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Albany Hotel

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
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.

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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, ....edit stolen ..... i never seen them again,
 
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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 edit ............... the most popular visitors were NOELE GORDON and BOB MONKHOUSE edit ...............
The old man steptoe was very posh, he gave me his autograph edit ..........
 
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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. edit .........................
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
 
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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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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
 
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.
 
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
 
Wasn’t there a story Noelle Gordon occupied one of those flats in one of the blocks
NOELE GORDON ALWAYS STAYED IN THE HOTEL .........,edited 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.........Edited
 
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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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Hi everyone - I'm a journalist and work for the BBC in Birmingham.
I'm trying to source a good quality photograph of the Albany Hotel, as was, on Smallbrook Queensway from the mid eighties/early nineties. It's now the Holiday Inn.
It's to use in a story I'm currently working on and would be for an online article. There would be a photo credit.
If anyone has one and would be willing to allow me to use it, I'd be very grateful.
Can you let me know ?
Many thanks
 
there is a thread about the Albany hotel but sadly it is closed
 
Hi everyone - I'm a journalist and work for the BBC in Birmingham.
I'm trying to source a good quality photograph of the Albany Hotel, as was, on Smallbrook Queensway from the mid eighties/early nineties. It's now the Holiday Inn.
It's to use in a story I'm currently working on and would be for an online article. There would be a photo credit.
If anyone has one and would be willing to allow me to use it, I'd be very grateful.
Can you let me know ?
Many thanks
Probably worth trying the Birmingham Mail photo archives . It's possible they might have a good quality photo. And/or the Library of Birmingham Archives might be worth a try.

There are postcards of the Hotel (eg on eBay), but the quality might not be very good, and they seem to be mostly produced before your time period.
 
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