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Sparkhill Boy
master brummie
Thanks for the tribute clip Mossy. A brief glimpse of Otterlie Patterson too, what a remarkable voice she had.
Thinking of Hiawatha Rag, Chimes Blues, Doctor Jazz etc,etc what great times they were.
Thinking of Hiawatha Rag, Chimes Blues, Doctor Jazz etc,etc what great times they were.
Sparkhill Boy
master brummie
Wendy, was that when we held hands and swung our arms overhead with the beat of the music? Couples only of course..
hi george, many thanks for the information, i'm the process of writing a book tentatively called ' brumbeat and beyond ' ( a vinyl history of the midlands 1960 - 1975 ), this has taken well over two years research, but besides the records i want to inclued band line-ups as well, i've also got a section about acetates & demo's, as with some bands thats as far as they got, it's a lot bigger project than i first thought, but we'll struggle on. Again many thanks, cheers chris
T
Tid
Guest
Hi everyone - I joined this site just so I could post in this thread! :grin2:
Ok, nightclubs I remember from experience or by repute :
Snobs - glitzy, disco, big, popular, good place to meet up with people
Faces - (out by 5 Ways) very trendy, great music, packed out, good if you liked to dance (it was called something else before Faces - what?)
The Oppy (Opposite Lock, Gas Street) - don't remember this well, but it was run by the Fewtrells I believe? Birmingham's own gangsters.
Bogarts, New Street - coffee bar by day, but didn't they run a nightclub too or is my memory misleading me?
Mothers, Erdington - an early experience, before it closed; very hippie, very cool, but it would never have lasted! (Too scruffy for the disco era)
Raffles, off Hurst St - little private members club where I wangled a membership somehow; occasionally you could meet sport stars or TV stars there, but not often and they never spoke to you LOL; you got in by ringing the bell and a bouncer would pull back a small window in the door and check you over, all very clichéd
Barbarellas - mostly I remember this as a venue not a club : I saw Chuck Berry there, but I do remember the club too; all Watneys Red and pink decor, a bit sleazy I think
Samanthas - I barely remember this, was it up by the Silver Blades ice skating place out towards Digbeth?
?????? - there was a club that you found if you walked from Snobs towards the Holiday Inn, but I only went once and I forget what it was called. Maybe that was Rebeccas? Not sure.
The Rum Runner - I only knew this by repute, I never went there
?????? - just going out on the Coventry Road there was a club you had to walk up a fire escape to get to, and inside it was horrible and shabby and you wanted to leave real quick; there may have been barking dogs up on the roof to negotiate too
There was a big club on the Smallbrook Ringway too, somewhere near the Hurst Street subway. What was that called? It wasn't Shades by any chance?
I don't remember any punk clubs (well, I wouldn't), but don't even remember a punk scene very much, though Birmingham must have had one. Where did they go?
Then there was the most legendary club of all, though I only went once and only because I got an invite. Where did you go when all the clubs had closed, it was 3:30 in the morning and you fancied a drink? Well, you would drive out to Sparkbrook and somewhere there, in a side street, was the one, the only, GARY OWEN CLUB !!
Ok, nightclubs I remember from experience or by repute :
Snobs - glitzy, disco, big, popular, good place to meet up with people
Faces - (out by 5 Ways) very trendy, great music, packed out, good if you liked to dance (it was called something else before Faces - what?)
The Oppy (Opposite Lock, Gas Street) - don't remember this well, but it was run by the Fewtrells I believe? Birmingham's own gangsters.
Bogarts, New Street - coffee bar by day, but didn't they run a nightclub too or is my memory misleading me?
Mothers, Erdington - an early experience, before it closed; very hippie, very cool, but it would never have lasted! (Too scruffy for the disco era)
Raffles, off Hurst St - little private members club where I wangled a membership somehow; occasionally you could meet sport stars or TV stars there, but not often and they never spoke to you LOL; you got in by ringing the bell and a bouncer would pull back a small window in the door and check you over, all very clichéd
Barbarellas - mostly I remember this as a venue not a club : I saw Chuck Berry there, but I do remember the club too; all Watneys Red and pink decor, a bit sleazy I think
Samanthas - I barely remember this, was it up by the Silver Blades ice skating place out towards Digbeth?
?????? - there was a club that you found if you walked from Snobs towards the Holiday Inn, but I only went once and I forget what it was called. Maybe that was Rebeccas? Not sure.
The Rum Runner - I only knew this by repute, I never went there
?????? - just going out on the Coventry Road there was a club you had to walk up a fire escape to get to, and inside it was horrible and shabby and you wanted to leave real quick; there may have been barking dogs up on the roof to negotiate too
There was a big club on the Smallbrook Ringway too, somewhere near the Hurst Street subway. What was that called? It wasn't Shades by any chance?
I don't remember any punk clubs (well, I wouldn't), but don't even remember a punk scene very much, though Birmingham must have had one. Where did they go?
Then there was the most legendary club of all, though I only went once and only because I got an invite. Where did you go when all the clubs had closed, it was 3:30 in the morning and you fancied a drink? Well, you would drive out to Sparkbrook and somewhere there, in a side street, was the one, the only, GARY OWEN CLUB !!
Hi Tid,
Bogarts, yes you are right see page 73 of this post and my comments, rocker / biker bar and club upstairs, bier kellar downstairs, fantastic place.
sad when they closed it ! :cry:
Rum Runner, again great club, saw Ozzy and Zep in there drinking in the past, it played my kind of music !
Anyone remember the SAKI Club Dudley Road, vaguley remember it and the Monte Carlo on Soho Road ?
Bogarts, yes you are right see page 73 of this post and my comments, rocker / biker bar and club upstairs, bier kellar downstairs, fantastic place.
sad when they closed it ! :cry:Rum Runner, again great club, saw Ozzy and Zep in there drinking in the past, it played my kind of music !
Anyone remember the SAKI Club Dudley Road, vaguley remember it and the Monte Carlo on Soho Road ?
From my probably distorted memory,
Barbarellas was 3 clubs, A rock venue, which had top bands - seemed to have a knack for booking bands that made it not long afterwards..a Reggae part, and a sort of Cabaret / Chicken in a basket part.
The rock part used to do a free buffet at the back at one time. Owned by the Fewtrells, apparently all of their clubs were named after their wives or daughters or something like that. Later on ( late 70s)the Rock part stared putting on less well known bands, you had to play Rebeccas first, for a lot less money, then you got Barbarellas on a Sunday.
The Ringway club, in Bromsgrove St, an irish club downstairs, and a disco for all sorts of strange people upstairs........anyone who ever went will get my drift. Only sold beer in half pint bottles, all same price. of course a pint cost twice as much, and the bottles were just tipped in, so most of it got wasted. Great place for a laugh though, never saw any trouble at all !
Samanthas used to let female students in free on certain weeknights....
There was a club over some shops and a curry house on the main road through Sparkhill, really shabby, half of the customers were wearing donkey jackets, i think the floor actually collapsed one night into the curry house underneath.
Daddy Long legs, near Bordesley Bridge ( former dolls club ?? ) again a two room place with different crowds upstairs to the one downstairs.
Was teh Garry Owen where the Brum Cavern used to be ? What was it called in between - anybody remember ?
Barbarellas was 3 clubs, A rock venue, which had top bands - seemed to have a knack for booking bands that made it not long afterwards..a Reggae part, and a sort of Cabaret / Chicken in a basket part.
The rock part used to do a free buffet at the back at one time. Owned by the Fewtrells, apparently all of their clubs were named after their wives or daughters or something like that. Later on ( late 70s)the Rock part stared putting on less well known bands, you had to play Rebeccas first, for a lot less money, then you got Barbarellas on a Sunday.
The Ringway club, in Bromsgrove St, an irish club downstairs, and a disco for all sorts of strange people upstairs........anyone who ever went will get my drift. Only sold beer in half pint bottles, all same price. of course a pint cost twice as much, and the bottles were just tipped in, so most of it got wasted. Great place for a laugh though, never saw any trouble at all !
Samanthas used to let female students in free on certain weeknights....
There was a club over some shops and a curry house on the main road through Sparkhill, really shabby, half of the customers were wearing donkey jackets, i think the floor actually collapsed one night into the curry house underneath.
Daddy Long legs, near Bordesley Bridge ( former dolls club ?? ) again a two room place with different crowds upstairs to the one downstairs.
Was teh Garry Owen where the Brum Cavern used to be ? What was it called in between - anybody remember ?
A Sparks
master brummie
The big club on the corner of Smallbrook Ringway and Hurst St was probably originally La Dolce Vita - I think it changed names a few times after that - no idea if it's still open as I don't live in Brum now.
Re the Gary Owens - it was in Small Heath wasn't it?
I never went there myself but I was told it had a reputation for being rough?!
Re the Gary Owens - it was in Small Heath wasn't it?
I never went there myself but I was told it had a reputation for being rough?!
S
Stitcher
Guest
The Fewtrels were not gangsters, I met all of them and although they were not my cup of tea they were alright.
The Opposite Lock was indeed owned from the outset by Martin Hone who also had an interest in racing a LOLA car. Martin was very instrumental in trying to get motor racing established in Birmingham. The Opposite lock was eventually taken over, altered and re-opened by another nice gent namely Bobby Brown, thats why it was called Bobby Browns.
The Opposite Lock was indeed owned from the outset by Martin Hone who also had an interest in racing a LOLA car. Martin was very instrumental in trying to get motor racing established in Birmingham. The Opposite lock was eventually taken over, altered and re-opened by another nice gent namely Bobby Brown, thats why it was called Bobby Browns.
hi sticher
i hope you do not mind by asking a personel question.
but where did you meet the fewtrels, and how long did you know them
i have to smile because it seems over the years i have heard that many
stories about the fewrels .that they was gangsters , and no they are not
and because they have met them on the club floor and speak to them
and later on in time it becomes i know the fewtrels
so i am intrigued to asked how well did you know them
why do people always say the fewtrels was gangsters ?.
i really think did should not be allowed to be discussed on the forum
please do not think i am haveing a slight knock at you
its just that alot of people think they was gangsters
its often the way when people run pubs and clubs they think
they are gangsters or crooks especialy when they are succesful
please do not think i am knocking you
its as i have said why dothey think they was gangsters
have a nice day sticher best wishes astonian ;;
i hope you do not mind by asking a personel question.
but where did you meet the fewtrels, and how long did you know them
i have to smile because it seems over the years i have heard that many
stories about the fewrels .that they was gangsters , and no they are not
and because they have met them on the club floor and speak to them
and later on in time it becomes i know the fewtrels
so i am intrigued to asked how well did you know them
why do people always say the fewtrels was gangsters ?.
i really think did should not be allowed to be discussed on the forum
please do not think i am haveing a slight knock at you
its just that alot of people think they was gangsters
its often the way when people run pubs and clubs they think
they are gangsters or crooks especialy when they are succesful
please do not think i am knocking you
its as i have said why dothey think they was gangsters
have a nice day sticher best wishes astonian ;;
S
Stitcher
Guest
Hello Astonian, you understand I can't go into too much detail but I started when I was rather young and I was a debt collector and freelance doorman. I always kept my head down so as not to become too well known for obvious reasons. I went to venues anywhere in the greater Birmingham area where trouble was liable to get out of hand. I had a small group of friends who worked with me. Our services were required at The Kingfisher Hall before it was demolished to make way for todays shopping centre. That was because of a large family who had started to become a niusance in Redditch. Another one was a Bangra night in Wednesbury. We did the odd night at The Locarno when T.Bachioci, the manager, was a friend of mine. J. Morgan, a Liverpudlian who managed the Tower for a few years, Henry Bloomfield who owned The Marmaset just above Constitution Hill were on my casual friends list. Martin Hone, Bobby Brown and several others all knew me. I had friends who worked for the Fewtrels for years when the club scene was at its best. Believe me, the Fewtrels were not gangsters.
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Patty
master brummie
Astonian how's that book coming along??? cant wait to have a read. I have been to most of the places on this thread and knew a few of the charaters also, did anyone know the Avery's that lived in my rd (HOLTE) I feel sure you would have known them, they were a big family and were on the Brum scene, they always looked after me. There was Michael, Johny, Gerald,Carl who died,and a few more that i cant just think of, remembered Joey
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hi stich
many thanks for giving me your time to reply and answer my question
there was a reason why i had asked but like your self
i did not want to go into details for variuos reasons
and i really appreciate what you have said i do really understand
because we have to whatch what we say on the forum that i know
i also have connectioned today with certain people
by the way i know henry,it so happened.s
well stich , i will not say no more on the suject . except it,s a very small
world , ---- do you agree ,?.
have a nice day stich speak again soon best wishes astonian;;;
many thanks for giving me your time to reply and answer my question
there was a reason why i had asked but like your self
i did not want to go into details for variuos reasons
and i really appreciate what you have said i do really understand
because we have to whatch what we say on the forum that i know
i also have connectioned today with certain people
by the way i know henry,it so happened.s
well stich , i will not say no more on the suject . except it,s a very small
world , ---- do you agree ,?.
have a nice day stich speak again soon best wishes astonian;;;
M
Mossy
Guest
Patty there is a Micky Avery who drinks in The Mitre Longacre he is about 65 and is still working he has a scrap buisness under the arches by the Swanpool pub
Mossy
Mossy
M
Mossy
Guest
Yes Patty i think so...there are a lot of them
Mossy
Mossy
hi paty
i sure did know the averys in deed
and i can remember when the barber on park rd by the park
cut the back of the hair wrong
when the barber had finished and like all male barbers reflect a mirror
at the back of your head to see if you like it,
he jumped up out of the chair ,and shouted at the barber and punched
him on the nose and said you have cut it wrong and stormed
out of the shop , he got arrested and took to court
and he had to pay a fine. patsy i think if they never knew them
they soon did ,
regarding my book its coming on fine , i have got a professional
person whom is helping me to compile it together
we have leart abit more and dicovered some other members of the family
whom we could not trace but now we have them
many thanks have a nice day best wishes astonian ;;
i sure did know the averys in deed
and i can remember when the barber on park rd by the park
cut the back of the hair wrong
when the barber had finished and like all male barbers reflect a mirror
at the back of your head to see if you like it,
he jumped up out of the chair ,and shouted at the barber and punched
him on the nose and said you have cut it wrong and stormed
out of the shop , he got arrested and took to court
and he had to pay a fine. patsy i think if they never knew them
they soon did ,
regarding my book its coming on fine , i have got a professional
person whom is helping me to compile it together
we have leart abit more and dicovered some other members of the family
whom we could not trace but now we have them
many thanks have a nice day best wishes astonian ;;
S
Stitcher
Guest
Astonian, its me again. Henry Bloomfield died a few years ago. He had minor surgery and caught an infection in his leg and it finished him. Did you know he was also a master tailor, he made all his own suits and showed me how to do it. I ended up making my own evening suit for working on the door at the Tower Ballroom. Happy days. There used to be a bit of trouble at times but in those days, if you got a smack in the mouth, you desereved it. Happy days.
S
Stitcher
Guest
Hello Maggs. I worked there from the early sixties to about 1970. There was me, Ben, Roy, Ray, John and another one whose name escapes me. I did 7 nights a week because the hours of my full time job fitted in with it. It was normally ballrom through the week and a Greek wedding or something similar on Sundays. I must say I enjoyed the ballroom music and the type of people at the Tower far better behaved and more interesting than the club scene. We did get a bit of trouble most weekends but we had a good team and anything untoward was dealt with very quickly and quietly. My wife worked in the cash kiosk there and we started dating then married and we have a very good son who is now 37.
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S
swilko
Guest
Sloopies, was opposite the law courts and the Holy City Zoo, but I can't remember the name of the road it was on.. was off gret Charles Street though and now I think it's another club but I forget the name. Was 20 years ago though! That gives my age away methinks 
hi stich
just to say i did know about harry passing over and i was aware of his trade
even thou i left brum afew years ago because of certain connections i hold
court with i am a relative to one of the guys whom used to be one of there
right hand mans, he,s a huge guy of a man and holds high office in sutton
coldfield west midlands very influencual man whom also knows henry
and hundreds of guys
best wishes astonian ;;
just to say i did know about harry passing over and i was aware of his trade
even thou i left brum afew years ago because of certain connections i hold
court with i am a relative to one of the guys whom used to be one of there
right hand mans, he,s a huge guy of a man and holds high office in sutton
coldfield west midlands very influencual man whom also knows henry
and hundreds of guys
best wishes astonian ;;
pmcdermott
master brummie
the rum runner was near there down an alley off broad st; i think duran duran started thereAnyone 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.‚..(not my choice...just a crowd I was with at the time)
Any more? ...or any memories?.‚..
pmcdermott
master brummie
micky avery is married to my cousin sundra i have not seen them since since my mothers funeral in 2000,
suemalings
master brummie
Not really a Nite Club......
Did anyone go to the Jug O'Punch Folk Club run by Ian Campbell?
In the late 60's it used to be at the back of Digbeth Civic Hall, then moved to Carr's Lane.
Did anyone go to the Jug O'Punch Folk Club run by Ian Campbell?
In the late 60's it used to be at the back of Digbeth Civic Hall, then moved to Carr's Lane.
maggs
master brummie
Thank you for telling me all that Stitcher (are you Trevor), You were there a little later than me then. I stopped going in 1960, but I loved the ticket dance on a Friday night, never missed. I do remember that there was always a doorman. What I also remember is how safe it was to walk home in the small hours alone in those day's. I had to get all the way back to Icknield Street and it was no problem. So you found a good wife and along came a good son. Well done.