Quay Clubs - Commercial Road

These buildings were two clubs and a restaurant on the quay, called Tiffany's and Mambo - in January 2009, the operating company Lifestyle Enterprises announced that they were not able to extend their lease with Enterprise Inns, the owners. The clubs have closed, although the operators announced that they will reopen at another venue in the city in the future.

They had a reputation as having a lively atmosphere and were better left to the young! Tiffany's gained some publicity for being Exeter's first 'pole dancing' club, although it was described as adult entertainment, with many writing to the local paper in protest.

The first clubs

John Portley, an Exeter born accountant, was responsible for opening the derelict warehouse as clubs. It was in 1964 or '65 that he acquired the lease of the empty premises in Commercial Road. He opened the Quay Club Disco in one half of the building, with the intention of sub-letting the other half to subsidise the rent. Unfortunately, he couldn't find a suitable tenant so he turned it into the more upmarket, Tiffany's. The dress code prohibited jeans, t-shirts and long hair – some girls would carry scissors to trim their boyfriends hair at the entrance, if they were refused entry.

Boxes and Boogies on the quay

The two clubs were so successful that he opened branches of Tiffany's in Torquay and Plymouth. Tiffany's was the top nightspot in Exeter in the late 1960's and 70's and was voted the second best nightclub in Britain for good behaviour.

David Bowie performed there on 17th October, 1969 while during the 70's, Mud performed their hits Dyna-Mite, Tiger Feet, Lonely This Christmas and KC and the Sunshine Band performed That's The Way I like It and Please Don't Go. Top DJs like Dave Lee Travis also appeared alongside the Tiffany's in-house band, Big T with local, Tony Osborne on vocals.

The building

The corner-stone of the warehouse was laid by Emily Jones, the wife of Samuel Jones on 4th February 1878. Mrs Jones was handed a silver trowel, which she used to tap the stone into place. On the trowel was engraved "Presented to Emily, wife of Samuel Jones, on the occasion of her laying the corner stone of his bonded stores on the Exeter Quay, 4th February, 1878. John Henry Foaden, builder." The site chosen had belonged to the Devonshire Cider Company, then a marine store and finally a rag store. Jones leased the site from the City Council on a 31 year lease, and spent £2,000 in constructing the building, including its own Customs quay.

After learning the wine trade in London and Bristol, Samuel Jones joined his father's business in Longbrook Street in 1857. Jones became a Conservative councillor for St David's Ward, using his influence to have the transit shed built to store cargo from ships docked at the quay. In 1881 he was elected an Alderman and became Mayor in 1883. He died on 10th January 1904 and was buried in Exwick Cemetery.

The foundation stone of the warehouse reads:

THIS BONDED CELLAR WAS ERECTED BY SAMUEL JONES OF THIS CITY, WINE MERCHANT, AND ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES IN THE TOWN COUNCIL, FOR ST DAVID'S WARD, AND THIS CORNER STONE WAS LAID BY EMILY, HIS WIFE, ON THE 4TH FEBRUARY 1878
SHERIFF OF EXETER NOVEMBER 1889 MAYOR 1883

Samuel Jones

In 1897 the buildings housed the following businesses from the left:

Jones W. L. & Son, bonded stores
James (Edward), Rowe & Co. lead merchants
Kennaway & Co. Limited, bonded stores (the red brick building housing Havana)

Kennaway's were still listed at the warehouse in 1919. In 1975 they sold off their main building in Palace Gate and seemed to have ceased trading. In the late 1990's, the redbrick warehouse was used as a restaurant and bar, called Mud Dock, then Henry's Bar and now the Latino influenced Havana which offers jazz and comedy nights. The clubs and bar are located in Commercial Road, the main commercial area of Shilhay in the 19th and early 20th century. The river runs on the other side of the buildings.