A pianist who first met his wife as he performed at Hamilton’s iconic The Trocadero club in the 1950s was among the special guests to get the first glimpse of a hotel’s new restaurant which has been inspired by the historic venue.
Ian Curran first met Noreen on St Patrick’s day in 1967 at The Trocadero as he performed with his band SUEDE.
And the couple have now been happily married for a whopping 53 years.
The couple were among the guests to visit Crossbasket Castle, in High Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, for a trip down memory lane.
They were joined by over 20 other local friends, families and couples, who had shared their experiences of the historic dancehall as part of the launch of the new Trocadero’s at five-star hotel Crossbasket Castle – with the menu being overseen by iconic Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
Amongst the special guests was former drummer Ian Henderson and original resident singer, Moira Hernon, who performed under the stage name as Kim Paige.
After auditioning for the star spot at just 18-years-old, Moira performed at The Trocadero six-nights-a-week, becoming a local celebrity.
She even appeared on television as the Navy’s ‘pin-up girl,’ replacing actress Diana Dors.
Moria, now 90-years-old, became one of the first to dine at the new restaurant which opened last month.
The new restaurant was inspired by the iconic Hamilton venue. With a vision to transport guests back to a magical bygone era, Trocadero’s has one of the one of the most sophisticated live performance set-ups in Britain. Performers will take to the stage seven-nights-a-week.
Moira said: “The Troc, as we all called it, was marvellous. I auditioned at 18-years-old and sang alongside Dave Muir and the band for nearly two years, until I got married.
“It was a very special place. They bought me my first long dress and changed my hair style. In the 1950s, you needed to be dressed up to perform on stage and I absolutely loved it.
“I sang every night, while my friends danced and enjoyed themselves. And then each morning I had to go out and learn the new songs and keys for the next day.
“I could have gone further with my singing career. I made a record called ‘Blue Moon’ and was about to star in a TV show, but I met my husband Danny and decided I wanted to have a family. I went on to have four beautiful children.
“It’s great that Crossbasket Castle are paying tribute to The Trocadero. It has brought back so many happy memories, and I love the new restaurant. It looks incredible and really captures the essence of The Troc.”
Ian Henderson added: “I played in a group called Tangerine Atmosphere, during the era of Bay City Rollers, before they went on to make a name for themselves.
“For some reason Dave Muir had a rule that to only five person bands could play, but we managed to get on stage as a four piece. I found out only recently that it was because we were so popular that he was happy to go against his own rule and keep booking us.
“It was a classy place and a lovely place to visit, even as a teenager. And now it is so wonderful to have the legacy continue with the new Trocadero’s and to have a place locally where you can be entertained and enjoy great food.”
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