SIR Paul McCartney will celebrate his 80th birthday on Saturday, June 18 but exactly 62 years earlier he was spending another landmark anniversary on stage at the Grosvenor Ballroom in Liscard.

Back in 1960, The Beatles became regulars at the venue when promoter Les Dodd grudgingly accepted his “strict tempo” evenings were no longer attractive to a teenage audience craving rock ‘n’ roll.

On Thursday, June 2, Dodd paid the Silver Beetles £10 to play at The Institute in Neston and two days later they were making their debut at the Grosvenor’s ‘big beat’ night.

By all accounts it could be a pretty fearsome place with regular fights breaking out on the dancefloor and The Beatles forced to keep playing as the skirmishes continued in front of them.

Monday, June 8 saw the band celebrate Whit bank holiday by playing alongside Gerry and the Pacemakers, while on June 11 they turned up at the Grosvenor without a drummer after Tommy Moore decided to quit the band. Unsure of what to do, John Lennon asked the crowd if anyone could play drums only for a local teddy boy known as Ronnie to clamber on stage and attempt to get behind the kit. Only a hasty intervention from Beatles manager Allan Williams saw the fearsome Ronnie removed and the Fab Four escape unharmed.

The following Saturday saw Paul celebrate his 18th birthday at the Grosvenor where The Beatles would make a total of 14 appearances.

To mark their former punter’s 80th, this Saturday night sees the venue hosting a special event featuring the Cavern Club’s resident beat group The Shakers, who will perform a set full of the songs The Beatles themselves would have played there over 60 years ago.

“Don’t expect anything past 1964!” laughed organiser Tony O’Keefe. “Songs from The Beatles’ original Grosvenor set list will be included as well as songs from other beat groups like Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, The Big Three and others.”

n For tickets (£12), go to ticketquarter.co.uk