Pigalle Club

[Froggy 3]

Anyone remember Bruce Wells' Pigole Club in Drury Hill?

I never went in but tried once. I was out on the town with my drinking and prowling buddy when another friend of his spotted us. He suggested that we went to the Pigole, saying that he helped Bruce out when there was some trouble and was given a free meal. So, off we trotted full of hope. As we stood down the step from the door a lady in a fur coat turned up. 'Hello Judy, said the new guy. She gave him a dirty look and said nothing. The door opened and a guy in a smart suit wedged his shoulders between the door posts, asked Judy who we were and let her in. Then he wedged his shoulders back in place. This was Bruce Wells, the one time amateur boxer.

'Ah', said Bruce pointing a finger down at the face of the new guy, 'You're the customer who didn't pay his bill.' As my mate and I looked at the new guy in surprise and annoyance, another toughy, resplendent in sheepskin coat, arrived behind us. I won't bother with the rest of the conversation but lets' say that we were promised a good thumping if we didn't clear off. We cleared off.

There's a sequel to this. A few weeks ago, in a restaurant here in Thailand, I met a Londoner who used to work behind the Pigole Bar. After he gave me some more background on the place we worked out that he was probably there that very night. Small world.

[mick2me 3,033]

Wasnt the Pigalle Down Hockley on the Left?

[Froggy 3]

Not the one I knew. I worked around the corner and walked past the door most days when Broad Marsh was a car park and my Moggie Minor was left there. Across the road was a secondhand book shop and a few doors away was a chromium plate works.

The Pigole burned down according to the ex-barman so it may have moved. The impression I got, though, was that the owner returned to London after the fire.

[poohbear 1,360]

Pigalle was in Hockley and down Drury Hill...Which one came first and then moved I can't remember.

[mick2me 3,033]

The Pigalle I remember was on Hockley around 1968.

I was too young to go but remember walking past one night

and hearing Sam The Sham, Wooley Bully playing.

[Froggy 3]

The Pigalle I remember was on Hockley around 1968.

I was too young to go but remember walking past one night

and hearing Sam The Sham, Wooley Bully playing.

If that was in '68, it must have been Drury Hill first and then Hockley.

[mick2me 3,033]

Which one burnt down?

Drury hill perhaps?

The building in the middle had Pigalle on the top floor,

and its actually Goosgate, according to Googlr maps.

[Froggy 3]

Not having known about the new Pigole, I assumed that it was the Drury Hill one. The story I got a few weeks ago went along the lines that he with the sheepskin suggested to the barman that it was time they went back to London because something was 'going to happen'. He must have been clairvoyant because the place burnt down a few days' later.

[denshaw 2,871]

Pigalle was on Hockley late sixties, a few Forest players used to go in there. Jim Baxter used to fall off his bar stool quite regular.

[OLDACE 196]

Not having known about the new Pigole, I assumed that it was the Drury Hill one. The story I got a few weeks ago went along the lines that he with the sheepskin suggested to the barman that it was time they went back to London because something was 'going to happen'. He must have been clairvoyant because the place burnt down a few days' later.

In early 1966 I was a croupier at the Parkside Club,one night two well-dressed Londoners came in and asked for a game of Chemmy. Dennis Akins was in charge that night as George was at the Cannes Film Festival. Dennis asked if any one could croup Chemmy (there was a table but it was never used), I said I could.

At the table were the two Londoners, Jack Packham(fruit machines), Tony Woods(then chairman of Forest and owner of Jersey Kapwood)Dennis? Sheldon(car dealer and murderer to be). The game had lasted about three hours when Tony Woods 'got a bank' and skint the table. Tony gave me a tip of £52 and one of the Londoners said angrily 'fleeced by a bunch of hicks' and they stormed off.

A few days later Bruce Wells came to the Parkside with some of his boxer friends, including two ex world champions,Dennis told the doormen to throw them out, and the bouncers resigned on the spot. There was a bit of fisticuffs, and Dennis came off the worst.

Next night I got to work at the Parkside to find two fellow members of Nottingham Aces Motorcycle Club on the door, they were Colin Grafton and Barry Price. They told me that they had been told that that the Richardson's from London were trying to muscle in on Nottingham, and that the Pigalle Club was involved.

George Akins returned from Cannes early, closed circuit TV was installed, and things were getting interesting. A meeting was held, present were club owners, scrap dealers, car dealers,fruit machine operatives etc. It was decided that they were not going to roll over.

The fact that the Pigalle burnt down shortly afterwards was purely coincedental.

[Beefsteak 305]

Now this is the kind of Nottstalgia I enjoy reading about!!

[poohbear 1,360]

Whats that then?....a load of cash merchants...Night Club owners ...Scrapyard merchants...Car dealers...Fruit machine bandits.All those that were into the fiddles that the Kray brigade found so easy to blackmail and steal from.

Impossible if they kept proper books. But these type of 'businessmen' never did,and still don't.The only people more corrupt are politicians and Lords.

[OLDACE 196]

Whats that then?....a load of cash merchants...Night Club owners ...Scrapyard merchants...Car dealers...Fruit machine bandits.All those that were into the fiddles that the Kray brigade found so easy to blackmail and steal from.

Impossible if they kept proper books. But these type of 'businessmen' never did,and still don't.The only people more corrupt are politicians and Lords.

I read some extracts of that Kray book on the This is Nottingham websight, it is pure B/S, IMO it was the Richardsons not the Krays who tried it on in Notts, and they failed.

The only Kray connection I came upon at the time was a Londoner called Chris (Martin?)he asked me to croup at the Top Hat club Arkwright Street, near Kirkwright Street.The club was owned by a Mrs Varney. I tried it for a few nights then jacked, I didn't like the vibe. I seem to remember he was involved in an illegal casino in Radford, it was decked out as a funeral directors. Once inside it was a casino, free food and drink, served by scantiliy clad girls.

Regarding the 'cash merchants', a few were spivs, but most were gentlemen, such as the Gibsons who ran Nottingham Scrap Metal. I only met them while they were relaxing, but if you work in a nightclub you can get a good idea who the nice guys are. Maybe if I had done business with them I would have a different opinion.

Most of the unpleasant punters were the so called cream of nottingham society. The owner of the Musters Hotel Ian Harvey was doing his gelt (losing heavily) one night, his wife suggested they go home. He hit her full in the mouth causing her to fall over.

Another night one of the Wheatcrofts was making a nuisance of himself, when he put his glass of wine on the table I asked him to move it, he then put it on Red just as the ball dropped into a black. I immediately drank the wine to an approving nod from the manageress Kay O'Sullivan.

Personally I preferred the company of the self made 'cash merchants' you knew where you were with them, unlike the real crooks ie bankers, estate agents etc.

[Beefsteak 305]

I heard part of the tale re the "Londoners" coming up and trying to muscle in many years back (When I first started in the pub game, many moons ago) and it's good to hear it confirmed by some one involved , even slightly, in the story!!

Not that I should have to justify myself to you Poohbear!!

One bloke I remember always causing problems was Barry Noble, I had to chuck him out of a club once for constantly pulling out his trouser pockets unzipping his fly hole and dropping out his penis, then walking up to women asking "Has anybody seen a floppy eared Elephant round here any where?"

[poohbear 1,360]

Not that I should have to justify myself to you Poohbear!!

Ah... the good old days.Lovely people.

[Froggy 3]

Geez, I missed all that somehow. I thought that the worst type of bloke in Nottingham was the one who would turn to you in a pub and ask, 'Yer lookin' fer trubble?'

[Ashley 288]

no, worst type not that polite, they wouldn't even ask you, mind you if you dis anyone these days you get shot!

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Hmmm, I recall my next door neighbour, we are talking mid to late 60's. He was a well built West Indian, about 5ft 10ins, always immaculately dressed, name was Charles, never call him Charlie!!! I was told he made his living gambling, always carried a stiletto knife. He was always OK with me, always bought me a pint, actually insisted, and never expected it returned. I'll bet some of you knew of him. I can't recall his last name though.

Feller who gave me the run down on him was a Dave something or other, used to box at one time, mid 20's, short and stocky did some bouncing around the city during his time.

[OLDACE 196]

I heard part of the tale re the "Londoners" coming up and trying to muscle in many years back (When I first started in the pub game, many moons ago) and it's good to hear it confirmed by some one involved , even slightly, in the story!!

Not that I should have to justify myself to you Poohbear!!

One bloke I remember always causing problems was Barry Noble, I had to chuck him out of a club once for constantly pulling out his trouser pockets unzipping his fly hole and dropping out his penis, then walking up to women asking "Has anybody seen a floppy eared Elephant round here any where?"

I think that there are a lot of folk that should be grateful to those who saw the Londoners off, including those in the pub trade. It would not just have been the 'cash merchants' that would have been targeted.Businesses of all descriptions were in the frame.

There is much more I could say about this, but discretion is called for even this long after the events of Spring 1966.

[Beefsteak 305]

The publican who told me the original tale was a bit renowned for bending the truth slightly so I guess the tale was taken with a bit a pinch of salt at the time , although it was one of those tales that you always wanted to be true !!

IMMSC it concluded with certain persons unnamed being put (Very unceremoniously ) onto trains to 'The Smoke' with their tails well and truely between their legs, and some even had them in their pockets!!!

[OLDACE 196]

The publican who told me the original tale was a bit renowned for bending the truth slightly so I guess the tale was taken with a bit a pinch of salt at the time , although it was one of those tales that you always wanted to be true !!

IMMSC it concluded with certain persons unnamed being put (Very unceremoniously ) onto trains to 'The Smoke' with their tails well and truely between their legs, and some even had them in their pockets!!!

I cannot confirm the train anecdote,I think that was a fairy tale. It was generally thought that they found Nottingham too difficlut a place for them and they decided to go and try somewhere else where they wouldn't have so much trouble. They hadn't got long left anyway, they were all taken out of circulation a few years later.

[mick2me 3,033]

IDennis? Sheldon(car dealer and murderer to be)

What and when was that murder Ace?

Lets Not forget it was a Notts Lad who finished the Krays Business.

Detective Chief Inspector Leonard 'Nipper' Read,

Image Courtesy http://www.dockersunion.net/vb/showthread.php?318-Boothby-Winston-Churchill-s-mate

[OLDACE 196]

Sheldon was a gambler,when he got into money trouble, he would go to casinos, see who was there and then go and burgle their houses. He was caught and got 5 years IIRC. While in prison his wife saw another man.

On release he went home and strangled his wife. He left the body on the living room carpet next to an electric fire which he left switched on. He left the house, in the morning his daughter, I cannot remember her age, probably 6 or 7 found her dead mother. her face was badly burned.Sheldon got life.

[OLDACE 196]

I think the Sheldon murder was late 60s or more likely early 70s.

[mick2me 3,033]

Ta Ace

Where and When was this?