NottmNick

Griffin & Spalding - worked in Menswear in about 1967. 'Twas like stepping back in time, everyone addressed very formally. We had to clean everything constantly- even removing every stacked box from inside a glass cabinet and dusting all 6 sides every week. Mr Mann was the 'buyer'- with little power as Debenhams had already bought the shop and were introducing 'central buying' which was contentious despite the fact that the department was cluttered with crap that should never have been bought! I think the assistant buyer was Mr Stinson (spelling prob incorrect) and I think we had two Mrs S

played at Heart/Midlands supporting the Drifters!

I was working at Griffin & Spalding; Mr Hughes the MD gave me a lift home to West Bridgford! (nice meal of bread & lard that night before anyone says it LOL)

I remember Carl's Fables, very popular in Nottingham. All the bands played at the 'Carlton Hotel' in the 60s, Sons & Lovers, Clockwork Toys, Paper Lace etc. Great days!

re Musters Hotel singer who used to sing 'Rose Garden' to start.. was it Ricky Scott? He was shot dead in the early 70s (nothing to do with the quality of his singing!). We remember Joy James! Hope you are well, Joy. I have lots of old 'Clubmans Gazettes' BTW.. you would probably be interested in reading some of them!

Having come from a quiet market town I found Nottingham quite.. um... different! I shared a terraced house on Gamble St with a Hungarian refugee whose chief talent lay in attracting a succession of beautiful women, and an ex- Belgian Congo mercenary whom we were forbidden to wake up suddenly on the basis that if we did; we would be killed- Mike was normal in every other respect, being a Sales Rep for Birds Eye. Frank, our intrepid Hungarian who wished to remain childless, would buy natural products to this end- i.e. items made from lambs intestines which were actually very expensive, which he

spent a year as bass with 'Colours Of Love' in 1970.. the type of hotels we stayed in didn't have TVs in the bedrooms to throw out of windows, but wasn't unknown for one of the band to break up a wardrobe.. and put it on the open fire to warm up the room.. I often had the mental image of the manager the next day saying 'well, the towels are all there, the shampoo's still on the shelf.. but I could have sworn there used to be a wardrobe in there...' (BTW it wasn't me, honest!)

Griffin & Spalding- made 'Grace Brothers' seem normal. Half the staff in the Menswear were a bit odd; the Manager bought way too much absolute crap that we couldn't sell then complained about the new owners (Debenhams) central buying policy. One lady would arrive late every morning with new excuses 'accident on Trinity Square' - 'late buses on Mansfield Rd' which was weird 'cos she only lived three hundred yards away on Sherwood St. Had weekly staff meetings, one where management decide we weren't to say 'can I help you?' any more as too formal. Everyone nodded their heads and greeted thei

Carole; what department were you in? I worked in Menswear then Boyswear in '68. (then I got what my Mum called a 'proper job' but then she was a Mrs Bouquet!)