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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

  • Thread starter Thread starter mazbeth
  • Start date Start date
I remember fondly the rum runner, the Locarno, liberty's on the Hayley road. Does anyone remember the name of the club by where the ITV studios used to be?
Was the dome formally the night out or the dolce vita?
Great reading everyone's post, thanks all!
 
CaroleBr said:
I remember fondly the rum runner, the Locarno, liberty's on the Hayley road. Does anyone remember the name of the club by where the ITV studios used to be?
Was the dome formally the night out or the dolce vita?
Great reading everyone's post, thanks all!
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Dome was the night out, Dolce Vita was on the corner of Smallbrook Ringway and Hurst Street and i think someone has just taken it over again.
 
The name of the club by the Central TV studios (they were still broadcasting from Birmingham then) was 'Mr Moons'. I remember an actor who played the mechanic on 'Crossroads' getting very drunk and groping women on the dance floor one Friday night. I could never keep a straight face when he appeared on the television after that.
 
Ah, the Dome/night out brings back happy memories when my late Wife and I saw Frankie Laine, our favourite singer, also on the same bill was the Bachelors and the late Frank Carson. This was around the 70's. Eric
 
Mr Moons (last song every night was: 'Everyone's Gone To The Moon' by Jonathon King!), became the 'Night And Day' sometime around the early 80's.
La Dolce Vita I think became Romeo's & Juliet's (R 'n J's)... See photo of an old ticket I found in a tin full of old phone numbers recently, I think the fact that the ticket was unused say's a lot more about the club than I ever could!
R n J.jpg
 
I loved The Rum Runner too, used to go there late sixties, early seventies, also used The Opposite Lock, Sloopy's, Top Rank, Dolce Vita, The Metro Club, sold hot dogs outside Mothers in Erdington and had my hen party at Bloomers. I worked at Rebecca's (named my daughter Rebecca) Barbarella's, The Castaway's and The Mayfair Suite (only lasted one night there, they gave me an overall to wear which hadn't been washed and stunk of BO). Met my first husband at The Castaways while working on reception. I loved the buzz of the clubs and decided to earn instead of spend. What a wonderful if somewhat mis-spent youth. Mind you, I was never offered or took drugs, although did have some experiences that make me smile even now. Anne
 
Anne Watton said:
I loved The Rum Runner too, used to go there late sixties, early seventies, also used The Opposite Lock, Sloopy's, Top Rank, Dolce Vita, The Metro Club, sold hot dogs outside Mothers in Erdington and had my hen party at Bloomers. I worked at Rebecca's (named my daughter Rebecca) Barbarella's, The Castaway's and The Mayfair Suite (only lasted one night there, they gave me an overall to wear which hadn't been washed and stunk of BO). Met my first husband at The Castaways while working on reception. I loved the buzz of the clubs and decided to earn instead of spend. What a wonderful if somewhat mis-spent youth. Mind you, I was never offered or took drugs, although did have some experiences that make me smile even now. Anne
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Late sixties what wonderful times they were. The Dolce, rum runner, cedar, elbow, queens Erdington, tower ballroom, belfry and many others, always makes me wonder why I'm still here :)
 
Nick, We must have met all those years ago. You weren't the lad with the lotus elan were you? When times were tough we used to go to The Cedar Club and say we were nurses from Dudley Road and they let us in for free. I dread to think what would have happened if some-one had had an accident. My one friend was very street wise and we had such fun. Think I owe the Fewtrells a few quid. Anne
 
Anne, no I had the Etype. The lad I knew with the Élan was called Ted and he had a car sales pitch on Washwood Heath road. The other Etype owner I was friends with who used to use the Cedar, as well as many others, was called Jimmy Smyth, he used to buy cars from the auctions and sell to the trade.
 
Anne Watton said:
I loved The Rum Runner too, used to go there late sixties, early seventies, also used The Opposite Lock, Sloopy's, Top Rank, Dolce Vita, The Metro Club, sold hot dogs outside Mothers in Erdington and had my hen party at Bloomers. I worked at Rebecca's (named my daughter Rebecca) Barbarella's, The Castaway's and The Mayfair Suite (only lasted one night there, they gave me an overall to wear which hadn't been washed and stunk of BO). Met my first husband at The Castaways while working on reception. I loved the buzz of the clubs and decided to earn instead of spend. What a wonderful if somewhat mis-spent youth. Mind you, I was never offered or took drugs, although did have some experiences that make me smile even now. Anne
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Anne, do tell us of those experiences that make you smile. Even us guys are partial to a bit of gossip :-} The only two groups i remember seeing in Erdington were the Brumbeats & the Rockin Berries. I sold a guitar to one of the Berries for a fiver!
 
I don't remember having a lift home from you Nick.
Smudger, I wouldn't dare. We don't know who's reading this.
When I think back to the groups that used to play at really small pubs like the Mackadown to quite small audiences and at a reasonable cost, we were very lucky. At Barbarellas I remember the Four Tops appearing and that was just on one floor, can't see the bands nowadays playing to so few. Suppose they call it progress.
 
I also used the Rum Runner and the Opposite Lock, remember Friday nights my friends and I used to go upstairs after midnight to try and 'pull' a lift home, she lived in Winson Green and I lived at small Heath, never did we ever consider the dangers, what a wonderful time..
 
I met my ex wife Marion (MAZ) at the Rum Runner 40 years ago this month, she was working on the reception area, taking entrance money. I got to know lots of the doormen, Albert Chapman ( I found to be a real gentle giant and a true gentleman) the twins, Sid, Ernie and so on. Great memories. I remember walking down the drive one evening and there was Albert physically throwing someone out and he stopped and wished me good evening, and then carried on.
 
I remember there was some trouble in the casino at The Rum Runner in about 1971 and someone tragically died. Does anyone remember Tex who was a bouncer at Rebecca's? He was also a gentle giant.
 
I remember someone dying as a result of being thrown out. It was awful at the time I am not sure exactly what happened. I remember Albert as you say a lovely man.
 
If I remember someone was thrown out and collapsed, probably due to drink. I believe he chocked on his own vomit but someone on the door at the Rum was accused.
 
Anne Watton said:
I don't remember having a lift home from you Nick.
Smudger, I wouldn't dare. We don't know who's reading this.
When I think back to the groups that used to play at really small pubs like the Mackadown to quite small audiences and at a reasonable cost, we were very lucky. At Barbarellas I remember the Four Tops appearing and that was just on one floor, can't see the bands nowadays playing to so few. Suppose they call it progress.
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Anne. I remember stopping a coach I was road testing one night outside the Bird cage (now spaghetti junction) in the mid sixties for two young ladies who were being chased by a group of our country's new residents, what fun we had as they tried to force us off the road going towards town, eventually ended up in Small Heath where the young ladies lived minus, of course, the followers.
 
I was there that night, it definitely happened in the casino and a lot of the people I knew were interviewed, as far as I can remember it was, shall we say, a disagreement that got out of hand. Although, I must say a lot of the bouncers back then (not all) enjoyed a bit of fisticuffs. Hope things have improved.
Nickcc101, did you work for the police? Anne
 
Anne Watton said:
I was there that night, it definitely happened in the casino and a lot of the people I knew were interviewed, as far as I can remember it was, shall we say, a disagreement that got out of hand. Although, I must say a lot of the bouncers back then (not all) enjoyed a bit of fisticuffs. Hope things have improved.
Nickcc101, did you work for the police? Anne
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Hello Anne. No but we used to have a friend with us who was a on duty Policeman, in the days before radio comms he just had a regular meet with his Sergeant so his time was his own, he used-to ride round on a velocette motorbike and stop off for his night time meal break :)
 
Nick, how things have changed, not always for the better. My friends and I got in to a few scrapes, gosh, I remember we used to hitch lifts across Birmingham, how dangerous would that be now? Money was tight, I only earned 4 guineas a week when I started work in 1968, so had to economise when I could. Mom took £2/10s a week off me for my keep and it cost me £1 bus fares to get to work. 14 shillings a week to buy my lunches, (equivalent to 72p) clothe myself and pay for nights out, so there wasn't much left. A few tricky situations, but we generally escaped unscathed (except for a couple of memorable occasions which I won't go in to). I would have had a fit if I knew my daughter was taking those risks. But, hey, I survived, and have some brilliant memories of other occasions. Anne
 
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