Back in the Blue Room days

Back in the Blue Room days

Valley Hotel patrons with fond memories of evenings spent at the hotel’s old Blue Room bar in the 70s and 80s enjoyed a rare chance to re-live those memories recently when the Fivemiletown venue staged a reunion get-together.

The Blue Room bar at the Valley Hotel in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, quickly became a local institution after it opened its doors in 1979. It was the first, official front bar at the hotel after a bomb in 1971 had de-railed the Williamson family’s original plans for developing their fledgling business.

Undaunted, however, they had run their bar facilities from a temporary lounge at the rear of the hotel as they gathered funds to re-instate the building.

The Blue Room got its name from its uniquely 80s décor, in particular its distinctive blue velvet cubicles. Between 1979 and 2002 – when it was replaced by Bar Loco – the Blue Room offered drinks, food and live entertainment to a very appreciative audience – a great many of whom turned up for the reunion festivities.

“We decided that the reunion would be a good idea because we were constantly hearing customers in the hotel talking about the old Blue Room days,” Lisa Williamson told LCN recently. “They were always reminiscing about the old days and we thought it would be nice to bring them all back together for a night.”

blue 5
Together again, this group of former Blue Room staff are (from left) Harold Walker, Dungannon; Alan Williamson; John Williamson, owner of the Valley Hotel and Mable Jess, a former member of the bar staff.

Among the 100 or so guests who came back to the hotel for the evening were former staff members Harold Walker, Mable Jess, Jenny and Trevor Gibb and Ted Wilmont, a former general manager during the 80s and 90s who flew over from London to attend. Former Blue Room doormen, Trevor Kerr and Ian and John Stables were also there, as was Alan Williamson, who began his career at the Valley before eventually becoming bar manager at The Europa Hotel in Belfast.

All of them enjoyed a wine reception on arrival at the Valley, when they were greeted by John Williamson MBE, who, along with his wife, Sally, bought the business in May 1970. During the reunion, they were entertained by Noel Brady, a local musician who often played in the old Blue Room and DJ Nigel Downey, also a regular on the bill at the Blue Room.

Following the event, Lisa Williamson revealed that the gathering had been such a success that the possibility of a Flamingo night club re-union is now being considered. The Flamingo operated at the Valley Hotel between 1984 and 1997, when it was replaced by the Calema Club.

blue 2
Sally Williamson with Heather Heatherington and Ted Wilmont.