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Mecca Ballrooms/Mayfair Suite

I have an odd memory of the Mayfair Suite as I sat a Civil Service exam in there during the daytime.

The ballroom wasn't the best of places for an exam - the lighting was quite dim even when the lights were full on and there were no windows, obviously.

The worst thing about it was a phone somewhere that was frequently and continuously ringing with no one to answer it!
Despite all that, I did manage to pass.
 
I used to go to the Mayfair suite every Saturday night in the 70s .. Irish night was so much fun. I saw the Miami Showband there before they were killed in Ireland . My favourite's were the Indians. Its a real pity the Mayfair closed down.
 
As a professional Musician I was playing in the band (Ramble Tamble), at the Locarno on the night of the Birmingham bombing. That night the Locarno was packed out. The following night we played to an almost empty dance floor. Very sad for everyone.
 
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Thank you for theses. Re The Mayfair, there are two photos, are they two separate entrances to the same place? The one on the bridge link is very familiar but not the other one. Cheers.
 
After the Argentine v West Germany world cup match at Villa Park 1966 went into the Casino in the Mayfair suite and virtually the whole Argentine team were playing the tables
 
Hi everyone

A friend of mine and I are actually currently working on an art project for Friction Arts about the area, talking to and recording people who have interesting memories of buildings in the Bullring and markets area that are no longer there and hopefully creating a kind of walking tour out of it.

If anyone would be interested in sharing memories of the mayfair suite in person, however crazy, wierd or blue, please let me know. Beverage on us!

Thanks all!
Ben
 
Currently researching locations in early 1970s Birmingham for my new crime novel set in that period. I'm especially interested in memories of the Kinetic Circus that used to happen in the Mayfair suite. I'm trying to recall access points and layout. it was close to New street station but I'm sure it also used the bridge over the old Queensway. Google not too helpful at present. Any memories or guidance gratefully received. I currently live in North Yorkshire but I saw most of the gigs put on there - Johnny Winter, Zeppelin, Mountain, Faces, Hawkwind, Uriah Keep etc.
 
I only went in the Mayfair Suite once - to do an exam as I mentioned earlier in the thread!

As far as I can remember, it was accessed by a staircase from the outside area under the start of the bridge, just round the corner from New Street station. I just had a look on google maps and it's changed round there now - TK Max has absorbed all the outside access of the bridge link.

I can still picture the main room but I can't remember any other areas, where the bar was etc.
 
A Sparks said:
I only went in the Mayfair Suite once - to do an exam as I mentioned earlier in the thread!

As far as I can remember, it was accessed by a staircase from the outside area under the start of the bridge, just round the corner from New Street station. I just had a look on google maps and it's changed round there now - TK Max has absorbed all the outside access of the bridge link.

I can still picture the main room but I can't remember any other areas, where the bar was etc.
Click to expand...
Ah, TK Max, my wife could live in those stores! Sorry off toppic.
 
thanks for the reply. yes, I think I recall the entrance close to New Street station ramp but am sure there was also access via the covered walkway from the old midland red bus depot. although the book is fiction, I want to try to capture the sense of the place. As I said, as an 18 year old hippie from Erdington I was hazy when attending the gigs at the best of times. trying to look back from fifty years later it gets conflated with other spaces. also trying to think of the name of the old late night cafe that was under the underpass close to Henry's - seem to think it was something garden (China??) but can't find any confirmation anywhere.
 
Yes, there was a Chinese restaurant called the China Garden - it's mentioned on this old thread...

Restaurants In Birmingham 1960s

China Garden I too recall the China Garden - my Dad worked at the West End Cinema, and on the rare occassion that we went there as a family - South Pacific is embedded in my memory - we would go to the China Garden afterwards, I recall that an underpass would take you to it? It seemed...
birminghamhistory.co.uk

Did you mean Henry's Blues House aka The Crown?
 
Sorry, should have been clearer. I meant the old department store, Henrys that used to be on the corner of union street and corporation street opposite Oasis. I think its now used by the civil courts. there was a small almost circular underpass with a door into Henrys and a small newspaper and cigarette kiosk in the centre. there was a cafe there too that stayed open late nights which is the one I'm thinking of. BTW was a regular at Henry's blusehouse at the Old Crown. actually saw the early Who there as well as a few other bands like the early Ten Years After and a version of John Mayall's blues breakers . Mayall was regular in Brum at Mothers' in Erdington and the Metro under Snow Hill arches. Memories....
 
BarryRa said:
Sorry, should have been clearer. I meant the old department store, Henrys that used to be on the corner of union street and corporation street opposite Oasis. I think its now used by the civil courts. there was a small almost circular underpass with a door into Henrys and a small newspaper and cigarette kiosk in the centre. there was a cafe there too that stayed open late nights which is the one I'm thinking of. BTW was a regular at Henry's blusehouse at the Old Crown. actually saw the early Who there as well as a few other bands like the early Ten Years After and a version of John Mayall's blues breakers . Mayall was regular in Brum at Mothers' in Erdington and the Metro under Snow Hill arches. Memories...
Click to expand...
The Oasis was a great place to go with the coffee bar inside.
Unfortunately, Mother's was closed by the time I looked old enuf to get in.
 
Wizzle said:
The Oasis was a great place to go with the coffee bar inside.
Unfortunately, Mother's was closed by the time I looked old enuf to get in.
Click to expand...
I have stumbled onto this thread by pure luck. I managed to see John Mayall twice at Mother's. I paid 2shillings and 6pence to see Jethro Tull there.
In much later years I saw Rory Gallagher and Nazareth at Kinetic Circus.
Henry's Blues House was a starting point for many a good band but best of all was the Railway in Curzon Street. Bliss.
 
BarryRa said:
Currently researching locations in early 1970s Birmingham for my new crime novel set in that period. I'm especially interested in memories of the Kinetic Circus that used to happen in the Mayfair suite. I'm trying to recall access points and layout. it was close to New street station but I'm sure it also used the bridge over the old Queensway. Google not too helpful at present. Any memories or guidance gratefully received. I currently live in North Yorkshire but I saw most of the gigs put on there - Johnny Winter, Zeppelin, Mountain, Faces, Hawkwind, Uriah Keep etc.
Click to expand...
Yes you are right about your information. I used the bridge over the walkway about to thirds down from the old palisade shops as they were called then, then at the other end it was the old bullring indoor shops with escalators going down. Yes I saw black sabbath, hawkwind, Uriah heep, ( you must have seen the their tribute band Uriah keep, only joking) we must have been at the same gigs for heep and hawk wind or were they on the same show. I also saw canned heat and atomic rooster as well. it is now fronted by shops now
but I think the space behind is still there but only a few of us oldies know that. What great times indeed.
 
A Sparks said:
I only went in the Mayfair Suite once - to do an exam as I mentioned earlier in the thread!

As far as I can remember, it was accessed by a staircase from the outside area under the start of the bridge, just round the corner from New Street station. I just had a look on google maps and it's changed round there now - TK Max has absorbed all the outside access of the bridge link.

I can still picture the main room but I can't remember any other areas, where the bar was etc.
Click to expand...
That's a change , if that was me I'd remember where the bar was and forget everywhere else
 
U8fc said:
Yes you are right about your information. I used the bridge over the walkway about to thirds down from the old palisade shops as they were called then, then at the other end it was the old bullring indoor shops with escalators going down. Yes I saw black sabbath, hawkwind, Uriah heep, ( you must have seen the their tribute band Uriah keep, only joking) we must have been at the same gigs for heep and hawk wind or were they on the same show. I also saw canned heat and atomic rooster as well. it is now fronted by shops now
but I think the space behind is still there but only a few of us oldies know that. What great times indeed.
Click to expand...
This is entrance from the walkway.
 

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U8fc said:
Yes you are right about your information. I used the bridge over the walkway about to thirds down from the old palisade shops as they were called then, then at the other end it was the old bullring indoor shops with escalators going down. Yes I saw black sabbath, hawkwind, Uriah heep, ( you must have seen the their tribute band Uriah keep, only joking) we must have been at the same gigs for heep and hawk wind or were they on the same show. I also saw canned heat and atomic rooster as well. it is now fronted by shops now
but I think the space behind is still there but only a few of us oldies know that. What great times indeed.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this - really helpful only if in confirming I'm not mad just possibly suffering the encroachment of too many of the things I was doing at the time in those venues. The Mountain gig and Johnny winter ones in particular had a real 'smoke' haze that lay across the room. Friend of mine is now working on a chapter for a book on clubs of the era to which he's contributing a chapter on Mothers club. I loved that place so much but also have such memories of Henry's Blueshouse and the sadly short-lived Metro Club that was under the snow Hill Railway arches. Had a capacity of about 50 people. saw Ten Year's after there just after they released the Undead album with about 15 other people and a week or so previously saw John Mayall with both Peter Green and a few months later Mick Taylor
 
Hello, don't know if this thread is still open. Back in the late 1990's I was performing at the mayfair suite in an opera. Really wish there was more photo's of inside this place. I believe that the whole of this area has now been converted into the bowling alley and arcade.

Anyhow, I recall that at that that time, that the lower ground areas of the building was wades furniture store, but as well as the entrance that you see on the link bridge, when I used to have to go to rehearse, there was another door that also accessed the mayfair suite. If you are ever going over the link bridge, before you get to the grand Central part, you will notice the door on the left past the TK max lifts. I also remember the scary lifts which were like cages and on a late night, we used to have to get the lift from the mayfair suite that took us right down to the bus garage level.

Does anyone have any internal photos of this place apart from the mecca ones? What was the layout of this place? It's really intriguing as I didn't pay much attention of this place at the time as I was 14!
 
Davidlee142 said:
Hello, don't know if this thread is still open. Back in the late 1990's I was performing at the mayfair suite in an opera. Really wish there was more photo's of inside this place. I believe that the whole of this area has now been converted into the bowling alley and arcade.

Anyhow, I recall that at that that time, that the lower ground areas of the building was wades furniture store, but as well as the entrance that you see on the link bridge, when I used to have to go to rehearse, there was another door that also accessed the mayfair suite. If you are ever going over the link bridge, before you get to the grand Central part, you will notice the door on the left past the TK max lifts. I also remember the scary lifts which were like cages and on a late night, we used to have to get the lift from the mayfair suite that took us right down to the bus garage level.

Does anyone have any internal photos of this place apart from the mecca ones? What was the layout of this place? It's really intriguing as I didn't pay much attention of this place at the time as I was 14!
Click to expand...
Hello, I worked at the Mayfair in the office from about 1965 or 1966. Sadly I didn’t think of taking photos as I was 16! I was there when we also turned into the Craywood club as well as Banqueting, also hiring out the smaller suite to The Irish 32 Club. Great times, looking back. I remember very well the goods .lifts being cages with pull across open metal doors. I can assure you they broke down often. I went on to work as a relief in other Mecca buildings. Aston hippodrome, Royalty, Gay Tower and Adelphi and Ritz within the bingo circuit. The Mayfair entrance was so grand both off the Ringway where guests would enter the Suite from the road and also a grand entrance from The Bull Ring Centre. The current small door hiding what was a jewel . Sorry I don’t have photos but another member may have?
 
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