Kirklevington

infobox UK place

country = England
official_name= Kirklevington
population = 1,295
unitary_england= Stockton-on-Tees
region= North East England
lieutenancy_england= North Yorkshire
constituency_westminster= Stockton South
post_town= Yarm
postcode_area= TS
postcode_district= TS15
dial_code= 01642
os_grid_reference= NZ429097
latitude= 54.4812
longitude= -1.3386

Kirklevington (also known as Kirk Leavington) is a village in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees, and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated just outside the town of Yarm.

As an ancient parish, it included the townships of Castlelevington, Picton and Low Worsall, which became established as separate parishes in 1866. [cite web
url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Kirklevington/Kirklevington90.html
title=GENUKI: Kirklevington Parish information from Bulmers' 1890.
publisher=www.genuki.org.uk
accessdate=2008-07-27
last=
first=] It formed part of the Stokesley Rural District from 1894 to 1974, when it became part of the borough of Stockton.The village was once home to the famous Kirklevington Country Club.

The village which covers a larger area than is typical for a village is mostly relatively modern. It includes a church, village hall, a small public park, a primary school, a riding centre at Town End Farm, a theatre library, Vidgen's engineering garage and The Crown Hotel which is a pub serving food.

Kirklevington Country Club

The village was once home to the famous Kirklevington Country Club, 'The Kirk',cite web
url=http://smogsblog70.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html
title=Smoggy Blog: September 2006
publisher=smogsblog70.blogspot.com
accessdate=2008-07-27
last=
first=] which saw many of the bands of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s appearing on its small stage. These included Eric Clapton (Cream), Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, Zoot Money, George Melly, [cite web
url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/apr/20/morrisseyandapaininthear
title=Gay lyrics and bum notes | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
publisher=guardian.co.uk
accessdate=2008-07-27
last=
first=] Terry Reid, Simple Minds, Yes, Mott the Hoople, Buddy Guy, Paul Young, The Alan Bown Set, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds, Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, Spooky Tooth,the Jeff Beck Group (feat. Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood) Chris Rea, Paul Rodgers, David Coverdale, Marc Almond / Soft Cell etc. many of whom went on to superstardom.

The club premises were (pre World War II) a filling station/garage, situated on the old A19 York road leading north to Newcastle and Sunderland. During the 1950s a local dance band leader Tommy Reay converted a large 1st floor room, and built extensions to form an out-of-town (Stockton/Middlesbrough) dance hall, which often also catered as a "pre-motorway" service 'road-stop' for early car-borne travellers , and especially those revellers heading home northwards from race-meetings at York and Doncaster.

In the mid 1960s the Club was purchased by local band leader John Benedict McCoy (whose R&B band "The Crawdaddies" already had a regular following there) and his partner Ken Crawford. John McCoy had already proved himself well enough in touch with bands on 'the rise up' as early as 1963 by booking the Rolling Stones for £40 "($80)" and The Hollies at a his previous venue "The Outlook" in Middlesbrough. On Saturday 13 July 1963 both The Hollies and The Rolling Stones appeared on the same bill at "The Outlook", in fact this was the Rolling Stones first booking out of London on their first UK tour. In Bill Wyman's book "Rolling With The Stones" (a detailed journal of his time with the band) he is adamant that this booking was at a Middlesbrough club called the Alcove. However there was never a club in Middlesbrough with this name and an advertisement for this double booking at the "The Outlook" appeared in the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette [cite web
url=http://picture.stockton.gov.uk/photos/t9532.aspx
title=Outlook Club Advertisement - Picture Stockton (Photographs)
publisher=picture.stockton.gov.uk
accessdate=2008-08-02
last=
first=] the previous night. At another small venue "Mr McCoys" John Benedict McCoy had also booked Stevie Wonder and The Who.

During the 1960s, before widespread car ownership The Kirklevington Country Club proved incredibly popular, even though its North Yorkshire location was quite remote from local towns. Weekend nights at the "Kirk" were extremely popular and many clubgoers would catch the early evening country-bus service there, and then be found hitch-hiking home along the roadsides in the early hours.

By the early 1970s John McCoy had given over part of the building to his brothers Peter, Tom & Eugene McCoy [cite web
url=http://icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/columnists/mondayinterview/tm_objectid=14055199&method=full&siteid=50080&headline=the-real-mccoy--name_page.html
title=icTeesside - The real McCoy!
publisher=icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk
accessdate=2008-07-27
last=
first=] to open a restaurant. They then went onto establish McCoys at The Tontine, now a U.K. and internationally acclaimed gourmet dining venue, some 5-miles down the A19, near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire. ("See also Baltic Arts Centre Restaurant", Newcastle upon Tyne).

In the late 1970s John McCoy became personal manager of Middlesbrough born singer/songwriter Chris Rea. By the early 1980s after extensive touring, he handed over management to Jim Beach ("manager of" Queen) and came back to expand the Club to include a unique bar and grill restaurant "Martha's Vineyard" - which proved so popular it quickly required at least 14-day advance table reservations. However, a new venture in Darlington, "Perry's", around 1991 proved unsuccessful and eventually led to that venue, and The Kirklevington Country Club, being sold in the mid 1990s.

The new owners massively expanded the Club, which meant that it lost much of its previous 'intimate' attraction, being previously a mere 350 capacity. The business eventually failed, and the building was inevitably sold, then demolished, for the erection of a group of 'faux' cottage style homes. A plaque, or commemorative stone, relating to this popular, seminal, and by now historic venue, is long overdue on this site.

References

External links

* [http://www.kirklevingtonridingcentre.co.uk Riding school]
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Kirklevington/index.html Kirklevington parish]