Late Burnley man's book about Nelson Imperial Ballroom which hosted The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding to be republished

Going Down th’Imp, written by the late Burnley social historian Steve Chapples, will go to print next week thanks to sponsorship from local businesses.

Leading the mission to republish it is Steve’s daughter, Lyndsay, and old school friend, George Grimshaw.

Lyndsay, who now lives in Australia, said: “Myself, my sister Sarah and George are overwhelmed with the interest in re-printing Dad’s book. His passion for local history was second-to-none as was my grandfather’s, Leslie Chapples. It means so much to all of us and to the people of Lancashire that we can finally get Dad’s book on the shelves and engage people on a trip to The Imp in its heyday.

“The way he wrote it alongside the photographs will enable the reader to once again go down Th’Imp, he even invites the reader to go to Chippys fish shop after a night of dancing and possibly fainting to the world’s biggest acts in their own back garden.

“Bobby Elliott from The Hollies and Paul Jones from Manfred Mann have also shown a keen interest in helping us bring this project to life.

“We couldn’t have done this without the help and support from the wider local community and help from our sponsors.

“We have had requests from all over the world for a copy of the book and it can become once again one of the most talked about and well-cherished books in local history.”

Steve, a former teacher, died suddenly in 2014 at the age of 67. He was brought up in the Pike Hill area of Burnley and wrote several books on local history. He attended Nelson Grammar School and also studied at the world famous Paris-Sorbonne University in 1968.

George, who went to Nelson Grammar School with Steve, added: “I’ve always known there is a lot of demand for this book, which was originally printed in 2009. The first 1,000 books sold out quickly. I wanted to get it into the hands of the people who want it. It will be lovely to get it back out there.”

George says he has unforgettable memories of his time seeing iconic stars like rockers The Who at The Imp.

"Going down The Imp was a way of life to teenagers in Nelson back then. It was a second home to us. It was incredible. It was magical from the moment you stepped in.

"The bands used to turn up in beat-up vans and all the girls would be screaming from the start to finish. The noise was deafening. The venue could hold about 2,000 people and at times it held more than that.

“A lot of people can’t believe that our little town could attract all these artists. When The Who came, this gang of lads from London brought up so many speakers and just blasted with with sound. The band smashed guitars into the amplifiers, and Keith Moon chucked his drum set into the audience.”

Going Down th’Imp will be available to purchase in approximately four to six weeks from Electron Records Burnley or by emailing [email protected]