The Beatles' second show of 11 January 1963, following their lunchtime show at Liverpool's Cavern Club, took place at the Plaza Ballroom, Old Hill, near Dudley in Staffordshire.
The group were due to perform again after the Dudley show, at the Ritz Ballroom, King's Heath, Birmingham. However, due to blizzard-like weather conditions they were unable to make the 11-mile journey. The Birmingham concert was rescheduled for 15 February 1963.
The Plaza Ballroom was an influential venue in the West Midlands. It had previously been a cinema and converted to a dance hall in the late 1950s. The Beatles returned on one other occasion, 5 July 1963.
The venue's music promoter, Ma Regan, became something of a local celebrity in the 1960s due to her astuteness in booking the leading acts of the day. She also managed a number of Birmingham groups and worked as a promoter at the Handsworth Plaza, the Ritz in King's Heath and the Brum Kavern, Birmingham.
Many old photographs of the venue and posters promoting bands appearing at the Plaza Ballroom were lost when the venue burnt down in 1990.
