Legendary Liverpool Clubs Of Yesteryear.

Libertarian · 01-12-2008

The Merseyside Academy was at it's height around 92 during the Rave scene I met some fantastic people during that time.

**j_jo_designs** · 01-12-2008

Is there anybody out there who remembers these places from the late 60s / early 70s? :-

Unlicensed under 18 dancing above Reeces on a Saturday night, and the same at the Top Rank on a Tuesday night - Third Finger Left Hand - ah, those memories.
The Victoriana on Victoria Street, the Cabin in Wood Street (sticky floors), the She, the Babalou and the Beachcomber in Duke Street, the Cavern, Bucks on a Sunday night, the Mardi on Mount Pleasant, Pickwicks and another club opposite on the corner? Does anyone remember the name of the club beneath India Buildings?
The Why Not, Harringtons, the Croc, the Slaughterhouse.
The floating club in Salthouse Dock?
And latterly for me, Shorrocks in Formby and Toad Hall in Ainsdale.

I can`t believe there is no reference to these places on the net.

Scouser in exile.

**Jim SH** · 01-13-2008

Not forgetting the Tuesday night Soul sessions on the Royal Iris!

**lindylou** · 01-13-2008

Originally Posted by j_jo_designs

Is there anybody out there who remembers these places from the late 60s / early 70s? :-

Unlicensed under 18 dancing above Reeces on a Saturday night, and the same at the Top Rank on a Tuesday night - Third Finger Left Hand - ah, those memories.
The Victoriana on Victoria Street, the Cabin in Wood Street (sticky floors), the She, the Babalou and the Beachcomber in Duke Street, the Cavern, Bucks on a Sunday night, the Mardi on Mount Pleasant, Pickwicks and another club opposite on the corner? Does anyone remember the name of the club beneath India Buildings?
The Why Not, Harringtons, the Croc, the Slaughterhouse.
The floating club in Salthouse Dock?
And latterly for me, Shorrocks in Formby and Toad Hall in Ainsdale.

I can`t believe there is no reference to these places on the net.

Scouser in exile.

I used to got o Reeces on a Friday night. Saw Edwin Starr live on there.

The Top Rank - had some great nights there and saw some good live bands.

I used to go to the Cavern ( upstairs for the Soul nights) - Bucks Place, The Victoriana .. I practically lived in there !

The floating club in the dock - do you mean the 'Landfall ?'

The club under the India Buildings ... argh ! I should know it ! I knew someone who worked there ... oh my memory !! Is it Tiffany's ??

**lindylou** · 01-13-2008

Originally Posted by Jim SH

Not forgetting the Tuesday night Soul sessions on the Royal Iris!

yeah

Only went once or twice. trying to dance while the boat was rolling ! ha,ha.

**Luna girl** · 03-13-2008

Hello Everyone

I was resident singer at the Grafton and Mr Pickwicks in the early seventies. I sang with The Johnny Hilton Showband at the Grafton with another female vocalist Sandra (who would later become my sister-in-law) and also Geoff Nugent - formerly of The Undertakers.

I was 16 and had entered a talent competition which went on for about 6 weeks I think, the prize of which was a job singing with the band. I have some great memories of the time. Myself and the other vocalist used to finish at 2 am and then taxi it into town where we could get into any of the clubs for nothing as we were the Grafton singers! I remember going to The Pink Parrot on Duke Street and The Time and Place amongst others which stay'd open for some punters after hours! Well known and famous people used to have parties there after hours when they had done their bit on the Empire/Royal Court Theatres.

I then moved on to audition at Mr Pickwicks when it opened. The resident band leader - Charlie Williams asked me to audition having seen me before and so I got the job with The Spencer Williams Sound (very seventies!) and again have some wonderful memories. I was replacing their then girl singer Joan, who was leaving to go and sing at The Top Rank where my sister-in-law had also moved to. Joan went on to later have a little girl whom she called Melanie and who became world famous as Sporty Spice!

At Pickwicks, we'd do our sets and then the cabaret would come on about 12 when we would take a trip over to the Shakespeare Theatre over the road and get in for nothing to see some great acts - Tommy Cooper amongst them. I remember this particularly as you couldn't move in the place, it was packed and what an atmosphere!

Many of the acts who appeared on Pickwicks later went on to become television stars - Faith Brown, Tom O'Connor, Vince Earl, (one of the Corkhills in Brookside) Dustin Gee - who was Les Dennis's stage partner and did a scarily real impersonation of Robert Mitchum but sadly later died. I remember being really shocked when I walked into the dressing room whilst he was applying blue eyeshadow! Being 16 and very naive I just stood and stared but what a lovely guy - one of the nicest to appear at Pickwicks. He decided the eyeshadow didn't suit him anyway and gave it to me commenting that it was my colour and it was!

Mickey Finn was a regular as was also Jackie Hamilton who has now sadly passed away. Jackie who was lovely used to tease me about my boyfriend who worked as a waiter at the Wookey Hollow. The cabaret acts used to 'double up' at the time. They would do a gig on one of the clubs in the Terry Phillips organisation (Wookey, Allinsons, Wispa, Pickwicks - can't remember the others) and then move onto another one later in the evening and do it all again. Anyway, Jackie had done the Wookey earlier in the evening and told me that he'd just seen my guy with a big blonde! I soon learn't to take what he said with a pinch of salt which wasn't hard once he did his bit; he was one of the funniest comics I ever saw. I could go on and on with my memories but I'll leave it there.

Others memories: singing at The Gregson's Well with The Spinners prior to my debut at the Grafton; you could get up and do a bit and they were really supportive, I remember Mick and Cliff the most. One of the first gigs we ever did (I say we as I then sang with my friend Pam, we were only 15 but were getting quite well known in Liverpool as a close harmony duo and we WERE good!) was at a club called The Bobbins in Garston. As we were so young, we had to be chaperoned by my mum. Well this agent booked us on there on a sunday afternoon telling us to wear our short outfits which we thought was a bit strange.

Well it was a stag do and all men! They used to hold these dos on a Sunday afternoon and we didn't know having never been to one! It was us and the strippers and I remember one in particular leaning against the dressing room wall without a stitch on, smoking a fag and having a conversation with the compere! Naughty agent - we couldn't wait to get out of the place!

Well that's enough from me anyway, hope you enjoy my memories
Luna Girl

cockney-fella · 03-13-2008

Not strictley Liverpool/ Merseyside but the Wigan Casino and for

the 24 hr party people the Quadrant Park

**Ged** · 03-13-2008

Hiya luna Girl - what a first post. I think the Coconut Grove was another of Terry Philips', he was Mr Universe back then wasn't he? I went to most of those places, Pickwicks (known by the girls as pickadicks in the late 70s) was only over the road from where I lived.

Vince Earl was Ron Dixon in Brooky but great memories you have, Pete Price would have been on the Shaky too and I think Stevie Faye who I was with last week was always on with Jackie and Micky.

**gregs dad** · 03-13-2008

Originally Posted by Ged

Hiya luna Girl - what a first post. I think the Coconut Grove was another of Terry Philips', he was Mr Universe back then wasn't he? I went to most of those places, Pickwicks (known by the girls as pickadicks in the late 70s) was only over the road from where I lived.

Vince Earl was Ron Dixon in Brooky but great memories you have, Pete Price would have been on the Shaky too and I think Stevie Faye who I was with last week was always on with Jackie and Micky.

Regarding Terry Philips, he came from our street, Reading St. Before he started bodybuilding he looked like the fellow who had sand kicked in his face in the old Charles Atlas adverts,very thin as a youngster.

**lindylou** · 03-13-2008

Great memories Luna. I enjoyed reading that.

welcome to the forum.

**Ged** · 03-13-2008

Joe. My in-laws go to watch Sonny Philips, his brother, in the pubs, he plays guitar locally (the Medlock)

John(Zappa) · 03-13-2008

Good read that Luna.
Always nice to hear about my mum and dads courting place "The Grafton".

**Luna girl** · 03-23-2008

Glad you liked my memories - I enjoy them myself! Everything 'felt' so different then, they were nice times! I write songs now with my partner and we recently had some success with one of our songs on a Radio Merseyside songwriting competition. We performed the song and did an interview on the Claire Hamilton Show just before Christmas.

Billy Butler was listening in from his studio at the time and said how much he liked the song so we're just getting some new songs together as he's said he'll play them on his show! So I've still got me hand in doing stuff and am hoping for some success as a songwriter though as I said earlier, I don't think you can beat those old times for the feel good factor.

Glad you liked my memories
best wishes
Luna girl

**Norm NZ** · 03-23-2008

Hi! I enjoyed reading your memories of the 70s. and in particular your mention of Geoff Nugent! Geoff's older brother 'Bob', and I were great mates in our early years, and I remember Geoffrey being born, that was many years ago, and I often wonder how he and his brothers got on! I too danced at the Grafton! but that was back in the late 1940's!!! Cheers, and welcome to the forum.