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Bodega in Birmingham

Sorry Gus, I should have had it with a capital E. Dale end is a continuation of
High St, so YMCA would be near High St
 
That's just great, Mikejee and PJMBurns. That's the piece I needed for my little puzzle to make some sense.
 
Gus Wah said:
My late father was a WW2 vet. In his diary he mentions that he and the boys often went on leave from their base in Tholthorpe to Birmingham. While his handwriting was never the greatest, I think I can make out that he went to an establishment called the Bodega.

While I don't expect anyone to know this for sure, it would help if I knew if whether the Bodega even existed in Birmingham in 1945. Might someone know this? And if so, is it at the same address as it is today?

Kind regards.
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My aunt worked behind the bar in the Bodega all through WW2 and into the fifties
 
I'm back to my original question: There was a ballroom presumably somewhere around the Dale End area that RCAF airmen visited. The year was 1944. I'd sure be delighted if someone had a clue what its name might have been. Kindest regards.
 
Gus Wah said:
Were Pims No. 1 or the Masque Ballroom known to be popular places for airmen in 1944-45?
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Just to clarify Gus Pimms No. 1 Cup isn't a place, but a summer drink still popular in England. The bottle of Pimm's is a gin-based fruit cup and generally mixed with lemonade, slices of cucumber, orange and a sprig of mint.
 
Gus Wah said:
I'm back to my original question: There was a ballroom presumably somewhere around the Dale End area that RCAF airmen visited. The year was 1944. I'd sure be delighted if someone had a clue what its name might have been. Kindest regards.
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As your Dad's base for a time was Wellesbourne, this is a short drive from Birmingham. 'Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield is located ... 3.9 miles east of Stratford-upon-Avon. The airfield was formerly the Royal Air Force station RAF Wellesbourne Mountford... best known for its role in the Second World War, when it was under control by RAF Bomber Command as an Operational Training Unit training crews from within the commonwealth and other countries.' Wikipedia.

Dale End (see post 29) had a YMCA hostel and restaurant in wartime. Birmingham nightlife would be more lively than Stratford. I imagine they might use a coach or train to get to Birmingham.

Can't help with Dale End dance halls I'm afraid.
 
Given that airmen would be unlikely to take public transportation to the "ballroom" they attended, the presumption is that there would have been one in the vicinity. In my quest to be authentic, though, it would have been good to have a name.
 
Gus Wah said:
Given that airmen would be unlikely to take public transportation to the "ballroom" they attended, the presumption is that there would have been one in the vicinity. In my quest to be authentic, though, it would have been good to have a name.
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As Wellesbourne was a training establishment then there would be time for leave perhaps for a weekend. They could stay at the YMCA hostel. https://wellesbourneairfield.com/history.htm
 
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