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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

Hi Carolina. Great photos. I wondered if I might recognise you but unfortunately I don't! Here are a couple of club cards - the Plaza one is dated 1957 and the Tudor Club is 1962. You can see I was into BIG hair :friendly_wink: Yes, there were always parties on a Friday and Saturday nights.

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I am sorry Jayell that I did't reply to your earlier message, as I had't received it, yes I cannot tell you how pleased we were as a family to get the VE photo you sent me on the Handsworth thread,
Kindest Regards Paul.
 
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I remember all those in the photo from my days as a doorman or bouncer as we were often called. I have sent it to a friend in New Zealand who used to work for the Fewtrels, he was at Club Cedar most nights. In case you are wondering, he did not commute from N.Z. because he lived in Birmingam at the time. He went to N.Z. a few years ago and he loves it there.
Happy days as I remember.
 
Hi Stitcher those were the days had some great times at Fewtrels.
its been so long now often wondered what happened the Fewtrels.
i think your friend done a good moving to New Zealand there nothing
in Britain now.
regards.Richard
 
Hello Richard, he got divorced a number of years ago , met another woman, married her and off they went. He loves it over there and they are happy, they are a nice couple and I am pleased for them. I worked on doors foe a number of years, mainly for Carlton Johns Agencywhich was owned by a man name John xxxxxx. I will not post his full name. He was also the owner of Mothers. I have said earlier in this thread that there used to about twelve, or a few more who all worked as a management team and they each managed, and were responsible for a venue such as The Bull in Hay Mills, The Station in Selly Oak or The Hollybush in quinton and I worked at these places all through The Brumbeat era. It was great and people who are in their late sixties-early seventies now, have had the best employment opportunities, the best neighbours, the best nightclubs, the best group of friends. the best communities and the very best music scene. I have thoroughly enjoyed my life and I put that down to the time I was born and grew up. I understand that those involved in Military conflict or caught up in acts of terrorism may feel differently and I take my hat off to all of them.
stitcher
 
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The Revue Bar, Holliday Road and Soho Road junction, this is just before the opening night in 1960.
 
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Again with this one, I did go a couple of times but I could not be called a regular.
 
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Although it was not a night club as such, The Mayfair was usually a busy venue.
 
I sat a Civil Serice written exam in the Mayfair - during the daytime of course.
Despite the telephone constantly ringing on and off the whole time (there was obviously no one in the office to answer it) I managed to pass!
 
I remember seeing Led Zeppelin. very early 1970's, think it was at the Mayfair - was that the one by the Rotunda? Also, we used to go to Henry's & see the likes of Stackridge & Wild Turkey, must've been early 1970s too - anyone remember the name of the pub Henry's was upstairs in?
I've just sat & read the whole forum but now I can't find the post this relates to - someone mentioned UB40 playing in a club & due to play in a park the next day - that was in Cannon Hill Park, in an outdoor amphitheatre - was that about 1980/81 ?
Barbarellas & Bogarts were my main haunts and later Incognito's ( under the Hippodrome) every Saturday lunchtime - ahh, I remember those very fondly !
Wendy D.
 
Henry's was upstairs in the Crown pub in Navigation Street. I used to go there too, late 60's early 70's I think it was.
It's mentioned on other threads in the forum.

I used to go to Incognito on a Saturday lunch time too when the Steve Gibbons Band were playing, then go home and have a rest before going out again in the evening!
 
I remember going to a club, I think it was in the 60's, with my Wife called the Dome by Bristol St to see Frankie Laine (my Wifes favourite) also on the bill were the late Frank Carson and The Bachelors. We later saw Frankie Laine again in Lode Lane Solihull at another night club, was it The Night out ? Eric
 
Hello Eric, The Dome and the Night Out were the same building but at different times, one became the other so to speak. The Club you went to in Sheldon was probably The Cresta Club in Hobs Moat Road.
stitcher
 
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This was in todays newspaper and I have posted it because I am quite sure that somewhere on this thread The Modernaires have been mentioned. I worked on the doors of several places where they performed before they were so well known.
 
I loved the Plaza on Fridays and Saturdays. I had to be in by 10:30pm so would leave to catch 70 bus to get us home. We always bought hotdog from the Plaza and would run eating it to catch the bus.
 
I saw so many of the bands mentioned play there.A great little club.Fab times.There was a reunion gig at Ronnie Scotts on Broad street,just before it closed.People like Adrian Henry,Stan Webb(ex Chicken Shack),Blodwyn Pig and loads of others turned up and entertained with stories and music.
 
Wow I hope they get a blue plaque. I am amazed that Mothers was only there for three years. I remember it well often saw John Peel arriving. I saw Steppenwolf,Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Move and many more there. We were so lucky to see these bands at very little cost compared to today.
 
I saw all of them when I worked on the door, and yes, it was a great place to be in those days. The man I worked for bought it when it was 'The Carlton' and he re-named it 'Mothers', now this mans name was John ****** and what the article in the news does not tell you is that he also formed 'Carlton Johns Agency'. The vast majority of the warm up groups played there for nothing because it was a sort of opportunity to see if the crowd liked them. If they went down well with the crowd they were put on the books and played for money on a circuit of venues operated by the agency. I knew of about twelve-fourteen of these venues and worked the door on a regular basis on Thur. Fri. Sat. at The Station Selly Oak, Monday at The Hollybush Quinton, and The Bull on Coventry Road Hay Mills on other nights. They were all pubs and we worked 8 till 11. The groups, many of which ended up famous and known all around the world got paid a pittance really, but they were doing what they enjoyed and they were all great people to be with.
 
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