A plaque commemorating the night David Bowie slept at Stockport station after he missed his train has been unveiled to mark the moment in the town’s rich musical history.
The Stockport Music Story – a project which documents Stockport’s musical history from the 1960s to the present day – teamed up with Avanti West Coast, who serve the town with its Pendolino trains and manage the railway station, to install the plaque marking the legendary singer’s impromptu stopover 55 years ago.
This latest cultural landmark in the Greater Manchester town provides a permanent record of 27 April 1970 – when the global icon missed his train back to London and slept at Stockport station after playing a solo acoustic gig at the Poco A Poco club on Manchester Road, Heaton Chapel.
The installation is part of a series of 13 commemorative plaques located at sites of musical significance across the town centre by The Stockport Music Story – supported by the local authority and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to attract more cultural tourists to the area.
Visitors will be able to see the special sign on a self-guided music trail or as part of The Stockport Music Map Guided Walking Tours – a journey around sites that played an important role in the development of the town’s musical legacy.
Led by husband-and-wife team, John and Rosemary Barratt of The Stockport Music Story, the unveiling event brought together music fans and those with a connection to the very night David Bowie spent the night in Stockport. These included students who booked him to play his gig at the venue which was demolished and is now the site of The Hinds Head pub.
Lisa Magee, Avanti West Coast station manager at Stockport, said: “Stockport has a great musical legacy, and we’re pleased to have played a part in recognising another of the town’s cultural landmarks. The story of David Bowie sleeping at Stockport station is the stuff of legend and quite rightly should be marked with a commemorative plaque.
“It’s been fascinating working with The Stockport Music Story on this piece of history involving a global icon and we’re delighted Stockport station is commemorating this unique event that happened 55 years ago. We’re sure it will be of interest to many fans – especially hose visiting the area by rail – for decades to come.”
John Barratt from The Stockport Music Story, said: “Being a lifelong David Bowie fan, this plaque is particularly special to me and unearthing the story about the Stockport teenagers who booked him for the gig is what The Stockport Music Story is all about. Bowie is one of a number of iconic music legends who performed in Stockport during the 1960s and ‘70s including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Elton John. I hope this will encourage people to travel to Stockport by train to discover our rich musical heritage.”
Image credit: Avanti West Coast
