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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

  • Thread starter Thread starter mazbeth
  • Start date Start date
Barr_Beacon said:
Barbarella's : Bands from March to May 1974....where has the time gone?

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So true...
 
Was this the start of Eddie Fewtrells career in nightclubs.
72 1/2 Navigation St, what was the other 1/2, strange numbering system.
 
this was sometimes used when a building was split into two separate addresses after originally being built, instead of (say) 72A
 
All I know about the Bermuda Club on Navigation Street is that it used to be the Victory Cafe before it became the Bermuda and it later changed it's name to the Capri Club before it was demolished and disappeared. These are the club premises in 1958.

City Navigation St Victory Cafe 1958.jpg
 
The Bermuda Club was indeed behind another shop, hence the 73 1/2 I guess. I don't remember it being at the side of a café but thought it was behind a Tailor's Shop in the late 50s. Still it was a long time ago. This was Eddie Fewtrell's first club. The entrance was at a door at the side of the shop and you were only admitted if known by the doorman. The club was at the rear of the shop so it wasn't that big, but it did have a small dance floor, seating and a bar of course!
 
Jayell,

The Victory cafe was at 71 1/2 Navigation Street. I understand that the Bermuda Club started in the upstairs above the cafe and eventually took over the whole building, but I am only going by what I have been told as it was a place I never used.
 
mazbeth said:
Anyone 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 :D) saw Herbie Hancock there...and Deaf School, and AC/DC :eek: (not my choice...just a crowd I was with at the time)

Any more? ...or any memories? :)
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Mazbeth just a useless bit of information , after packing my apprenticeship up in late 1969 , I worked for an electrical wholesaler in Upper Gough St off Holloway Head, anyway we dealt with a lamp supplier named Luxram . The deliveryman was none other than
John Kerton , I've not to this day seen a delivery bloke like him since he turned up in three piece suits immaculate he was . the delivery job was only part time but when he turned up we used to have a good old chinwag . I only found a current picture of John on the web tonight , and I can confirm it is him
 
Phil, I never heard of an upstairs to the club. Although its possible the upstairs was used for storage/office space of some kind. When I went to the Bermuda (1958/59) the club was solely on the ground floor. In fact looking at your photo of the Victory Café at 71.1/2, to the left of the photo next to the café looks more how I remember it. The Bermuda definitely didn't have the frontage that the café had. So I am guessing that the property behind the car is the Bermuda and 72.1/2 Navigation Street.
Judy
 
Jayell

As I stated I have no first hand information on this club, I'm only going by what I have been told and what I have read. Also the fact that the number of the Victory Cafe was 71,1/2 in Kelly's and later the number of the Bermuda Club given in Kelly's is 71, 1/2. I'll try and find where it was that I read about the Bermuda Club and come back to you.
 
Thanks for the link Phil. I can't argue with the fact that the Victory Café is mentioned in the newspaper article. I just don't remember the cafe frontage, mind you the Club was hidden away from the public and only for selected clientele! so I wonder if a different type of shop front was set up as a smokescreen as it were! Another question is: why was the Victory Café at No. 71.1/2 and the card I have for the Bermuda says it was at 72.1/2?
I remember a side door with a hatch that was opened on ringing the bell for entry. I knew Eddie and his wife quite well in those days as he was always in the club. There were a few raids there for after hours drinking I believe.
 
Jayell

Sorry that's just my mistake, everywhere I have typed 71,1/2 I should have been putting 72,1/2.

The reason why it probably looked so different was probably because Eddie Fewtrell spent a lot of money on alterations and fitting the place out.
 
Think you are right Phil. I would never have known it by the Victory Café photo, and when I showed it to my sister she felt the same. Although there was a shop at the front of the property which I always thought was a tailors or menswear shop. There was no name above the door to the Bermuda that I remember. Thank you.
 
mazbeth said:
Anyone 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 :D) saw Herbie Hancock there...and Deaf School, and AC/DC :eek: (not my choice...just a crowd I was with at the time)

Any more? ...or any memories? :)
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There was a dance hall I think was called, "The Casino" , opposite The Old Square, but that was before my dance hall days .
I never went there , but I have a vague memory of a club in the early 60's, opposite , "Bingley Hall", called ,"Kings and Queens" .
I also remember the opening of the, "Locarno Ballroom", in 1961 . They opened it for a walk around before they actually opened for business and I went one lunch time to take a look and remember how impressive it was . They had a rock and roll night but I forget which night of the week it was but it became another of my regular haunts .
I was already going to the, "West End Ballroom", regularly in those days . Thursday nights was rock and roll and Sunday nights was jazz , which was a musical awakening for me and from there I "migrated" to , "Jazzland" , a jazz club in an old unventilated cellar , on the left way down the hill from Snow Hill station . The jazz club in the upstairs bar of the "Warwick Castle", pub near what was then the fire station , also became a regular haunt of mine in the early 60's .
Someone mentioned the "Andicaps" . Mike Heard of the "Andicaps" was an old school mate of mine also John Lodge of, "The Moody Blues", was at Central Grammar the same time as I was .
 
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nice memories eric....a well known pub for jazz was the salutation at the bottom of snow hill...did you ever use it

lyn
 
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Di.Poppitt said:
The Tower Ballroom was about the nearest to a night club when I was trying to live it up. The other option was the British Restaurant in Perry Barr, we could be there until dawn. :D Sad isn't it.
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I Loved the Tower..Wednesday Nights were my Favourite....The trouble being it was also called "Grab a Granny Night" and I was only 28 at the time Lol
 
The Opposite Lock was a great place owned by Martin Hone,Then the Rum Runner again a brilliant night there,Locarno.the West End..We had so many fantastic places to go to in the 60's...I'm not quite sure how to post photo's on here so you will have to bare with me...
 
Skittlelady said:
I Loved the Tower..Wednesday Nights were my Favourite....The trouble being it was also called "Grab a Granny Night" and I was only 28 at the time Lol
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It certainly wasn't "Grab a Granny Night" when I used to go dancing at the Tower on Saturday nights in the 50s. If the Teds heard you say that they wouldn't have been too pleased!!
 
It didnt have a good reputation in the 80s and one of reasons being 'ladies of the night' using it in which they took advantage of the pass outs, so they could return after.......?
 
Skittlelady said:
The Opposite Lock was a great place owned by Martin Hone,Then the Rum Runner again a brilliant night there,Locarno.the West End..We had so many fantastic places to go to in the 60's...I'm not quite sure how to post photo's on here so you will have to bare with me...
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We used to call Friday night at The Locarno grab a granny night and yes they were all lovely in spite of their age
 
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