Thwaites buys Funny Girls

Thwaites has secured 80 Blackpool jobs with the purchase of the iconic Funny Girls entertainment group.

The brewery has been running the venue on a temporary basis since September after the business fell into financial difficulties and entered administration.

Funny Girls was opened in 1994 by Basily Newby, who had been running entertainment venues in Blackpool for four decades before his retirement late last year.

The club moved to its current location on Dickson Road in 2002, a former Odeon cinema and Grade II Listed building that was completely renovated and restored. The Funny Girls business also includes the Flamingos, Flying Handbag and Whippet Inn venues, which were also included in the sale.

Rick Bailey, chief executive officer at Thwaites, said: “Funny Girls is an iconic part of Blackpool nightlife with global recognition and we are pleased that we are able to bring stability and a more certain long term future to the business.

“We have had a long association with Funny Girls over the last 20 years and we are very excited about the opportunities open to it. “Since taking over on a temporary basis in September, we have made some small improvements to the buildings and we are now planning a significant investment to make sure it remains a must visit fixture as part of the Blackpool experience."