2017
It started at home.
Peggy’s began in our living room with antiques, vintage furniture and whatever we could find that deserved another life.
How it started
Our
story.
From a living-room antiques business to a grassroots music venue. Peggy's has moved around, changed direction and kept evolving since 2017.
Peggy's started in January 2017 as an antiques and vintage business, run from our living room. It moved around a fair bit along the way—first into a shed on a farm in Woolston, then a 10ft shipping container, followed by a 20ft shipping container.
From there, we moved into a 1,000 sq ft first-floor unit at Welch Mill in Leigh, before eventually arriving at our current home at The Stables on Erwood Street, Warrington, in August 2021.
When the antiques trade took a bit of a mad turn after Brexit, we had to think fast and try something else. We hadn't been on Erwood Street for long, and we'd already put far too much time and effort into the place to simply walk away.
So we put on a few small gigs. People enjoyed them, one night gradually led to another, and Peggy's slowly began to evolve into the grassroots music venue it is today.
More than 200 bands and artists have played here since then. We're still learning and evolving as we go, and hopefully Peggy's will continue to grow and give new music a platform in Warrington for many years to come.
Peggy's through the years
A bit of a
journey.
It has changed a fair bit since the living-room days. Here's some of it.
2018—2020
More room. More stairs.
A first unit followed, then the bigger first-floor space at Welch Mill in Leigh. Every piece of furniture had to make it up and down those stairs.
2021
Building The Stables.
We arrived on Erwood Street in August 2021. It was a big empty room, so we got stuck in and slowly turned it into Peggy’s.
2022—2023
Then came the music.
We tried a few social nights and started looking for artists. One night led to another and the antiques shop began turning into a music venue.
2024—Today
Still evolving.
More bands, bigger nights and plenty still to learn. Peggy’s is now a grassroots venue, but it is still changing all the time.
A thank you
Cherry Music Media
and The Tone.
Glen and Cherry Music Media have supported Peggy's and helped us out for years. We're genuinely grateful for the time, help and support they've given us.
Cherry Music Media supports grassroots artists across the North West and also produces The Tone, its magazine covering new bands, venues and the people involved in grassroots music.
If you care about new music, have a look at what they do.
“Peggy's grew because people kept playing, helping and turning up.”
What we're trying to do
What matters
to us.
Give original music a room
New bands need somewhere to play. That matters more to us than how many followers they have.
Be straight with people
We don't charge bands to play. Ticket arrangements can vary, but we'll explain everything clearly before a date is agreed.
Build something here
It's not easy being sandwiched between two of the world's biggest music cities. We want Warrington to bridge the gap and play its part in hosting some of the best new musicians from across the region and the country.
Why MVT matters
What Music Venue
Trust does.
Music Venue Trust is a charity that fights for grassroots venues like Peggy's across the UK. They help venues that are struggling, push for fairer treatment and make sure the government and wider music industry hear what is actually happening to small venues. That's why their work matters to us.
The grassroots in 2025
- 801
- UK grassroots music venues
- 21.7m
- Audience visits
- 2.5%
- Average venue profit margin
Their annual report makes the situation pretty clear. Millions of people go to grassroots venues, but many of those venues barely break even or lose money.
How you can help
- 01Turn up.
Going to a gig really does help.
- 02Spend at the venue.
Tickets, drinks and merch keep the whole thing moving.
- 03Donate if you can.
MVT is a charity. Even a small donation helps them keep supporting venues.