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Dance halls

The building in Icknield Street that is mentioned and which became part of Bulpitts was a cinema: The Palace??? I think.

The Palais de Dance was in Monument Road. It was situated on the corner of Monument Road and I believe Ingleby Street. Ingleby Street no longer exists as far as I can see but I would place the building roughly where the lay-by bus stop, just before Spring Hill, is presently is situate. During WW2, when it was closed as a dance hall it became a food store so I was told by folks who lived nearby. It certainly did not look an elegant building when I saw it in the 1950's.
 
Wow! This has been a fascinating thread to read!

I'm currently getting back into dancing with swing jive, having seemingly forgotten all my ballroom (I'm sure it would come back with practice!), and I also have an interest in the history of local dances, cabaret and entertainment. It's been wonderful to see some great photos of long-gone venues and some great copies of the adverts - thanks to Stitcher in particular for some absolute gems!

I've recently been trying to find out a bit more about the ballroom, now derelict, that is hidden away above what is known as The Old Contemptibles pub on Edmund Street. Prior to 1956, I think, this would have been the Albion Hotel. I'd love to find out if anyone has any memory of this place, if there were any dances held there, or whether it was simply for private functions in the hotel.

Do any of you dance hall experts remember this venue?

I'm gradually trawling thorugh these fascinating forums to dig out any clues, when I found this thread: I had already reopened an old thread in the pubs section, just in case any pub fans can remember anything: https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=11057

Thanks again for sharing all your wonderful dance hall stories!
 
Tower Ballroom

I remember this well, in fact I did work there on relief as Catering Manager, I was the Catering Manager at the Locarno Ballroom, in Hurst Street, from 1966 to 1971, and started there in 1963.
Nice memory!
 
Len Goodman did 'The British Ballroom Story' on Thursday night on the TV and Tony's Ballroom in Birmingham was quoted and said it was themed in a middle eastern style and done out as a mosque with prayer mats hanging and with rooms named as Baghdad and Alcazar. Would this have been the original site of what was the Locarno?

Tonys Ballroom.jpg
 
Right Mickymoo. Think I drifted off onto the wrong street. Has the Locarno building gone then? Viv.
 
The Locarno building is still there,I think it's called "Oceano" now.... "Tony's Ballroom" used to be right next door to the Hippodrome,but has long been demolished !
 
Carolina

Thanks for the reply, I think you are referring to Peter Barnes who was the Bar Supervisor, in the Tudor Club
who was an assistant to the Bar Manager who was Bill Sellick and Barbara Filer! who she assisted!
If you remember there was a bar called The Bali Hi which was managed by Tony Iremonger. The general Manager was Albert Archer
my friend!
What great days they were! Toni Bacciochi was his Assistant, a great guy ! who was for a time manager of the Gay Tower
Where ha
 
MSGK said:
Hi Wendy, Not sure about that one , but I used to go to one in Perry Barr in the late 50s and early 60s . Called Enid Goodwins, used to be on Birchfield Road and then moved to Livington Road. Had some great fun there .Any one else been to that one ?

Mike
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MSGK said:
Hi Wendy, Not sure about that one , but I used to go to one in Perry Barr in the late 50s and early 60s . Called Enid Goodwins, used to be on Birchfield Road and then moved to Livington Road. Had some great fun there .Any one else been to that one ?

Mike
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Hi Mike think it was Goodwin and Hardings in Perry Barr i learnt to dance there had to take dancing shoes with you and change before going on dance floor
 
My late Wife and I loved dancing, our favourite Dance Hall was the Masque Ballroom in Walford Road, living in Aston a short walk to Aston Cross and on the No. 8 bus. Incidently that is were I first met my Wife, Christmas 1951 whilst on leave. Eric
 
Mike, I went to 'Enid's' in the early 1960's. We used to go on a Saturday afternoon and it was the highlight of my week. Pony tails and sticky-out skirts (the girls that is). The boys always looked smart and really made an effort - no jeans then. I'm getting butterflies remembering how I used to feel. I loved ballroom dancing but my knees can't stand the pace now. I also remember having my heels checked on the way in for rough nails which might mark the floor. I went when it was in Livinstone Road too.
 
I went to Enid Goodwins for lessons on a Saturday afternoon too!
I can't remember what sort of shoes I wore but, now you have mentioned it, they did check your heels.

I went through that bad, long Winter - was 62 I think wasn't it? I still think about it if I hear a song from that era, particularly Carole King's 'Might as Well Rain until September' and I can hear the teacher saying...........forward, side close, side, step back (quick step).
I don't actually remember there being many boys in the class so I more of less learnt the male part in dances :-D
 
Duncanblues said:
Carolina

Thanks for the reply, I think you are referring to Peter Barnes who was the Bar Supervisor, in the Tudor Club
who was an assistant to the Bar Manager who was Bill Sellick and Barbara Filer! who she assisted!
If you remember there was a bar called The Bali Hi which was managed by Tony Iremonger. The general Manager was Albert Archer
my friend!
What great days they were! Toni Bacciochi was his Assistant, a great guy ! who was for a time manager of the Gay Tower
Where ha
Click to expand...


I remember Tony Bacchiochi from when I was posted at the Locarno for a couple of nights from my usual door job at the Gay Tower ballroom.
 
Just reading through these postings. A few smiles, and memories.

In the fifties, before I left Birmingham to continue my career as a professional musician, I played in the bands at most of the major ballrooms/dance halls, including Tony's in Hurst Street, the old Grand Casino, in Corporation Street, the Ritz ballrooms in Kings Heath, and Handsworth, the Tower Ballroom in Edgbaston, the Garry Owen club, and quite a few more lesser prominent dance halls.

Never played the West End ballroom, but all the guys in the Sonny Rose Band were all well known to me. His drummer, Tommy Webster, who was a wonderful drummer, was a great friend of mine. Sadly, the only member of that band that I am aware of as still being around is Johnny Patrick.

Although having left Birmingham, and living in Leicester, not far from Jerry Allen's musicians, I did return in the seventies to work at the Locarno, with both Rmble Tamble & Red Sun. Also played a few times at the Top Rank Suite with the Midland All Stars Big Band, and also the N.E.C

The Come Dancing TV photograph taken at the Locarno, (the Colin Hulme Band), and stated 1960, would have been when the West Midlands were competing against East Anglia around the November time of that year. I was in the band showing the TV Come Dancing team from Norwich.

Much of my time playing around 'Brum' is posted in "Memories of a Birmingham Musician (drummer)", on this website.

Eddie
 
norfolk brummie said:
Just reading through these postings. A few smiles, and memories.

In the fifties, before I left Birmingham to continue my career as a professional musician, I played in the bands at most of the major ballrooms/dance halls, including Tony's in Hurst Street, the old Grand Casino, in Corporation Street, the Ritz ballrooms in Kings Heath, and Handsworth, the Tower Ballroom in Edgbaston, the Garry Owen club, and quite a few more lesser prominent dance halls.

Never played the West End ballroom, but all the guys in the Sonny Rose Band were all well known to me. His drummer, Tommy Webster, who was a wonderful drummer, was a great friend of mine. Sadly, the only member of that band that I am aware of as still being around is Johnny Patrick.

Although having left Birmingham, and living in Leicester, not far from Jerry Allen's musicians, I did return in the seventies to work at the Locarno, with both Rmble Tamble & Red Sun. Also played a few times at the Top Rank Suite with the Midland All Stars Big Band, and also the N.E.C

The Come Dancing TV photograph taken at the Locarno, (the Colin Hulme Band), and stated 1960, would have been when the West Midlands were competing against East Anglia around the November time of that year. I was in the band showing the TV Come Dancing team from Norwich.

Much of my time playing around 'Brum' is posted in "Memories of a Birmingham Musician (drummer)", on this website.

Eddie
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Hello Eddie, when I was on the door at the Tower Ballroom the music was supplied by The Tubby Dunn Trio and The Bobby Johnson Big Band, I did not know any of them personally but I enjoyed the music.
 
Stitcher said:
Hello Eddie, when I was on the door at the Tower Ballroom the music was supplied by The Tubby Dunn Trio and The Bobby Johnson Big Band, I did not know any of them personally but I enjoyed the music.
Click to expand...

I was in the Bobby Johnson Big Band when he worked Nottingham Palais, before he went to the Tower Ballroom. I worked with the Cliff Deeley Band at the Tower. I could have returned to the Tower Ballroom when it became know as the Gay Towers?. It would have been with the Mike Miller Band, but I was not interested.

Eddie
 
norfolk brummie said:
I was in the Bobby Johnson Big Band when he worked Nottingham Palais, before he went to the Tower Ballroom. I worked with the Cliff Deeley Band at the Tower. I could have returned to the Tower Ballroom when it became know as the Gay Towers?. It would have been with the Mike Miller Band, but I was not interested.

Eddie
Click to expand...
Its me again, the drummer in the Tubby Dun Trio when I was there was a man named Tom, after the Tower he did several cruises playing on the QE2 then he went permanent for a few years with Raymond Froggat
 
Stitcher said:
Its me again, the drummer in the Tubby Dun Trio when I was there was a man named Tom, after the Tower he did several cruises playing on the QE2 then he went permanent for a few years with Raymond Froggat
Click to expand...

Would the drummer be Tom Farnell?
He was with Raymond Froggatt's band as well as having played with the Savoy Brown Blues Band and Fairport Convention to name but a few.

I knew him and his wife back in the mid 70's when he was playing gigs with Roger Hill.
 
norfolk brummie said:
I was in the Bobby Johnson Big Band when he worked Nottingham Palais, before he went to the Tower Ballroom. I worked with the Cliff Deeley Band at the Tower. I could have returned to the Tower Ballroom when it became know as the Gay Towers?. It would have been with the Mike Miller Band, but I was not interested.

Eddie
Click to expand...
Was it Cliff Deeley used to play the 'crib; Christ the King School, Kingstanding on Sunday nights?
Bob
 
Bob Davis said:
Was it Cliff Deeley used to play the 'crib; Christ the King School, Kingstanding on Sunday nights?
Bob
Click to expand...
Yes it was. I played with him.
I worked in all the major ballrooms in the 50s: Cliff Deeley at the Tower, Colin Hulme at Tony's, Sonny Rose at the West End and Billy Walker at the Locarno. I also did Sunday Concerts with the Hedley Ward band, which included the famous Hedley Ward Trio.The last band I played with was the Jerry Allen big band. We played at the Civic Hall, Solihull and did TV specials where a big band was required. Sometimes Jerry would just have the trio and the sax section or the trumpet section.
I played with the great Arthur Rowberry band in 1949. The band was the National Musical Express champions when I joined. I stayed with them for a year during which time we won the Musical Express and Melody Maker Championships and then tuned pro. The band won 5 national championships in all and then turned professional.
Colin Hulme had had an excellent four piece group. Himself on clarinet and bass, drums and piano accordion.
When he went into Tony's he had to increase the size to one trumpet, five saxes and three rhythm. I was the first trumpet player he employed. A nice guy.
I went back into the, now professional, Rowberry Band during which time we played at the Jazz Jamboree at the Gaumont State Theatre, Kilburn and toured with Sarah Vaughan on her first visit to Great Britain.
 
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