With its illuminated glass dance floor, smart dress code and late-night atmosphere, Julisa’s was once a memorable Ventnor nightspot.
When it opened on Zig Zag Road in Ventnor on 20th June 1970, it promised something different. Perched behind the Royal Hotel, it was marketed as the Isle of Wight’s newest discotheque and aimed to bring a touch of sophistication to the Island’s nightlife scene.
The club opened with considerable fanfare. Among those attending the launch was Radio One DJ Dave Cash, one of the best-known voices on British radio at the time.
Inside, customers found a venue unlike anything many Islanders had experienced before. Julisa’s featured a resident DJ, waitress service, membership scheme and what advertisements described as an “exciting round glass dance floor”. Waitresses in hotpants added to the club’s contemporary image. It opened from 20:30 until 02:00 and, on Friday and Saturday evenings, gentlemen were expected to wear jackets and ties.
At a time when discos were rapidly replacing dance bands across Britain, Julisa’s arrived at exactly the right moment. Soul, Tamla, rock and reggae all featured prominently, attracting a mix of Islanders and holidaymakers eager to dance into the early hours.
Julisa’s quickly established itself as one of the Island’s most fashionable nightspots.
One former customer recalled:
“The best – by far – of the Island’s nightclubs. So sophisticated. Was there the night it opened – courtesy of Radio One’s Dave Cash. Lovely little alcoves. Fabulous circular illuminated dance floor. Every Saturday night – the only place to go in the seventies!”
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Another visitor recalled:
“First went to Julisa’s as a 17-year-old. Made a huge impression on me. Such a special venue. As mentioned the glass dance floor was memorable.”
Another former customer remembered:
“The music was always great there and of course the lights in the circular dance floor.”
Not all the memories are glamorous.
“You got a wet back if you leant on the walls as it was so damp!”
Another summed it up more simply:
“Oh yes, loved it, sticky carpet and glass dance floor.”
Food was also part of a night out at Julisa’s. Burgers, chicken and sausages were served to hungry clubbers enjoying an evening in Ventnor.
One customer recalled:
“Loved Julisa’s, great music, whacky dancefloor and burgers to die for (or to be killed by depending on how well they were cooked).”
Another remembered:
“Got drunk in there a few times. Always remember the bloke who cooked the burgers with a fag in his mouth with a great long line of ash hanging off it, wondering if it was going to fall in.”
Although Julisa’s had closed by the mid-1980s, the building did not immediately lose its connection with music. Former musicians remember local bands using the venue for rehearsal sessions long after the nightclub had shut its doors.
Today, the building survives in a dilapidated condition and is used for storage, a far cry from the days when crowds gathered on Zig Zag Road for a night beneath the lights of its famous glass dance floor.
For some people, Julisa’s became part of their life story.
One former customer recalled meeting his future wife there in August 1975:
“This is where I met my wife for the first time in August 1975. We have now been married for 47 years and have had 4 children and live happily in the south-west of France.
“I am French but stayed 3 years on the Isle of Wight after my studies and we regularly visit our relatives in Ventnor and friends on the Island.”
Do you remember Julisa’s, its famous dance floor or nights out in Ventnor during the 1970s? Share your memories in the comments below.
