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Furniture from iconic Hull nightclub LA's 'is a piece of history'

Furniture from iconic Hull nightclub LA's 'is a piece of history'

BBC News14-02-2025
A former DJ is offering people a chance to own a "piece of history" in the shape of furniture from an iconic Hull nightclub.Mike Thompson, who used to DJ at LA's – or Lexington Avenue – on Ferensway, spent three weeks removing parts of the old club to save them from the skip after it closed in 2005.He is encouraging people to pick up the custom-made chairs and stools from "one of the finest clubs ever built" and give them a new life.LA's opened in 1986 and was one of the city's most popular clubs for the best part of two decades. Take That were among acts to perform there and credited the venue with helping to propel them to fame.
However, the club went into receivership in 2004 and was demolished in 2009.
Mr Thompson bought the chairs before they were thrown away and used them at his club in Witham, which he named Lexington Avenue for a time in tribute to LA's."They're beautiful seats. People just need to spend a bit of time sanding them down and repainting them. They would be ace," he said.He described his old stomping ground as the "whole package" and said its "view of the future really set it apart".In 2023, Take That recalled how an impromptu performance at an under-18s disco at the club in 1992 saved them from being dropped by their record label.Gary Barlow recalled how they were "mobbed" by young fans and the moment became a "turning point".
The club was also known for long-running party nights such as Carwash, Busstop and Skooldaze.While it is now long gone, the name lives on: The Doubletree by Hilton hotel, which was built on the site, includes a rooftop bar called the Lexington.Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
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