Paulus 541 Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 At one time, everybody in Nottingham knew Albert Brown. Was this youir delayed response to my statement in #2 ?? Albert was always in Yates's or around other bars in town...................supposedly a 'predatory' man I can't recall seeing him in 'company' with anyone in particular Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mudgie49 401 Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 First met Albert when I almost fell off a trolley bus,he grabbed my arm to stop me hitting the floor.Never seen a man with makeup on before,quite a shock. In later years got to know him (to a point) as the character he was. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 Hi Paulus, I was referring to the 'piggy and babs' posting three above mine; Babs wrote about Albert Brown styling her hair and it made me remember how back in the 50's / 60's, this character was very much part of the Nottingham scene. You mention 'Yates' Wine Lodge'; can you remember a very sophisticated bar downstairs? It may have been called 'The Mahogony Room. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 Around 1970, I was 18 and on the last 43 bus back to the Meadows from town. Albert Brown was several rows behind me and complaining to another passenger about being beaten up, because he was "queer" (Gay meant happy at that time) Obviously referring to me and my shoulder length hair, I heard him say... "And look at him, you cant tell if hes a man or a woman?" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 There were rumours that he was always being beaten up. I wonder if he happened to know Quentin Crisp because they must have happened around the same time - and there couldn't have been that many of their type on the land. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
piggy and babs 544 Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 yes he knew quinten crispamong others but many of the gays he knew wernt out and wanted to keep there sexuality quiet and as he used to say some of them you would not belive were gay or bi sexual . others were very influensial people who would loose a lot if they came out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
piggy and babs 544 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 hi mudgie are you sure you wernt one of the guys i would wave bye bye too, usually the guys who would pester us for dates and no matter what you said to them and told them you wernt interested,would not take no for an answer so hence we would arrange to meet them and then wave bye bye to them as i had long dark hair and my friend had long ginger hairit was hard to mistake the pair of us even on the back of a bike. my friend was tall and thinand i was very petite at the time unlike nowstill under five foot tall though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 You mention 'Yates' Wine Lodge'; can you remember a very sophisticated bar downstairs? It may have been called 'The Mahogony Room. I remember that bar (under another name) being (re?)opened up in the early mid-eighties I think. 'The (??) Bar' as in something like The Mint Bar for example. Was a nice bar. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
denshaw 2,872 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 The Mint bar was below the Albany. Albert Brown lived on Bathley St in the Meadows (so i was told) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 The Mint bar was below the Albany. Yeah, I know Den - the bar under Yates had a not dissimilar name was what I was trying to say, do you remember it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
denshaw 2,872 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Heard there was a bar below ground but never saw it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Entrance was just to the right of the two main doors at the front of the building on Long Row. There was also another separate little bar to the rear of the main building which could be accessed either up a yard from the main pub or alternatively from an alley half way up Market Street. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Denshaw You are right, he did live in the Meadows. I have a block of houses in my visual memory, but could not put a street to it. It was 42 years ago! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Thinking back to the days of Albert Brown and Quentin Crisp - 40's, 50's, 60's - and how they were pilloried for their homosexuality, wearing of 'feminine' clothes and make-up; yet in the 80's Boy George flaunted all this and went straight to the top of the charts with: 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?' Definately a case of answering back: 'Do you really want to hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry? . . . . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mudgie49 401 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Hi babs, I wasn't one of your stood up dates,but I would still have waved at you. lol Am I right in saying back in 64/65,the ground floor bar in Yate's had sawdust on the floorboards. Being 'gay',was illegal when we were all young.I suppose thats why we didn't see many.Albert was more of an institution. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paulus 541 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Yates's definitely had sawdust on the floorboards, & possibly spitoons also....................or perhaps that's just my memory running riot...............I wonder where the phrase 'spit & sawdust' originated from, anyone know? Yates's Wine Lodge had an entrance on Market St', & also an 'offie' where you could buy 'Australian Sweet Mountain White Wine' or something similar, either in bottles or draught, fill your own container from the barrels, I recall wine was also served in 'Schooners' of various sizes.................. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
piggy and babs 544 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 ONLY EVER WENT IN YATES A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN I WAS YOUNG WASENT MUCH FOR GOING INTO THE TOWN CENTRE TO DRINK ONLY WHEN I MET UP WITH MY SISTER JEAN FOR A DRINK ON A FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE GOING OF DOWN THE HART TO BOOGIE. THE ONLY OTHER PUP IN TOWN WE WENT IN ON A TUESDAY NIGHT WAS THE NEW MILTONS HEAD ON PARLIMENT ST THEY HAD A DISCO IN THE BASEMENT. HAD SOME GOOD NIGHTS IN THERE. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Booth 7,364 Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 In the 60's my girlfriend was working as a Temp for a solicitor in the Market Square. We used to meet up every lunchtime in the Square and have lunch together in the sunshine. Regarding Albert Brown, I think he only became so renowned was because he was the only overt homosexual person around at the time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RGR 218 Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Market Square 2007. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor S 2,003 Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Nice photo RGR but where have all the taxis gone?? Back in the late 50s, South Parade was two way, much wider with a taxi rank (Black Consuls, Zephyrs, Morris Oxfords, Wolseleys and the odd Peugot with cream/white bonnet and boot livery) extending at least half the length of Slab Square and taxis facing towards the Council House. Searched PTP and in 75, taxi rank still in place but taxis facing away from the CH. Now, in RGR photo, only trams. Do taxi ranks still exist in the town as we used to know them or have they disappeared like so much of the Nottingham of old? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 They're off to the left of the shot , around the bottom of St James' Street Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor S 2,003 Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Thanks Beefsteak....at least these and other pages are preparing the wife and I for a bloody big culture shock when we pay a visit after an absence (me) of nearly 48 years! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 You're right there !! I've only 'been away' for 13 years, been back at least 4 times a year since and it's different every time I return, so god alone knows what you'll notice (Or recognise for that matter.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 I only live just over the border in D*rbyshire but the changes are evident to me! Dont forget to let us know when you are coming over Trevor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Nice photo RGR but where have all the taxis gone?? Do taxi ranks still exist in the town as we used to know them or have they disappeared like so much of the Nottingham of old? The taxis now all live on Wheeler Gate (off to the right), which is one-way coming into the Square Like this.....http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Wheeler+Gate,+Nottingham,+United+Kingdom&hl=en&ll=52.952827,-1.149729&spn=0.001829,0.005053&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=39.320439,82.792969&oq=wheeler+ga&t=h&hnear=Wheeler+Gate,+Nottingham,+United+Kingdom&z=18&layer=c&cbll=52.952774,-1.150624&panoid=ICxJA5_UDvOUpGhrElKK4g&cbp=12,136.89,,0,7.21 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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