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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

Pewster said:
Wow, some great clubs mentioned on here, after 104 pages cant remember what has and hasn't been mentioned so lets just go with those I frequented,
Top Rank, Pagoda Park, Powerhouse, The Dome, The Millionaire, Edwards, Snobs, Rum Runner, Faces, Mr Moons, Opposite Lock, those were the ones around town.
Then of course the Gary Owen on the Cov Road.
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I wonder how many of us on the forum have actually bumped into each other in the clubs in the old days. I know I literally bumped into a few at the end of the night. Lovely lovely days (and nights)
 
As for Birmingham nightclubs , does anyone remember the cedar club , the elbow room and the whiskey a go go ? , not to mention the castaways in bradford street
 
In an earlier comment about rob pryke who was the owner of the old moat house club at the bottom of bradford street , i said he had two sons , one was called robin , but i couldnt remember the other , well i have now remembered ............. it was chris ........... does anyone know what happened to them ? . Im 63 now , and they were much older than me
 
P.S , the old moat house club in Bradford street was in fact called .... Ye Olde Moat House Club ........ And if anyone ever phoned to book a table , you would have dialed Victoria (V.I.C) 2176 , i bet i'm the only person on gods earth who actually remembers the phone number ........ I just thought i would put the record straight :) . Does anyone have photos of great king street , little king street ?
 
John, about 57/58 years ago I went to the Prykes home at Fulford Hall ,Earlswood on a visit with my Dad, there were 2 sons one my age b. 1942 and the other the same age as my sister b 1945.
Mr and Mrs Pryke were lovely welcoming people and their house seemed like a palace to me, the gardens were amazing.

In those days Mr Pryke was well known because of his wholesale potato business.
 
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I also visited the prykes at fulford hall . Mrs pryke took me there one saturday when i was working in the kitchens at the moat house club , she took me in here grey aston martin . One of the chefs and me ran the hot dog stall at one of the jazz festivals around 63/64 . As for rob pryke , he was actually famouse for importing bananas and got the nickname of the banana king . He also wore a bowler hat and always wore a carnation . I was born in 1950 and have very fond memories of the moat house and the city in general
 
Alberta said:
John, about 57/58 years ago I went to the Prykes home at Fulford Hall ,Earlswood on a visit with my Dad, there were 2 sons one my age b. 1942 and the other the same age as my sister b 1945.
Mr and Mrs Pryke were lovely welcoming people and their house seemed like a palace to me, the gardens were amazing.

In those days Mr Pryke was well known because of his wholesale potato business.
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I was at school with Rob Prkye for a while at Turves Green School, his younger brother was indeed Christopher and their father Rob created a club called the Christopher Robin club which provided trips to the seaside for underprivileged children.This was in the early to mid 50's and at that time their family home was in Redditch Road King's Norton. The last I saw of Rob was at a bit of a cricket match in King's Norton park, someone bowled him out first ball, upon which Rob pulled out the stumps,gathered all of the other equipment ( he owned all the kit) and promptly went home, can't recall seeing him again after that!!
 
Stephen0002002 said:
Elbow room - loved it - music and dancing superb.
Cedar Club - great times - does any rememeber the curry served at about 12ish.
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Erskine T was the DJ back in the late 60's at the Elbow, seem to remember that he had an account with the private hire company I worked for in 67 (z cars)
 
Hi. Who can confirm the name of the venue in Birmingham that use to hold a dinner and live band night? Was it Thursday's ? I remember going to the place a couple of times in around 1978 1979. I think we saw the Hollies and may be Sad Café.
 
bigjohnuk said:
Hi. Who can confirm the name of the venue in Birmingham that use to hold a dinner and live band night? Was it Thursday's ? I remember going to the place a couple of times in around 1978 1979. I think we saw the Hollies and may be Sad Café.
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The Dolce Vita on Smallbrook Ringway maybe? Their sister club was the Cavendish on the Coventry Road by the Swan.
They both had live bands and you could have meals at the tables there.

Edit to add - or do you mean it was only on a Thursday night, in which case I'm probably wrong!
 
Please , Please , Please ......... i want to see photo's of Great King Street and Little King Street , especially looking down from new john street west , in particular , i want to see the paper shop next to the bell pub because i was born up the entry beside it at 3/213

Thanks to all you contributors on here , it really is a trip down memory lane

John Stone
 
johnpress said:
Please , Please , Please ......... i want to see photo's of Great King Street and Little King Street , especially looking down from new john street west , in particular , i want to see the paper shop next to the bell pub because i was born up the entry beside it at 3/213

Thanks to all you contributors on here , it really is a trip down memory lane

John Stone
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hi john...the bell is a new one to me...was it actually in gt king st or little king st??

lyn
 
Lyn
Map below shows Bell at junction Gt King St & New John St West

map_showing_junc__Gt_King_ST___New_John_St_West.jpg
 
The bell was on the corner of great king street and new john street west . on the opposite corner was another pub which may have been the george and dragon ? . on the other two opposing corners was a butcher and a cafe . The bell was right next door to our house . In little king street was a club which our dad used to take us to on a saturday or sunday night . i recall vividly that if we went on a sunday night , our mom always made cold lamb sandwiches , which was from the sunday dinner
 
Hi Johnpress,
I went to the Moat House a lot of times, had a blue shiny, hipster trouser suit and Mrs Prkye said to me, "we don't normally let girls in, in trousers' but you look so nice, I'm going to let you in " couldn't move my head all night, felt so good.... am I right in remembering that you had to go upstairs to get in ?
Did you know Mrs Pryke committed suicide ? poor lady, she was lovely. Don't remember the sons, sorry
 
No , i didn't know she committed suicide , after 50 years , that has really surprised me ! . Yes , you went up a long flight of stairs , but half way up , there was a free cloak room that my retired dad worked in on a fri sat and sunday night . and i used to help him . It was an exciting atmosphere for a 12 year old to be in , in 1962 . I used to go to the kitchens to get free food for dad , and eventually got my own part time job there on the weekends (that would be frowned upon in this day and age) , but it was a wonderful time of my life all the same . You may have read my previous message which said i even remember the phone number , It was victoria (VIC) 2176 , I bet there aint another living soul that remembers that !

John
 
John your just a babby, I'm 3 years older than you but your memories excellent.....I did not know their telephone number, just turned up !!!!
Mrs Pryke put her head in the gas oven in her home, someone found her but it was to late, apparently she suffered from depression ?
Like I said, lovely lady and as you said, happy memories..... all to long ago now.
 
mike thanks for the map showing where the bell pub was i shall keep my eyes open for a pic of it for john...

lyn
 
Re-the telephone number .......... i only remembered it , because i was around the bar area at the time and the phone rang , someone said answer the phone , and as it was the very very 1st time i answered a phone , i just saw V.I.C 2176 on the dial , and thats how i answered it by repeating the initials , little did i know that i should have said VICTORIA 2176 . Its simply a number that has stuck in my mind ever since . Did you see that number somewhere then ? . Well delyawindsor , if your only 3 yrs older than me and you was there in the mid 60's , you must have been very young to have got in , i was 14 in 1964

john

john
 
I remember fondly the rum runner, the Locarno, liberty's on the Hayley road. Does anyone remember the name of the club by where the ITV studios used to be?
Was the dome formally the night out or the dolce vita?
Great reading everyone's post, thanks all!
 
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