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Paul Cooper, Operations Director, CJM Asset Management

One of the largest and newest nightclubs in the Humber region will stage its very last event on Thursday (July 6th) . . . when auctioneers put everything in the place under the hammer.

Built in October 1999 at a cost of one and a half million pounds . . . and with a capacity of 1,100 customers . . . Club 2000 closed its doors in March when the operating company put the business into liquidation.

It’s former boss John Hayes says the venue is just the latest victim of the catastrophic market conditions that have been created for the country’s nightclub industry by the liberalisation of the licensing laws.

Mr. Hayes is the Vice-chairman of the national nightclub trade organisation – the Bar, Entertainment and Dance Association of Great Britain. He said: “There is now a huge oversupply of licensed capacity. Scunthorpe can handle 12,000 drinkers and club-goers a night, when there are 4,000 out  – and that’s a good night.”

“For the first couple of years after we opened we were the most popular place in town. It was a case of one out, one in. There were queues around the block. Recently, despite major investment in refurbishment and re-branding, there were nights when there were less than a hundred people in the place.”

“It is not just a local problem. There are venues closing across the country. We were haemorrhaging money at such a rate that the options were to go bust or to go into liquidation.”

The club premises in Church Square in the centre of Scunthorpe have now been put up for sale and the liquidators, Begbies Traynor, have instructed industrial auctioneers CJM Asset Management to sell off the complete contents.

CJM Director Paul Cooper, who is heading the auction team, said: “The auction will see everything from the pint pots to the club’s high-tech dance floor sound and lighting systems go under the hammer.”

“Apart from all the bar and nightclub chairs, tables, sofas, glasses, tills and so on, the sale includes commercial quality catering equipment from the kitchens, plus office furniture and fittings.”

“The most valuable items are expected to be the two sound and lighting systems, both of which would have cost well into five figures when they were installed.  The smaller rig in the club’s café bar is expected to sell for around £2,000. The larger system installed in the main nightclub is expected to make around £4,000.”

“The auction also includes the club’s Yamaha Disklavier piano, which is the sort of instrument that handles the backing music from discs whilst you play. It is just five years old and could sell for £1,000 - £2,000.”

Paul added: “We’re expecting the auction to attract a lot of people who are in the hospitality business, including clubs, pubs, restaurants and other catering operations. That said there is quite a lot of stuff in here that will appeal to the public, ranging from sofas and bistro table sets through to the glassware and office equipment.”

In all Thursday’s sale at Church Square extends to 250 lots. The viewing session is from 8.30am until the start of the sale at Noon. Catalogues are available from CJM or can be downloaded free of charge from the firm’s website: www.cjmasset.com

For further information or comment please contact Paul Cooper at CJM Asset Management on 01724 334411.        

David Newman - Newman Walker Associates, 1st July 2006