Hello from John Berry


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@JohnBerry I am new to this forum so we'll see what happens. I used to live in Nottingham and go to most of the clubs, Dungeon, Brit, Boat, Dancing Slipper and must not forget the L Shaped room café and had yes a mini van and was friends with Kenny, Tat, John Nequest, knew John Mills a little bit, Radio, Click, Pal, loads more later.

Used to buy all my records off Les in Redifusion and Selectadisc and others.

I married Linda who also used to serve at the Dungeon for a while and we're still together 46 years later, only problem is the hipsters don't fit and the exposed zip jeans would quite frankly look stupid these days.

One reason for joining was to find out if anyone remembers Sandra who worked at I think Ace Records for a while, she had black hair and was a couple of years older than us, Linda would love to know where she is.

We used to follow all the groups and my mates and I were big fans of the Downliners Sect.

More later John

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Welcome John

I went to the Slipper late 60s early 70s, was DJ there in the latter part.

Remind me was Ace Records above the dirty book shop near Trent Poly?

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Welcome to Nottstalgia, JohnBerry. I look forward to reading your posts and sharing your memories. The Downliners Sect are a blast from the past, I'd forgotten all about them.

I've got Downliners Sect autographs, on the next page to The Who in my book!!

Just some of the other autographs in there ...... Sons of Adam (who became Sons and Lovers), Quotations (and I wrote on the page that they were the backing group to The Walker Brothers, but perhaps they were the support group?), Hickory Stix, The Herd, Beat Preachers, The Incrowd and Roadrunners.

So glad I saved that little book, it holds so many memories :-)

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You may have all those autographs, LizzieM but you haven't got 'mick2me' in your book, have you?...lol. I don't think the Walker Brothers had a backing group, it was just the three of them but they obviously had an orchestra on their recordings. I've spent many a night cuddled up to my wife listening to the Walker Brothers. One of the songs I like is 'No Regrets' but there were few that I didn't like. Scott Walker had a great voice. 'The Herd' had a great recording with 'Paradise Lost'. I can remember going to the Palais and everytime the song was played my mates and I would sing along to it, much to the amusement of those near to us. This is what I love about Nottstalgia, someone writes something and it can open your mind to the vast memories that are stored away, and long forgotten, in your brain.

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Thanks for the responses. I met Tat a few years back and he told me Kenny Astle was in a bit of a state, obviously you just lose touch. Kenny had his van sprayed at the same garage as myself, mine was blue with a black strip and I think Kenny's black with a yellow one. He did look like Keith Richards and he looks a bit ropey but went to see him at the O2 last year and they/he was fantastic, all those old songs and you know all the words. They sang Lady Jane too which an old mate of mine Alan Daft loved as he was going out with a Jane. Saw Scotty a few times a few years back too he was running the Peacock at Redmile but now I think the pub out at Hambledon on Rutland Water, he was in good nick, great bloke.

Does anyone remember Twink, one of the mini boys, he passed away in his 30's I think and lived near me in East Leake. The yellow rolls Royce, a jeep, which had a Rolls Royce engine, hence the name and sprayed yellow of course, they used to pull up outside the Dungeon, not sure who owned it though and then of course fat Pat, and he was but used to get awfully upset about his weight it was quite sad really looking back it was so easy to be cruel.

I used to love the L Shaped room café and the guy who ran it could do a bit of ballet dancing and used to do a few 'moves' and some days he'd bring in the Dansette and put it on the counter and play Tamla stuff, Marvin Gaye/Kim Weston etc. There were the 2 good looking girls go there regularly too Carol and Dena with the long hair, all the blokes liked them.

Did Pete Blood marry Carol? I read somewhere he'd died. He was so 'hard' we were all in awe of him.

The Sandra I'm trying to find worked in Ace records and yes it was off Goldsmith St I think and yes upstairs, can't remember the dirty book shop but that's not to say it was not there. We just can't remember her surname so it's impossible to locate her.

I used to love Selectadisc when it was on Arkright St and a guy named Roddy used to play us the blue beat tuff, he was a really nice bloke and I used to spend all my small pay packet from the ROF (apprentice's) wage packet either ther or at Redifusion or occasionally the Co-Op or Debenhams I think - and all the 2nd hand shops now gone forever. Still buy records now but all on Amazon, E bay etc, not the same as carrying that little bag home, sad really.

I also bought a deer stalker hat as did 2 of my mates for all the Downliners Sect do's, how sad was that, we thought we looked so good. We also used to drive down to Carnaby St, London the odd time for some army camouflaged jeans or whatever was in fashion, we thought - 200 mile round trip, must have been daft! Used to see stars there though like Paul Jones and some years later Don Partridge busking. We joked about him only a few months later to see him on Top of the Pops singing Rosie. Can't go without remembering Ready Steady Go, Friday nights really did start with that, the music was just soooooooooooo good!

More later, John

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Welcome John . Where was the L Shaped Room cafe ? I remember going to a late night cafe , after we'd been to the pubs/clubs somewhere in the Goldsmith Street area .

I know one of the "cool" guys we used to meet in there was Richard Williams , who was a local reporter and then went to write for Melody Maker before joining A&M Records and now is the chief sports reporter on the Guardian.

Be good if he joined Nottstalgia , bet he would have some tales !

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I think perhaps the Dotty Book shop downstairs was also called Ace Book Shop?

Ace Records was definitely upstairs.

Many a puchase from there, Tighten up volumes, Prince Busters Greatest Hits,

Various by Laurel Aitkin, including 'Scandal in a Brixton Market

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The L Shaped Room Goldsmith Street in the 70s...boarded up.Looking north.The open space on the left in the distance is the cemetery.... with the Arboretum gates opposite.

Edit...I've just noticed a guy leaning out the upstairs window...is he checking out my arrow? :huh:

ntgm000678.jpg

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The L Shaped Room Goldsmith Street in the 70s...boarded up.Looking north.The open space on the left in the distance is the cemetery.... with the Arboretum gates opposite. Edit...I've just noticed a guy leaning out the upstairs window...is he checking out my arrow? :huh:ntgm000678.jpg

Remember it well, spent many Sunday afternoons there around 1965/66

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Can't believe it, yes that is where the L Shaped Room was, opposite what was the Tech College. It was not open late at night but was open on Sunday afternoons etc when there was no where else to go. The scooters and Mini's used to park on the street and then bomb down to the Council Square or wherever, it was just another meeting place I suppose. Coke or coffee and cigarettes out of a machine somewhere up the street.

As for Ace Records, never expected a photo of it, it sold second hand records and yes blue beat etc which is what the 'Sandra' we're looking out for loved, along with artists like Johnny Ace, Sam Cooke, Derrick Morgan and so on. She had black hair and as I said a bit older than us.

Why does almost everyone use pseudonym names on the site or whatever as you can't tell if you knew each other?

Thanks for the info so far, John

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Hiya John, welcome to Nottstalgia,read your posts with interest, Yes Pete Blood married Carol,I don't know about him being 'hard',more like he had no limits.

If you knew Click and Radio,then you would know Ben,I hung around with these guys constantly at one time.

Pete Blood and Radio died some time ago,as have many of the old 'Dungeon crowd',sad to say.

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Thanks, that's sad, we've all lost a few along the way, is Carol still alive and in Nottingham? My wife Linda knew her quite well.

Cannot immediately remember your name Ben, I used to see Click etc when they were around, not specifically as friends as such. I spent more time with Kenny and Twink and we used to go to Skeggy, Yarmouth etc at Bank Holidays and out to the M1 café late at nights, Junction 23? say Saturday when all else was closing or the gate crash parties etc. Radio had a scooter, not sure about Click.

I remember the first time I went to the Dungeon, it was to see Screaming Lord Sutch, none of us realised at the time but Jimmy Page was on guitar, Sutch came on in a coffin, undertakers hat on and so on. He had a pretty awful voice but the theatrics were great for the time. Saw him again a few years later at the Boat Club, same act but no improvement on the voice. He could have done with a week or two with Simon Cowell.

Also saw Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky etc there when they had just made there first minor hit record - You make it move - and they were really good, told loads of jokes too. Dave dee died a few months ago too. I'd seen them about 3 years ago too and they were still really good.

The Action were another group I liked and they played there, again the lead singer died last year. He had a great voice and they did a really good version of the Temptations Since I lost my Baby. The singer had these white slip on shoes and we went down to London one weekend and found the same and needless to say bought them. I'm sure we did not look as cool as him but we used to dream a lot in those days.

John

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Hi John yellow Rolls Royce you mention was a Austin Champ owned by a guy named Carling his dad owned a shop near Northern bridge Highbury Vale he was the first guy to have '65 Vespa SS,he got wiped out outside of Basford gas works a car broad sided him we went to London and Brighton in that Jeep and spent a week in Bude,as l recall my brother Randy came with us.I remember Twink he bought a new Vespa Sportique GT special edition always had a brief case with a clean shirt in it on his back rack.If you have any scooter pics from this era please post them.

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Hello John and a warm welcome from Dave....in Germany - a newbe myself.....great people here. enjoy yourself.

LizzieM - I'm chomping at the bit here....tell me more about Sons of Adam......it was the first group that Chick Churchill from Ten Years After was in. Can you fill me in on the rest? Ric Lee was in the Mansfields......then of course Alvin and Leo Lyons were in the Jaycats and the Jaybirds.

Looking for more photos of pre Ten Years After history.

I can tell you this - Ivan Jay passed away.....I'm looking for Dave Quickmire......and I also know Gary.....I'll get back to you on that.

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OK - did a little research. The Dancing Slipper Ballroom was aslo known as The Nottingham Jazz Club.

In an article I have, in an old Midlands Newspaper - it list Alvin Dean (not Alvin Lee) a misprint I'm sure - anyone have any memory of this Alvin Dean name? Next, Ivan Jay - Ivan Jaye and Ivan Love and the Jaybirds.

While in Hamburg as The Jaybirds, as the Beatles were heading home, as the Jaybirds were moving in, an article says. While there, Leo Lyons (bass) also played with Tony Sheridan.

On another note, do any of you remember or know Greg Dix - drummer with "The Hoodoos" he and I have become good friends along the way. With your kind permission I'm going to invite him to join this lively group....that is unless he's already a member, but I don't think he is....he's a very busy man....and he still plays his drum kit.

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Hi 'Super Nostalgian' thanks for the note, I did not know Carling but certainly knew your brother Randy, I'd forgotten him but probably saw him more than most of the others I knew, he was always around the town. My memory just told me it was a Jeep, it was the colour that stood out. I assume you must have known Fat Pat too then. I think we're all getting a bit old as so many people seem to have passed away. No pictures of scooters, got one of my embarrassment vehicles though, a Messerschmitt 3 wheeler somewhere before I got the mini, wish I still had it though as there worth a bomb now; I used to hide it out of the way after climbing out of that cockpit, and a 199cc engine di nothing for the street cred.

John

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I just cannot believe you've found this, is there one of Selectadisc on Arkright St before it became a bigger shop with 3 eventually in the town centre?

Regards John

Sort of.....

I don't remember it being like this; note there are TWO Selectadisc shops separated by a bakers and an empty shop. The one on the left is the original small Selectadisc.

arknew.jpg

And had you noticed on the photo about Ace Records that the Goldsmith Street version of Selectadisc is just visible? Here's a better view of it.

gold.jpg

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