ISLE OF WIGHT NIGHTCLUBS: COLONEL BOGEY’S – THE ICONIC NIGHTCLUB ON SANDOWN ESPLANADE

It’s now been almost 12 years since Colonel Bogey’s – which formerly graced Sandown Esplanade – shut its doors for the final time. At the time of its closure, at the end of 2012, Bogey’s was the only venue with a full nightclub license left on the Island. The iconic nightclub is gone but not most certainly not forgotten. For many Islanders, Bogey’s was the venue in which they got ‘wasted’ for the very first time, had their first kiss or met their lifelong partner. It was the first experience many teenagers growing up in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s had of a nightclub. Bogey’s was based in the Wight City complex, home to Sandown’s first Amusement Arcade, which opened in 1926. A dance hall was also based there, in which the ‘bright young things’ of the 1920s would have danced the Charleston. Wight City closed down during the war years when it was used as a factory for producing parts for the war effort. It reopened in 1947 when it became home to – among other things – dodgem cars and a cartoon cinema. With the advent of rock ‘n’ roll and the sounds of a jukebox blaring in the background, Wight City became the go-to place for teenagers in the 50s and 60s. In 1972, Colonel Bogey’s opened as a nightclub. It was then taken over by Wayne and Elizabeth Peak in 1982, who ran it until its closure in 2012. At the turn of the century, the Wight City block included the Jolly Sailor pub, an arcade and some holiday apartments above.

When Colonel Bogey’s was at its zenith, it played host to a Who’s Who of celebrity visitors. Atomic Kitten sang to a packed dancefloor at the Sandown nightclub in 2001 the night after they had appeared on Top of the Pops. 1 of their songs – Whole Again – had been co-written and produced by the former Isle of Wight disc jockey, Bill Padley.

A further famous band to make an appearance at Bogey’s was Take That, as they had been filming the video for I Found Heaven the seaside resort. The most famous DJ to appear at Bogey’s was the 1st to broadcast on BBC Radio One: Tony Blackburn.

1 celebrity who reputedly failed to gain admittance to Colonel Bogey’s was former heavyweight boxing world champion Frank Bruno, who was refused entry for wearing jeans. However, after some persuasion, he and his entourage were let into the legendary nightclub – so the story goes. Other celebrities to have appeared there include Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp and soap opera star Ricky Whittle, from Hollyoaks. The Eastenders cast were regulars too.

Islanders over 30 have pleasant and some iffy memories of the former nightclub. 1 former regular patron of Bogey’s can recall floating in the nearby boating lake, gazing at the stars after a hard night of nightclub partying. Another remembers emerging from a drunken stupor by careering down the big slide opposite the nightclub. Other favourite memories of partygoers include the Queen’s guard salutes, playing pool in the Jolly Sailor before venturing into the nightclub, the cheesy mushroom burgers from the burger van outside and the crazy journey home on the nightclubber bus. Less fondly remembered are the sticky carpets, the music being so loud it was impossible to talk, having to walk back to Newport or Ryde and feeling ‘like death’ the following day. The popular nightclub came close to closing before Christmas in 2010, when staff were given their notice. However, so many partygoers came to Bogey’s after hearing the venue was to shut down that it remained open for a further 2 years before finally closing its doors at the end of 2012.

Owner Wayne Peak had wanted to develop the whole block but was refused planning permission. In 2014, outline planning permission was granted for 47 residential apartments and a ground-floor restaurant and bar. In January 2017, the site was sold for £1.8million, and a fresh planning application was lodged in the Summer of that year for the construction of 47 residential dwellings with commercial floor space. In 2018, the former Wight City site was finally demolished. However, Colonel Bogey’s lives on in reunion parties. The last was held at Scruffy Jack’s on Sandown Pier on 2nd December 2023. Do you remember Colonel Bogey’s? Please tell us about all your memories in the comments…