Buxton's musician's memories of performing in The Eagle - aged just 12

The Eagle shut its doors on New Years Eve after Hydes Brewery decided to close the venue. There has been a pub on that site dating back to 1592 when it was the Eagle and Child Inn and it was a ‘dinner stop’ for the London to Manchester coaches.

The building as it is known now was built in 1760 by the by the 4th Duke of Devonshire as a Georgian spa hotel. Later, in 1903, it was briefly known as the Devonshire Hotel before it reverted back to The Eagle.

Musician Peter Hallam, started performing there on Saturday nights when he was just 12 years old. Now in his late 70s he said: “The memories made at The Eagle pub will live on forever.

Peter, from Foxlow Avenue, in Buxton said: “In 1958 I played there every Saturday night upstairs and I had a following of about 200 people.”

He did this for many months earning himself between £2 and £2.50 for his gigs, adding that when people love music, age does not matter.

"I soon attracted a few local musicians who were well into their 50s, 60s and 70s. I thought having my own band was great until I realised I had to pay them!”

Guitarist Peter came from a musical family and while he was performing at the Eagle Parade pub his father was entertaining crowds at the Pavilion Gardens with his own dance band.

Peter said: “16 years later I was performing on the same stage with the Elvis Presley Fan Club Band of Britain.”

His work took him abroad and even gave him the opportunity to perform with the late Shadows bass player Jet Harris. But for Peter his musical career all started in The Eagle.

He added: “The Eagle Hotel has a lot of nostalgia and happy memories for me and I’m sure lots of other people too as it has been around for so long, it’s a shame it had to close.”

It is not yet known what the plans for the vacant building will be.