com |date= |accessdate=2011-01-16}}
Venues
References
{{reflist|33em}}
External links
- [https://archive.today/20130128083552/http://www.meccadancing.com/ meccadancing.com]