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Rainbow Suite (above Co-op & Bhs High St )

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
Anyone go there? Entrance was down the arcade which ran between New St and High St. Used to meet my friends in High St by Chelsea Girl and walk up through the arcade between High St and BHS on New St. Club had a big bar, a big roof top area (with tiled floor?) and a dance hall, all on top of the Co-op (or was it BHS ?). It was on the opposite side of M&S on High St.

Not sure how long the club was open. Was a favourite place for Mods and those who frequented Top Rank in Dale End. Viv.
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Yes, I used to go there on a Saturday night around 1966.
It was part of the Co-op I think, presumably originally for their functions.
You could either walk up the stairs or get the lift as it was on the top floor.

I seem to remember the corridor went all round the dance hall - as Viv says, there was a bar and a roof area on the one side and in other parts of the corridors were the toilets and the cloakroom.

They had some good bands on - I saw Robert Plant there first when he was still with Listen - and in between the bands, the DJ's played good music - the more unusual soul stuff.
 
Saw the Rocking Berries there and Janice " I'll give it foive" Nicholls made a guest appearance . One of the Bouncers always had his Alsatian dog with him.
 
The band Craig, formerly King Bees were regulars, their drummer Carl Palmer went on to join Emmerson Lake and Palmer. Great band
 
We used to go in there from time to time but eventually it became a "no go area" so that was end of our visits, but there were plenty of other decent clubs in town.
 
A legendary venue. I went there 1966-68. The music was all Tamla Motown/Atlantic etc. The roof area was sometimes a problem for the organisers because I can remember summer Saturday nights when lads used to go across it and try to get on the adjacent roofs of other buildings! Dangerous but we were all young and indestructible in those days. It was run by Dougie Thompson who died in an industrial accident in, I think, 1968.
 
I used to go there 1966-67 and it was a great venue. You could go onto the roof and I had a break up with a boyfriend on that roof. He asked me for my ring and threw it across. I had to ask to be let in during the day so that I could look for it but I never found it. Bittersweet memories!
 
hi lemonella and a warm welcome..isnt it strange how we can still remember significant events that happened years back...its the same with me but ask me what i did last week and i cant :rolleyes: hope you enjoy the forum there is plenty to see

lyn
 
glad i am not the only one...have to say having a break up on top of a roof is very risky lol....enjoy

lyn
 
Lemonella said:
I used to go there 1966-67 and it was a great venue. You could go onto the roof and I had a break up with a boyfriend on that roof. He asked me for my ring and threw it across. I had to ask to be let in during the day so that I could look for it but I never found it. Bittersweet memories!
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Hello Lemonella , may I ask did you end up marrying this gentleman ?
 
Thanks to this forum I can finally put a name to this 'music haunt over the Co-op' which I could never remember the name of - The Rainbow Suite of course. My time there would have been c1966. Rockin' Berries were often on there ('He's In Town') but I also saw The Kinks and The Faces there. Mod hangout, all suits and floral ties, girls in long leather & suede. David Q
 
Every year for about 5 years I used to attend Haddon & Stokes fishing club annual dinner dance at the Co-op Banqueting Suite above the Co-op as a guest of friends, which was in the building that is now Primark.
 
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