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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

Hi Barry: If you did see Leonard Cohen at Mother's it wold have to have been after August 9th, 1968. That's the date Mother's opened. Before that it was the Carlton Ballroom. I remember the first, to my knowledge, espresso coffee bar in Erdington High Street called the "El Toro" This opened in 1958. It was a few doors away from where the Carlton Ballroom was and I seemed to be there several times a week. The coffee was 9d per cup and that got you inside the door. The building had been a residence at one time and wasn't very big. I had left Erdington by 1964 so don't remember the Pop Inn coffee bar.
 
Hi Jennyann thanks for reply. I was born in Oxford Rd Erdington in 1949 and lived there till 1972, I cant remember El Toro do you remember any of the shops adjacent to it....thinking about it the Pop In may have not been opened until late 64...where did you live in Erdington??
 
Yes you are right.......It was Sunday nights!
Last year i went to see John Mayall and band near Melbourne. (He was here for the Byron Bay Blues festival held annually)...He was in the foyer of this venue signing and promoting the new c.d
I mentioned i had seen him at Mothers way back when.......He said he remembered playing there.....Amazing...
For me it was a special place as my late mum played piano there when it was the Carlton Ballroom.
Jethro Tull also were in Melbourne last April.......
 
Hi Barry: Firstly, about Leonard Cohen, whom an old friend of mine who loved his music years ago, used to call him"Drop of the Moans". She played Leonard's music constantly in the l970's. He could well have sung in Brum as a folk singer in the l960's but I can't find a record of him being in Brum. He did do some touring shows in Europe with a couple of musicians before he recorded his first album in 1967. He is enjoying a comeback which is amazing at his age but he is still well loved by people all over the world.
I have written many recalls on this forum of my memories of Erdington. I grew up in the Witton Lakes area of Erdington and attended Erdington Parish Church for many years. I still visit when I am in Brum. My brother lives in Four Oaks and I have several friends in the Erdington area. I have walked many many times between along Summer Road to Marsh Lane and to Stockland Green and know the area very well. It's changing all the time of course.
 
Help!!! Could I have seen Leonard Cohen at the Carlton Club Erdington around 1966? Carlton was in High St by the junction with York Rd above Dales?? Furniture shop....not quite a club does anyone remember Erdington`s first coffee bar...The Pop In also in York Road around 1964.

Remember a coffee bar near Taylors shop. Was on the same side of Erdington High St as Taylors, on a corner. I have a very vague memory of it being called The Griddle Inn. Viv.
 
Can I ask the admin team to sort out this forum.
It is getting fragmented with some
threads about the same nightclubs and venues!!
Members are not checking the forum to see if there is a thread already in existence,
before starting a new one!
I tried a couple of years back to consoliodate posts and threads,
but cannot do it without the help of the admin team.
 
Silver Blades was the Ice Rink Above that was the heartbeat club and on the ground floor was the Bowling Alley. the entrance was a series of ranps from the bowling alley up to the Rink then up to the night club....I believe it is due or has re-opened
 
Ethan ,this happens on all threads and I agree it is very annoying.
I have posted a thread to membership asking members to use the search facility more.
If you IM me and point out any threads that are duplicating any of the posts on this thread I will gladly close the offending thread and point the poster in this direction.
Moderators do try to keep on top of things but if you find anything that we do not 'get to' first perhaps you could remind the poster that there is a thread open for nightclubs,thanks Ethan.Alberta
 
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What about the Plaza in Hands worth I loved going there to jive and see the stars like Tommy Steel then I would walk home if the last bus had gone from Rookery Road to Queens Road Aston
 
So did I, walked to Witton many a Saturday night with my friend Janet Adey and a couple of lads if we were lucky lol
 
I used to go to the Plaze every Friday and Saturday nights. They used to have some fantastic groups and singers on. Oh happy days
 
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