Local Bouncers from the 60's and 70's


Recommended Posts

Does anyone remember big Maurice who used to patrol the Dive Bar under the Hearty Good Fellow.

He reminded us of Jaws from the Bond films, his head used to almost touch the ceiling.

When we went out on the town at the weekends in the late 60's early 70's we used to get off the bus at Maid Marion Way and the Dive Bar was always our first port of call. Maurice never said much to anyone, but we always said hello and he greeted us with his customary 'evenin' gents'.

It could be a bit rough in there, one night we were sitting down having a pint, minding our own business, when some bloke, for no reason whatsoever decided to pick a fight. My 2 mates who were well over 6 ft stood up and he backed off, too late, eagle eyed Maurice appeared, grabbed him by the throat, lifted him off the ground, dragged him up the stairs and threw him out on the street.

He then came back and said, 'Sorry gents, I hope it hasn't ruined your evening and I hope I shall be seeing you again'. Lovely man, I wonder what happened to him.

Another one was Stu 'Morris'?

I knew him via a friend, he was a black belt karate expert. He used to patrol Highfields Lido. One day we were sunbathing at an almost empty lido and I climbed up the fence and knicked a couple of apples from an over hanging tree, that was it for Stu, I was promptly thrown out, protestations were useless, knowing his short fuse, I wasn't prepared to argue.

I gathered that he was invited to a karate competition in Japan but was terrified of flying, he subsequently caught the Trans Siberian express and caught a ferry from outside Vladivostok, that was in the days when the Cold War was at it's height, it must have been a hell of a journey.

The bouncers at the Penny Farthing Club were complete scumbags, personally, I hated the place, I only ever went a couple of times. A mate of mine went one evening and made the mistake of wearing a leather jacket, it wasn't a zip up biker type of thing but a very expensive jacket based on a traditional style. He paid to go in then was surrounded by bouncers demanding that he handed it in to the desk, he refused and went inside, they followed him in and asked again, whereby he explained it was no different to anything anyone else was wearing and he wasn't prepared to have it knicked from the cloakroom.

They promptly dragged him out a side door, gave him a kicking and shoved him in a dustbin, me I would have called the police, but the daft sod didn't, on the other hand we put the word about and they must have lost a lot of customers, serve them right.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 69
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

It's just that having read through my diaries from those days I seem to have gone in the Sherriff's Bar quite a lot and then to the 99. I've spent the whole evening reading 40+ year old diaries, so m

I posted the above in response to someone reporting that Mick Piggot had passed. Well he hasn’t. The Mick Piggot I know is very much alive and I’m now in contact with him.

Yes I remember Pete.My name is Alan Tompkin. My nick name was 'Tomo' saw 'Stu Morris about 10 years ago also saw Jag last year at one of the Mapperley Top pubs.we all used to hang around town with Cli

Stu is mentioned in other parts of the forum, and is a keen Motown and Soul enthusiast, in fact, if you either tune in, or log onto BBC Radio Stokes Mary Fox show, he sometimes has input to it one way or another, plus his mate Jan often goes to the Soul night at The Regency suites (Ilkeston Coop) which, incidentally, the next one is tomorrow the 29th.

What about Dino (Deano?) who used to be at Michael Isaacs/Harpers, the old Babel nightclub, its a while since I bumped into him, and his son, who also worked doors.

Link to post
Share on other sites

What about Linkie Wilson, ex Mr Universe. Used to work at the Black Orchid.

The worst bouncers (door supervisors) i met worked at a club on Station St, Parkside?

It's a good job i'm a black belt in Origami.

Den.

Link to post
Share on other sites

There was a black guy in the mid late 70s at the Palaise named Roger or Rodney (nice bloke) Deanos son was called Martin and his sidekick was Ronnie, there was also a tallish fellow who had grey hair and a beard (Not like Deano with his black tash!!)

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 5 months later...

Hey - the bouncers may have been scumbags but the DJ was Awesome!

Under Flash Pete they were, unpredictable. Ted, who was a little mean, had this 'kojo' thing he'd made and he used to punch holes in the wall going up the stairs, then later he'd punch holes in heads. They used to march everyone out the back and kick the sh1t out of them. If the victim bled on them they gave him another kicking, just for spite. When it came to going up against Pete himself, though, everyone lost their bottle - he was well 'ard!

Under Cuddly Cotterill, it depended on the mix at the door on any given night, but by and large they did like a good fight. The night cuddly set them on me it did hurt, but five bouncers onto a 5' 6'' Dj, with specs? That kind of gives you the perspective.

Mostly, if you knew them they were OK - I knew Ron from the Hippo, Stu 'cos everyone did, Didn't much care for Tom or Dave - miserable tw*ts at the best of times.

Brian, on the door at the Hippo was always a gentlemanly sort of guy - well to me and me mates anyway. And Ricky, who someone else mentioned and I'd forgotten - he was a good guy too.

Link to post
Share on other sites

In the 80's I can remember Ronnie "One punch" and Ronnie "Muscles" at the Fountain and the Dog and Bear.

Boo (who I knew well) at the Astoria, Paul Howitt and a few other Cotgrave lads at Rock city and Baz at the Sal.

My fave doorman was the guy at the Newshouse on St James's st, always polite and welcoming.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

The late Terry Flynne who worked on the door at the Dungeon was a really nice bloke away from there.

I worked at Intercon when it opened in the 70's - later to be Tiffanys (under Vic Centre) and Gerry Gibson, head door man was only about 5"7 but what a tough guy he was.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Welcome Dobby.

In today's Evening Post on-line [thisisnottingham.co.uk] in the Bygones letters section, is a letter from a Bryan Webb. He went to the Intercon in the late 70's, you might find his letter interesting.

Kath

Link to post
Share on other sites

Here's the letter from the Evening Post.

Kath

I REMEMBER the Intercon well.

I used to go there in the late- 70s, mainly to the Northern Soul night on a Tuesday.

Chris King was the DJ. I believe he's in the record business now and also DJs at Northern Soul nights in Notts.

The entrance as I remember was through what is now Vision Express.

I cannot recall entering through the Clock Tower, though I remember going down flights of stairs to it.

The lower dance floor was a revolving floor, which was fun when you had had a few beers.

I made many friends at the Intercon as the soul people were a friendly lot.

The first time I went to a Northern Soul night I thought it was a gymnastic club with all the twists, back-drops and spins they regularly carried out to the music.

I went with my brother-in-law John White, his friend Steve Butler and his sister Angie.

I still go to Northern Soul nights mainly at the Rolls-Royce Social club in Derby.

So many thanks to the Intercon for introducing me to Northern Soul (I have kept the faith).

BRYAN A. WEBB Hilton Road Mapperley

Link to post
Share on other sites

Re Intercon dj's, I still work with Chris King, at The Westgate Suites in Long Eaton (last Friday in the month!) and apart from that, he was one of the guys in KWS the Nottingham band who had a big hit with a remake of KC and The Sunshine Bands "Please dont Go" in 91 was it?

He also has a succesful scooter company, clock the reg plate on his Bentley, its S600TER !

Heres a bit of a tale re one of the bouncers who's been around the city a while, Deano (Dino?) who I knew from The Babel, and later Michael Isaacs and Harpers.

I was doing the gig at The Baltimore a week or 2 back, and spotted him in the crowd, shouted him over to say hi, but he wasnt overly friendly, saying that I had insulted him on the mic a few years previously at a gig, he mentioned it was at Akins place, which, as I worked at one of Akins places, Rock City, assumed he meant there, but I didnt remember being rude to him, but despite me saying I didnt remember it a all he didnt believe me.

This really got to me as I was certain I hadnt done anything to get on his wrong side, and it was only when he mentioned it was at a club where Id never resided, that he realised it was someone who looked just like me!

We finished the nights as mates again Im happy to say!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Another letter in the Post today about the Intercon

I WORKED at Intercon [a former Nottingham nightclub] from just after it opened for about five years, in the box office first for manager Dickie Richardson and then Dave Crook.

Later Mecca took it over and Brian Lawrenson and John Bowers followed.

One of the memorable nights was Valentine's Night, 1974, and a little known band called Bay City Rollers had been booked a few months before the date.

By the time Valentine's Night came around, I think they were at #2 with Shang Alang and I had to fight my way to the door as the queue stretched back to Jessops in the Victoria Centre.

Another night saw Trevor East and Chris Tarrant doing TisWas, which was another hilarious night and resulted in my son appearing on TV, his school mates being very jealous.

JEAN HEATH (via email)

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 year later...

ANYONE REMEMBER STEVE AND MICK PIGGOTT BOTH WORKED THE DOORS ALL OVER NOTTINGHAM FOR MANY YEARS MICK IS STILL WORKING THE DOORS IN MANSFIELD NOW I BELIEV BROTHERS AND MY HUSBANDS NEPHEWS KNOW A FEW BIG GUYS WHO WOULD NOT CROSS THEM BUT BOTH ARE REALLY NICE GUYS.

BARBARA PIGGOTT.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Couple of names I recall, 3 in fact but not as bouncers Didn't realise Terry was dead, knew him and his half brother Dennis, By "Baz" assume Barry Price? also now gone, and thirdly John Bowers, was an ex screw at Perry Rd nick, I knew him from Basford flats, had and far as I know still has a Vincent Black Shadow, I put a few bands on at Tiffany's around 1980 on their "Eavy Rock Nights" didn't make a deal of money but remember a good night in his office once!

Link to post
Share on other sites

another one to jog your memories BIG JOHN SHAW worked RockCity among others also a biker now owns trent cars.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 year later...

Did Mick used to train at Lake St Gym in Radford?

Den.

Yes, Mick trained there in late '60s/early '70s. Then a lot of us from Lake Street went to a new gym, Stewart's Gym on Mansfield Road. Lake Street and Stewart's were the only real gyms in Nottingham at that time -- how times have changed.

We used to call Mick, Les ..... as in Lester. Heard from him last year.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Welcome Big Mac

A guy I knew, who went to Lake Street Gym around 1975.

Called Roy, used to paint NCT buses.

Originally worked at the Nottingham Coop painting vehicles.

Do you know him?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Welcome Big Mac

A guy I knew, who went to Lake Street Gym around 1975.

Called Roy, used to paint NCT buses.

Originally worked at the Nottingham Coop painting vehicles.

Do you know him?

No, that doesn't (like a bus) ring a bell The last time I trained at Lake Street was 1973 so maybe our paths never crossed.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...