Stephen Soos 0 Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Hi folks, I came across this forum and thread by accident, but I am delighted that it is here. Club Balaton was owned by my father, Rudi Soos and my step mum Iris from the late 70's to the late 80's when he sold it and it became Charlie C's before being sold for development just a few years later. My father. Bought the site as a derelict site with just the shell of the old buildings and in true Hungarian style he hand built the. Club, living accommodation and car park himself. My father came to the uk in 57 to escape the communists who were rounding up and imprisoning or shooting people like my father. He worked mines for 14 hours a day, then went on to have a stall selling fabric on Skegness Market for 0 years before finally buying the club on Besecar Avenue. I remember many years of christmas's in that place, full of joy, lots of people, lots of dancing, lots of food. Sadly, my dad succumbed to the alcohol he was selling and it all went down hill form there. He sold the club and drunk himself to death. I have fond memories of hum, the club and some of the regulars. The funniest thing is that Hungarians tend to go overkill when building. The back car park was the result of infilling the land with metal and concrete over many years and when sold, it was found that the concrete was 19 feet thick in places and could not be blasted as it was a built up area. The developer built onto of this and lost 1 house asq a result. My dads legacy can still be seen in the form of the solid stone wall that retains the old car park. This alone is nearly 1.5 feet thick and 15 feet high. Yes, sad times, happy times and lots of memories for many people resonate in what is left of Club Balaton. FYI, my Dads wife Iris still lives in their other house in Bakersfield. Does anyone remember Suki the Daschund with the bad temper ? He bit everyone at some point. Most regulars would remember Sarah and Simon, my younger brother and sister, and my step mum's liking for Ford Capri's. Anyway, if you would like to know anything, respond here and I will gladly give you whatever information you would like. Stephen Soos Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rob237 89 Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Stephen, Welcome to the forum, and many thanks for a very interesting opening posting... Especially pleased to read your recall of Hungarian building habits! Particularly as I knew a builder, of Hungarian extraction, who worked in a similar manner around Hucknall in the 60's & 70's... His local reputation was such that he rapidly had an overfull order book - to the extent that he recruited various other Hungarians, from around the area, to help complete his many assignments. He partly built my former Ogle Street property, which had walls to make lighthouses seem Jerry-built! IIRC, he was also a victim of their 1956 uprising and, although I've forgotten his name, do remember that he passed away quite young in some obscure accidental circumstances. Your further Nottingham recollections will be appreciated. Cheers Robt P. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted October 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Nice to hear from you Stephen, and some fantastic information about the place. Keep the memories coming. As I've mentioned futher back , it was a regular haunt of ours on a Sunday in the 80s . I remember 'Big George' the doorman who died, and ofcourse your dad at front of house, I can't remember much else but 'Christmas type fairy lights' keep springing to mind. Keep them coming Stephen Quote Link to post Share on other sites
piggy and babs 544 Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 WELL REMEMBER CARLTON SQUARE BEING BUILT IN THE MID SIXTIES USED TO HAVE TO PASS IT EVERY DAY TO AND FROM SCHOOL AND GRADUALLY WATCHING THE GHANGES AS IT PROGRESSED OR SOME WOULD SAY REGRESSED ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE FLATS OPPOSIT AT THE BOTTOM OF WALTON CRESSENT OR OTHERWISE KNOWN INCUBATOR AVENUE. AS THESE WERE FOUR AND FIVE BEDROOMED HOUSES AND ALL BIG FAMILIES LIVED IN THEM. AND THERE WERE ALWAYS NEW BABIES UP THERE. SHORTLY AFTER THE OLD SHOPS AND WINSOR CASTLE CAME DOWN TO MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW TEXCO AND THE NEW WINSOR CASTLE WAS ALSO BUILT BUT IT HAD LOST ALL ITS LAND AND LOVELY BEAR GARDENS. THE ONLY CORNER STILL RELIVTY UNCHANGED IS WERE THE OLD 39 TROLLY TURMINUS AND NAGS HEAD IS STILL LITTLE HAS CHANGED HERE FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS BUT I BEST NOT SPEAK TOO SOON OR THEY MIGHT JUST DECIDE ITS ABOUT TIME THEY DID SOMETHING WITH THIS SMALL PIECE OF LAND. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,454 Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Plans for a bit of a change in the area. Can't be worse than what's already there. http://www.nottinghampost.com/new-flats-spruce-Carlton-Square/story-22701567-detail/story.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,088 Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 I thought for a second that they were going to demolish the carbuncle. But no, they're only going to tart it up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karlton 582 Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Carlton Square. right up my street so as to speak. I remember post office run by mr. and mrs tilley , Mossops the chemist next door. behind them on station road was a factory called I think Carlton electrodes chrome specialists, moved to Colwick industrial estate. there was a passage just below that went from station road through to burton road where the kiora club was the passage was near the school and came out somwhere near the blacks head. opposite the post office on the other corner at the bottom of carlton hill was shentalls store. inthe same row was a cycle shop, green grocery shop and a row of houses up to Windsor castle pub. opposite windsor castle Straws the bakers. further down a blacksmith and petrol station if i remember right 3/9pence a gallon. i remember carlton square well had a blind date there she never turned up. Tarry's newsagent, and opposite next door to marshalls bakery lived my best mate Alan Detheridge. sadly not with us anymore. ps Brilliant pictures beefstake. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karlton 582 Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 I knew Dawsons bakery in the precinct, I went to school with Valery, sister and rivals to malc adkins bakery. Malc was a big friend of mine in our early school days at Carlton catholic school. he owned one of the first cycles with a small engine I believe it was calle an 'nsu quickly.' i'm not sure if it was out before the raleigh moped. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,454 Posted January 28, 2017 Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 Found this, showing Carlton Square probably in the early 60s. The road directly behind the trolley bus is Burton Road, and the white building just visible to the left of the bus is the "Black's Head" pub. 2 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted January 28, 2017 Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 That picture takes me back, I can see myself sitting on that 39 Trolley bus on my way to town. That is the Carlton Square I remember. No wonder I feel lost when I see it now. A lot of the streets and little alleys are still there, all the places that my dad grew up in, and his relations lived. No use trying to hide from dad on the rampage when we were out after our 8pm home time. He already knew all the hiding places! Been there....Done it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sue B 48 1,226 Posted January 28, 2017 Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 What a lovely picture' as with carni it was a blast from the past that brought back many lovely memories. Completely unrecognisable now. The 39 Trolley bus wasn't one of the good memories as I always felt sick and as a child would cry when Mam said we would be walking down to Carlton Square. It was 2d cheaper than the Trent bus in Gedling village. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted January 28, 2017 Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 #34. Great picture. Just as I remember it. I always liked those trolley buses, quiet, fast, and non polluting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted January 28, 2017 Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 Mid 60s and 70s remember the armoured vehicles roaming about most Sundays. In the 70s if people knew what was stored at the drill hall they would have run a mile....... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeverilPeril 3,279 Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 #34 great pic CT. I lived just past the Blacks Head on the right - Park Rd 1954/61. Did a few miles on the old 39. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted January 29, 2017 Report Share Posted January 29, 2017 Have they not changed the sign on the Blacks Head to a picture of a horse? We used to nip down the ally from the drill hall on a hot day, ideal for a swift pint....... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radfordred 6,284 Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 There was a fantastic video posted early yesterday on Carlton Square seems to have drowned & disappeared? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alan s 156 Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 I put that up in the Nottingham videos thread. I share them from NottsMan on Facebook so if you're on FB follow him 'cos he's got loads of old vids on there. He's got a dodgy taste in music, but hey ho you can't have everything. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,454 Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 2 hours ago, radfordred said: There was a fantastic video posted early yesterday on Carlton Square seems to have drowned & disappeared? Still there, but slightly overrun by other things. https://nottstalgia.com/forums/topic/16341-old-carlton-square/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,454 Posted July 11, 2019 Report Share Posted July 11, 2019 Then and Now. Looking down Burton Road towards Gedling, the only common feature is the Black's Head pub in the distance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenSoos 2 Posted November 29, 2021 Report Share Posted November 29, 2021 This club was rebuilt from a ruin and extended by my Dad, Rudy Soos. His wife, my step mum is English. My Dad died in 1999, but Iris is still very much alive, though very old now. I am proud of what my Dad did. he came to the UK with 17 quid and could not speak English. He became wealthy from hard work. He is a good man in my eyes. I am biased. If you want to know anything about the club, feel free to ask. Stephen Soos 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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