Can you dig it? The unearthed history of Manchester club the Reno

In the 1970s, the Reno nightclub was a haven for mixed-race couples and weed smokers – plus Muhammad Ali. A new project is now literally digging up its past

“The police, the establishment and what felt like the whole world were against us,” recalls Alfonso “Fonzo” Buller, the son of a Belizean immigrant and a Romany Gypsy, who first tiptoed into Manchester’s Reno nightclub aged 12. “But the Reno was the one place where we could feel special.”

In its 1971-81 heyday, regulars at the Moss Side spot ranged from snooker champion Alex “Hurricane” Higgins to Factory Records boss Tony Wilson, while visitors included Muhammad Ali and, reputedly, Bob Marley. However, its unique role was as a haven for the city’s emerging mixed-race population.

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from Music | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2BiKfPr

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