A LEGENDARY nightclub is set for a £250,000 refurb to transform it into a new late night venue.

Dick De Vignes, in Warrior Square, Southend, will re-open under the name of Rhythm Rooms with Stephen Thomas running the venue.

The business has been sold by estate agents Dedman Gray after it was run by Dick De Vigne for 17 years and became one of the town’s best loved clubs.

Mr Thomas, chief executive of Drinking Dancing Entertainment Limited, previously owned the venue and sold it to Mr De Vigne. He’s now re-opening it and said it needs a new lease of life.

He said: “We will be having live music and DJs on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and we’re very much about listening to customers and giving them what they want.

“We want to close when the rhythm stops as nobody wants to be the last one standing in a club. It needs to be brought into the 21st century with new technology, modern seating and drinks too.

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“We are also planning a new frontage and think the works will take between four and six weeks to complete.

“I also ran the Chameleon in the past and know the scene in Southend. We think if we give people what they want to see from a club they will enjoy it - rather then a carbon copy like with some clubs.”

Mr De Vigne says he can’t see himself retiring but feels it’s time for someone else to run the venue.

He said: “I am sad about handing over the keys and we were stopped by the Covid pandemic but after having 18 months off it feels like it’s time for someone else to to run it.

Echo:

“I’ve been at it for a long time and enjoyed it very much. I am keeping my options open.”

Gerard Biagioni, commercial property consultant at Dedham Gray said: “He’s owned the club since about 2004 when it was Chicago Rock, which he then converted to Seymours, and then some years later to the iconic nightclub.

“I think Dick has ‘served his sentence’ in what is a very tough industry, and he deserves a break. We still have his other club Chameleon on the market in which there is a great deal of interest following the end of lockdown.”