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Teen Culture

Ray Barrett said:
Well, youngsters need to have their "own thing",they are no better or worse than we were.One thing for sure, there are more good un's than bad.
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Alas, in the 'balance of power' I fear the ''good uns'' have lost-out. They may well be the majority; but they do not wield the power....a bit like all reasonable people in this country eh? The entire country seems held to ransom by some form, or another, of despicable entities. I truly fear for the future of my children/grandchildren!
 
I'm looking for info and photo's about the original Mod culture in Birmingham and Coventry. I'm particularly interested in the fashions and scooters of the era, along with information about clubs, nightspots & cafe's that were popular with the mod scene.
I was only a youngster at the time and my memories revolve round the Mods congregating at Keepers Pool in Sutton Park and seeing them at the coast on bank holidays. I was always in awe of the culture but by the time I was old enough the Mods had gone and the Skinheads were in.
I have no interest in the late 70's "Quadrophenia" rebirth of the Mod just the original scene of the 60's.
 
I was still at school and couldn't afford many clothes, my friends had some nice things though. I remember hipster mini-skirts, wide canvas belts, target logos, skinny-rib polo-neck jumpers, pale lipstick, Mary

Quant haircut, drawn-on lower lashes, Mondrian print dresses, PVC skirts, and of course....tights!!!

rosie.
 
Get in touch with Bobbie Summers we were all mods together in the 60's main place was the Whiskey A Go Go
 
I remember I had a two tone Mack with blue and purple shades and a pigeon pooped on it just outside New Street station one night after getting kicked out of an all night party. Couldn't go home as I was supposed to be sleeping over with a friend. Think you may have been there Pat?.
 
Chocks2 - El Sombrero coffee bar was on The Horsefair. The Moathouse Club was in Moat Lane. There was also the Firebird on Carrs Lane, the Golden Cross at Aston Cross and The Bermuda Club at Navigation Street. The Locarno also had the Tudor Club upstairs of which I was a member too. Not forgetting the Kardomah cafes on New Street and Colmore Row!

Judy
 
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My auntie worked at the Kardomah I know how to spell it now. Martineau Sq. She said all the theatricals came in. In Cov we had the Moo Cow Milk Bar in Clay Lane. It was painted bright yellow and the doors opened out in the summer. There was a big juke box in it I loved listening too the music. Beatnicks hung out there. And the Tun up boys and the Teds. They had bright coloured trousers and shirts, dads uncles and grandads and teachers wore grey and beige then. Navy if it was a uniform. They had glistening hair and sort of draped themselves on the counter. I liked looking but I was a but afraid.
We all had dark coats then and now it has gone back to that. Worse I think.
 
I was at school during the mods and rockers time. The kids at our school used to go around saying to other kids are you a mod or a rocker? If you said mod, they would say rocker and punch you. I guess it had a lot to do with the brighton punch up
 
Yes that happened to me too. I was a mod. We did the March of the Mods. right foot right foot left foot left jump, back 1,2,3,. etc.I also got fuzzerised in my 1st year, they pulled a comb across the back of your neck. Someone was using a steel comb and drew blood. I was lucky I got a plastic comb, and a fick of the tie, they pulled your tie out and shouted fuzzer! Dad said at his shcool, a grammar they flushed your head down the loo.
 
Jayell said:
Chocks2 - El Sombrero coffee bar was on The Horsefair. The Moathouse Club was in Moat Lane. There was also the Firebird on Carrs Lane, the Golden Cross at Aston Cross and The Bermuda Club at Navigation Street. The Locarno also had the Tudor Club upstairs of which I was a member too. Not forgetting the Kardomah cafes on New Street and Colmore Row!

Judy
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Thanks for all that info Judy. Now you mention it, I do remember the Golden Cross.
 
I remember the Golden Cross at Aston Cross and went there Friday and Saturday evenings. Always fights there. I think Johnny Carrol was the singer in the band there?. He later became a comedian. Jean.
 
Hi jean
i know johny carrol very well he,s an ld friend of mine and his brothers and the mother
johny and his brothers used to keep a car sales pitch in kings heath along side the kings heath park
we had a laugh when we tryed to teach johny about cars and also mechanics
he used to ware a pair of laytex gloves learning to change a car battery
i have not seen old john in afew years now and you could always see him in kings heath taking his mom around
the high street shopping ; nice bloke and one of the well known comediums of the programe stole his catch phrase ;
best wishes alan ; astonian;;
 
Don't remember him Jean. I used to go to the Americana Club at the Golden Cross - mostly Cha Cha! And then Jazz Studio 1 which was the modern jazz nights. I don't remember going there on a Saturday night.

Judy
 
I never ever saw a fight at anytime I was in the clubs above the Golden Cross! It was always a fun night out.
 
Wonder if it was the same Golden Cross Judy?. There was another by that name in Short Heath but that has now gone. Alan we met him some time ago at an activity week at Pontins and he showed us what someone had done to his Jag. We talked about the old days at the Cross and his days in The Comedians on the TV. Yes that catch phrase was Chase me Chase me and the blond comedian took it on and made out he had started it. Jean.
 
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Jean, I used to go to the Golden Cross,Aston Cross on Saturday nights in the early 1960s and you are right about the fights, maybe it was just a Saturday night thing.
Lynne.
 
Lyne I remember a young police man being punched in the door way and a person who's name I won't mention kicking him in the head. Jean.
 
Hello Jean - I guess it would be the same Golden Cross. Must admit I never went there on a Saturday night so maybe that's why I never saw a fight! Both the club nights I went to were in the week.

Judy
 
Astonian said:
Hi jean
i know johny carrol very well he,s an ld friend of mine and his brothers and the mother
johny and his brothers used to keep a car sales pitch in kings heath along side the kings heath park
we had a laugh when we tryed to teach johny about cars and also mechanics
he used to ware a pair of laytex gloves learning to change a car battery
i have not seen old john in afew years now and you could always see him in kings heath taking his mom around
the high street shopping ; nice bloke and one of the well known comediums of the programe stole his catch phrase ;
best wishes alan ; astonian;;
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Some years ago, when I was in the 'Real' Ambulance Service,(before Privatisation), we took Mr Carroll's Mom into Hospital. We often drove past the Car Lot and saw him outside. I worked with a well known Ierishman from Kings Heath, JJ Connelly.
 
Can't speak of Mods......... I was a 'Rocker/Greaser', but the violence at Margate, etc., was Media inspired. In the Sutton and surrounding areas, very little friction occurred between the two groups as they kept to their own areas, (normally). However the post '70 emergence of the Townie/suedehead/skinhead culture that took over the Mod scooter groups was, in essence Violence based, with a lot of it being Gang/Football yob related.
The Mod lifestyle was based upon Clothes and the (then) newly found Teenager power base. Mods went for clean, well paid office type jobs, Rockers were, in general, poorer and more drawn from the Engineering/labouring side of life. Mods spent cash on clothes, records, dances, sometimes Scooters for mobility, whereas Rockers were virtually dedicated to Motorcycles. Both groups smoked, Mods took pills and drank alcohol, but Rockers abhorred Drugs and, suprisingly, few drank alcohol, It was mostly Coffee or Tea, (or Coke if you'd been paid !).
Most Dances, etc., saw fights break out, this is no different to today, (over 30 years of Emergency Service work has taught me that !). However the sort of 'turf wars' that happen in Aston & Lozells today could never have been imagined back in the 60s & 70s.
Hope this helps ?
 
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