Many of us wish we had a time machine so we could return to the glory days and fully appreciate a world without stress, unexplained pains and social media but, sadly, they haven’t quite been invented yet. One Derby nightclub claimed to have one though and, even though we’re 99% sure it didn’t work, it probably helped it become a popular place to go.
Berlins, in Becket Street, began life as an education office but was converted into one of the best places to go in Derby. In 2001 it became Aruba before shutting for good a few years later. The building, built in 1865, remains empty today.
The time machine was added following a refurbishment in 1996 and was a hit with punters. It was one of a number of marketing ploys used to keep people coming back to the club, with competition from lots of other popular venues in the city.
One incentive was, if you got the bus from Derby to Mackworth in the mid-90s, you’d get a ticket entitling you to three bottles of Carling for the bargain-basement price of £1.50 at Berlin’s on a Wednesday night.
Share your memories of Berlins, or Aruba, in the comments and check out our other pictures from Zanzibar and The Pink Coconut.
GRAND KARAOKE COMPETITION AT BERLINS, BECKET STREET, WITH RAM FM AND THE DET.CONTESTANT ROBIN CARSON
LETS PARTY…..AT BERLINS BAR.CHRIS TOWLSON, MARTIN CLAYTON, KEVIN MCDONALD-WILLIAMSON, HEATHER CAIREY (18 (IN RED)) GRAEME TURNER, CHERYL CHESTER.
PARTY NIGHT AT BERLINS , BECKET STREET – SCREAMING GIRLS AS THE HOME AND AWAY STAR DEITER BRUMMER GETS UP ON STAGE
PARTY NIGHT AT BERLINS , BECKET STREET – L/R BACK RUSSELL ASHLEY (19), AARON FORSTER (18). FRONT L/R SIMON TOOGOOD (18), STEVEN CAVES (19).
PARTY NIGHT AT BERLINS , BECKET STREET – L/R JO MARPLES (18), IAN MORLEY (18), ELLIE EASTWOOD (18).
LETS PARTY AT BERLINS , BECKET STREET : L/R PAUL CHEEMA (32), LANCE HEWITT (24), MARK HARGREAVES (33).
LETS PARTY AT BERLINS , BECKET STREET : L/R JULIE HALES (20), NATASHA GOLDING (20), DAWNE JENKINS (21).
LETS PARTY AT BERLINS , BECKET STREET : L/R STEVE HIGGINS (18), BARRY WILSON (24), JAMES PRIME (19).
LETS PARTY AT BERLINS , BECKET STREET : HALEY DERBYSHIRE (21), PHIL ROSS (27), KIRSTY RANDALL (20)
LETS PARTY…..AT BERLINS BAR.JANETTE GRIFFITHS , SARAH BATTY, JOE MAXWELL , LYNN BREKLEY, JACQUI WEB, MARK BATTY, RACHEAL MATKIN , JULIE ARMSTRONG , SARAH UFTON , DAVE GOODMAN , GRAEME TURNOR.
COLIN HIGGENS (RIGHT) 18 , AND ADAM HINKLEY 18, .AT BERLINS
LETS PARTY…..AT BERLINS BAR.MYLES BRESBURY , PAUL CHEEMA , MARK HARGREAVES , LANCE HEWITT.
LETS PARTY…..AT BERLINS BAR.MICHAEL SLETANM AND HELEN EDWARDS ARE BOTH DEDICATED D.E.T. READERS.
LETS PARTY…..AT BERLINS BAR.DONNA CURTEY (19) SARAH PEARCE (26), JUDE CLARKE (24).