Ballroom's centre stage once more; LEISURE: Families welcome return of historic city nightspot.

Byline: By Poppy Brady

THE businessman who is breathing new life into one of Birmingham's best loved nightspots won a round of applause from local people who are delighted the Tower Ballroom is about take centre stage again as a live entertainment venue.

Entrepreneur Liam O'Connor has taken the derelict ballroom, complete with its revolving stage, and spent almost half-a-million pounds restoring it to its former glory.

Its grand reopening with a champagne reception will take place on Thursday, April 3, with 1960s stars Mike Pender's Searchers, the Mersey beats and the Cufflinks.

Residents at Ladywood's ward committee clapped as Mr O'Connor explained how he hoped to extend the 25-year lease he had secured with the building's owners Countrywide Homes.

Countrywide had been hoping to build flats on the picturesque site at the edge of Edgbaston Reservoir, but the city council refused to agree to a change of use for the land, so Countrywide abandoned the proposal.

Rev Richard Tetlow, vicar of St John's Ladywood, said: "We are delighted that the Tower is opening again as it's always been a valuable community facility."

Resident Roger Bethune added: "We are glad that you have taken over the Tower and therefore put a stop to that outrageous development planned for the site.

"Ladywood has already lost far too many facilities so this is good news.

Billy Butlin first opened the Tower and I hope you'll be as famous as him."

Coun Carl Rice (Lab, Ladywood) said: "You already have the admiration of local residents but I think you could achieve iconic status if you managed to tidy up the ugly part of the Tower which overhangs the reservoir, perhaps with better lighting."

As a lifelong supporter of Chelmsley Wood Boxing Club, Limerick-born Mr O'Connor, who also runs the Kerryman pub in Digbeth, said he was planning amateur and professional boxing matches and wanted to hold regular daytime bingo sessions, possibly on Wednesdays.

He said he has also had a lot of inquiries from the Asian community about the venue being used for weddings.

The Tower will also play an active role in the Ladywood Games and the run around the reservoir Rezathon in June.

Its prime aim is to attract an over-25s audience. Other entertainers already booked in during April and May include the American Four Tops, Abba UK, Joe Longthorne, the American Drifters, the Extreme Supremes and the Union Gap.

These will be advertised regularly in the Birmingham Mail and the Tower is also having a website constructed. To book tickets ring 0121 711 8735.

Opening night tickets are pounds 16 including a glass of bubbly.

CAPTION(S):

TOWER OF STRENGTH... entrepreneur Liam O'Connor at the site of the ballroom.