The funk and soul club that changed Manchester

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 3 October 2022

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1962, Nigerian man Phil Magbotiwan opened a brand new nightclub in Manchester, England. In part because of his own personal experiences of racism, Phil wanted to create somewhere where everyone would be welcome – Manchester’s first racially inclusive nightclub. The Reno was born. The nightclub became a particularly important space for Manchester's mixed heritage community, who felt unwelcome in city centre venues. Phil’s youngest daughter, Lisa Ayegun has been sharing her memories of the Reno with Matt Pintus. This programme contains descriptions of racial discrimination. (Photo: Phil Magbotiwan (right) standing in front of the Reno nightclub in Manchester. Credit: The Magbotiwan family)

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the sound of crowd science.
0:02.4	We shoot a laser beam at this atom.
0:05.1	Is that a big canister of oxygen in the background?
0:07.7	Oh, there's a wasp in there.
0:09.3	Yeah, perhaps possibly the most disgusting thing I've heard this way.
0:13.6	But it's one of the nicest fun facts you're going to hear today.
0:16.4	So here I'm actually holding a doughnut.
0:18.4	What are you going to do with that?
0:19.2	Find out more at the end of this podcast.
0:22.1	Hello and welcome to this episode of The Witness History Podcast
0:30.1	from the BBC World Service.
0:32.1	Today, the nightclub that changed Manchester.
0:35.6	In 1962, Nigeria man, Phil McButty won,
0:40.0	welcomed fun console lovers into a new kind of venue
0:43.6	where everyone would be welcome.
0:46.0	Manchester's first racially inclusive nightclub, the Reno.
0:51.0	And just a warning, there is some racist language in this episode.
0:58.4	Manchester, England, 1960.
1:01.7	Phil McButty won is exploring the inner city neighbourhood of Mossside.
1:06.0	He was looking at the premises of the Reno.
1:09.1	He said, in opposite, there was a big pub on the corner with glittering lights.
1:13.3	That's Lisa, Phil's daughter.
	...

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