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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

M

mazbeth

Guest
Anyone got any memories and information about nighclubs in Brum, from any time last century?

Some names of ones that I remember and went to...

Samanthas (was over Silver Blades ice skating rink in Hurst? St)

Pollyannas (Newhall? St.)

The Locarno (definitely Hurst St. with the Bali Hai one at the back)
I remember this band..
John Kerton fronted the successful U.K. function band Red Sun who were the resident band at the Birmingham Locarno for eight years. https://www.brumbeat.net/andicaps.htm

Just found this out
The Tower Ballroom closes its doors at the end of 2005 after more than 50 years https://www.saga.co.uk/1057fm/pages/lisEvent.asp?id=5373
went there once...

Snobs (didn't like that one much)

There was one in the same road where Bingley Hall was (can't remember what it was called..brain's not working too good lately  :D) saw Herbie Hancock there...and Deaf School, and AC/DC :eek: (not my choice...just a crowd I was with at the time)

Any more? ...or any memories?  :)
 
Re: Birmingham Nighclubs of the Past- Memories

The Locarno was my fave..............

Dolca Vita - saw Shawaddywaddy there live

The Dome...............I was on the dance floor the night the press took the picture of the opening of The Dome (loved The Night out Too)

Bloomers

Barbarellas - loved all the different rooms with the genres of music

Top rank

Rainbow Suite

Ooooooooooooooh..............those were the days
 
Re: Birmingham Nighclubs of the Past- Memories

In 1962 I worked for a few months at Prestages, which was a car dealers in Station Street by the old Rep theatre

Anyway someone had the bright idea of opening the Locarno at lunch time for all the office and shop workers

It was great, you could go to a disco in your lunch break! :D
 
Mine was Barbarellas..I was a Member in the 70's.
I saw Hot Chocolate there, plus old Raymond Frogatt used to be on a lot..(whatever happened to him)?
It was in Barbarellas I met a girl sitting on her own..I tapped her on the back and when she turned round I KNEW why she was on her own...she had a mouth so wide that when she smiled she got lipstick on her ears and she was the only girl I've ever met with one eyebrow..actually, it looked more like a John Mcenroe sweatband..man was she hairy..
She could also teach a limpet a few things about clinging on ...I couldn't get rid of her..
Good days though.
 
I used to go to the Locarno, Tower and West End dance halls, and later clubs as mentioned above, Cedar Club, a great night out, the Rum Runner - remember the large barrels that wer part of the seating? Another favourite was the Opposite Lock - off Broad Street, is that the one you were thinking of Mazbeth? Johnny Prescott, the boxer who hailed from Aston also opened a nightclub, I can't recall the name but I went there once it was an upstairs venue at the top of New Street overlooking Victoria Square, almost opposite the Council House - was this Gallaghers Corner? Went to Barbarellas once but I was getting a bit old for clubbing then. There was also Edwards No.7 didn't go there. That was owned by the Fewtrells and I think the Cedar Club was too. The Fewtrells used to lived in Whitehouse Street, Aston, their parents had a little newsagents shop. One of my friends knew Johnny Fewtrell well and we knocked around with him when we were about 14 years old.
 
Di I used to eat there before going to play football for the ICI every other Saturday :) Thanks for the memory
 
anthony and jackie perry said:
I loved the CEDAR CLUB............
Click to expand...
yes, I know I went to the Cedar Club....I can't remember where it was (is?) though...

Dolca Vita
Click to expand...
- oh yes, Sue...thanks for the reminder...went there quite a bit...it was a sort of 'progression' after the Locarno for some reason (maybe the crowd were older there...can't remember)

Bloomers
Click to expand...
yes, went there...again...can't remember where it was

Barbarellas
Click to expand...
that's the name I was trying to think of...near where Bingley Hall was?

It's not B'ham, but we used to go to King's nightclub in West Brom. too...
saw Frankie Vaughn there on my 21st 8)

Sylvia said:
One of my friends knew Johnny Fewtrell well and we knocked around with him when we were about 14 years old
Click to expand...
yes, I had a boyfriend (lived in Aston) in the 70's who knew him, and the family, too, I think...
 
I don't know whether you'd call "Mothers" in Erdington High Street a nightclub. I used to go there in the 1960s. John Peel would DJ and introduce groups like Canned Heat, the original Fleetwood Mac and Tyranasaurus Rex.

The club was above some shops and would get so packed the condensation poured down the matt black walls.

I can also remember my Mom telling me off for going to a Blues club above the pub at the corner of Station Street and Hill Street. I never thought to ask her how she knew it was frequented by "Ladies of the Night" (I think the term my mother actually used was "Old Tails").
 
Paul'll Know........he's bound to have frequented the place at some time.....The Monte Carlo is on the Soho Road, very close to St Michaels Hill if that helps Alf?
 
That Monte Carlo was much too ruff for me! :angel: On his first dance with a girl in the Monte a friend of mine had his wallet lifted. I preferred the Ridgeway Georgian (in the same area) 'cos they took yer wages off you a little more slowly in there. 8) It was a big old... yup, Georgian house. Was that it Alf?
 
in '76 I went to one that was just off it, on a corner of Soho Rd...
white pillars at the entrance???
oops...didn't realise there was a 2nd page...
yes, that must be it...
 
When we used to go to the one on Soho Road in the 70s with the white pillars it was called Knickers. We used to stay there on a Sunday night till late, and i would then be on duty at 7.15 at Soho Road Day Nursery just up the road, Makes me feel tired just thinking about it now. Where was the Ceder Club? One of the Fewtrell families lived in H. Wood in the 60s i used to be friends with Gill their daughter. But the Plaza Handsworth was my favourite. We did used to go to Mothers but i always felt that people there were a load of "posers". The music was great though.
 
Pam, the Cedar Club was in Constitution Hill, turn right at the top of Summer Lane, and a few doors up. I think the Fewtrells also had another club called Rebeccas, named after Eddie's daughter, or perhaps one of his brother's children.
 
Oh, I used to go to Rebecca's as well...
can't remember where on earth it was though...
I just can't picture the Cedar Club now, although I'm sure I've been there....we used to drink at the Duke of York further towards Hockley around that time too.
 
Just come across this item and thought I,d put in a few more places that I visited in my earlier days. Anyone remember The Heart Beat, Pershore St. The Station Inn, Bristol Rd.,The Railway Club, Dollman St. or Gotham City ( But I can,t remember where this one was ). I still have my membership cards for all these places, thats how I recall them.
 
Yo BazzM,, remember All of those Dens of iniquity,,The Fog clears after 30 years ;D
Vaguely remember Great Music & lively atmospheres, (Through the Haze,,Purple I think ?)
Memory or Alcoholic poisoning taken toll,,but still remember those as Great Places,
Cheers M8,,John :crazy2:
 
Glad I brought back a few memories for you there John. I too had great times in all those establishments, from what I remember. Some mates and I used to go to them ( amongst others ), and enjoyed endless nights of fun and enjoyment. I wish time hadn,t played these tricks on me where I can no longer move or sing the way I used to. Still, happy memories.
 
anyone remember the la metro club it was under a via duct near snow hill the club was later bought by andy grey former villa player also the west end and rainbow suite on top of the co op
 
Hi I dont remember all of the names
but HENRYS BLUES HOUSE was the blues club at station street and
Mothers was above a furniture shop in Erdington. Led Zeppelin played there
I went to La Dolce Vita which was at Five ways ,
There was another down a side street opposite Lee Longlands
then the Rum Runner. The wrre two around by the Alexandra theatre .
"I was very drunk at the time"
 
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