Town centre nightspot to '˜party on' as it faces closure

The B52’s bar and eaterie in Piries Place, Horsham, is to shut its doors for the last time on December 31 to make way for redevelopment in the area.

But until then manager Stephen Threlfall says it will be a case of ‘party on.’ The B52’s has been a leading nightspot for the past 23 years.

Stephen said the closure was sad, but that the bar planned to celebrate the good times. “It’s the end of an era. There are a lot of people who have come through these doors over the years.

“Thousands of people have memories of happy times, party times, how they met their other half, got married, had kids.

“Over the next seven months I want to reminisce on the part the B52’s has played in so many lives.”

The nightspot, launched by owner Alan Renfrew in 1994 as a Tex Mex American-style bar, went on to play a major role in Horsham’s entertainment scene over the decades.

And it’s not planning to give up until the very last day of business on New Year’s Eve. Until then, a series of ‘countdown to closure’ fun events are in the pipeline.

Stephen, 40, who has himself worked at the B52’s for 20 years, is hoping that people will get together at the nightspot and share their memories and photos. “We’re going to have some special events throughout the year.”

In the meantime, he paid tribute to the many customers, and staff, who have helped make the nightspot a success over the years. “I’d like to say a massive thank-you to them all.”