The Bohemian Coffee Bar, Fletcher Gate


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Hi there, I'm trying to contact anyone who frequented the above coffee bar in the period 1958-1962. Situated above the THREE TUNS Pub it was the prefered hang-out for the Art College and Art School crowd. run by a slim bearded guy called Graham Bullers and a German or Austrian lady called Elfi. from my own research it seems Graham emigrated to Canada at some point and sadly passed away a few years ago. he was also the owner of Donitas Restaurant. I spent many happy hours there and it was a hugely social crowd. I remember particularly Jeff ( or Geoff) Brooks and his stunning girlfriend Rhonda ( who all the boys lusted after). He organised Scavenger Hunts from there and I clearly remember a group of us rescuing a Victorian Hip Bath from a waste dump near Wiford.. Oh Happy Days. He also threw all-nighter parties seemingly every weekend at his flat on Musters Rd West Bridgford. I have managed to find another couple of male friends from those days, David Potter and Ian Veitch and we now meet up monthly to remember those fun times. I would love anyone who was there whether they remember us or not particularly any women as we only knew their maiden names ( if we knew their surnames at all!!) . My Name is David Finn and I look forward to hearing from any of the old crowd.

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David, sounds like you had some very interesting times, not all Teddy Boys & Rock 'n' Roll, .....................I suppose your group could have been Beatniks?.....................We don't get many of them on here, unless some of the real 'oldies' know different, I'm just a 'spring chicken' at 62yrs................... slywink

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Never considered myself remotely Beatnik, but the Art school and college girls were very fit and friendly !!!! We were into Trad Jazz and Folk Music as well as God's own original Rock n' Roll. It was just such a sociable crowd. Of course we visited the Toreador( and the Sargasso upstairs), 49, The Bamboo and the L-shaped Room ( anyone remember that one?)

I myself didn't go to the Art college but the name Rimas does ring a vague bell.

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My hubby wants to know if you lived at Jacksdale or Ilkeston area.

He used to go in El Toreodor on Burton Street - he used to collect the pots off the tables for free coffee.

Another one he went to was The Blade Club.

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The Blade Club was the '49' before it was renamed when Pat Smith and Tony Olivero got their gaming Licence.

I think The Blade was named after a gambler that beat the Casino in Monte Carlo.Pat Smith was the owner of BPS fruit and veg. on the old Central Market.Tony Olivero was a Gibraltan and later ran the Vernon Bingo Club in the old Vernon Cinema.

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Hi Systema, no I lived at Whitemoor and Western Blvd, then later in Sherwood. I think we all trawled most of the coffee bars in those days before we found one that ticked all the boxes!! I seem to remember that the "BO" fed us a loop of taped music dominated by Nina & Frederic, Peter Paul and Mary and similar, but one of the crowd of regulars was a wonderful folk singer/songwriter called SPIKE WOODS who wrote some great songs and I paticularly remember a song he wrote about worm picking... Yes some of the crowd used to go down to the cricket ground and other places at dawn and beat the ground to attract the worms which were collected and eventually sold to Anglers.. I recently Googled Spike's name and it appears that he is still very active after spending his life in music. Try Googling SPIKE WOODS FOLK SINGER and read his bio plus listen to some of his songs which include songs about the Chilwell Explosion and Nottingham City.. THIS IS A MUST as he refers to many places and coffeebars in the City. Let me know what you think? Another great local character in the late 50's who used to knock around in the Toreador was a Gene Vincent lookalike and wannabee who used to dress all in leathers and even went as far as wearing a leg-iron like his hero.. more dedication would be hard to find I think?

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  • 2 months later...

Hello,

Graham was my Father, yes he passed away a few years ago here in Canada.

He ran the 2 Donita's, there was a 3rd for a short while.. and the Bohemian. I went to Donita's as a child, but the Bohemian was already closed.

Graham was a carpenter. In the Boh theer was a bar made of marble.. ahead of its time... Graham built himself.. he got the marble from a headstone shop, the broken ones.

He placed speakers in the cieling, so again ahead of his time.. but the wires all ran back to the kitchen where somebody had to climb up into the cieling to change the record.. old school..

Graham loved that time and talked about the people that attended the Boh, pete Seger performed there one night after a concert. Because of its propximity to the theatre, and the fact that it was the only place open late at night, many famous people visited and musicians performed there.

The most famous band that could have played there, never did, Graham spent sometime with the owner of a club up north, he was trying to get small venues to showcase this new band he had.. Graham travelled a few times to talk about this band.. and met with the owners of a couple of clubs around the UK... and the Manager of the Band, Brian. The band was in germany touring.. by the time they came back though.. things were moving a little fast and they were too busy for the small tour, Brian Epstein took them all the way to #1.. as the Beatles..

Donitas was named after his daughter.. Donita, my half sister and Elfi's daughter.

Pat Townswend also managed the places for a while, she married Graham when the moved to Canada the last time... They did not stay married...

Graham had visited Canada as a young Man, a carpenter by trade he made a lot of money and bought the club and restuarants.. he also brought back ideas like toasted sanwhiches, which in the 1960's were new for the UK.

Graham had a mentor... Jack Moss, he owned and ran FJ Moss the dental technician lab, over by and above the Bus terminal I think. Jack was my grandfather on my mothers side.

Oh right, Graham also sang in the BOH from time to time... thats how he met my mother.. Joan..

I never saw any pictures of teh Boh, or the events there... If nayone has pics, i would love to see them. I do have one of their small memeber cards.. another idea of his...

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old ace is one to ask about eltoridor and blade club he knew them both well.

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Hi,

This nigel posting a reply from Pat Bullers/Townsend..

Pat Bullers

Hi, although I do not recall your name, I have many memories of the bohemian. My name was pat townsend, I met graham on feb 14 1961, he and Elfie had split up the previous Christmas, they had a daughter called Donita, and we opened the first Donita restaurant in may 1962 on carington street and 18 months later another on lower parliament street. I do remember Geoff Brooke's and his wife Rhonda, the broke up around 1964ish. And yes certainly remember their house on musters road. Do you remember any staff who worked there? There was Gloria, who lived on a houseboat at Trent bridge, and Joan long, who I believe taught at the college near the forest. There was a girl from the arts college who would sing greensleeves and she hung out with a david. there was also a guy called spike that played and sang folk songs. Graham and I came to Canada in 1971, we married in Toronto and then moved out west to edmonton, we split up in 1975. We remained friends until his death in 2008. The Bo was a real social meeting place that I have a lot of fond memories, glad to know others remember it also.

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  • 4 months later...

Hi Nigel3 and Pat, that was just wonderful hearing from you and filling in more pieces of the jigsaw. I don't remember any more of the names of the staff but I will ask my friends who I still see who were also "BO" regulars.. We have coffee just down the road from where it was and look up at the site of the THREE TUNS and the BO and wish we could regain our lost youth and be back in there... SO GOOD, SUCH FUN, GREAT PEOPLE.

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Went a few times in the early 60's, I would be in my late teens then. Some of my mates were Art School types.

One thing I always think of was the hole in the roof. You could see the stars.

There was another club/coffee bar on the corner of Pilcher Gate and Fletcher Gate which was also open after hours.

It served mushy peas and non alcoholic cider and lager. It had lights flashing on the walls like a kaleidoscope.

I can't remember the name, I think it also started with a B.

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Might have been the Belvedere.

There is another topic about coffee bars that mentions a guy called Sutch. Never knew him that well but his real name

was Clive Lynch.

The Toreador was the first I frequented with some ex High School lads who were older than me, then moved to the L Shaped room then Don Juan. Early 20's I moved on to the Kardomah, but no atmosphere.

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The Kardomah (KD as we called it) was a posers delight you could sit in there with a Russian Tea, smoking your Disque Bleu and reading your copy of "On the Road" or "Gormenghast" or similar and then when you wanted a change do similar up at The L.

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Yes, KD full of posers.

Recollect one night coming out of the Belvedere, got in my mate Mick Johnson's Mini when local folk singer Dave Turner tosses a tear gas canister in through the window. Christ it stung but real funny thinking back to the days when you could get away with all sorts of escapades and no repercussions. Great days indeed.

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I would also be a bit young for the Bohemian. I used to frequent Caplin's café at the top of Hurts Yard in the late 60s, mainly for the gorgeous girls who worked there. I also used to meet two sisters in the Maid Marion Café at the same time.

My main Nottingham weekend venue as I mentioned on another topic, was the News House folk clubs. That is when I was not getting rat-assed on Newky Brown at the Trip.

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The Sal sold some of the worst ale ever . The Whitbread Tankard was appalling.

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Last saw him walking past Plessey towards Beeston Rylands one lunchtime about thirty years ago. We acknowledged each other and never saw him again.

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