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Albany Hotel

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Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
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The new Albany 'comfort-with-elegance' hotel in 1963. Expect Clint Eastwood would have taken the 110s (£8.33p?) suite when he stayed there. Or maybe he had a penthouse longer term let. Viv.

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A friend of mine used the Gun Room lounge at the Albany in the 70's on a Saturday night, after tipping the staff a couple of times in succession over a couple of weeks , they certainly knew who to bring the peanuts to first when the freebies were handed out
 
I was deputy head hallporter there from 1984 to 1988
hi
im trying to locate the where abouts of a chef called francois
I dont have a lot to go on except that he worked at the albany hotel in the late 1970's and i believe he relocated back to france.
If anyone could give me any information it would be greatly appreciated.
 
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A photo from the Hotel brochure of 1967. Would have been up to the minute in terms of design and facilities. Pity the graphic artist didn’t read the small print before going to print -some of it lost under that sofa ! Viv. View attachment 165107
i see jack underwood and tom page, i was a page boy there 1967-1969
i was on atv news that night, see me opening the door outside the albany hotel 1968
 

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hi
im trying to locate the where abouts of a chef called francois
I dont have a lot to go on except that he worked at the albany hotel in the late 1970's and i believe he relocated back to france.
If anyone could give me any information it would be greatly appreciated.
i remember a chef named larry
i said to him hello larrry the lamb and then i got the sack straight away for saying that to larry
 
i was a partime hall porter at the royal angus. wearing a maroon suit with yellow stripe down the leg. no silly hat thank goodness. what was your uniform?
when i left the albany hotel i got a job as porter at the royal angus, i filled two autograph books at the albany, but the head porter at the royal angus stole them both from me, i never seen them again, his was mr wilkes
 
Deltics - these are later than your time at the Albany, but still might be of interest. (Source: British Newspaper Archive)
 

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Deltics - these are later than your time at the Albany, but still might be of interest. (Source: British Newspaper Archive)
crossroads actress GLADYS HENSON always asked me to get her a taxi,she would always sit on the round settee waiting for the taxi and she always gave me a shilling and the head porter underwood would always take it from me and keep it for himself, the most popular visitors were NOELE GORDON and BOB MONKHOUSE who was a miser, I recall one of his women friends gave me 10/- note and said dont tell him because he will ask for it back, he was areal MISER.
The old man steptoe was very posh, he gave me his autograph but as usual it was stolen by head porter at the royal angus
 
MY two years at the albany hotel were the best as i was only 16 when i got the job, my wages were £3.75 a week and had about £30 in tips each week and met lots of film stars and actors and plenty of comedians like Ken Dodd, Jack Douglas, Harry worth, Sandie Shaw, Des Oconnor, AND LOTS MORE. all were stolen by the head porter from the royal angus when he asked to look at my TWO books, when i went a few mins later to get them back he said, someone must of nicked them while his back was turned, after that he left and went to the grand Hotel and one of the porters there told me MR WILKES collected AUTOGRAPHS
the only person to ever refuse an autograph was CARLOS THE CHEF from crossroads, one day peter Butterworth took me home in his e-type jag
 
Pat Phoenix on the balcony of the Albany Hotel. That spot was also where Clint Eastwood was photographed. See Pete's post #3. The balcony is shown in the first modern-day Streetview image, the view from the balcony is in the second Streetview image.

Don't remember the Easter Moon Resrautant opposite. But to me, this was a bit out of the way, unless you'd been to the Scala/Odeon - right of Pat's shoulder. I think it's Clydesdale Tower on Holloway Head to the far right, in the process of being built to the right.

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MY two years at the albany hotel were the best as i was only 16 when i got the job, my wages were £3.75 a week and had about £30 in tips each week and met lots of film stars and actors and plenty of comedians like Ken Dodd, Jack Douglas, Harry worth, Sandie Shaw, Des Oconnor, AND LOTS MORE. all were stolen by the head porter from the royal angus when he asked to look at my TWO books, when i went a few mins later to get them back he said, someone must of nicked them while his back was turned, after that he left and went to the grand Hotel and one of the porters there told me MR WILKES collected AUTOGRAPHS
the only person to ever refuse an autograph was CARLOS THE CHEF from crossroads, one day peter Butterworth took me home in his e-type jag
What year was this?
The head porter I worked for at the Magnum Hotel was called Wilkes.
A right lazy miserable bloke.
Took all our tips and shared them out at the end of the week keeping the lions share for himself.
Never did a stroke of work apart from answering the phone with a long drawn out " hallllll portorteeeeerrrrrr"!
 
What year was this?
The head porter I worked for at the Magnum Hotel was called Wilkes.
A right lazy miserable bloke.
Took all our tips and shared them out at the end of the week keeping the lions share for himself.
Never did a stroke of work apart from answering the phone with a long drawn out " hallllll portorteeeeerrrrrr"!
yes he was the guy whole stole my two autograph books, he also worked at the royal angus because it was here he nicked my books
 
Pat Phoenix on the balcony of the Albany Hotel. That spot was also where Clint Eastwood was photographed. See Pete's post #3. The balcony is shown in the first modern-day Streetview image, the view from the balcony is in the second Streetview image.

Don't remember the Easter Moon Resrautant opposite. But to me, this was a bit out of the way, unless you'd been to the Scala/Odeon - right of Pat's shoulder. I think it's Clydesdale Tower on Holloway Head to the far right, in the process of being built to the right.

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i id have pats autograph but the head porter pinched my two full nooks
 
i was a partime hall porter at the royal angus. wearing a maroon suit with yellow stripe down the leg. no silly hat thank goodness. what was your uniform?
was the head porter called david woods i think, i also worked at the excelsior at birmingham airport for a week ot two, it was boring
 
Pat Phoenix on the balcony of the Albany Hotel. That spot was also where Clint Eastwood was photographed. See Pete's post #3. The balcony is shown in the first modern-day Streetview image, the view from the balcony is in the second Streetview image.

Don't remember the Easter Moon Resrautant opposite. But to me, this was a bit out of the way, unless you'd been to the Scala/Odeon - right of Pat's shoulder. I think it's Clydesdale Tower on Holloway Head to the far right, in the process of being built to the right.

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I think it's Cleveland Tower on the right Viv. I always thought those two huge residential towers, looked out of place on Holloway Head. Nice to see the Odeon open for business.
 
Wasn’t there a story Noelle Gordon occupied one of those flats in one of the blocks
NOELE GORDON ALWAYS STAYED IN THE HOTEL APART WHEN SHE USED TO VISIT VARNER ROAD TO SEE HER LESBIAN MATES BECAUSE SHE WAS A LESBIAN, SHE LIVED IN ROSS ON WYE, A BIG HOUSE CALLED WEIR END, SHE USED TO DRIVE FROM THERE TO BRUM IN HER LITTLEGREEN MG SPORTS CAR, SOMETIMES WITH SANDY IN HIS BRIGHT ORANGE SIT UP AND BEG FORD POP.WITH 12" WIDE WIDE ALL CHROME, THE BACK OF HIS CAR WAS HIGHERED UP WAS OFF THE GROUND ABOUT 3 FEET
I KNOW ALL OF THIS BECAUSE I MET NOELE MANY TIMES, SJHE USED TO VISIT ANOTHER ROAD CALLED PRINCESSS ROAD, AGAIN TO MEET THE LESBAINS
 
we are locking this thread for moderation as we seem to have quite a few negative posts and although they may well be true a few accusations about people who may well still be alive...some posts maybe deleted others edited...this will happen when our time permits and the thread will then be reopened

thank you

the team
 
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