1970: Sheffield's Haunted Nightclub | Nationwide | Weird and Wonderful |...

🕰️ Timeline of the Cavendish / Baileys Nightclub (Sheffield)

1960s — The Cavendish Club opens (Bank Street)

• A stylish, modern nightclub in the heart of Sheffield.

• Known for cabaret acts, go‑go dancers, and a glamorous interior.

• Quickly becomes one of the city’s busiest nightspots.

Late 1960s — Early 1970s — Peak popularity

• The club is thriving, pulling in big crowds and touring performers.

• This is the era captured in the 1970 BBC Nationwide “poltergeist” report, where staff claimed a 7‑foot ghost called Mr Fox haunted the venue.

• The club’s reputation grows — both for entertainment and for the haunting.

Early–Mid 1970s — Rebranded as Baileys

• The Cavendish name fades and the venue becomes Baileys, part of a national chain of cabaret clubs.

• Baileys hosts major acts: comedians, singers, variety performers.

• It becomes a cornerstone of Sheffield’s nightlife, especially for big show nights.

Late 1970s — Decline of the cabaret era

• Changing tastes and rising competition begin to hit cabaret clubs across the UK.

• Baileys continues trading but the golden age is fading.

1980s — Closure and repurposing

• The original Bank Street building stops operating as a nightclub.

• The site is gradually absorbed into Sheffield’s business/office district.

• The nightlife energy shifts toward West Street, Division Street, and later the Leadmill area.

1990s–2000s — The Cavendish name returns (but in a new place)

• A new venue called The Cavendish opens on West Street, but this is not the same building as the original club.

• It’s a modern pub/bar aimed at students and young drinkers — cheap drinks, sport on screens, food deals.

Today — Two different legacies

Bank Street (original site)

• The old Cavendish/Baileys building is no longer a nightlife venue.

• The area is quieter, part of the legal/creative quarter.

West Street (modern Cavendish)

• A busy pub that carries the name but not the history.

• The original ghost, glamour, and cabaret magic belong to Bank Street.

🎯 In short

The nightclub in the BBC ghost clip went through this arc:

Cavendish → Baileys → closure → building repurposed → name revived elsewhere

A proper Sheffield story — nightlife, reinvention, and a bit of supernatural folklore.

If you want, I can also:

• map the exact Bank Street location

• show what the street looks like today

• build a “nightlife map” of Sheffield in 1970

• or dig into the Mr Fox haunting in more detail

Just tell me where you want to go next.