Those of a certain vintage may remember the Spiders Nightclub on Scotch Street; a small but iconic space where many memories were made… although a fair few may be a little clouded thanks to an over consumption of certain beverages!
Hazy recollections aside, the walls of the Spiders undoubtedly hold many untold (probably for the best) secrets.
Today, it lies in a sorry state of repair. Almost cave-like from the back entrance, the building – previously the Spider’s Rest snooker hall before its nightclub transformation – has been partially torn down to reveal its inner skeleton.
Rainwater now streams through the dilapidated remnants of roof and pools among the cracked and missing floor tiles of the former dancefloor below.
And – living up to its name – every nook and cranny has been taken over by all manner of creepy crawlies… and a few roosting pigeons to boot!
But hope is on the horizon, for Little Barrack Street’s famous Vibe church have now secured all the necessary planning permissions to transform the derelict former home of magic, memories and music – with Calverts Tavern to the front – into a safe and thriving hub for the whole community.
Within the next year the team behind Vibe, led by Pastors Darryl Bain and Ian Liggett, will oversee construction for ‘Project Possible’ in a number of phases.
They aren’t shy in admitting that the project’s investment will total £2 million by the time it’s completed… but they truly believe the city is crying out for their vision to become a reality.
Once complete, their new building will boast three storeys replete with a new café, coffee shop, youth space with pool tables and rock climbing wall, an indoor soft play space and a state-of-the-art 300 seat auditorium.
All of their spaces will be open to the public as well as being made available for private hire.
They also have plans to build a stunning, open-air roof top terrace!
Vibe provide year long community support through youth club provision, food drives, counselling services and countless other initiatives. They see approximately 1000 people from far and wide through their doors every week and this is continuing to grow!
Project Possible is entirely crowd-funded and support from the local community is warmly welcomed. You can find out more and make a contribution to this exciting new installation here.
