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Edwards No. 8

G

glynis

master brummie
Edwards No. 8 now sadly gone, burnt down 'accidently'. Used to be the skin hospital where some pioneering experiments in skin grafting were done. Also supposed to have at least one ghost who the doormen used to call 'Mary'. Strange though, if you were up in the office (cashing up) you'd sometimes hear the door to the roof open, someone going up the stairs and the slates crunching as someone jumped off the roof......
Many happy nights there though, saw goodness knows how many bands and worked with a few. Did a year or three working on reception there too, oh, the power!!
 
The building has been restored to it's former glories after the fire. It is empty at present - but very much a habitable building.
Here's a pic taken from the office window about 5 minutes ago.

View attachment 50186
 
Great photo thanks Ian I haven't been that way for ages. The building looks good as new. I remember the fire because we were going to a Christmas show at the Alex which sadly had to be cancelled due to the fire:cry:.
 
Was there a wine bar and a club next to each other? Were they called different numbers Edwards No. 8 and Edwards No.?
 
Pollypos - was it any of these

Boogies Brasserie, Boogies nightclub, Edwards no. 7 pub, Edwards no. 8 club.
 
Ah - the old haunts. Boogies was the opposite side of the Lower Seven Street, Edwards number 7 was the on the frontage to John Bright Street, with Edwards No 8 entrace further up Lower Seven street. Many a night was spent in Boogies or Edwards after piling out of Sam Weller's or the Kaleidoscope.

Here's a Google Street View of the re-building which is now complete.
View attachment 50228
 
Ian FOFB said:
Ah - the old haunts. Boogies was the opposite side of the Lower Seven Street, Edwards number 7 was the on the frontage to John Bright Street, with Edwards No 8 entrace further up Lower Seven street. Many a night was spent in Boogies or Edwards after piling out of Sam Weller's or the Kaleidoscope.

Here's a Google Street View of the re-building which is now complete.
View attachment 50228
Click to expand...

Bit after my time, did one of em used to be Rebeccas ?
 
The building may have been re-built but where did those big picture windows come from? They were definitely not part of the original building. Much nicer for turning into flat or offices I presume.......
 
Carolynn said:
Pollypos - was it any of these

Boogies Brasserie, Boogies nightclub, Edwards no. 7 pub, Edwards no. 8 club.
Click to expand...
I thought it was two 'Edwards' but I might be mistaken - I remember going to Edwards No.? (upstairs?) for a private party and walking into the place next door and wondering why I didn't know anyone :rolleyes: I ended up in the right place eventually!
I don't remember how big the windows were - I do remember being able to see people in there from outside. Unless you have reason to walk past them in the day you usually only see these places in the dark or after a drink or two.
 
[Here's a Google Street View of the re-building which is now complete.]
Hi Ian.
Can you please tell me how you capture the Google Street View?
Thanks
Stan
 
fatfingers said:
Bit after my time, did one of em used to be Rebeccas ?
Click to expand...

Yes, the one up the side street used to be Rebeccas in the 1970's, I was a regular there. It had 3 floors, I think the cellar was called the 'sinbin' the middle floor was where the live groups used to play and the top floor I think was more soul and chart music if my memory serves me right.
 
The front of Edwards No 8 has been completely re-modelled, it bears no relation to the original building, it now has big picture windows where the entrance and the staircases were. Technically speaking it can still be used as a nightclub as the planning permission is still active, but I doubt it ever will, the developers will wait until the planning use is changed then turn it into flats or offices I bet!!
 
Phyllis1957 said:
Yes, the one up the side street used to be Rebeccas in the 1970's, I was a regular there. It had 3 floors, I think the cellar was called the 'sinbin' the middle floor was where the live groups used to play and the top floor I think was more soul and chart music if my memory serves me right.
Click to expand...

I used to go to Rebecca's in the early 70's. The address was Lower Severn Street at the end of the block from the corner where Edward's came to be afterwards. I understood it was that building that burned down in the 'unexplained' (hmmm....) fire? Has that been rebuilt too?

Not sure if I have this right but I seem to recall reading it had once been a sugar warehouse?

Yes, I remember the Sinbin :) it was the disco area and always seemed quite dark down there!
The top floor was more of a cabaret type room - I think all the floors had a name and it may have been the Cabassa or something like that - trying to remember!

We saw loads of live bands in the middle floor; The Foundations, Arthur Brown, Georgie Fame to name a few as well as local bands. It used to get really packed out. I think my membership card is still at my parent's house.
 
Hadn't heard about it being a sugar warehouse!! An old flame of mine's father used to work there when it was the Skin Hospital in the late 50's early 60's.

I always though Rebeccas was over the road from Eddies but it was a long time and many drinks ago.......
 
Well, my memory isn't what it used to be :) but Rebeccas was in Lower Severn Street, in the block behind what was Edwards 8 rather than opposite.

The Skin Hospital was in John Bright Street, opposite where the Ikon Gallery used to be before it moved up to Oozells Street. I think the hospital was used as offices for the Birmingham Royal Ballet for a while before they moved to Wolverhampton.
 
I don't know what Edwards used to be - it could have been a gas showroom. I don't think I ever went in there, I used to go to Rebeccas though.

The old Ikon Gallery in John Bright Street was previously a car showroom - I used to work part time there so I know that's true (the gallery that is - not the car showroom!)
 
A Sparks said:
I used to go to Rebecca's in the early 70's. The address was Lower Severn Street at the end of the block from the corner where Edward's came to be afterwards. I understood it was that building that burned down in the 'unexplained' (hmmm....) fire? Has that been rebuilt too?

Not sure if I have this right but I seem to recall reading it had once been a sugar warehouse?

Yes, I remember the Sinbin :) it was the disco area and always seemed quite dark down there!
The top floor was more of a cabaret type room - I think all the floors had a name and it may have been the Cabassa or something like that - trying to remember!

We saw loads of live bands in the middle floor; The Foundations, Arthur Brown, Georgie Fame to name a few as well as local bands. It used to get really packed out. I think my membership card is still at my parent's house.
Click to expand...

Just a further to my post last year....

Today I came across an old advert for Rebeccas quite by chance on another website. I was right about the top floor room being the Cabasa. The middle (ground) floor was The Blue Soul and the advert says the basement disco was the 'In Bin' however, I suspect that might have been a misprint as I am almost certain it was the Sin Bin!
 
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