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Report - - Pardox Discotheque/Vernon's Pools Tower, Liverpool - May '11 | Leisure Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Pardox Discotheque/Vernon's Pools Tower, Liverpool - May '11

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Xan_Asmodi

Cave Monster
28DL Full Member
Opened in either 1990 or 1991 and closed in May 2001, this controversial purpose built "mega-club" was flattened some time after 2007. What is left on the site are the remains of the Vernons Pools building. This 6-story (including the roof) listed art deco tower was built in the 1920s. I can't find much history on Vernon's though.

Vernon's 1958

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and The Paradox 2001

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The club was popular with punters, but not so much with critics:

A huge purpose built mega–club on the outskirts of town. Not cool or alternative, devoid of character and atmosphere. It's that cheesy corporate clubbing experience that every city seems to have these days and once inside, you could be in any one of them. You arrive, you get rid of your coat, you queue at the bar, you dance to some charty/disco tunes, you drink more to dull the pain, you get in a cab to go home. There's too much going on in the city centre to bother with the cab fare.

The local free paper has recently - i.e. today, the 5th of May 2011 - published an article calling the site "an eyesore", and saying "the 2.39 acres freehold cuts a depressing figure on the skyline since the site has been for sale with offers invited in the region of £2.5m."

Anyway, on with the pics

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Still a few remnants of the old club around
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Saturday night here was broadcast live on local radio. I used to listen to it before my musical tastes changed
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The cash office is still there
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Along with two safes
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Obligatory lonely chair shot
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Obligatory staircase shot
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Still bits of paperwork left here and there
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The top floor was my favourite, with the four Vernon's clockfaces

How it used to look...

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...and now
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The electronic clock mechanism
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And on to the roof!
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Looking over to Switch Cars - report to follow
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Looking down the A59 toward Aintree race course
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Main stand at Aintree race course
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Panorama of the clock room. Click for full sized goodness!
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That's it, thanks for looking!
As usual Flickr set is here
Slideshow is here
 
Last edited by a moderator:

BrainL

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Its gone now @tanky think there is a sports direct there now.. I spent many a sweaty night in this place in my youth.. I honestly couldn't think of anything worse than a night at the Pardox now haha
 

Coxieboy

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I remember it as Vernons and the massive Ribble bus station next to it. And.... the retail park to the left of it was Courtaulds. Jeez I'm getting old.....
 

tanky

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
What a shame, glad to see some pics of it before they got rid of it, very nice work!
 
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