Zoo Bar (Halifax, West Yorkshire)
Encyclopedia
The Tramshed and Zoo Bars were night clubs
in Halifax, West Yorkshire
, England
brought to national attention by the media as a "haven" for underage drinkers, when it became one of the first establishments to be closed under the auspices of the Licensing Act 2003
, which came into effect at midnight 23 November 2005 in England
and Wales
.
, emo
, indie
, punk
and ska
music. They were located on Lord Street close to the former site of Samuel Webster's
Fountain Head Brewery. The property the clubs were located in has now been demolished and the land used for social housing.
Police officers raided the nightclub on 18 November 2005. During the raid, police reportedly identified 420 of the 500 people in the club to be underage drinkers. More than a dozen youth
s were arrested following scuffles with the police. A 28 day temporary closure order was applied for by the police on 27 November 2005.
This 2005 incident was cited as the third such raid of the Tramshed and Zoo Bar in which under-age drinking was proven. Previous occasions included December 2003, when almost half of the 150 revellers were found to be under 18. At that time the youngest was 13 and a member of the bar staff was 15. In July 2004, more under-age drinkers were found. Immediately after that incident, attempts to revoke the license
under the old licensing laws failed. A local inspector said that, "We have tried to engage with the licensee
on numerous occasions without success... It is the most serious breach of under-age drinking we have come across and there is historical evidence it has happened there before."
regarding youth
s and alcohol
, as it was the topic of an alcohol advertisement.
Two years after its closure, consequences of the Licensing Act 2003 are still being felt. Another establishment in Halifax, Fagins Bar, was also closed for underage drinking, after being raided in December 2005, this has since reopened with merit. The Trax night club in Havering
was raided at 9pm on the 25 November for drug dealing and its licence revoked. Cardiff City
has also implemented its usage to close down clubs.
In the first year of the Licensing Act 2003 being passed, 100 establishments in England
and Wales
had their licenses revoked, with some temporarily suspended and others having conditions of use attached.
The building which housed the Tramshed and Zoo Bar has been sold to developers and is currently undergoing a renovation that will convert the spaces into flats.
with varying frequency.
Many of the artists came from the West Yorkshire area and usually performed the Punk
, Ska
or Indie genres of music.
The bands that performed have gone on to receive varying degrees of national acclaim.
For an extended period during 2004–2005, in response to the increased attendances on Friday nights (and as a result the decreased popularity of the club on a Saturday) a stage was set up and bands encouraged to perform on Saturdays. The night was sponsored by local music shop First Floor Music.
The Tram-Shed part of the nightclub has also previously played host to the heats of 2005 The Pulse of West Yorkshire
battle of the bands.
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
brought to national attention by the media as a "haven" for underage drinkers, when it became one of the first establishments to be closed under the auspices of the Licensing Act 2003
Licensing Act 2003
The Licensing Act of 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that applies only to England and Wales. The Act establishes a single integrated scheme for licensing premises which are used for the sale or supply of alcohol, to provide regulated entertainment, or to provide late night...
, which came into effect at midnight 23 November 2005 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
About
The Tramshed and Zoo Bars were side-by-side nightclubs in Halifax featuring rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, emo
Emo (music)
Emo is a style of rock music characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics. It originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace...
, indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
music. They were located on Lord Street close to the former site of Samuel Webster's
Samuel Webster's
Webster's , was a brewery founded in 1838 by Samuel Webster which operated at the Fountain Head Brewery in Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England until 1996. Its two most famous brands, Webster's Green Label, a light mild, and Yorkshire Bitter continue to be sold, although the cask...
Fountain Head Brewery. The property the clubs were located in has now been demolished and the land used for social housing.
Police officers raided the nightclub on 18 November 2005. During the raid, police reportedly identified 420 of the 500 people in the club to be underage drinkers. More than a dozen youth
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
s were arrested following scuffles with the police. A 28 day temporary closure order was applied for by the police on 27 November 2005.
This 2005 incident was cited as the third such raid of the Tramshed and Zoo Bar in which under-age drinking was proven. Previous occasions included December 2003, when almost half of the 150 revellers were found to be under 18. At that time the youngest was 13 and a member of the bar staff was 15. In July 2004, more under-age drinkers were found. Immediately after that incident, attempts to revoke the license
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
under the old licensing laws failed. A local inspector said that, "We have tried to engage with the licensee
Licensee
A licensee is someone who has been granted a licence.- Tort law :The term is used in the USA law of torts to describe a person who is on the property of another, despite the fact that the property is not open to the general public, because the owner of the property has allowed the licensee to enter...
on numerous occasions without success... It is the most serious breach of under-age drinking we have come across and there is historical evidence it has happened there before."
Effects
After it was closed, the Halifax Zoo Bar incident became an international lightning rod in Europe, as one paper cited it as a "notorious kiddie boozer" where "legless" youths could do whatever they wanted. The nightclub was identified in an American studyUnderage drinking in America
Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States of America is an umbrella term for alcohol consumption by minors and adults under 21 years of age across the country....
regarding youth
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
s and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, as it was the topic of an alcohol advertisement.
Two years after its closure, consequences of the Licensing Act 2003 are still being felt. Another establishment in Halifax, Fagins Bar, was also closed for underage drinking, after being raided in December 2005, this has since reopened with merit. The Trax night club in Havering
London Borough of Havering
The London Borough of Havering is a London borough in North East London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in Havering is Romford and the other main communities are Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large...
was raided at 9pm on the 25 November for drug dealing and its licence revoked. Cardiff City
Cardiff city
Cardiff City may refer to:* Cardiff city centre* Cardiff City Council* Cardiff City F.C.* Cardiff City L.F.C.* Cardiff City Stadium...
has also implemented its usage to close down clubs.
In the first year of the Licensing Act 2003 being passed, 100 establishments in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
had their licenses revoked, with some temporarily suspended and others having conditions of use attached.
The building which housed the Tramshed and Zoo Bar has been sold to developers and is currently undergoing a renovation that will convert the spaces into flats.
Live music performances
The Zoo Bar (and later the Tram-Shed) nightclubs would host live bands particularly on a Saturday nightNight
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
with varying frequency.
Many of the artists came from the West Yorkshire area and usually performed the Punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, Ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
or Indie genres of music.
The bands that performed have gone on to receive varying degrees of national acclaim.
For an extended period during 2004–2005, in response to the increased attendances on Friday nights (and as a result the decreased popularity of the club on a Saturday) a stage was set up and bands encouraged to perform on Saturdays. The night was sponsored by local music shop First Floor Music.
The Tram-Shed part of the nightclub has also previously played host to the heats of 2005 The Pulse of West Yorkshire
The Pulse of West Yorkshire
The Pulse is a British Independent Local Radio station that serves the Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale areas of West Yorkshire. The station was originally known as Pennine Radio...
battle of the bands.
External links
- http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo051121/debtext/51121-01.htmHansard - James Purnell MPJames PurnellJames Mark Dakin Purnell is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde from 2001 to 2010. He is currently the Head of the Open Left project at the left leaning think tank Demos...
, Licensing Act Debate 21 November 2005 - Halifax Music Scene - website
- The Zoo Bar website.