The building that housed the Marimba no longer exists. I went to opening night and subsequent first Sunday of Whitley Bay AGoGo. Wish I had been a fly on the wall.. ______________________________________________. I was a regular there in the 60s maybe 63-64-65ish Facebook Instagram Email. The Quay Club, which opened in 1965, was a popular venue in the sixties. Any information you have would be great. Just stumbled across it whilst looking at pics. Hi I just found a photograph of me with a young mountain lion on my knee. The band consisted of George Richardson vocal/ piano, Billy Mordue/ drums, John Edwards/ bass, wonderful musicians, great times. Those of us of a certain age will remember clubs like La Dolce Vita, Greys Club, the Cavendish and the Club AGogo. I left England in 1966 to emigrate to Canada but still look fondly back to my younger days and great music in Newcastle. :)Alas, me and my friends said theyd never be famous with a name like that!!!!! In particular a band member called Bill Mills. The club was initially owned and run by Mike Jeffery who went on to manage The Animals and Jimi Hendrix. Billy Bottos. My sister was the girlfriend of Gordon Cleghorn. It had a bad name she said. Johny Sampson provided the music with Mirelle Grey and later Johny Heenan. Phila. According to her they had sex on the floor there. Loved both Dave and Tommy Findlay We regularly played the Seaburn Hall on Cats Nite Out which was on a Wednesday. blog 28 mentions thelate Mike Carr.. been on wikepedia and seems he still walks among us.. thankfully. The Sounds Londoner Ronnie Pipe on piano Herbie Flowers bass Des ??? Theres also a poster from the 60s of The Seaburn Hall when the Crusaders supported the Moody Blues. I heard later from her father, that she married a fellow called Bill. Brought back a loot of memories. old nightclubs in south shields. Marcus now lives in Leeds and is a professional artist. Does anyone remember the coffee bar called the Palleta on Blacket Street? My dad Bob Stephenson (pianist) played at both La Dolce Vita and La Strada. My grandfather owned a number of clubs and pubs before WW2, including Balmbras in the Cloth Market, of Blaydon Races fame, and Uncle Toms Cabin, an infamous sailors pub in North Shields. I would just like to know anything about the soulless pos. 15 years of age in 1962. my 1st beer was in the railwaiy, whist livin on hillheads road. they were with some very large chaps and i believe an escort of C.I.D. Whatever happened to them ? 54-56 Ocean Road, South shields, NE33 2JD 0191 4967500. The lavishly decorated premises had once been the Piccadilly Club, which was run by Dennis Stafford who was later jailed for the 1967 murder of Angus Sibbett in the notorious One-Armed Bandit case. I worked at the Crescendo Club in Whitley Bay in 1968-9 and Ray Grehan owned it then . I too loved that era seemed to be so much fun and simpler! Ken was great with fashions and always wore the latest gear, he got a job at City Stylish so we always tried to keep up with the latest trends. Lol. Me mam and dad met there in 1970 and Id love to get them a photo made? He played a vital role in its history and the history of Newcastles night life in the 60s. The Forever 54 charity night will take place at Arbeia on Saturday, July 2nd. Does anyone have any info on Jimmy Bence and his Orchestra, particularly around 1965ish? Burlesque was my band until car accident and moved to London and became a session singer. I can still remember the feeling of excitement as you stepped down each dark stair til you opened the door and the whole place came alive, with music, gorgeous people and the amazing music which never sounded the same anywhere else and still doesnt! Great site..lots of nostalgia. ___________________________________________________________________________. ___________________________________________________________________________. Sad to hear about Dave passing. I have very blonde hair so Don Smith the band leader insisted on calling me Mike White. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The North East in the 60s as a wonderful time for musicians and performers and I am so pleased to have been there. Hi Fred A TOUCH OF VELVET, A STING OF BRASS your intro tune? Billy. Lived in Heaton as I remember. I continued it in Newcastle Social Club residences and recently, after early retirement, had six years as a semi-pro touring the UK with a Hollies and Crosby Stills and Nash tribute. My number is 0191 4922316 Suzanne x, Hi Suzanne, great to have someone else writing about Change Is. Im mainly interested in the lead singer of the time called John Little (or possibly also used the name Osbourne). Nowadays though I would just dance solo but back then I never did did. Great time being a teenager in the 60s in Newcastle. The club was in a street of semi derelict terrace house and the club itself was an ordinary terraced house with the music on the upper floor. http://readysteadygone.co.uk/bryan-ferry/, Unveiling the past Amanda, Mike and the plaque. There is a good photo of the group playing in Wetheralls. I remember Pat mentioning names of people like Keith Crombie, Tommy Finlay etc who she met through Ron but the rest of us never met them. Thanks, Great memories, and thanks to everyone for sharing them. Hi, could anybody please give me any information about my father geoff manning aka harry branson gorst, who married my MOTHER, irene graham. From enjoying a post-work tipple to celebrating the football result on a Saturday evening, the pub is the hub of the community, and an iconic part of Britains high streets.. Cheers I was too young to have gone to the legendary Club AGogo as I was still at infant school at Stanley, Co.Durham in the late 60s & 70s, but a good mate of mine John from my village in Burnopfield, was a regular there throughout the Go gos duration & John has told me over the years, all the stories & Im jealous as hell that I never had at least one night at the Club AGogo to enjoy it! What a great site this is, many personalities mentioned I knew well. unfortunately I missed the Go Go but spent many happy hours at The Dolce,Sloopys,Cavendish,Bloomers (Change Is) Ruperts,Annabels ,Sands Club,Sombrero,Chelsea Cat,Julies,Burgundy Cobbler,Latino,Fiesta the list goes on and on saw some great live acts over the years. Also played at Muscle In as I was friendly with the owner Walter McCrae. Remember when Joes 2 horses Sixty Nine and Playlord won 2 big races one Saturday at big prices most of the club backed them everyone was celebrating the champagne flowed like water a great night. Oz disco nightclub The date of this photograph remains a mystery but it shows the Oz disco nightclub in Garden Lane. Im not sure what Dave does now as my dad lost touch with him. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Spent lots of time at the Club Ago Go on Percy Street and at Windows listening to the latest music in the booths wearing headphones. The Criterion, on the right, Ocean Road, South Shields, 1970s (Norman Dunn), The Neptune Inn, South Shields Pubs, by Eileen Burnett, published by Amberley, The Tyne Dock Hotel, South Shields, 1938. Great memories, if somewhat hazy due to my then drink problem !! I dont suppose anyone remembers Colin Lee? [Just stumbled across this, I am the son of David Finlay please put all your stories from the hay days so I can get some sort of history to pass on to my kids as my mother jackie and davey split up when I was a baby and I only have his reputation to talk of and dont know if what I am told is true. We went to Newcastle in 1967 to see them play Southampton. I was quite good friends with Russell Smith, son of baileys owner, John Smith and I remember the house band at the Latino having a mad Australian front man. I found a photograph of my great-great-grandmother Mary Jane Fergusons public house, the Station Hotel, in Laygate Lane, South Shields. norwood surgery opening times; catholic bible approved by the vatican. Im loving the new web site a fantastic design and fantastic photos. A personal perspective by Roger Smith. Anyone wanting to get in touch holland.A1@sky.com, Great to see all this stuff ,Ive been searching for a record I heard at the GoGo in about 67/68.Ive no idea what it was caled or who it was by ,the only bit I can remember was it was either called or had a line in it ..youve got roses in your soul Yes the Go-Go times were brill and wish we had photos of everyone we went round with as memories of them times are a bit vague for me but Ill try and write down how those days were. I lived in Whitley Bay in the apartment of a house owned by Jimmy Bence. Does anyone remember Big Phil who was a brilliant DJ and worked in both clubs mentioned? Does anyone remember the Sands Club at Whitley Bay which is where I met my husband, his favourite haunts were the Old Vic Whitley Bay and also the Sovereign pub which was a good starting point for an evening out. I probably went there between 1971 and 72 (I was 18 in 72) and can remember the feeling if excitement at hearing the very loud music coming from a juke box. A former South Shields nightclub is set to return to the town for one night only - and even has the support of Little Mix star Jade Thirwall. Read more about the Mayfair Ballroom on this link. Did you ever go to the Playground on Westgate road -about the same time as I have a very grainy photo of the outside and also way before that I loved going to the Dive Bar part of the Swallow Hotel on Newgate Street? Brings back many memories. JT, Try playing the 1967 Gamblers version of Cry me a River (on YouTube) Certainly stands the test of time. The photo is of her from when she used to sing at Mayfair and when she appeared on American Bandstand. Had some good nights at the Majestic. June Viner. I used to work at the Oxford with Don Smith and Jims 2 room as singer with the trio. I only wish more photographs had been taken to record all this! Sadly Geordie is now in a care home after having several serious strokes and has no memory. If I had three wishes . Newcastle was the place to be back then! The last couple of times I've been in the beer has been very poor, I tried the Landlords bitter and old speckled hen but both were tasting dodgy. My Grandad, Billy Findlay was Davey and Tommys uncle, they used to both work and own some clubs in Newcastle, they also ran the downbeat (all of this is what my granddad tells me) there does seem to be some confusion with people saying they were related etc the second name is FINDLAY not finlay haha! I have fond if hazy memories of that weekend! I worked at Newcastle Crown Court from 1978-1980, and during that time, I worked with Tommy Oxley, who has been mentioned here on this site. Before then, they always return false. The original building has been demolished and has been replaced by a modern block, which now houses offices and a restaurant. Jeffrey was CONTENT!!! My mother Barbara Berg who worked At the Gogo when she was younger is in the second picture, along with the blonde lady on the right who is my Aunty Joan Tenniswood (young) who also worked there! i was discovered there by Dame Margot Fontaine and sent to RCA records to begin my recording career. I have tried unsuccessfully to find photos but no one took photos way back then and so all of those precious moments and memories were never captured. Happy Days. I went back to work the club circuit in the 70s 80s and 90s but it was not the same, Hi, I wonder if anyone remembers a night club in Northumberland St I think it was above Callers it used to have a resident belly dancer and a casino. - Mike Mezz. I did overhear a conversation in which one of the guests asked the other if he had been present at the Gogo on the night that Dave Findlay knocked out Keith Crombies teeth! The Majestic Ballroom on the junction of Westgate Road and Clayton Street was originally built as a cinema. I remember queueing to get inside where you went down lots of dark stairs to an amazingly even darker area with fantastically loud but mesmeric music. He must have been in his late fifties in the time I knew him, and I think me may no longer be with us forty years on. My old mans band (Alan NIcholson snr). Then there was the cheese cloth shirts bought in the Handy side Arcade, Ken went full into the Flower Power with Kaftan and bells round his neck. Chas Chandler lived in Heaton and his dad was the roadie. They made an acetate demo at Morton Sound in Carliol Sq. Most clubs regularly visited (after tanking up at The Half Moon) I particularly remember the folk/jazz nights we had at Change Is in early 70s.