Warning: Contains racist and outdated language that may offend.
My name is Lisa, and my dad owned the Reno nightclub in Manchester.
He'd lived in Nigeria his whole life, he knew where he was, there wasn't
the scope to do anything.
But he had a vision from being really young that he wanted to do more and he thought the
opportunity is to go on a ship and try and make his way here.
He was looking at the premises of the Reno and opposite there was a big pub on
the corner with glittering lights.
He went into the pub and asked for a Guinness and the barman said: "We don't serve monkeys
in here."
And he pointed to a large wooden barrel at the side of the bar that people were throwing
dead ends of their pints in and he said to my dad: "Monkeys drink out of there."
My dad said: "One day I will have a bar, I will remind you of this."
Many years later, he managed to get a liquor licence, opened the Reno, the owner of the
pub on the corner came over and he was like: "Can I get a Red Stripe?"
So my dad said: "You don't remember me?"
So he said: "No, I've never met you."
So he said: "Yeah, I came in your place, asked for a drink, this is what you told me."
The man was really embarrassed and said: "I'm so sorry, it's wrong, can you forgive me?"
And my dad said: "Yes everybody is entitled to make a mistake."
I think the Reno was a great destination for everyone because it was a safe place, it was
inclusive for all.
I suppose mainly it was black but there was a really nice mix of a lot of white women,
and then obviously a lot of mixed culture coming from the marriages of
black men with white women.
And other places you would go, I think they would be ridiculed, be made to feel uncomfortable.
Whereas, anybody who went down there would have a good time and would feel welcome.
My dad had previously gone to Montreal to see Muhammad Ali fight.
A year, maybe 18 months later, Muhammad Ali came to Manchester, England, and came to the
club and brought him a gift, which was a gold boxing glove that Muhammad Ali had received
for one of his fights.
Them days the police were very harassing.
They were very harassing to people and very aggressive with black people.
They're not like they are today.
The rioting in Moss Side was brief but such
was the legacy of tension and bitterness left after just two nights of disorder that Greater
Manchester Council decided a speedy inquiry was essential if peace was to restored to
the community.
It wasn't long after that that they forced my dad to close the Reno.
They made an excuse of, they were extending Princess Road, which,
fair enough, granted they can say they've extended it I don't know how many metres,
it wasn't necessary.
Music is a stress reliever for everybody.
So to take away venues where music is being played and black people were able to relax
and let go of all their worries that the race wars were causing, is then going to cause
a lot more tension.
So this is the spot where the Reno used to be.
It's hard to believe because it's just wasteland now, with a billboard, which has been like
this for many years since.
I think my dad was quite upset to see it demolished.
It was his legacy, he did build a really good vision that was everything he wanted it to
be and I think everybody else enjoyed what he created.
I certainly did and I'm really proud of him.