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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

  • Thread starter Thread starter mazbeth
  • Start date Start date
Hello Mossg,

That must be the one. Many thanks. Looks as if I have to treat myself to the book.

{ don't tell Mr. Darling or Gordon ? ? }
 
Hello Mossg.

Just changed my mind about buying the book ? ?
Amazon want £41 for it ! ! !

Mr. Darling wil go grey ? ? That's half my pension ! ! !

Betty
 
Astonian said:
patty
it was on the corner of trinty rd
tasco was painted all in black as i said it was the first corner you come to passing aston parish church
i was a choir boy there and done my poppy day parade out side the church every poppy day
with the life bouys brigade .and the scout moment and the boys brigade [ 1st Company ]
with captain roberts all from dyson hall . in park street aston ;
i could not think of the named rd , last night or should i say early in this morning because
i was worn out and burnt out i am fresh now after a good sleep
and its come to my mind [ trinty rd ] next afew yards past the church ] i am born and bred aston
also another place i was thinking of was alf said in handsworth was the gay lords
the revenue bar . and along with the continental club where you went down the steps
and banged on the front door and handed your old style fiver to gain entrance through the hatch with grills on if only you was known you would get past the door
then the big heavy bolts would be drawn and inyou come . but getting back to tobascos
some one said the litchfield rd and church lane [ close may i add ]
once down the church lane bear left to the church passing the parks main gates and cross over to the churck and continue to the corner bang on it
have a nice day best wishes Astonian ;;;
Click to expand...

This the place ?

Dunno where it was, but its the same name.
 
col h said:
This the place ?

Dunno where it was, but its the same name.
Click to expand...

Col h,

That Gaylord was in Miles Street, Small Heath. I think it closed in sometime in the 70's. It was just down the road from the Plume of Feathers pub.

Phil
 
Patty Lovely Photo of your Dad and his friend. The shop just behind them was (in the 70s) a brilliant Fish and Chip shop . Max
 
Yes Max the women that owned it was called sissy and she run it with her sister. when dad came home friday night a bit worse for wear he would bring fish and chips in, mom was never amused and would say what a ridiculous time to bring them in and he would pick them up and give them to Mrs chance next door, it happenrd every friday you would think mom would have kept quite wouldn't you? I dont think Astoian has it right about trinity rd, first corner past the church was my rd Holte rd, wasn't Trinity rd the one with the bowling alley in by the villa? The Holte was on the corner with trinity rd one side and witton lane the other.
 
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Interesting you mention the Bowling Alley ( Fairlanes ) it was something to do with Douglas Fairbanks , or so the rumour was . I used to go there and compete in late night competitions .Do you ,or anyone else remember it when it became The Penguin Club , i have mentioned it on this thread before , but had no uptake . Max
 
Yes Max I used to spend a lot of time in the bowling alley in the upstairs bar never played, there was a big group of us used to met up most night, and The penguin club didn't last long they had real penguins in a tank, my friends husband worked on it and told me a few storys I cant repeat I think the owner was a bit of a character bit off a bit more than he could chew and not a very good buisness man, the opening night I dont think many people paid to get in and he had some big names there that cost him a fortune.
We used to go to the florida rooms on the side of the Holte too for a dance it was later the boxing club my dad used to help train the boxers there
 
Your right about the owner , he was a really nice bloke, self made .His name was Jonnie Kirkbright RIP. He was the first to admit that he was no good as a business man, but he was generous to a fault , i went in the club one morning around 7.00 oclock , and the previous nights takings had been left on the bar !!!!.
When he finally packed it in he paid off the staff to the best of his ability , my mom got a shed in lieu of wages .!!!!!! Max
 
These prices just don't make sense,i have seen BRUM ROCKED ON!for sale at both Sutton and Lichfield open markets very recently for about a tenner.
They are new and the stall only sells this book,so you can't miss it.
You could ring the publishers GSM Best Sellers 0121 378 4996. Moss.
 
Its interesting that on ebay NO ONE has placed a bid , LOL hope no one does . Max
 
Just checked on line ,Birmingham libraries service, has more than 40 copies of each book , Brum rocked/rocked on
 
me and my sister would go to the dance above the old crown in brum and then on to rebecca s, rum runner barbraells and on saturday ,we would go to the old bulls head coventry road dose anyone remember the swan yardley
 
Yeah i do , it was said if i remember rightly ,that the Swan Yardley ,had the longest bar in Europe ?
 
hi sean is buried in witton cemetry i think paul his brother said ,hope this helps ,yes he was one of a kind lots of nice memories of him.
 
the bulls head ,was on coventry road opposit the old police station not far from the swan yardley at the bull they used to have a dance on friday and saturday ,the guy who ran it ,his name was rupert but every one called him garry ,i worked in the cloak room .we used to drink dragons blood,cider /blackcurrent ,i think it was 10 pence
 
Hello candy, was the friday and saturday dance nights run by Rupert for Mothers in Erdington. I ask because I did a few odd night at The bull, it was when they were short of a doorman or if the were expecting trouble. This would have been in the late 60s, and about eight years ago a group of us met at The Old Bill and Bull because one of our crowd was emigrating to N. Zealand. That night a man made himself known to us because he remembered me throwing him out of The Bull all those years ago.
 
i remember the casino by kings hall market late 50 eary 60 for rock and roll used to go sat lunch time and monday nights always played last rcord 'see u later alligator' bill hayley rock and roll on top of zizmans i think it was laura dixons also went to the ritz kings heath great rock and roll nights does anyone remember alexs on the stratford road sparkhill only sold soft drinks went 3/4 nights a week great rock and roll to records west en ballroon had a sprung dance floor for ballroom dancing to bands i worked there evenings later they had up and comming artists fredie and the dreamers jerry and the pacemakers emile ford many years ago i was only 18 but great times im sure bob pryke opened the first legal nightclub in bradford street was it the castaways i worked there for one night as a waitress ended up washing glasses lasted one night bit posh for me after woriking at alexes pies in new street also worked on the stand for one night but mostly in his shop laim to fame served bob monkhouse to pie and chips....
 
i used to freqent the west end ballroom ...live groups .emile ford and the checkmates .freddie and the dreamers..shane fenton now know as alvin stardust..mike sheridan and the nightriders. carl wayne to name a few and the sprung dance floor made you dance without trying .fabulous times !!!!!!!!!!!!!my dance partner was barbara knight who lived in selly oak ..behind the bank. i wish i could find her .have tried with no success......
 
hi ann
It sounds like you and I went to the same places. but Laura Dixons was over Chetwyns (if you meen the one in Station Street). Could the one you called Alex's be the Springfield?
I used to love the Casino on a Wednesday lunchtimes but the best of all was the Ritz. We were so lucky to have a place like it. Met my wife there.
 
The casino was further up towards the Kings Hall Market and not opposite the law courts. It closed in about 1960 I think.
We used to go dancing at the West End in our lunchtimes when I worked at the Council House and Civic Centre. Just used to get back to our desks for 2pm.
Also used to dash across to the Locarno some lunchtimes.

Was the Springfield (or Alex) opposite the Mermaid pub on the stratford Road. I went to a dance studios there and we had to go up the stairs Ithink and it wasnt very large. that was in about 1960. I've often wondered what it was called.
WendyP
 
As Wendy says the Casino was where the Priory Queensway is now.
The Springfield was on Springfield Road and wasn't a studio.It was upstairs and a dancehall like the Ritz. The studio opposite the mermaid may have been Alex. I don't know.
 
Wendy the Sringfield club was about 2 miles south of the Mermaid Pub, it was nearer "The Collage Arms" past Sparkhill Park on the corner off I think Solihull or Knowle road
 
Bob

I think the Springfield Club was on the corner of Solihull rd. I only ever got in there once. Wendy The club across the road from the Mermaid could have been the Sparkbrook Club by the Mermaid Fish & Chip shop.

I doubt it was the club above Burtons on the corner of St Johns Rd although I can't remember it's name that was a dance studio before it became an Irish Club. Even less possibly it was the Cascade Club on the corner of Showell Green Lane.

Phil
 
My last word on this location. Many moons ago I posted that I have vague memories of The Rainbow Casino being on the spot where the Strathallen Hotel Car park is at present. Some members thought differently. I said I would try and find out for certain. I have asked a few of my friends who were Taxi drivers and or private hire drivers in those days. Non can be certain who is right. I have asked several staff at The Rainbow and one of the Morrels family and still can not get a positive answer so it seems we will all have to be happy with a little uncertainty.
 
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Hi Stitcher:

I took this photo of The Rainbow Club in November 2009. I was on my way to visit the Botannical Gardens and was wandering from Five Ways along the Hagley Road. I remember going here in the1960's (early) so I took a photo. Is this the same place you are talking about. Not sure?
 
Hello WendyP, There was a Dance Studio in Springfield Rd. It was , for many years run by Marion Louden. I think the fella was Bill Moore.
Quite a few Dance Studios changed to Rock & Roll etc. Ballroom dancing was on the decline because of the introduction of the new style of dance so it was a way of continuing to work.
As with Alex that you mentioned. Originaly this was a Dance Studio and they used to have ballroom dancing competitions and competitors used to come from all over the country to compete.
{ even the Londoners ! so it was obviously good quality competitions.} Betty.
 
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