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Birmingham Nightclubs of the Past - Memories

  • Thread starter Thread starter mazbeth
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Villan1971DartmouthHigh said:
I used to work the cocktail bar @ MILLIONAIRES nightclub (now offices) for couple of years from around 1989 when I was 18 years old, and also the bar @ THE DOME nightclub..... not sure what that is now?? I'm sure it was an O2 Academy maybe? Not sure if it is even open anymore?
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Interestingly, our paths followed a similar course for a while.

Villan I take to be you being a Villa fan? My wife and I are season ticket holders in the Trinity Road Stand, have been for years.

Does Dartmouth High relate to the secondary school that used to be on Wilderness Lane which was knocked down and replaced by the Q3 Academy? Both my wife and I went to Dartmouth (it’s where we met), I left there in 1980 after my A Levels.

I used to work in Centre City Tower on Hill Street at various times during the early to mid 1980s and frequented Thursdays, which then changed to The Millionaire (although everybody called it Millionaires). By 1989, when you were working there, I was DJing in town myself.

I also went to the Dome to the student nights to keep on top of what students were listening to for my own DJing.

It’s a small world!
 
Richard Dye said:
Where was the Handsworth Odeon?
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I have a feeling it was on the A41, Soho Rd, my Mum went to it she lived in South Rd in the 1940s....I can see a tall building in my head but cannot really place it on that road sorry, could be close to Thornhill Rd where the police station is or used to be, would have been on the right side going out of Brum. There was an Odeon in centre of Brum I went to.
 
COMPRESSORMAN said:
I have a feeling it was on the A41, Soho Rd, my Mum went to it she lived in South Rd in the 1940s....I can see a tall building in my head but cannot really place it on that road sorry, could be close to Thornhill Rd where the police station is or used to be, would have been on the right side going out of Brum. There was an Odeon in centre of Brum I went to.
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Thank you Compressorman. I lived in Handsworth until until November 1962 and am not familiar with one at that time. Perry Barr, Kingstanding, the one in the center of town (I’m sure more). The one near Thornhille Road I don’t remember as an Odeon. There was the Regal further up near West Bromwich and the Paladium in Hockley,
 
paul stacey said:
I am sure, The Odeon was on Soho Road, my mom told me she lived there as Teenager,
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The Odeon as I recall it, was the old Paramount on New Street near the station.

I drove cabs at night for Star Taxi in Erdington until '74 and dropped many fares off there and at all of the night clubs around the city.

Then again, it's 54 years since I headed to Canada, so some of the names and locations are getting a bit foggy!
 
COMPRESSORMAN said:
I have a feeling it was on the A41, Soho Rd, my Mum went to it she lived in South Rd in the 1940s....I can see a tall building in my head but cannot really place it on that road sorry, could be close to Thornhill Rd where the police station is or used to be, would have been on the right side going out of Brum. There was an Odeon in centre of Brum I went to.
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There wasn't an Odeon cinema in Handsworth. The cinemas on Soho Road were the Regal, Grand, Elite. Further along was the Albion and the other way was the Palladium at Hockley, and the Villa Cross in Villa Road. I went to them all.
 
Time Traveller 66 said:
Don't remember that one . Remember The Millionaire. Thanks for the info.
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From my time on the night shift driving taxis until '74, I recall the Peter Rabbit was up on Broad Street on the left side before the 5 ways roundabout.

The Rum Runner was down at the end of the alley at the bottom end of Broad Street with the night club entrance on the right and casino on the left. That and Barbarellas further up the right off Broad Street, were places I hung out some of the time, when not working.
 
Jayell said:
There wasn't an Odeon cinema in Handsworth. The cinemas on Soho Road were the Regal, Grand, Elite. Further along was the Albion and the other way was the Palladium at Hockley, and the Villa Cross in Villa Road. I went to them all.
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Apparently the Regal was renamed the ABC at the end of the 1950s, but I guess everyone would still refer to it as the Regal. Quite a few cinemas were renamed over the years. Not my part of town, Jayell, but I can't place an Odeon in Handsworth.
 
MartinS said:
The Odeon as I recall it, was the old Paramount on New Street near the station.

I drove cabs at night for Star Taxi in Erdington until '74 and dropped many fares off there and at all of the night clubs around the city.

Then again, it's 54 years since I headed to Canada, so some of the names and locations are getting a bit foggy!
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That’s the one at the center of town.
 
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 :o (not my choice...just a crowd I was with at the time)

Any more? ...or any memories? :)
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Fridays started with Samwellers or Kaleidoscope followed by either Faces or Rumrunner depending on how we were feeling and how far we intended to go with the dressing up aspect of the night
Thursdays were always The Windsor Bar followed by Le Pub and Millionaires to hopefully meet up with any hen nights up for a laugh

Saturdays Holy City Zoo ( at one point part owned by footballer Andy Gray) or the Opposite Lock

Great memories, Great memories:):)
 
The Dome was one place I visited in the course of my work. I have a couple of stories, neither good, I could tell about it. Never went their as a clubber though, I expect it was Fab.
:cool:
 
lancepar said:
The Dome was one place I visited in the course of my work. I have a couple of stories, neither good, I could tell about it. Never went theas a clubber though, I expect it was Fab.
:cool:
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If you think they’re tales worth telling, go ahead. Maybe best not to name names, though.
 
Spudboiler said:
Fridays started with Samwellers or Kaleidoscope followed by either Faces or Rumrunner depending on how we were feeling and how far we intended to go with the dressing up aspect of the night
Thursdays were always The Windsor Bar followed by Le Pub and Millionaires to hopefully meet up with any hen nights up for a laugh

Saturdays Holy City Zoo ( at one point part owned by footballer Andy Gray) or the Opposite Lock

Great memories, Great memories:):)
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Nightclubs and pubs from the last century great post . I didn't feel old until last century was mentioned .
 
Kenneth Wanstall said:
I don't know whether you'd call "Mothers" in Erdington High Street a nightclub. I used to go there in the 1960s. John Peel would DJ and introduce groups like Canned Heat, the original Fleetwood Mac and Tyranasaurus Rex.

The club was above some shops and would get so packed the condensation poured down the matt black walls.

I can also remember my Mom telling me off for going to a Blues club above the pub at the corner of Station Street and Hill Street. I never thought to ask her how she knew it was frequented by "Ladies of the Night" (I think the term my mother actually used was "Old Tails").
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The Blues club sounds like Henry's above The Crown, Sabbath played there when known as Earth.
 
John L said:
Wasn't it on Exeter Street (the first turn on the left, when going up Holloway Head from Holloway Circus)? Last time I was up that way around 10 years ago, the building was still there, but I couldn't see any sign of the place itself. I guess there isn't the demand now, as everywhere is open during the afternoon, for those that are thirsty. ;)
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Just spotted this entry.
I started work straight from School at Rabone Petersen who were then in Exeter Street right opposite the Odd Spot Club. This was back in 1969.
Us young lads were often entertained by the comings and goings outside the Odd Spot Club. Never got to go in, though. Too young and wouldn't have had the nerve, anyway.
 
BARTLEY GREEN said:
Just spotted this entry.
I started work straight from School at Rabone Petersen who were then in Exeter Street right opposite the Odd Spot Club. This was back in 1969.
Us young lads were often entertained by the comings and goings outside the Odd Spot Club. Never got to go in, though. Too young and wouldn't have had the nerve, anyway.
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Not much happened in there on the odd occasions that I popped in, with friends who knew it rather better than I did in the 70s, for a couple of pints. It just seemed to me to be a rather dark bar, which sold drinks after the other pubs had closed for the afternoon and it was largely frequented by those that worked different working patterns to most of us.
 
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