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Aston Variety & Artists Club
- Thread starter Jill
- Start date
O
O.C.
Guest
What years are you looking at Jill ? before 1940's or after
Last edited by a moderator:
O
O.C.
Guest
Jill, I have a few books on the Musical Stars and the Theatres in Brum going back to 1700's to the year 2000 but no reference to what you want..sorry
W
Wendy
Guest
Jill, I have found an advert for B'ham and District Variety Artistes Social Club the address is indeed 47 Trinity Road Aston. There is no date on the advert but the phone number is NOR 2444 so I would say around the 50's I will scan it for you when I can. The advert is for their "Shop Window" on Sept 29th. Hope this helps. Wendy.
O
O.C.
Guest
Wendy... ya a Gem...well done
ColinB
gone but not forgotten
I think I visited the club a number of times in the early 70's,they regularly had "gentlemans smoking evening",when, if I remember correctly a number of young ladies would remove their clothes for the amusement of the "gentlemen" present.well I would only have been in my early twenties so I looked upon it as education.
Colin
Colin
W
Wendy
Guest
Jill here's the advert I had to photograph it as my scanner is playing up!
Well Colin I am shocked at your revalation, my husband has been telling me all these years it was a branch of the YMCA, and thats why he had a season ticket!
Well Colin I am shocked at your revalation, my husband has been telling me all these years it was a branch of the YMCA, and thats why he had a season ticket!
N
Nephrititi
Guest
My parents were members of this club and I recall visiting with them in mid to late 60's when i was about 15 years old.
They used to have various variety acts and on a certain night in the week (cannot remember which night) they used to have a "shop wondow" which I think was to do with new acts.
Regards
Fay
They used to have various variety acts and on a certain night in the week (cannot remember which night) they used to have a "shop wondow" which I think was to do with new acts.
Regards
Fay
Moma P - That's great - thanks so much.
Colin - I'm trying to find information about the Henn Brothers who, I'm told, were variety artists and belonged to this club. Hmmm now I'm wondering if that's what they told their wives!!
Fay - Don't suppose you have heard of the Henn Brothers??
Colin - I'm trying to find information about the Henn Brothers who, I'm told, were variety artists and belonged to this club. Hmmm now I'm wondering if that's what they told their wives!!
Fay - Don't suppose you have heard of the Henn Brothers??
N
Nephrititi
Guest
Sorry Jill but the name doesn't mean anything to me.
I didn't go there that often and the acts that were on weren't "street cred" for a teenage girl.
Best wishes
Fay
I didn't go there that often and the acts that were on weren't "street cred" for a teenage girl.
Best wishes
Fay
W
Whyvon
Guest
The Artists Variety Club certainly did exist for professional and semi professional performers. It was affiliated with the National Artists and Variety Club I believe. My Dad sang all over the Midlands and this was his 'base'. This was the Performers own club and Agency really. My brother and sister will remember far more about it than me. My sister's friend's Father was Steward there for some time, so there is definitely more information to be had. I know that they had their own Newspaper, pink I think, similar to the Stage where there would also be critics reporting on performances much as they are in the newspapers. Before people had a telephone in their own homes it was the place for the performers to get their bookings. My Dad was one of the few people who had a telephone at home so he used to get calls for his bookings and sometimes for others too.
It also had a Concert room where I presume their Showcase evenings were held. Dad would sing in Dinner suit and dicky bow, face powder too. He loved the life.
Sadly the main purpose for the Club died during the 60s, when more and more people had telephones in their own homes and they didn't need to go to the Club all the time to get their work. It also broke the great bond that the Artists themselves had. Also sad if it just became a sleaze joint oh dear.
I would love to see the early Advert for the Club. I did ask Birmingham Historian Carl Chin if he had heard of it but unfortunately he hadn't though I have been told that perhaps the Library will have a copy of the newspaper. I will ask my brother and sister for they can add any more information.
It also had a Concert room where I presume their Showcase evenings were held. Dad would sing in Dinner suit and dicky bow, face powder too. He loved the life.
Sadly the main purpose for the Club died during the 60s, when more and more people had telephones in their own homes and they didn't need to go to the Club all the time to get their work. It also broke the great bond that the Artists themselves had. Also sad if it just became a sleaze joint oh dear.
I would love to see the early Advert for the Club. I did ask Birmingham Historian Carl Chin if he had heard of it but unfortunately he hadn't though I have been told that perhaps the Library will have a copy of the newspaper. I will ask my brother and sister for they can add any more information.
W
Wendy
Guest
Hello and welcome Whyvon. Thats a facinating piece of information. I am sure many here will be interested. Is the advert I put on post no 10 of this thread the place you have posted about.
mrspooner
master brummie
I worked behind the bar at this club around 1976-1978, the Steward at the time was Ray Vincent and his wife was called Pam. I can remember Benny from Crossroads drinking there before matches down the road at Villa Park. The club was demolished in the early 1900's I think, so make way for a housing development, shame.
Can anyone recall Tom Curley, he was a comedian and was based at the club, I think he judged the 'shop window' acts that were held on a sunday morning?? Tom was my grandad and he died Dec 1967. His wife was also an artiste' known as Jean Lorraine, she had red hair and lots of make-up!! She played the accordion as a warm up act. Any info would be appreciated.
Don Clive
Adopted 'Tammie'
Years ago, before we got married (in1953) my wife used to be a member of this organisation, it was a form of 'Social Club', or a 'Working Men/Women's Club' for professional and semi professional theatre artistes, and the advert is describing an evening where 'W.M' club secretarys, or the person who organised entertainment for Workmens Clubs viewed the local acts that were available. My wife was a member of Jack & Joan Coopers Dancing Academy in Acocks Green, any other surviving members?
TOPSYTURVEY
brum
I also had relations who were members if the variety club.anyone recall the names peggy and joe clayton/mancini.
TOPSYTURVEY
brum
Lulo
sorry they are no longer with us.
sorry they are no longer with us.
Mel Charles
New Member
Jill
I stumbled across your thread whilst looking for a singer who used to sing at this club.
The Artists Variety Club (AVC as we knew it) certainly was in Trinity Road Aston and was as both a social club and a vehicle for both up and coming talent and established artists to get work. I regularly appeared at this club!.
The shop windows were run on both Tues nights and Sunday mornings. During the 1970s it was still vibrant as the Sundays were introduced as acts struggled to get seen on the Tuesdays due to lack of time. During these shows the audience was largely made up of entertainment officers from clubs from all over the Midlands and beyond looking to book acts for their respective clubs. Such was it’s reputation as a source of good talent.
My first experience of this club was being taken there as a 15 year old in 1971. I was playing the electric organ locally at church fetes/weddings and other local events and my uncle took me there to see how artists demonstrated their talent and got bookings. What I didn’t know was that he had arranged for me to play in one of these shop windows. There organ was a scaled down electric Wurlitzer theater organ. I must have been okay as I got loads of bookings for months ahead and the entertainment officer of AVC (a white haired man called Bill ? (Can’t remember his other name just yet, but I thought at the time he seemed ancient). He informed me that I was to become AVC’s resident organist starting from the following week!. With a resident drummer Dave, I appeared on stage every week to back all acts that needed backing (no karaoke or backing tracks in those days!). Something I did for some 4-5 years. I was also booked to play in the concert room n the Saturday Night Gala Show & Dances. These shows consisted mainly of 2 turns, a novelty act or comedian in the first half. Obligatory bingo in the middle and then the star turn which was nearly always a singer headlined the show. Afterwards we played on, often joined by a singer to finish the show for the dancing. Gala shows were open to both club members and the local residents alike.
As you can imagine there were many – many acts appearing, often from afar that either appeared only as often as it was necessary to fill their diaries with bookings for the whole year or those that operated more locally and regularly appeared as demanded.
The club didn’t die in the 60’s it was still alive and thriving until the mid 70’s. Whilst the telephone certainly reduced the need to return just to get bookings for established artistes the shop windows carried on and was certainly still required for startup talent that had yet to be discovered. However by the time I moved on to other clubs and better bookings the club however was tired and stale and new talent found it easier to go to their local clubs to get started.
I know of nothing about it being reduced to a sleazy joint. If this happened it must have been post 1975. During my time at the club, I regularly went to other evenings that I was not playing at for drinks and networking with other artists. Yes by then I was at least 18 and could drink a lemonade shandy!!. I would agree however that it was no place for teenagers to feel cool to be seen in with their parents as it owed its heritage to a largely bygone era.
Saw some great acts and evn to this day saw some magicians acts that made models disappear or sawn in half that had me fooled, bearing in mind I was on stage too and only some 3 feet away.
Hard to remember names, Ule Dean – an operatic singer appeared regulary as indeed did Joan Paul who was a regular singer on ATV’s Lunch Box television program. I later joined up with Joan Paul and her husband (Dave the drummer) to tour many a midland club.
Oh Yeas. My uncle - he was the entertainment officer for the British Leyland Social club somewhere in Bromford Bridge. He virtually lived at AVC and knew many acts. He was also a very good friend of Bill ? the head man . he is in his 80’s now but still has a pin sharp brain. But is in Spain at the moment staying with his son. When he is back I will visit him and get some more information.
Yes I still play today and often think about AVC as it gave me great experience.
Mel
I stumbled across your thread whilst looking for a singer who used to sing at this club.
The Artists Variety Club (AVC as we knew it) certainly was in Trinity Road Aston and was as both a social club and a vehicle for both up and coming talent and established artists to get work. I regularly appeared at this club!.
The shop windows were run on both Tues nights and Sunday mornings. During the 1970s it was still vibrant as the Sundays were introduced as acts struggled to get seen on the Tuesdays due to lack of time. During these shows the audience was largely made up of entertainment officers from clubs from all over the Midlands and beyond looking to book acts for their respective clubs. Such was it’s reputation as a source of good talent.
My first experience of this club was being taken there as a 15 year old in 1971. I was playing the electric organ locally at church fetes/weddings and other local events and my uncle took me there to see how artists demonstrated their talent and got bookings. What I didn’t know was that he had arranged for me to play in one of these shop windows. There organ was a scaled down electric Wurlitzer theater organ. I must have been okay as I got loads of bookings for months ahead and the entertainment officer of AVC (a white haired man called Bill ? (Can’t remember his other name just yet, but I thought at the time he seemed ancient). He informed me that I was to become AVC’s resident organist starting from the following week!. With a resident drummer Dave, I appeared on stage every week to back all acts that needed backing (no karaoke or backing tracks in those days!). Something I did for some 4-5 years. I was also booked to play in the concert room n the Saturday Night Gala Show & Dances. These shows consisted mainly of 2 turns, a novelty act or comedian in the first half. Obligatory bingo in the middle and then the star turn which was nearly always a singer headlined the show. Afterwards we played on, often joined by a singer to finish the show for the dancing. Gala shows were open to both club members and the local residents alike.
As you can imagine there were many – many acts appearing, often from afar that either appeared only as often as it was necessary to fill their diaries with bookings for the whole year or those that operated more locally and regularly appeared as demanded.
The club didn’t die in the 60’s it was still alive and thriving until the mid 70’s. Whilst the telephone certainly reduced the need to return just to get bookings for established artistes the shop windows carried on and was certainly still required for startup talent that had yet to be discovered. However by the time I moved on to other clubs and better bookings the club however was tired and stale and new talent found it easier to go to their local clubs to get started.
I know of nothing about it being reduced to a sleazy joint. If this happened it must have been post 1975. During my time at the club, I regularly went to other evenings that I was not playing at for drinks and networking with other artists. Yes by then I was at least 18 and could drink a lemonade shandy!!. I would agree however that it was no place for teenagers to feel cool to be seen in with their parents as it owed its heritage to a largely bygone era.
Saw some great acts and evn to this day saw some magicians acts that made models disappear or sawn in half that had me fooled, bearing in mind I was on stage too and only some 3 feet away.
Hard to remember names, Ule Dean – an operatic singer appeared regulary as indeed did Joan Paul who was a regular singer on ATV’s Lunch Box television program. I later joined up with Joan Paul and her husband (Dave the drummer) to tour many a midland club.
Oh Yeas. My uncle - he was the entertainment officer for the British Leyland Social club somewhere in Bromford Bridge. He virtually lived at AVC and knew many acts. He was also a very good friend of Bill ? the head man . he is in his 80’s now but still has a pin sharp brain. But is in Spain at the moment staying with his son. When he is back I will visit him and get some more information.
Yes I still play today and often think about AVC as it gave me great experience.
Mel
David McMurray
New Member
Hi,
I found this thread while looking for photos of the Artists Club, and thought I'd provide some more info...
I'm too young to remember the Artists Club in Trinity Road myself as I was born the year my parents moved out from there in 1970. My Grandfather and Grandmother, Robert (Bob) and Dorothy (Dot) McMurray, were the Steward and Stewardess there from 1961 to 1974 after running the Labour Club in Victoria Road from 1950 to 1961. I asked my father about the names mentioned in this thread and he says he remembers Tom Curley and also that the name Joan Paul rings a bell.
Whyvon, you mentioned "My sister's friend's Father was Steward there for some time, so there is definitely more information to be had." if this was between 1961 and 1974 could your sister's friend have been Margaret (or Valerie, her first name but she preferred to use her middle name Margaret)? As that would have been my Auntie.
Regards,
David.
I found this thread while looking for photos of the Artists Club, and thought I'd provide some more info...
I'm too young to remember the Artists Club in Trinity Road myself as I was born the year my parents moved out from there in 1970. My Grandfather and Grandmother, Robert (Bob) and Dorothy (Dot) McMurray, were the Steward and Stewardess there from 1961 to 1974 after running the Labour Club in Victoria Road from 1950 to 1961. I asked my father about the names mentioned in this thread and he says he remembers Tom Curley and also that the name Joan Paul rings a bell.
Whyvon, you mentioned "My sister's friend's Father was Steward there for some time, so there is definitely more information to be had." if this was between 1961 and 1974 could your sister's friend have been Margaret (or Valerie, her first name but she preferred to use her middle name Margaret)? As that would have been my Auntie.
Regards,
David.
I was married in 1971 and we bought a house in Woodridge, a new development off Trinity Road. The Variety Artists Club was on the corner of Woodridge and Trinity. It was very busy for the first couple of years we lived there (judging by the number of cars thoughtlessly parked down our little cul-de-sac) but for unknown reasons became less popular. One of my neighbours was a member, and he got me in a couple of times for a drink, but I can't recall any actual entertainment being laid on. It seemed a decent enough place, but appeared to cater for a clientele somewhat older than I was at the time. Not really my kind of place.
We left Woodridge in 1977 and I think the Club was still going then.
Big Gee
We left Woodridge in 1977 and I think the Club was still going then.
Big Gee
