Rock and Roll at the Locarno


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I'm the 'Futurist' that LizzieM referred to earlier. Joined the Fabulous Beatmen in the 60s as lead singer and spent 4 months at the Top Ten in Hamburg. Came back to tour the UK and released two recor

My head is buzzing with the fondest of memories of the Locarno - which we always still called 'the Vic'. I believe that the first time I attended was a Saturday afternoon session in the back end of 1

Having only last night discovered this amazingly nostalgic site myself - I've extended an invitation to my Brother Steve plus good friend Richard (Rock) Wheatley who played lead guitar with Tony and t

  • 8 months later...

I remember going to Rock 'n Roll sessions at the Locarno at lunchtimes around 1960-62. Price of admission I think was 9d with coffee at 6d. Often so wrapped up in music that I was often late back for work in the afternoon.

Saturday nights were something else. It was mayhem but great fun. Believe it or not I was refused admission on one occasion for not wearing a tie!

The record I always associate with the Locarno was Bobby Vee's Rubber Ball.

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Welcome chilwell rocker,...........Locarno same years as me,.......a Tanner at lunchtime if i recall right,.....and it was no tie no chance,

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Chilwell rocker, I too have a record I associate with the Locano, Locomotion by Little Eva(?). And us all dancing in a line with our arms imitating a train.

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In the late fifties/early sixties I used to go to the Vic (although it was now the Locarno) There was a special way of jiving which meant that you could easily dance with anyone. I went to the Palais a few times on the revolving dance floor but they jived differently there. We used to laugh at them! I remember two of us girls jiving with one boy at the Vic , also the music being so loud that you could feel the vibrations if you were leaning against a wall

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It may have been already mention elsewhere but where was/is the Locarno? I have never heard of the place.

It was because you were a Mod Robbie and us Mods didn't venture anywhere near there LOL

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It was the place to be,........................especialy if you wanted 'vibrating walls' .........hey Margie,..lol.

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It was the place to be,........................especialy if you wanted 'vibrating walls' .........hey Marg

That was just a passing comment!! I went there for the dancing....

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Best days at the Locarno for me were 1959-62 especially the lunch time sessions. To complete a good day you could also nip up to the Central Market where there

was a superb second hand record stall. (Forget the chap's name). Many had the middles out and had obviously been used in juke boxes.

One of my old mates was Robbie Barnes from Dulverton Vale who also played drums in a band although he admitted he had problems with the complicated

drum work in copying Tommy Roe's record Sheila.

He is no longer in the UK. After a period in advertising he moved to the Far East where he was very successful.Now living the high life in New Zealand.

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I remember going to the Locarno from 1961 to 1964. We would go to the Locarno (me and my mate Alan Baines) on saturday night and when that closed we would go to the 10 pin bowling alley which stayed open all night.

We would have breakfast there then go home and sleep for a few hours then back to the Locarno for what (I think) was called the "Sunday Club".

Great days listening to live bands like "Sounds Incorporated".

The song I most associate with The Locarno is :If you want to make a fool of somebody by Freddie and the Dreamers. My mate Alan was a dead ringer for Freddy Garretty.

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Hi Dave 48,

I think he did. He used to work for Johnsons Menswear in Denman Street and later at Ericsons (I think).

Married a girl called Sue at Gretna Green.

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I remember the coffee bars on Burton Street. In my last year at Becket (1958) a few of us would go downstairs (I think at the El Toreador although it could have been the 49) and plugged in the Dansette with a lead to the ceiling light socket. Cheaper than a juke box! Quite daring for Becket boys.

When therewas a fuss about Lady Chatterleys Lover a few years later we queued to get a copy and took it to read at the coffee bar. Quite risque in those days.

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:biggrin: Hi Katyjay, that's an old Nottingham saying you've written @ #88: 'Well, blow me down' - good to see it again.

Hi Michael, @ #89; I too used to visit the 'Locarno in the early 60's'. No place like it: when you stood on the steps outside, the sound of 'The Four Seasons' blasting out with 'Walk Like A Man' and luring you into this enchanting Palace. :cool:

I went there then, can remember that record always blaring out when we walked in, the atmosphere was magic, electifying, I just loved the place........Came from Hucknall and the last bus home at 11.30pm was the highlight of the weekend, the bus was packed, was sheer fun and laughter, they never refused a fare, I'll never forget those great days and the fellas I jived with.........

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Best days at the Locarno for me were 1959-62 especially the lunch time sessions. To complete a good day you could also nip up to the Central Market where there

was a superb second hand record stall. (Forget the chap's name). Many had the middles out and had obviously been used in juke boxes.

One of my old mates was Robbie Barnes from Dulverton Vale who also played drums in a band although he admitted he had problems with the complicated

drum work in copying Tommy Roe's record Sheila.

He is no longer in the UK. After a period in advertising he moved to the Far East where he was very successful.Now living the high life in New Zealand.

I know Rob Barnes very well, he is a friend of my hubbies, they grew up together at Cinderhill, they went around together......My hubby is Malc Taylor, a butcher who worked for his dad, Joe Taylor & Son....................We are still in touch with them and see them when they come over from NZ to visit, we are in constant contact by E Mail.......He married Christine Sharpe from Bilboro......

I was at the Locarno from the late 50's dancing in my lunch hour from grammar school for 6d and then in the early 60's Saturday night........I came from Hucknall and knew a lot of fellas from there back then............I am called Lynn and have always had blonde hair............Maybe I jived with you......what was your name ?......

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It was the place to be,........................especialy if you wanted 'vibrating walls' .........hey Margie,..lol.

There was no other place like it.........the greatest dance place ever as far as I am concerned, especially' dream time'.........My happiest days.......

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I mentioned once before that I remember a particular way of jiving at the Vic so you were able to dance with different people more easily. Was that just with the group I was with or was it true for everyone, I wonder? I also said previously that we occasionally went to the Palais on the revolving dance floor downstairs but they jived differently and we used to laugh at them! When I worked at Harlow Wood hospital there was a patient there on the young girls' ward, who said she used to go dancing at the Vic - she was having treatment for TB in one of her leg bones but was able to be the 'man' and sit on a chair while I jived round it. I think it cheered her up a bit as she was there for several months, and it certainly gave the other patients something to smile about. I think the ward sister must have been on her lunch break!

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Does Chilwell Rocker still post on here ?......................I was interested to hear that he was friendly with Rob Barnes, someone I have known for over 45years and who my hubbie has been friends with all his life, they were born 2 weeks apart, attended Crane School together, hung around in their teens until Rob met Christine and married in 1966........Malc was their best man................I met Malc in 1969, that's when I became friends with them.......Rob was always very hardworking and ambitious, Christine was homely and domesticated.........He has travelled the world through his job which took them to live in New Zealand.......They have a happy life out there, came over every year to visit family and friends......After losing both sets of parent's, their visits will be less frequent now...........Rob was a great drummer and was much in demand at one time, so I hear, he also did compare work which he was brilliant at too........Had some happy times out with them............

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