Anymore Dinosaurs like me out there ? Do you remember TAKE 5 on South Road and The Harlequin at Crookes ? Triumphs, Nortons and BSAs ? Big loud bikes [and big loud girls] Mod baiting? Oh happy days.

Don,t know those cafe,s what about the kettle cafe on Attercliffe common but we were scooter mods (sorry last poster)

I remember borrowing my girlfriend's French made 125cc Lambretta. That model sounded just like a Gilera racing bike. One night I passed a coffee bar on Langsett road doing a top speed of around 70mph. A further 2miles on and I was caught by a gang of rockers on their motorbikes. They'd heard me 'Roar' passed the bar and thought I was the real thing.

I don't have to tell you yhe abuse they gave me for riding a scooter.

Happy Days!

You lot would probably love this website (and I believe there's an accompanying book):

http://www.classiccafes.co.uk/

I was a late 70s biker but had all the posters on my wall while still a young teenager - Barry Sheene #7 etc. I do remember an old BSA a neigbour had in his garden when very young in the 60s and liked to look at it. If I get back the the UK I'll be getting me a 70s Bonnie - I still ride - I have been runnin a 1990 Harley for the last 5 years.

can anyone remember the La Favorita on Carver street,this was were all the mods used to go.I remember it used to be run by an indian bloke ,one of my favourite drinks from there used to be hot lime ugh !All the Lambrettas and Vespas used to be parked out there and every week the drugs squad used to raid it looking for black bombers and french blues etc .

60's cafe/coffe bars

The ones that spring to my mind are The disc Jockey LondonRd

The Flamingo Abbeydale Rd ,thats where Marti Caine used to go had many crazy nights in there with her (sadly missed)

The Octopus Darnall

many more I can't remember,

Soggy,

who's old not me

I hardly dare admit to you big hairy bike fans, but I had an Ariel Leader, brilliant little bike, but it didn't like wet weather, go through a puddle and I could guarantee one of the pots would cut out, still, happy days.

My sister used to go out with a rocker, I used to wait for his mate at the top of Hoyle Street and he would put his helmet on me and take me up Netherthorpe Road and back on his Norton, we used to listen to the latest songs on the jukebox at the Marina Cafe on Meadow Street whilst drinking a coca cola. Bliss.

60's Cafes

Think the earliest coffee bar type cafe was 'El Mambo' at the bottom of an arcade which used to run from Pinstone St to Union St. It opened around 1958 and used to be full of Teddy Boys - if you don't know what they are ask your granddad!

i can remember the take 5 coffee bar, i think me and my friends spent every night in there, aaahhhh happy days

My Mom used to take us in the Sidewalk(?) on Chapel Walk.. that must have been in the 60s coz I was only a scopperdiddle. I seem to remember it was full of sophisticated people reading books and the like LOL I remember the big fans on the ceiling and the fantastic smell of coffee. Not many mods and rockers as far as I can remember though.

hey i remember them they where the good times

Originally posted by Wavey
My Mom used to take us in the Sidewalk(?) on Chapel Walk.. that must have been in the 60s coz I was only a scopperdiddle. I seem to remember it was full of sophisticated people reading books and the like LOL I remember the big fans on the ceiling and the fantastic smell of coffee. Not many mods and rockers as far as I can remember though. I used to go to the Sidewalk every Saturday lunch time, steak and kidney pie was my favourite..The day after I got married (Friday 16th July 1965) I took my "brand new wife" there for dinner..She's still with me now but not so "brand new", and now she makes our own steak and kidney pies.

humm, lets see, July 1965 you say?
So it was you two that woke me up was it? I would have been that baby crying in the corner. LOL
Steak and Kidney Pie for the new missus eh? By eck us Sheffield blokes know how to spoil our women don't we? LOL must have done the trick though Timbuck, 40 years can't be bad.

was it the macardo or something at firth park.

I remember the El Mambo and La Favorita's, but the really cool place in the mid 60's was the Roman Room just opposite the Grand Hotel, down from Wilson Pecks music store.

The Roman Room used to open untill 1.00am, and I often missed my last bus home trying to impress the latest lady. The atmosphere was really cool for the time, and I remember thinking that it was the best place in town.

When you think back Sheffield was a pretty groovy place for the time, we had jazz clubs, really good dance halls (Locarno and the City Hall), good rock pubs, loads of trendy coffe bars, and heaps of budding musical talent. I reckon anyone who lived through the 60's really lived in evolving times, certainly as far as music was concerned.

Tony Land - tonyland@ozemail.com.au

I thought my memory of the 60's had "upped and gone" many moons ago. But reading this thread sure brought some memories back!

During the last couple of years of the 50's and the early 60's I was a frequent nite-timer at most of the coffe bars mentioned here. I was also a Saturday lunch-timer at the Sidewalk on Chapel Walk too

For some of that time I rode what I think was the first Royal Enfield Cruisader Sports to arrive in Sheffield, which I bought from Wilf Green on London Road. I still have happy memories of that bike even though I've had other more modern and more powerful bikes since then . . . . and I remember the Aerial Leader mentioned here too. There was also an Aerial "Golden" Arrow around town at that time as I recall

Quite a group of us bikers used the Disc Jockey as our base. We would meet-up there in the early evening to find-out where the action would be that night, then off we'd ride to . . . . wherever!

Sometimes it was to a party, or to another coffee bar (and often there would be nothing happening when we got there, so we would just head back to our DJ base). Other times we'd head-off to a Sheffield or Derbyshire pub, or a dance hall, where we could watch a group (and have some fun in the process, of course)

But very often there was no "action" in prospect, so we would stay at the DJ and generate some action of our own by playing the juke box, annoying the staff, and drinking bottles of "Jubbly" (have I remembered that name correctly? I'm not 100% sure). We would often punctuate these evening with a blast up and down London Road (silencers with baffles removed were de rigueur, of course!) and we'd generally "have a laugh"

Looking back they really were the "good times." They were full of laughter, jokes, pranks - but almost always it was all just "harmless" fun . . . . even if the perception from an outsider's point of view might well have been completely different!

We were never a "gang," just a casual group of bikers (and of course some who used to be bikers and others who didn't ride but just liked to be there anyway) who met-up to have a laugh . . . . and boy did we laugh!

There was a down-side to all of this though, and that was the occasional death of a pal. Motorcycling has never been the safest form of transport, and accidents are inevitable no matter how careful one rides - but did we ride caerfuly in those days - now that's one thing I just can't remember ;)

Happy days . . . . most of them anyway!

Tony

The sidewalk was often used by the Sheffield pop groups, It was the place to be seen in Dave Berry was a regular, Joe Cocker was another, Jonny Hawk & the Falcons who became Bitter Suite I think, because the lads from the groups came in, so did the girls, hoping to get chatting to them, there was the Teenage tavern opposite the Peace gardens,(this was really Marsdens Milk bar) but when teenage cafes opened up they converted the basement. there was the Jester on Chesterfield Road, the Teen bar on London Road, opposite the Bridge Inn, the mods on their scooters always wore trilby hats, but not sure why, they were very happy days, and great memories.Can anyone remember when Marks and Spencers store was in the building which became the Locarno,and previous to M&S having the store there, I think it was a cinema as the floor sloped down.

mustard seed inpeace gardens centre spot snigg hill used to my old hunting grounds

the sidewalk was the place to be in the late sixties, all the bands used to go to bradleys music shop in fargate.
everyone used to meet in the sidewalk, and talk about what they were doing in the weeks to come,dave berry,joe cocker and many more.

Hey marycrookes: Thanks for the reminder about the Teenage Tavern - I've been trying to remember that name for a few days now! Used to go there during my lunch-breaks just to listen to the juke box. I remember going to the Jester too (and I'd forgotten that name - is it just me with the terrible memory?). It's great to be reminded of all the places I used to go to . . . . is anyone going to start on all the pubs we used to go to now, or will that be a different thread? As you said roughy101, The Sidewalk was the "happening" place alright

Tony

Hi, Extaxman, you must be my vintage I rember el-mambo. Do you rember teen age tavern opposite the town hall?

Originally posted by Nimrod
The Harlequin at Crookes ?

I'd forgotten about The Harlequin until Nimrods post. It was across the road from the "Top Shop".

did anyone go in the 'retreat' on ecclesall road in the late sixties? next to the earl grey, it was a bit wild in there and pitch dark most of the time. lots of 'greasers' some even had bikes!
there was a motorbike spares shop on abbydale road, the bloke who ran it now stands at the huddersfield autojumble if any of you still need old bike parts. my husband still has bikes BSA etc...

had a triumph 500 in 1965,all the lads that left school in 1964 [Herries] all met at the magnete pub used to go to Skeggy bank holidays,Penguin cafe Middlewood road.now and then Flamingo cafe abbeydale rd. Railway pub Wadsley Bridge.Forty Foot pub Parson Cross.and the Magnete where we all met.many stories to tell 2 numerous to write,
when 67 came we all had cars I had a 1955 Ford Consul.
ROLL CALL!! where are you lads,the girls split us up to go our own ways in the late 60s
Mick Smout..250cc Ariel leader
Pete Hunt ..500 triumph
George Percy..B.S.A 500 Gold star
Dave Colley ..500 triumph
Dennis Dobson..500 triumph
Tony Ball..500 triumph
Dave Hutley[r.i.p]..500 triumph
Roger Starkes 200 triumph
Barry Barker..A.J.S 650
Mick Wright..Triumph 650 and sidecar
Tony Lana..Norton 650
Chris Johnson..A.J.S 650
Mal[never new his surname]..650 triumph
John Doane[r.i.p] B.S.A. 250 [one crazy man]
trevor Jones..Matchless 500
George Whetheroe..James 200
Barry Worthington[r.i.p]..B.S.A 250
Kieth Robinson..triumph 650 Bonnie
Mick Walker [r.i.p] Mini Van
Billy Howe...Ford Anglia
Frank Cassenelli ............
Many girls joined us also as pillion riders [etc etc]
SOME GONE BUT NONE FORGOTTON

Used to go into the Chez Brion in Broomhill early 60's. Didn't have a bike though.

I remember La Fav well great times I think the owner was called Mr Chowdray still talk about it along with our Mojo memories those where the day's

60's cafe/coffe bars

The ones that spring to my mind are The disc Jockey LondonRd

The Flamingo Abbeydale Rd ,thats where Marti Caine used to go had many crazy nights in there with her (sadly missed)

The Octopus Darnall

many more I can't remember,

Soggy,

who's old not me

hi i remember disc jockey and flamingo coffee bars we used to go there in early sixtys we went to disc jockey first then when that closed we all went up to the flamingo,used to meet sundays at flamingo then we all went to matlock where all bikers went

I remember the zodiac on the park hill flats old 3p in juke box.

Just came across this thread, don't know if anyone is still monitoring it, we used to go to a cafe on Langsett road, don't remember it's proper name but it was owned by a guy called Ray. He eventually sold it and bought a greengrocers shop almost next door.

Some names I remember,
Mick , norton atlas
Dave Cottam, norton 650ss
Mag (never knew his real name), another atlas I think
Dave Lee, various triumphs
Tommy Sayles, VIncent

There were many others that I can't bring to mind at the moment.

Hi Ballie
Yeh I still see some of the names you wrote Roger Starkes runs around in a lexus now,Mal,is Melvyn Lunn and he still rides bikes and hes pushing 70 now,I went to school with Tony Larner,last time I saw him he had a plastic pig but thet was years ago.

I posted some names I remember on this thread

sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=481152

(Flamingo on Abbeydale Road & Disc Jockey on London Road) Would be interested to know if anyone remembers them.

I posted some names I remember on this thread

sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=481152

(Flamingo on Abbeydale Road & Disc Jockey on London Road) Would be interested to know if anyone remembers them.

hi we used to go to disc jockey/flamingo,remember the names you mentioned,my boyfriends who later was my husband and is now my ex had a rocket gold star motor bike we all went to matlock on sundays.who are you i might remember you.

I had an Ariel Leader, brilliant little bike, but it didn't like wet weather, go through a puddle and I could guarantee one of the pots would cut out, still, happy days.

And I had an Ariel Arrow, not the same weather protection but better ground clearance! Also went to the Take Five.

Can anyone remember the drink on spital hill next to smiths motor bike shop

Thought i'd have a look see if anything was on the internet about the Disc Jockey cafe run by Bill and Maisie Powel on London Rd.
Not sure if it was ever a Bikers Cafe.
I worked there after School, at weekends and School Holidays in the late 60's early 70's. We had our share of celebrities frequent the cafe.
Dave Berry, The Daisy's (Sheffield band that never quite made it, despite trying hard enough) were quite regular, i served Polly Brown with the rest of Pickettywitch who called in when they were on tour at the City Hall.
I'm still Rocking The Magnet at Southy Green is well remembered couldn't believe it when they pulled that down.
Away from the Cafe's what about some of the Biker / Teddy boy pubs?
Barleycorn on Cambridge st, before it closed and re opened into the Cambridge and then shut again before opening as Henrys, both of which were never Biker friendly.
Then there was the open air concerts in Western Park and of course the big Rock n Roll revival in the mid 70's when Teddy boys could be seen all over Sheffield.
HAPPY DAYS.

Some great posts on here but I don't recognise any names. We used to hang out (1967-71) at a cafe on Infirmary Road, across from Kelvin Flats, not much of a place, all they sold was Coke, cigarettes and Aspro, but always bikes lined up outside. Anyone remember the name? My memory fails me. If we're talking pubs, what about the Beehive, typical bikie pub, disco, jukebox, strobe lights, dancing, lots of unsavoury characters, blokes just looking for fights, police raids etc. Not a place for the faint hearted.

Some great posts on here but I don't recognise any names. We used to hang out (1967-71) at a cafe on Infirmary Road, across from Kelvin Flats, not much of a place, all they sold was Coke, cigarettes and Aspro, but always bikes lined up outside. Anyone remember the name? My memory fails me. If we're talking pubs, what about the Beehive, typical bikie pub, disco, jukebox, strobe lights, dancing, lots of unsavoury characters, blokes just looking for fights, police raids etc. Not a place for the faint hearted.The cafe was the Coronation on Infirmary rd.:D

mustard seed inpeace gardens centre spot snigg hill used to my old hunting grounds

I frequented the Mustard Seed, late 60s, early 70s. The only names I remember were Cowboy, Acram and Little Jimmy. Good old days.

Used to go into the Chez Brion in Broomhill early 60's. Didn't have a bike though.

Jane Eyre used to serve there :-)

I remember La Fav well great times I think the owner was called Mr Chowdray still talk about it along with our Mojo memories those where the day's

Chowdray was the head waiter at the Ajanta(downstairs from La Favorita.He was a little bit full of his own importance.La Fav was a "happening" coffee bar/italian restaurant.run by Paul Sannan.Ajanta was an indian restaurant run by Pauls brother in law.The kitchen was shared between the two and the head chef was a very nice guy called Nelson.The kitchens were absolutely filthy(allegedly!)(for my own protection) Those,indeed,were the days!

I remember haunting La Fav in the early 60s ('63 cos I had passed my test and had the family Austin...) but before that there was a coffee bar The Ocelot on Bramall lane on the corner where James Cycles is now that we used to go to after the Nether Edge dance Hall on a Tuesday night...it was run by a fellow with a beard but I cant remember his name...but the Sidewalk was the cool place to go on a Saturday lunchtime ...after the Stonehouse

mustard seed inpeace gardens centre spot snigg hill used to my old hunting grounds Ya I remember the mustard seed they pulled it down to make the council office. our spot was the paramount caff on snigg hill we had some running battles with the mods then. we came from heely and woodseats late 60s early 70s Black Ace mob I can remember the mods all ways out numbering us but we all ways put up a good fight ,

does anyone remember The Rickshaw coffee bar. coffee bar with Chinese food upstairs.

hi annbee wasnt the rickshaw the first chinese in sheffield

I guess it was. It was a good haunt. I remember seeing Cliff Richard in there in the late 50's. Any idea what is there now?

not a clue a bit before my time aswell

Chris Barber jazz band use to play in a club close by.

Your name intrigues me are you by any chance in turks and caicos which is where I am. Certainly in the middle of nowhere.

does anyone remember The Rickshaw coffee bar. coffee bar with Chinese food upstairs.

Was that the one in the Wicker on the left hand side going out of town? As you were around in the early fifties did you frequent the El Mambo or the Disc Jockey? The Turks and Caicos sound good to me, bit warmer than Deepcar:roll:

Everything is greener on the other side. Give me England any day.
Rickshaw - yes I beileve it was The Wicker left handside coming out of sheffield on a
"V" on oneside I think it was the hospital on the other a row of shops with pub and oppisite a dance studio.
Sorry I was only 9 in 1950 and even though I became a Gregg Girl not that advanced!!!

G G's Norfolk Bridge his old van wow what a place his cooked eggs were volatile (plenty of wind!) not been back for years happy days in the 1980's he accused my mate of nicking a salt pot never went back after that! the all night cabin was good too!

the rickshaw was just off West Street but as annbee described...the first Chinese was the Blue Moon on London Road

the rickshaw was just off West Street but as annbee described...the first Chinese was the Blue Moon on London Road

sure rickshaw was the first

I think the one in the Wicker was called the Welcome.I went to the Disc Jockey for three or four years thats where my user name originates from.

Paramount on sing hill....

Was that the one in the Wicker on the left hand side going out of town? As you were around in the early fifties did you frequent the El Mambo or the Disc Jockey? The Turks and Caicos sound good to me, bit warmer than Deepcar:roll:

That would be the Peacock.

That would be the Peacock.

Considering I only lived about 300 yards around the corner I should have remembered that! If the Rickshaw was up West St that would be why Annbee remembers a hospital nearby as I believe it was the Royal up there?

The Rickshaw was on Division street almost opposite where the Forum is. There is a photo of it after it closed down in a recent book by Neil Anderson, titled "The dirty stopouts guide to the sixties". Good book.

There is an excellent cafe at 118 Abbeydale road, It's the Okeh cafe and is 60's themed with walls covered in nostalgic items, and there is a 1959 jukebox. Its only three blocks back from the old Flamingo. Wednesday night is Aces scooter club night and there can be around 30 scooters outside. It's worth a visit for the great food.

I remember going to town every Saturday with my mum and we used to go to the Piccolo cafe on Cambridge Street, somewhere across from John Lewis (Coles) side door.