Bally’s was the nightspot that catered for the “smart set” and put Arbroath firmly on the entertainment map after opening in July 1988.
Ramsay Street icons became Bally’s Nightlife Neighbours in the days when nobody dared miss an episode of the Aussie soap and Kylie and Jason were superstars.
Broadcasting royalty Ally Bally was still hosting the Radio Tay breakfast show when he bought the former Smokey’s Nightclub – previously part of the town’s outdoor swimming pool – in May 1988.
Ally’s gamble on Smokey’s paid off and the West Links nightspot eventually became so popular that some A-listers would appear for just their petrol money.
Bally’s Nightlife opened for the Arbroath “smart set” from 9pm-2am, Friday and Saturday.
Entry was £2.50 and there was no admission after 11pm.
Sunday opening hours were from 9pm to 1am with 60p spirits all night.
There was the under-18s disco on Sunday and Bally’s over-30s nights on Wednesday, featured guests including Showaddywaddy and The Searchers with tickets £3.50.
Patrons were not expected to wear collar and tie but denims and trainers were banned.
Papering over the cracks
Not everything went according to plan before the doors opened, however.
The opening was only made possible when teams of Arbroath decorators worked flat out to complete the job after wallpaper was specially flown in from America.
Ally — who at the time ran his own wallpaper shop — wanted a metallic feature wall.
The paper was ordered from the US and cost over £100 a roll.
No expense was spared but the parcel was stuck in customs at Heathrow.
For weeks.
When it finally arrived, it was a race against time to finish the job.
But they did.
Bally’s opened 35 years ago this week with a special VIP event for family and friends and included dignitaries from Angus District Council and Tayside Regional Council.
Comedian Andy Cameron got the party started and Angus councillors were soon tripping the light fantastic as resident DJ Ron Stephen got behind the decks.
Bally’s Nightlife never looked back.
The 900-capacity nightclub officially opened to the public on Friday July 29 1988 where heartbreakers and dancefloor demons danced into the wee small hours.
What was it like at Bally’s in 1988?
The Courier reported: “The former Smokey’s disco on The Links in Arbroath has been extensively refurbished, with a dozen video monitors strategically positioned throughout the complex so that no one will miss out on anything.
“Engineers have just completed a major overhaul of the sound and light systems, which give resident DJ Ron Stephen the perfect surroundings to create a music mix that will appeal to a wide audience.
“However, owner Ally Bally has not settled solely to provide delightful surroundings but has also put a lot of work into attracting big names from showbiz to the nightspot.
“Appearing tomorrow night is Australian soap star Jason Donovan — or as he is better known to viewers, Scott of Neighbours.”
The Neighbours conveyor belt was courtesy of a friendship Ally struck up with club promoters Tony Cochrane and Brian Orr, who had great connections with record companies and stars from TV soaps including Home and Away and Neighbours.
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan’s on-screen Romeo and Juliet romance in Neighbours had spilled over into real life by the time Jason arrived in Arbroath.
Kylie arrived in secret alongside Jason and managed to go unrecognised by the punters as she watched her boyfriend from the back of the nightclub in the private VIP area.
Ally bought Kylie a drink from the bar and, at the same time, asked her to sign the visitors’ book, to which she replied: “Sorry, I’m having an autograph-free day today.”
Ally asked for his drink back!
The big stars kept coming and Ally proved he was a man of the people when a computer malfunction at Heathrow Airport left Neighbours fans disappointed in September 1988.
Clive Gibbons — played by Jeff Paine — was due to appear on the Friday night but planes were grounded and he didn’t arrive in Scotland until some 24 hours later.
The disappointed Neighbours fans were more than compensated when Ally granted everyone complimentary tickets for the star’s extended Saturday appearance.
Bally’s hosted most of the cast of Neighbours and Brookside during that period, along with new pop stars that were making their way up the charts, like Sonia and Big Fun.
Neighbours star Stefan Dennis was a Bally’s regular in the 1980s and legendary DJ David ‘Kid’ Jensen even brought the Network Chart Show roadshow to Bally’s.
It was a constant happy party atmosphere during the glory days.
I love it when a plan comes together…
Bally’s 30-strong staff were called The A-Team and included Margaret Wilkie from Arbroath, who was among the exclusive band of female security staff in Scotland.
Margaret, who lived with daughter Tracy in the town, was helping a friend arrange floral displays at Bally’s when she heard mention of vacancies on the security team.
She said: “It’s a super job and if you think about it properly, you will come to the same conclusion as I did – that security is all about making sure people enjoy themselves.
“It is nothing more sinister or dramatic than that.
“I sincerely believe that most folk respond when they are reasoned with, and I think that’s especially true when the reason is being applied by a woman.”
Bally’s Nightlife organised engagement events to keep people coming through the doors in those early weeks, including the “Tayside heat of Miss Stockings and Suspenders”.
The competition dodged the commissars of political correctness and the eventual winner walked away in her stiletto heels with the prize of a holiday for two in Paris.
Changed days, indeed!
Were you the smartest guy at Bally’s Nightlife in Arbroath?
The search was on for Tayside’s smartest teenagers in October 1988!
The Courier reported: “Bally’s Nightlife in Arbroath launched their regular under-18 nights last Sunday with a month-long campaign to find the ‘Smartest Girl and Guy’.
“Bally’s will have a fashion spy mingling with the dancers to spot their most fashionable customers of the night.
“Clothes vouchers worth £25 each will be awarded to the smartest girl and the smartest guy.
“The eight winners over four weeks will be invited back on Sunday October 30 and will have a chance of winning a super personal stereo.”
Bally’s became more than a nightclub and would cater for various events with Ally even putting on a barbecue out the back at the old swimming pool in the summer of 1989.
Ally gave up the nightclub in the early 1990s, after being promoted to programme controller at Radio Tay and deciding he could no longer burn the candle at both ends.
So, 35 years on, how does he look back on the experience?
Ally told me: “We took Bally’s on as a challenge and it was a worthwhile challenge.
“We opened it up to the community — the people of Arbroath made Bally’s special and we built it up into a place the people of Angus and the stars enjoyed coming to.
“Does it feel like 35 years have passed?
“Some days it feels like yesterday.
“I’ve so many happy — and bittersweet —memories wrapped up in Bally’s because my ex-wife Helen and my son Craig were there and both are sadly no longer with us.
“We couldn’t have done it without the support of our staff and customers.
“You think back to the nights where we had Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan here when they were the biggest stars on TV and you realise it was something special.
“Everyone had a blast.
“We finished at 2am and it would be 4am by the time we got cleared up and quite often on a Saturday night the staff would buy some drink and then head to the beach.
“It was crazy at times but so much fun.
“I’ve got a ‘memory box’ of photos from Bally’s, which I’ll pull out from time to time.
“They take me right back to 1988 and those special times.”
