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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

For me it was Rebeccas and the Rum Runner , and afterwards you could walk a girl to the night service bus stop outside of Greys no problem , now you would need to wear a stab vest , they were good days i didnt have much money but i eeked it out , just had enough to buy a pie from the caravan on Colmore Row and then home on the bus Raz X

Raz 1968/69 me and a mate frequented the Locarno on Friday night , after coming out of there after midnight . The next port of call was the chippie next door, slow walk from there to Snow Hill .Reaching Snow Hill was hungry work so we ordered hamburger and hot dog plus coffee each , hungry work this walking. Then my mate went off too catch his late night bus
 
Here's all Birmingham Beatles venues between 1961 and 1966:-

1 Feb 1963 Maney Hall, Sutton Coldfield
15 Feb 1963 Ritz, Birmingham
10 Mar 1963 Birmingham Hippodrome
10 Nov 1963 Birmingham Hippodrome
11 Oct 1964 Odeon, Birmingham
9 Dec 1965 Odeon, Birmingham

Source: Wiki

Maurice :cool:
 
Not sure but has anybody mentioned the Top Rank in Dale End, did anyone go there ?

Yes about a day after it opened , this was reputed to replace the good old West End , what an absolute waste of time it was cold, no atmosphere whatsoever, it could never replace an institution . Although perhaps it became one in it's own right , but not for the boys and girls of the West End .
 
Yes about a day after it opened , this was reputed to replace the good old West End , what an absolute waste of time it was cold, no atmosphere whatsoever, it could never replace an institution . Although perhaps it became one in it's own right , but not for the boys and girls of the West End .
The West End was the best, especially with the floating dance floor. My dad helped demolish it. I remember him taking me there to show me what was being done.
 
Well this has brought some memories back for me - as a 17/18 year old It was "up the town" every friday saturday and sunday night (if I had any money left).

Would start off at the costermonger, then down to the Tavern in the Town,
round the corner to the Guilded Cage, then off to the Parasol or the Grapes,
then .. slowing down all the time ! ... the Parisian and last but by no means least Sloopys !

I also remember Bloomers at the Swan Yardley, usually there on a Thursday night about once every couple of months, I met my Husband there.

Other places were Rebeccas and Barbarellas , Locarno, Top Rank , Cedar Club,
Elbow Room, oh the list is endless ..... ah the good old days !!:):):):):):)
Crikey Dianne you had plenty of money and to think i bought you all those drinks in Rebeccas , i know you worked at Barclays Bank i didn't realise you owned it, Good Days before mortgages and children Raz X
 
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Was definitely not 18 when I went there. Don’t think they bothered about age too much, was never asked for ID. Viv.

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Viv this was the place that was reputed to replace the good old West End in the 60's for the mods , I went there about twice and that was it , atmosphere zilch , not a patch on the West End . I'd like to hear how it was when you went there .
 
Never went to the West End, went a few times over a short period to the Top Rank Suite. At the time I went they played soul, ska etc. Was a good sized dance floor. And a place to dress up - I remember having a couple of cocktail-type dresses that I wore there. False hair pieces and lots of false eyelashes too. So as far as a place to wear your posh frocks and show off on the dance floor, it was good. More of a posers paradise. (Blimey, not used the word ‘poser’ in a very long time. Do people still say that ?). I didn’t continue going there, so like you say, it probably did lack atmosphere. Viv.
 
Yes, I agree. I may have gone to the Top Rank twice - not really my sort of place.
I only went to the West End a few times and that was to the Saturday afternoon dancing. We used to go to the Locarno first and then on to the West End as it finished later. Think I was about 14 then.
 
Also went to the Locarno. Think I mentioned this somewhere else. In the cloakroom at the Locarno you were given a shoe bag. These were intended for patrons to put their outdoor shoes in so you could wear your dance shoes. Well, we each ‘borrowed’ one of these to take our stuff in to school. If you didn’t have one of these at school you were soooooo unfashionable. How sad is that ?! Some tatty old material bag (made of 1950s/60s upholstery material) was such a prized possession. Youngsters heh ?

Viv
 
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Also went to the Locarno. Think I mentioned this somewhere else. In the cloakroom at the Locarno you were given a shoe bag. These we’re intended for patrons to put their outdoor shoes in so you could wear your dance shoes. Well, we each ‘borrowed’ one of these to take our stuff in to school. If you didn’t have one of these at school you were soooooo unfashionable. How sad is that ?! Some tatty old material bag (made of 1950s/60s upholstery material) was such a prized possession. Youngsters heh ?

Viv

The things we used to do/buy/wear just to be "in" and groovy
 
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