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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

  • Thread starter Thread starter mazbeth
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i just wondered if any one went to the merryhill working mans club in foundry road winson green/smethwick, also can anyone remember don and nancy parsons who kept the merryhill club.
 
I never went to that club but I knew Don and Nancy personally and their daughters. When I worked at Mavis's on the Litchfield rd Don used to have a shop were he mended and sold jute boxes and at the back he used to fix cars they were right opposite us and they all came to have their hair done and we became good friends. The tales I could tell !!!!!!!!!!
 
hi patty, don was a character wasnt he, we went to his funeral about 4 or 5 years ago it was lovely to see nancy and june again i knew june the best, although i did know the other sisters, and also dons son nicky,
 
I used to see June at a shop she worked at in Merry Hill spitting image of her mom I kept saying I would go up and see them but you know how it is you never get round to it. If you see June again say Pat from Mavis's said hello
 
patty i will do that but she has moved now so i dont see her that often but i will say hi to her from you,
 
Does anyone remember the Rainbow Suite (High Street), Plaza Handsworth? Good days but too young to appreciate it! I never went to the Whiskey a Go - Go, Stephenson Street (?) building recently demolished. What was the 'The Whiskey ' like inside?
 
Stitcher said:
This one will test your memory; Who remebers The Marmoset Club on Gt. Hampton St/Row. It was owned and run by Henry Bloomfield. Another one was The Surfside Stop on the corner of Summer Lane and Constitution Hill, just down a bit from Red Line Private Hire and the Club Cedar in the late 50s early 60s.
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The surfside was a cafe. I went there in 1967. Quite a mod place.
 
hi i to went the surfside cafe did you go to the club upstairs, we had some good laughs in there,
 
I worked the door at the Surfside Stop but it was a dangerous venue to work because I had to go down in the lift to let people in. I was vrey often on my own with four strangers in an enclosed space. It was always o/k as it happens but you could not do nowadays.
 
Does anyone remember Midnight City? opposite Digbeth police station open on Sat lunch times dj Erskine T it was very dark in there good sounds and i think the Tow Rope cafe Broad st Should be given a mention.
 
lindev, I really cant remember who owned it. I was not static do you see. I used to go where I was needed and did odd nights at most of the old clubs, pubs and dances. I worked mainly at The Station in Selly Oak, The Hollybush in Quinton before doing a couple of years for Mecca at the Gay Tower Ballroom, The Plaza in Handsworth and The Locarno.
 
hi stitcher, thank you for your reply, you were doorman on all the places i went to, i bet our paths have crossed at some time.
 
lindev, I really enjoyed the years I spent on the doors because I liked the music at the time. Do you remember Raymond Froggatt? I still see him when he is on at The Prince Of Wales in Cannock. I was talking to Tom the drummer from The Tubby Dunn Trio recently. They played at The Tower. Many of the old musicians are still doing a bit here and there. I am knackered now because I have had a new knee and a new hip. I am still mobile but I take care not to twist them or knock them. My friend goes to London a couple of times a year and has a holiday with the lead from Unit 4 Plus 2. Happy days eh.
 
Stitcher my hubby works in town occasionally as a limmo driver and chauffer. They have a rappor with the door men who watch the cars while they grab a sandwich or visit the gents!.
 
Wendy, If your husband works in town at night he has my respect, the only part of town I have seen at night in recent years is Broad St and I have to say that would not work there for any amount of money. My last full time occupation was a Hackney Carriage owner driver and I retired in 1989, not because I was old enough, I had to have my new joints. When I retired it was getting rather bad and we would frequently have trouble at night. When I was on the doo it was acceptable to give someone a slap if he deserved it but not these days.
 
Wendy, I liked the music in the pubs and clubs and I really liked to watch the ballrom dancing at the other places. Maybe because I have two left fet where dancing is concerned.
 
I can only say what he tells me, Michael is 62 and loves the work after re inventing himself after redundancy. He says the safest place for our youngsters now is Broad Street. It is so well policed and the drivers, doormen etc look out for each other. He tells me most of the kids are just out to have a good time a bit like we did. There have always been bad'uns he is more street wise than me perhaps growing up in Saltly helped!:)
 
hi stitcher and wendy, i bet we 3 have all been in the same club at the same time and never thought years and years later we would be on here talking about old times, i do remember raymond frogget, my daughters go to broad street every week, and they know they will be safe because the doormen have got to know them and look after them, thye do a good job up there, but they have some hassles to put up with, and has you say stitcher at one time you could give them a slap not today you have to stand there and take it till police arrive. and not forgetting we have woman on the doors also, gosh they brave i couldnt do it, i must say before the tower closed its doors the doormen up there were the most polite guys u could meet.
 
Wendy and lindev, I understand what your husband is saying and like I said before I admire him for what he is doing. Have either of you looked at the Brum Beat scene on Google, because it is worth a look. I also worked for Mothers Club in Erdington although I was not actually at Mothers that often because they ran venues all over the place. I did work on the night when Jimmy Cliff or Screaming Lord Such and the like were on. One of you said the doormen at the Tower were all gentlemen, it was a great place to work and for the five years I was on the door the five of us were good friends which helps a lot. In all my years on doors, I never saw a knife but was faced with a gun on two occasions, both at the Tower, and the only injury I suffered was a nosebleed caused by a punch. My full-time job was lorry driving. I did a bit of amature boxing and I tried wrestling years ago but I am happy doing my Cross-stitch and the garden these days.
 
Interesting thread everyone. Stitcher, do you remember the band at the Locarno in l962-l963. It was led by a fellow called Jones. It was Big Band Sound set up with all the bells and whistles, saxaphones, trombones, double base, etc. Many musicians playing more than one instrument in the course of a set. There were two lead singers, a fellow who sang a lot like Frank Sinatra and a female singer who was also very good. I believe the band won a special prize for being a great band. When the band took their break a jazz quarter came on to play on a revolving stage. I have a list of all the music that the band and the jazz quartet played in those years, that I can remember that is.

In the past I have mentioned the dance band but no one seems to remember them.:)
 
Jennyann, I could not be certain, I certainly remember the type of music you mention but because I was all over the place it is a bit hazy these days. Plus I am fast reaching the point when it does not matter if my friends know all my secrets because they will forget them anyway.
 
Stitcher,thanks for reminding me about Brum Beat Michael has just been ploughing through it. He still sees many of the people featured on there when he's working. I am glad you enjoy your retirement. Unfortunatly Michael has a few more years to go, thanks to the oil company he worked for going bust and taking pensions with them!:(
 
Jennyann, we had some new blinds fitted and the man who did the job used to be around in the 60s-70s and he remembered me from the doors. He told me he is still very good friends with Peter & Gordon, do you remember them? We have plenty of photos of my wife with The Drifters and The Stylistics. The best pic is one of Michael Parkinson carrying my son on his shoulders. I dont know if you remember The Ivy League and The Lemon Tree, I used to go fishing with them after the Saturday night finished at The Station. We would go into town and have a pie and a coffee at Alex's then drive to Bewdley or somewhere similar then go home for Sunday dinner. I do really enjoy my retirement, I love Cross-Stithing, and often turn photos or other pictures into patterns on my pooter. I love my garden and since I had my new joints I can enjoy shopping with 'her who wil be obeyed'. I dont know if you or your hubby are old enough to have noticed yet but as you get older, time goes by faster. There are not enough hours in a day now to do what I used to do.
 
hi stitcher. sounds like you have got your retirement mapped out pretty well. good for you. it would be great if you could put a few of your pictures on for us all to see. best wishes wales.
 
Stitcher,

As you get older, the earth spins faster and the increasing centrifugal force causes the joints to become stiffer. That was one of the things that they left out of our physic lessons at school! :P
 
vmills said:
Does anyone remember the Rainbow Suite (High Street), Plaza Handsworth? Good days but too young to appreciate it! I never went to the Whiskey a Go - Go, Stephenson Street (?) building recently demolished. What was the 'The Whiskey ' like inside?
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The answer to your question Roger is WOODEN! You had to go up very steep wooden stairs to three levels above the famous shop Chetwyns. The door and only entrance was in Navigation Street opposite the British Rail Signal house thats still there I think. each floor was WOODEN, which we danced and slept on. If there had ever been a fire their we would have been in serious trouble.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN OR FOUND A PICTURE OF THE WHISKEY ENTRANCE, HAS ANYONE GOT A PHOTO?
We used to hang around outside the Whiskey it was a meeting point for everyone, no bouncers just Sean MaHoney looking over the WOODEN type balcony. If your face did not fit or you where an unknown, Sean would not let you in as the pay box was three steps up from the pavement.
You had to make your mark and associations on that path before you stood any chance to enjoy the all nighters at the Whiskey a go go. sometimes it took weeks to get in otherwise it was the dreaded MaHoney KNOCK BACK!!:coolcheesy:
 
jag said:
Does anyone remember Midnight City? opposite Digbeth police station open on Sat lunch times dj Erskine T it was very dark in there good sounds and i think the Tow Rope cafe Broad st Should be given a mention.
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The DJ Erskine T was aproduct of the Whiskey a go go. He played his record collection their between acts. He carried his records every where around the town. Great Guy but WHERE IS HE KNOW?? Another DJ was Black H. Erskine's mate, but I have been told he's not on this earth now! Sad! Thats H sitting on the car, with Tony Baker & Johnnie Hutton who had a surf shop till just lately in The Mumbles South Wales. taken around 1966/67
 
This thread is great so many memories. Stitcher you were so lucky to meet all those famous people. I do remember though meeting so many who became famous Ozzy was often in the Rum Runner, to me at 18 he was not much different to now. I remember meeting Carl Wayne sad he is no longer with us, Bev Bevan,Toni Iomi. One of the nicest people I remeber was Jeff Lynn he was lovely. I know there were many others this just wouldn't happen today would it.
 
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