THE Top Storey Club was destined for a brief life.

The club was started in December 1960 by Mr Stanley Wilcock, who originally rented the building for his business, Gregg Construction Company which made kitchen furniture.

Then he had the idea of converting the upper two floors for use as a night club.

In March, 1961, he sold the club to a Mr Denis Wilson of Manchester, but continued to run Gregg Construction on the ground floor.

Mr Wilson had an associate, 53-year-old Richard Sorrensen, formerly called Rawlinson.

After the fire, rumours spread that Manchester underworld characters had a grudge against Sorrensen and had threatened to wreck the club. These stories were never confirmed.

However, the owners of the building were very concerned about a club of this type being operated in the premises. They considered the building unsuitable.

The first they had learned about the club being there had been an advert in the BEN.

At 10.35pm on May 1 one of the building owners, Mr Norman Balshaw, went to the building to give the club owners notice to quit.

He saw Wilson and Sorrensen in the club office on the ground floor. He told them the club tenancy would not be continued, and that they must be out by June 24.

The two men returned upstairs to join customers. They had only been back 10 to 15 minutes when the tape recorder paused, and club manager Bill Bohannon smelled smoke.

Both Wilson and Sorrensen died in the blaze.