Jordans Nightclub in Cupar was the place where dancefloor memories were made and a love story began for many of the locals.
After all, according to many who visited the popular club in the ’90s, Jordans was the place to meet your soulmate.
The 200-year-old building at the corner of Station Road and Coal Road was the county jail in a previous life, before it eventually became the backdrop to nights of drinking and dancing in the small town.
The old venue is back up for auction today, after an earlier attempt to sell it was unsuccessful.
So as Jordans gets ready to go under the hammer once again, we take a look back at this clubbers’ paradise.
Life and times…
Cupar County Jail first opened on January 13 1813.
It was designed by James Gillespie Graham, a notable architect in the early 19th Century.
As the most central jail in the district, it was the perfect place to send those who had been convicted in the Kirkcaldy or Dundee courts.
But was it the most secure prison?
Reports would suggest not, as several escapes were recorded in the late 1890s.
While the Evening Telegraph at the time noted that the suspects had been “immediately apprehended”, the prison was handed over to seed merchant William Watt shortly after and converted into his business premises.
The old stone building dominated Coal Road and its large black sign proudly displayed Watt’s name to the town.
Watt became something of a local celebrity with his grain securing him several wins at the Fife Farmers’ Market in the early 1900s.
While the building provided employment for many of the townsfolk and became a bustling hub of industry until its closure, it wasn’t until the 1990s that it became a real focal point in Cupar.
The Jordans nightclub building was built on to the back of the original seed factory – which later became Watts of Cupar restaurant – and opened in 1991.
The single-storey extension was a modest building but still provided the soundtrack to two decades with its popular ’90s hits.
Its small dancefloor was always packed with locals from the Cupar or Springfield area who were taking full advantage of their nearest club.
Jordans saved them from making the trek to the St Andrews University union, and it was just as affordable.
The cheap drinks and affordable entry fee guaranteed a good time.
Tickets to their club anthem nights were only £6 each.
When people tired of the dancing they could chat to friends at one of the many seating areas, often running into many other familiar faces.
But it wasn’t just popular with the locals.
The Bay City Rollers appeared at the Fife nightclub for a gig in 1994.
As part of a small Scottish tour that year, the band arrived in the kingdom to play a selection of their favourite tunes.
Couples at Jordans were meeting for the very first time – and some would go on to get married.
A spokesman for the business in 2019 said that was just one of the reasons the nightclub held such a special place in people’s hearts.
Would Barack Obama appear at Jordans nightclub in Cupar?
He said: “A lot of people met in Jordans and went on to get married.
“One of my barmen got married here last week and he and his wife met in Jordans.
“His wife’s mum and dad also met in Jordans – all those years ago.”
The restaurant next door, meanwhile, was leading the way as a popular family establishment that often held live music events.
In fact, the Fife Jazz Club invited US President Barack Obama to join them at a gig in the venue in 2012.
The event organiser, Crawford Mackie, said that Obama could make an appearance at the Fife Jazz Club gig at Watts Eaterie “if he played his cards right”, after seeing his rendition of Sweet Home Chicago at the White House – featuring Mick Jagger.
Mr Mackie said: “Our next performers are a high-class outfit all the way from the Isle of Bute, and if these musicians, The Tom Saul Quartet, can make that kind of trek to Cupar, so can Obama.
“He can land in Leuchars, and we will give him a big welcome.”
While the Obama gig never came to be, leading Indian violinist Jyotsna Srikanth performed in the restaurant in 2016.
It was a smaller event than her appearance at Wembley the year previous, to mark the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but was still well received.
In more recent years Jordans nightclub was well known for playing everyone’s favourite old school classics.
The venue was also available to hire for private events on any night except a Saturday, when its popular dancefloor would be filled with the town’s young people.
With their DJ being included in the price, it was a popular choice for birthdays and private functions.
Nearby high schools rented out the old dancefloor for their senior Christmas dance, providing teens with their first taste of club life.
The nightclub went out with a bang on Hogmanay 2019 when clubbers took to the dancefloor for the last time.
Doors opened at 11pm and the hall was filled with locals determined to get one last dance on the tiles.
After welcoming in the new year, it shut its doors for the final time at 3am.
The B-listed building was then acquired by developers who planned to build 26 flats on the site.
Plans were also submitted to convert the historic building into offices.
However, the work never started and the building was put up for sale by Future Property Auctions.
The first auction, at the beginning of December 2022, was expected to be a success due to the building’s listed status and its prime location.
Bidding was to start at £630,000.
However, no bids were placed and the building goes back up for auction today.
Bidders have until 3pm to place the starting bid of £700,000.
As it has already been earmarked for flats, it could be a promising venture for local builders or developers.
With the old jail cell still attached to the building, it’s certainly not short of character.
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