pemberton 15 Posted March 25, 2006 Report Share Posted March 25, 2006 Just been thinking of years gone by and a particular pub comes to mind, The Mechanics Arms on Alfred Street North, does anyone recall the good nights at the weekends when you could have a sing a long on the mike, a chap at the piano, a bloke on the drums and an open mike. It was a great night out, if you wasn,t in the pub by about 8 you couldn't get a seat. The landlord and landlady were a couple by the name of Ron and Beattie, sadly both passed on now. Another thing about the pub was it was one of only two 'Davenport' houses in Nottingham. Does anyone else recall this particular watering hole, of course its still there but I think its called 'The Pride of Erin' now! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ilkolad 9 Posted March 25, 2006 Report Share Posted March 25, 2006 During the early seventies I lived on Bangor street just across the road from the Mechanics arms, and would often nip in for a pint of brown ale and a cheese and onion cob.. the ale couldn't be beaten, it was pure nectar, and the cobs were nothing short of a gourmet masterpiece. the only other Davenports pub as I recall was the Cricketers just off Arkwright street.. strange why there was only two.. maybe it's because they all drank the stuff at home, like the advert said "beer at home means Davenports"? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pemberton 15 Posted March 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2006 Ilkolad do you remember Ron and Beattie, Beattie would appear at about 9-30ish and just hover with that great big smile, Ron was running around like a good en! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ilkolad 9 Posted March 25, 2006 Report Share Posted March 25, 2006 Being very busy in those days it was more or less a quick nip-in for a pint of their best, I'm afraid I never got to know who ran the pub, shame, as they sounded like a friendly couple.. the main haunt in those days was the Cavendish at Carlton, they ran a bit of a disco which went on till late at night... there would also be frequent stop offs at the Grey Goose, March Hare, and Cherry Tree, plus a whole host of others.. infact any establishment within a fifty mile radius of the town centre that happened to sell intoxicating liquor and played loud music.... them were the daze! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Had some great nights in the Mechanics,staggered past Andy Bones,an Irish woman ran it..often got a dinner in there...needed soakage!! As well as sing a longs,I enjoyed the odd folk sing around at The Ram. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,088 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Sad to see that the Cavendish is now a pile of rubble, no doubt awaiting the building of a dozen or so 4/5 bed executive homes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Had some good times in The Mechanics in the 60/70s. Mam and her five sisters were brought up on Vicarage St about five doors up from the pub. They all were good singers and would go to the sing-a-long pubs in and around Nottm and get up on the mike, some times "Harmonising". Mams speciality was by Gershwin, Summertime. She passed on the love of "The Blues" to all her children. Sadly, none of us inherited her wonderful voice! We used to come back to Notts in the 70s and my younger sisters would babysit, while we did a tour of the sing-a-long pubs. The uncles used to drive while Mam and the Aunties got tipsy and did the singing. The Karaoke nights that replaced the sing-a-longs brought out a new kind of pub singing, but for me the old stand at the mike and piano accompaniment was the best. I wonder if there are still any old style sing-a-long pubs left in Nottingham, or anywhere else? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 BUMP I haven't seen a good sing along to the piano pub for years. I would love to go to one, a real old fashioned night out. I will have a good look around the seaside pubs this year, we will be visiting, Skeggy, Dorset, Lythem St Anns and might try to fit Edinburgh in for our son. Surely there will be one left Somewhere it can't all be Karaoke, can it? Just reading the first post makes me realise that so many of you Nottstalgians, who did the sing along pub crawls in the 60/70s, (possibly 50s as well, but before my pub days) will definitely at some have time seen my mum and her five sisters up at the mike. Where ever there was a sing a long they would know about it. One lady I met in recent years was telling us about how mum sang in the pubs on the London Rd, during the war years, she was born in 1923 so at that time her wonderful voice would have been at its best, before the Parkies deepened her voice. I have one photo of the six sisters all together, which is very rare as one of them is usually on the camera. I will get my Gdaughter to scan it for me. It is in bad condition because the light has faded it. Just looking at them, you can just imagine a good old sing a long.............I Wish! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 carni. I think you would have to travel many a mile these days to have a good old-fashioned sing-song with a crowd of like-minded people who knew all the tunes and their words. Today, a sing-along would be modern songs - hardly anyone knows the old ones, and the old ones are certainly the best. In the first half of the last century there were some wonderful songs that just led themselves for mass participation. When you heard them you had to sing/join in. Songs like Let the Rest of the World Go By, and When I Leave the World Behind, and I'll Be Your Sweetheart, and others I can't bring to mind at the moment. How I would love to be in the Royal Concert Hall when full of people my age singing these songs. So, for you and Chris to sing, here are the words for Let the Rest of the World Go By: With someone like you, A pal so good and true, I'd like to leave it all behind, and go and find, Some place that's known, to God alone, Just a spot to call our own, We'd find some perfect peace, Where joys will never cease, And there beneath a cloudy sky, We'll build a sweet little nest, Somewhere out in the west, And let the rest of the world go by. AAAHHHHH 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 We had many a sing song just down our street in the Grey Goose bar. No piano, just all sitting round singing. A man without a woman, Silver Threads amongst the gold, Pal of my cradle days, Sailor, and many more. Here are the Vicarage Street girls Choir. Had so much fun with these ladies. My mum is second from the left. Imagine these lot as teenagers, plus nanna and Gdad in a two bed terrace house in Nottm 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,139 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 Oh carnie,lovely photo..............they could have been some of my dearly departed Aunties,who i grew up with and give me such wonderful memories,i can almost hear them singing along with me Mam the words Chulla just sent............dont get thinking i was just a Mummies boy cos i was also an Aunties boy,......i like to think i'm hard but i'm not,......and i could weep some tears thinking about them...........and Terence just let em flow mate,you'll feel better after........... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 Chulla, I have just listened to Dick Haymes on you tube, playing piano and singing "Let the rest of the world go by". A lovely song and brilliant to sing a long to it, I can just see those lovely ladies above, harmonising to that one. I am afraid if I sang it to Chris, he would plead for mercy. I can just sit looking at that picture and their antics come back to me and make me smile. They all had a wicked sense of humour and all had some very hard times in their lives, but never complained, and always ready for a laugh and a singsong, and a Parkie and half a pint of bitter. I feel the same about them benjamin as you did with your aunties. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,139 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 Sounds like we had the same aunties carnie............must say the lady in green with red flower looks familiar,....didnt work for Marsdens did she ?..........lol. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 No idea benjamin. I remember her last working on the tills at Marks and Spencer, down near Broad Marsh in the 70s. She would have been in her 50s and probably retired from there. They are all gone now , but the memories stay forever. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,139 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Sing-alongs are one of my clearest memories of growing up,Aunts/Uncles at home and sitting on my 3-wheeler outside the Standard of England on Park Lane Basford listening to the Patrons inside giving War-time songs full throttle..........never remember any trouble in those days,everyone seemed Happy. The last sing-alongs with a Piano i recall were in the 80s at the Masons Arms and White Swan in Old Basford with some lovely people Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Some great recollections on here,thanks. For 3or4 years I drank in the Elm Tree on Beech Avenue- even though the songs were not of my generation,after a 'few' everyone was singing. Could be wrong, but didn't they advertise when a pianist was playing in a pub in the small ads of the Post? Couldn't imagine them doing the Lambeth Walk around these parts...more like Man Behind The Wire!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nonnaB 4,894 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Dont know if this should go here or in what are you watching on tv. Last night on tv was a spectacular programme with 3 young lads called Il Volo. Maybe they have reached UK shores. They started their "careers" at a very tender age appearing in a tv programme called " ti lascio una canzone" ( I'll leave you a song) a programme featuring young singers of all ages up to 16. These 3 lads were teamed together and they were called the three tenorini ( three little tenors) It wasnt a talent contest but they quickly became popular. Well they have taken flight ( hence the name Il Volo) and they have been doing world tours for the last year. They are now in their early 20's and haven't become bigheaded with their success. Which is pleasing nowadays. Anyway last night they went through their repetoir of opera, Neopoletan songs, Elvis songs etc and had the audience singing with them. Each one did a solo slot and each one had a standing ovasion. The pure delight on their faces was unbelievable. If ever they happen to be on uk tv watch them. They also sing in english and perfectly too, so many singers who sing in english have terrible pronounciation and spoil the song. Thought about you Carni singing along even the songs we know in english and sung in italian, I could have joined in if I had learnt the words ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 NonnaB, IIVolla sound very talented, I hope they do well, I will make a point of watching if they do make it to our part of the world. I have to admit that after a few bitter and limes, even I couldn't sing very well in English, and me and my sisters and aunties have danced and sang "The Lambeth Walk" among other songs on the way home many times, from the Grey Goose or which ever pub we ended up in. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nonnaB 4,894 Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Watch them on utube under IL VOLO or TI LASCIO UNA CANZONE. There are many young talented singers there. Il volo have made it, they are very popular in usa. Probably because of italians. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 Dennis Sinatra Moss held a few sing song nights..Boots Social Club. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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