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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

  • Thread starter Thread starter mazbeth
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Rebeccas, by New Street station. It used to be on 3 floors, top played smoochie music, middle played recent stuff. Can't recall what the bottom floor played. The Real Thing and the Drifters played here and it didn't cost us a penny extra. My friend and I used to get there early and they always played a 1000 Volts of Holt until the DJ made an appearance. Happy Days...
 
Maxwell, I am sorry about the delay but none of my friends here knew him but another man was coming here from N.Zealand for a holiday. He had five days in America en route and unfortunately he said although the name rings a bell, he can not put a face to it. As you know we all know different people and he said when he gets settled in back home and starts E. Mailing people, he will ask if they knew him. He left for N. Z. today so I should think it will be at least a week before I hear anything. If he sends me any info I will let you know straight away.
 
Places I can remember

Faces nightclub and Maxwells at Five ways, peppermint place, Bobby Browns in Gas street ( I think), Rum Runner, Snobs, locarno, Romeos and Juliets, ( changed to pagoda park) Top Rank ( lots of groups on there), the Cedar Club ( saw U2 there in 79/80??? before they were famous) Odean cinema that also had loads of groups on there, Hawkins wine bar near the hospital with the laser show on sunday evenings, the beir keller?. the eagle pub.

think that's about it but I am sure more memories will surface looking on this site!
 
anybody remember the lime light it was either somewhere near the corner of navigation street / hill street or somewhere broad street cant quite remember I know that it was next to a cafe and you went upstairs to it very seedy
 
hi.guys...does, any one have photos,..of the MAYFAIR-SUITE..club.1970,s.on the bridge-link..BULL-RINK...it was on the site T.K.MAXX..is today... cheers...christy..
 
Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night was club night for me.
Visited most of them: Top Rank, Locarno, Rum Runner, Elbow Room, Monte Carlo (Handsworth), Golden Gloves and more...
but Rebeccas was my favourite - 3 floors, 3 different types of music. Remember having some great times there.
Also remember getting ready to go out at about the same time as I go to bed nowadays!!
 
Dolce Vita - the only embarrassing moment I can remember was a Japanese group were on and they got me to sing with them, needless to say it didn't make the top twenty!!!!

Also the chicken in a basket, at my age that was something special, well it was in the ????
 
In the fifties & sixties I remember The Cavendish,La Dolce Vita,Night Out,Cresta and the Castaways,I think the Castaways was in Bradford St I went to see Tom Jones there. The Cresta was at Solihull,and the Night Out I think was in the Horse Fair.
Happy Memories.
Midge/Jemina
 
The night out was lovely, a "Proper" club if ya like. But i think it was more in the 70s rather than the 60s. Max
 
Hi Max yes I think you are right the Night Out was in the seventies,where you could have ameal and watch the show,I remember going to see Little & Large there.
Jemina
 
Jemina said:
Hi Max yes I think you are right the Night Out was in the seventies,where you could have ameal and watch the show,I remember going to see Little & Large there.
Jemina
Click to expand...
I saw a lot of great acts there, my ex wife would drag me along to see the Drifters ( i didnt take too much pulling ) i have a photo somewhere of my son when he was about 8 years old on the stage there. others i saw there were Ronnie Jukes and Ricky Lee, Bob Monkhouse, the guy with spit the dog,and those wonderful dancers Hot Gossip. It was an affordable place to go, i liked Kings in Handsworth and best of all The Penguin next to the Villa Ground. Max
 
Hi there

I used to frequent the Crown in Station St, in the early 1960's.and the club upstairs was as far as I can remember, called the Intown Club. The Landlord was Tommy Pickering, and brilliant person, and the "Bouncers" were Tom & OX, 2 brothers. I do have a picture of my then Girlfriend and I, enjoying ourselves on perhaps a Saurday evening in 1964. We have since met up after 40+ years, and are re-living the memories of our youth. Marriage at our age -well, it looks good! Does anyone remember the Crown and the Club? Jacko. :redface:
 
Hi jacko
i certainly remember it and the upstairs club. Used to go myself
and the gaffer ued to run the free house on summer hill before moving up to the crown
across the rd from the roller rink and in the days when old man bill langdon was around just along rd on the same side as the rink ; cor those were the days my friend ,we thought they never end ; aye you must have met my old mate roger greg ;from garbett street
he was the women,s red hot taster in the crown ;
but i have to admitt he was the best looking guy in the pub
he had the talent and the swarfe and the chat up lines
the last i have heard of him he nows pulls in the old penny farthing
by chelmsley wood ; best wishes astonian ;;
 
Hi Astonian.

Great, and was Bill Langdon the same one whos Sons run the now demolishes Bathroom Showroom in Ladywood? I know the Showroom has moved, and I have seen this in Brum somewhere. BTW, If I have the bottle to post the 1964 picture I had took in the Intown Club - I bet I was the best looking, even if I said so myself! Jacko.:redface:
 
HI JACKO
Firstly yes its the same langdons bathrooms as far as i am aware ;as i do not live in brum
to excactly know what the state of play is on that subject;
but what i will say is i suspect they are his grand childrens kids now ,because bills sons would be at least
as old as me ; if not older.as i recall his own patricular sons ;
so his sons have had there kids and these are the ones whom are folling on and keeping things
within there grand fathers trade as he started in brum ;
i do know that one of the son inlaws whom was in the demo and building trade with them
was also a bouncer [ door man ] for me at a couple of my old pubs i had kept years ago ;
and i used to work out in thee gym with them ; daily ;
i have a bill langdon small shop in worc; which i pas nearly every day ;
it must be 9 months now i said i will call in and and take pics and have a chat about whom or what part of bills family they are but i wil get there in the end
Now jacko unless you are old gregory him self you could not be as a good looking bloke like him
there was only one other competior and that was a big tall guy short hair and a proper hard man
whom went by the name of mick ; does ring any bells to you , so sorry jacko in having to tell you that mate ; but do not take it to heart ,aye , i am sure if i seen you pic, i would remember you with out fail
and i there say you are a nice guy and average looks just like me . a proper ladies man ; aye ?,
best wishes Astonian ;;
 
Hi Astonian

Bill Langdon was the Father, Bill was his, and also John. There were other brothers. My Business Partner Brian V, was very good friends with the Brothers, but Brian died in 1984, at just the age of 40. In the late 70's early 80,s we all used to meet up in the Pied Piper, now a Chinesse nosh shop, just off Ladywood Middleway, (Monument Road) Maybe the same family.

I will have a word with my lady friend of the early 1960's, and see if she will allow me to post the picture on the site. That would be fun. I was 16 (opps) when I first went up the Crown, and the last time I was there, I would have been just turning 18 years old. The picture I have, was took when I was 17. I used to play the piano in the Stork Public House, Nechells, just off Nechells Place, in a street I shall have to look up. I also played with a Black Band, called the Soul Seekers, (we were about average) at the White Swan in Victoria Road in the 1960's. Oh Ozzie (John to his friends) was about then! I also played in a few Bands, and although I havent played for a while, I am going to join a Band at this late stage in my life.

Have fun and thanks for the info, and the memories. Jacko.:redface:
 
Hi Again jacko;
many thanks for getting back to me on this i can comment on alot you have said also the places and names you have mentioned, and the more you have said its every chance i will reconise you from your pic;
if your good lady lets you put it up; i also i had seen your band the seekers at he swan as it was my local
i lived directly across the rd from the swan in those days and heard the band and seen in person;
regarding the piper, yes i would have known virtualy all the boozers ; whom drank in there
plus my two younger brothers lived in the light thorne estate right by it ; [ gun slingers alley ]
i call it personally the taxis driver will not pick up passengers or drop them off down there in the avenue ;
most of the guys are all from local houses of lady wood from the old house before they was demolished
and regrds [ ollie ] yes i knowhim well and tommy whom started with him and his cousin as well we drank
on friday nights nd weekends before setting of to a gig ;[ i did.nt ] but they did .i was not in any band
but well known to the locals ,all i will say ; great speaking and thanks for those memories , astonian ;;
 
Hi Dennis

Many thanks. I went past the (new) showroom some months ago, but could not remember where it was. I thought some of Bill Landons sons where still working with the firm, but alas no. I do not know the Grandsons, but thanks again for the message. I am in Ladywood, every week, and have been past the old Cinema, where Landons Bathrooms where, now demolished unfortunately. Another Victorian\Edwardian Building has bit the dust! Regards from Jacko.:redface:
 
A little later the upstairs room hosted Henrys Blues House a couple of the regulars were Champion Jack Dupree a one man blues band and Bakerloo blues band Bernie
 
i went to locarno,humming bird ,dale end,millionaires?snobs,edward,s., custard house.all them.
 
hi jacko
how are you mate, just picked up on your picture , yes i reconised you straight away
and your good lady as clear as a bell both of you ;
if you remember i asked you if you would have kown big mick at the time but also you would have known little freddy whom was always in there with his friend [ girl ] lorraine ;
as i can remember you very vividly and your style of dress very well indeed
and i know i used to frequent there in the sme time as also roger the good looking one the ladies man dressed in is navvy uniform top grat guy and very much the gentle man and womiser whom i knew all the years back from school days as well yes the pub club was very viberante in that period
but any way i thought i must tell you ;yes i renconised you both straight away ;
have a good day to you both ;; astonian ;;
 
Hi Astonian

Is it possible for you to contact me using my email address? If this is OK, we can discuss things in more detail?

Regards from Jacko.:redface:
 
I worked for black & white taxis and spent a bit of time in the Jug & Alberts wine bar:)
 
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