Zion nightclub attercliffe

[dongle]

anybody ever been in this place? i have driven past it a few times and always thought it was a strange place for a club, but i looks like its gone down the same path as donkeymans

 

http://go.sheffieldforum.co.uk/?id=203X323&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestar.co.uk%2Fheadlines%2FSheffield-nightclubs-closure-order-reviewed.5944899.jp

[Yog Sothoth]

I know "Mr Gambinga", the licensee. He's a lovely man, new father, a poet and a gentlemn. It would be a shame if hard-acting so-called gangsters ended up bringing closure on his club. He tried hard to create a chilled out plce where everone was welcome, but once people like them get a foothold, it's hard to get them out, as Niche proved.

[zion]

there's a whole range of reasons why the things have gooten to where they are now. if you read the papers you would think people die there by the bucket loads every weekend. this is not the case. of the 23 'serious' incidents reported in the news paper some time back only one ended up with someone needing an ambulance. and, true, if it were up to me, once is too much. near half of the 23 complaints were 'noise' complains made by prostitutes from a brothel across the road. the council says the place is registered as a residential area so they have a right to complain last i checked prostitution was illigal. but they raided the club and the brothel is going strong still. the report has 'incidents' like 'a cab driver reports that two males he dropped off at the club said they had guns...' the list continues.

now this is not to say it's harrasment or some such thing( though it is not very far from it) from the police. too long a list to go in to.

now, on my end i went into all this somewhat naively. I HAVE MADE A LOT OF ROOKIE MISTAKES AND AM JUST AS RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THE SITUATION TO WHERE IT IS NOW. believing if you treat people like humans they will return the curtesy.I WAS WRONG. the majority of people are good people. they are people who like me, can't get into any club in town for the most part because, 'not tonight mate' or 'not with those shoes' when everyone else is wearing the same shoes....

but there's the selective few bumholes who mess it up for everyone. I FAIL, AND I HAVE TRIED, TO UNDERSTAND THE KIND OF MENTALITY THAT, BEFORE A NIGHT OUT, PUT THEIR WALLET PHONE AND BREATH MINTS IN THEIR POCKETS...AND THEN ADD A KNIFE!!!it is these few that have messed it up. and the police, to be frank, have been impotent for the most part. example-A GUY PULLED A KNIFE OUT OF A COP. IT TOOK NO LESS THAN 4 OF THENM TO WRESTLE HIM TO THE GROUND. THEY TOOK HIM. HE WAS BACK ON THE STREETS THE NEXT DAY. IF SOMEONE CAN DO THAT AND BE BACK ON THE STREET THE NEXT DAY, WHAT HOPE IS THERE?? THE HAVE SAID 'THERE ARE KNOWN CRIMINAL ELEMENTS GOING INTO THE CLUB'. MY QUESTION, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SUFFICIENTLY ANSWERED, IS 'IF THEY ARE KNOWN BY THE POLICE TO BE CRIMINALS WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING ON THE STREETS?

[BertieBasset]

this was an extract of your post last April Zion.....

 

"been looking around for the right premises to open a pub/bar/coffee house/art gallery/open mic spot/druming, dancing etc classes/second hand book and clothes swap spot/ gift shop/come in with your own drink and just chill out and read your book without buying anything kind of spot"

 

My question is, how come the:

 

"pub/bar/coffee house/art gallery/open mic spot/druming, dancing etc classes/second hand book and clothes swap spot/ gift shop"

 

turned into the a re-incarnation of Donkeymans?

[zion]

i don't know if you ever went to donkeymans, but i did quite a bit when it was open and saw no more trouble than, say, embrace or other clubs in town. just that it is 'better' news to cover some places rather than others.

anyway, to answer your question= the main reason it became 'the new donkeyamans' was inexperience on my part. many an amature mistakes made. from not so clever decisions with security, hiring the wrong kind of managers etc to trusting the police to act like the 'police' and offering some inforamation i am now told by other club owners, and have since been proven right, will be used to beat you on the head. to calling them for help and tips only for that to be construed as 'inability to handle situation'.

if you do look at other posts subsequent to that one i did advertise for events ranging from open mic poetry nights, break dance nights, open mic acoustic nights etc. and also tried to run a scheme (advertised in the musicians section of the forum) for free rehearsal space on the proviso that whoever took this up would have to teach a young person to play some instrument for free. also advertised for free african drumming and dancing lessons.

there were no takers for the most part as word spread from people that had never been there that it was as you said 'the new donkey mans.'

still kept at it until the stone cold fact of incomings and out goings meant that the plan had to be tweaked. still did and advertised for the same things for sundays and most midweek nights.

as for the donkey mans issue, i suppose it makes no difference to mention that most of the afro caribbean, african international students came all the time. a lot professional people came the same. along with the one or two undesirables. it's a sad fact these tend to be more visible than the silent majority. and it makes better news to report the bad.

a break down of the police reports shows there were 7 reports specifically for violence. once was an ambulance required. there were two reports of gun sightings both of which proved to either be mistaken, false or, depending on who's looking, frivilous. no gun was ever found. a few people were arrested for possession of weed.

there were no less than 25 'noise complaints' from 'residents' across the road. i told and reported to the police than the place was a brothel and they went in even saw that it was but while zion got no less than 2 'licence checks' a night i never once saw anything beign done about the brothel...whose occupant were riled because they tried to do their business in my place and i barred them.

two people got caught with knives. nothing of substance ever was done to them.

i list this to try and show, one, that the place strayed from the dream that was zion, and two, to see if someone can explain why some places in town that have ambulances pretty much parked outside and running a shuttle system to and from hospital, where people have been shot etc and the guy in the toilet selling 'perfumes' is near enough openly trading coke , pills etc are still open and for the most part go un reported.

[Mayfield]

I met Mr Gambinga last week at Zion and his vision of the club sounds quite promising.

 

"A strange place for a club" why because it's not in the centre of town?

 

A report by PC Gillian Parker said police feared Zion, which opened in June in the venue formerly called Platinum Lounge and Bar-celona, was becoming "a haven for gang-related members" - So what were the police doing about this? Probably watching and taking notes from the buidings opposite it:hihi:

 

It's a sad reality that some people carry knives, but this could be any club or pub in town.

[sheffbloomer]

Zion, I commend you and your ideas.

No matter what peoples thoughts are on your club, I truly believe you had the best of intentions and wanted to make a relaxed place for people to be themselves.

I hope it sorts itself out and the trouble makers clear off.

[Yog Sothoth]

Hear Hear, sheffbloomer.

Best luck to you Mr Gambinga.