A former Hexham nightclub that divided opinion has been remembered as a much-missed part of the town’s nightlife, despite its reputation for sticky floors, questionable music and occasional trouble.
Dontino’s, later known in different forms as Studio and by its affectionate nickname “Donnies”, was featured in a ChronicleLive article about North East venues that writers would like to bring back. The club stood on Priestpopple in Hexham and remained a familiar late-night destination for local residents for decades.
From luxury night spot to local institution
According to the article, Dontino’s opened in 1972 with the aim of becoming a luxury night spot. By the time the writer visited during their teens and early twenties, from 2013 onwards, its character was very different.
The venue is described as having sticky floors, questionable music choices and the occasional scuffle. Yet those shortcomings were part of the club’s distinctive identity for people who grew up in and around Hexham. The retrospective presents Donnies not as an acclaimed venue, but as a place that belonged to the town.
That sense of ownership was reinforced by the lack of alternatives after the pubs closed. The article says Dontino’s was one of only two places open at that time, making it an important stop for people looking to continue their night.
Late nights, takeaway food and a familiar routine
For former customers, a night at Donnies could continue after the music ended. The article recalls queues at Mr Amigo’s takeaway for pizza or cheesy chips before people made their way home.
That routine — leaving the club, getting food and walking home in the early hours — is presented as part of the venue’s lasting appeal. The club may not have been considered good by conventional standards, but its familiarity gave it a place in local memories.
The ChronicleLive feature says Dontino’s closed for good in 2018. The building is now on its way to being converted into flats, marking a further change for the Priestpopple site and removing the prospect of the nightclub returning.
A nightlife gap that remains
The retrospective argues that the gap in Hexham’s nightlife scene has never been filled since Donnies closed. Its closure also means younger people in the town will not experience the same late-night ritual that earlier generations associated with the venue.
The article’s assessment is deliberately mixed: it acknowledges the club was “a bit rubbish”, while also describing a strange charm in having a small-town nightclub that was rough around the edges but familiar to its customers.
Dontino’s story forms part of a wider ChronicleLive look at former North East restaurants, bars, nightclubs and attractions. Other venues included in the feature were Baja Beach Club, Metroland, El Molino, Mama Rosa’s, Popolo, Offshore 44 and Space Base Softplay.
For Hexham, however, the focus is a reminder that a venue does not need to be polished or universally loved to become part of a town’s shared history. Donnies’ legacy rests on the nights out, the queues for food afterwards and the feeling that, for all its faults, it was the town’s own.