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Working Men's Clubs in Sheffield

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Anyone remember The Our Clubs booklet in the sixties and seventies it held all the concert nights of the clubs in the Sheffield area.There were the big clubs :Dial House ,Smithywood,Manor,

Arundel,St Phillips and the small ones: La Plata,Hartley House.

A group could have a full diary for the year and never go out of the area there was so many.

I remember seeing Bitter Suite at the Dial House when they had the brass section,wow what a full sound when they played numbers such as "Breaking Down theWalls of Heartache" .At the

Hillfoot Club I remember the "Vantennas" coming on to the high stage such an unassuming bunch of lads far different from the pop star image of the Suite but boy what a sound they dished out from "Penny Lane" to the vocally testing "Good Vibrations".

One incident I remember was one Saturday night in 1967

at Tinsley WMC .The concert room was full to bursting at 8:00pm

but the group had not arrived from the Birminghamarea,Suddenly they arrived for some reason brought the gear through the audience pushing and knocking the audience about .By this time the audience had taken an intense dislike to their would be entertainers and the chairman was in two minds whether to let them on or not.Anyway by 08:30 they were on .An unusual group

who decided to utilize the clubs grand piano but adding a small keyboard of there own underneath.The keyboard player proceeded not to play but to explain to the audience that the small keyboard was called a "Mellotron" consisting of loops of tape and pressing the keys a string sound was heard this was to prove they hadn't a tape recorder under their sleeve.The audience was not impressed familiar cries of "get on with it" were

heard around the room and I feared the worst for the group.Then they at last started to play ,for all the world it sounded like Mantovani and his orchestra was up there not four lads the tune was "Theme from a Summer Place" .I looked around the room it was just like that film "The Producers" with the musical Spingtime for Hitler. Jaws dropped audience aghast.When they finished the number there was total silence then as one the audience were on there feet clapping and shouting for more ,all was forgiven Musical technology had arrived in Tinsley!!

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Amazing. There were some good acts on the club circuit, then! Most of the ones that I saw where dismal. Most of the crowd were waiting for the bingo (as far as I remember). I didn't play that, rather spend my money on beer.

 

My mother used to like some bloke that sang a bit like Perry Como, can't remember his name. Used to turn up at the Loco Club (Woodside) about 2 or 3 times a year.

 

Anybody else remember the Loco Club? Or howabout that one at the bottom of Fife Street in Wincobank? What was it called? (No, not the conservative club).

 

Wasn't it amazing, the number of places you could get in to with a club card. Shame the birds didn't see it the same way.

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Does anyone remember the comedian Ron Delta? We used to follow him from club to club. He was very rude and attracted a lot criticism in those days. But the clubs were always full when he appeared.

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I remember going to see Johnny Calendar Band at the Woodhouse West End WMC. Everyone was over 40 and they were singing stuff by Styx and other rock bands. They all looked bemused, but the band was very good. This was about 1980, if my memory serves me right.

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Does anybody remember the old Greasbrough Club near Rotherham in the 60's . It was a hybrid cross between a W.M.C and a theatre.What a night out ,4 or 5 acts on all good with star acts such as Tommy Cooper,The Shadows and Gerry and the Pacemakers.I once saw an elephant on stage and all for a token entrance fee. Just 3 games of bingo were run off very quickly because there entertainment was king not bingo.Do you remember the little bar in the corner which was hoplessly inadequate sometimes the queues to the bar stretched the full length of the concert room and everybody was buying 2 pints at a time because of that. By the way the elephant was very good,Tanya I think they called her.

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why hasn't anyone mentioned bands on the circuit 1980's?The Internationals,who's lead singer "Neil" is still doing the rounds with The Gutterband.Radiation(Electro-pop/Bowie/John Foxx)all theatrical stage show.Dragonfly,dressed as child's nursery characters 1st half(Postman Pat etc..)excellent singer Paul & co.Toys for Girls,a bit like Radiation.Good grief I spent nearly all my life blagging my way into club's to see these acts,because "It's members only love" & conning some poor bloke outside(couldn't do it today)to take me & a mate in as guest!!!

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Whatever happened to the local club singer Johnny Rivers. I'd love to know how he is. Anybody any info, background etc.

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i remember ron delta,my dad was the drummer at tinsley club,also the 4 mimes,who became the disos when rex died,ive seen some very good club turns.can anyone remember the club trips too?:)

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I remember the club trips, Attercliffe Non-Pots and the Moulders Club. The exhilaration of being allowed to go without a grown up, the Charabangs would wait for all the kids on Effingam Road, we were all given 2/6d spending money which I think with passing years grew to 5 shilling or maybe more and a name & address tag to pin on our coats. We went to either Blackpool or Cleethorpes, the first stop was a free fish and chip dinner for everyone and then we were allowed to go our own way, with strict instruction to be back at the set time or else the coach would go without us. We headed for the big wheel, the ghost train then hit the beach for a donkey ride some candy floss and a paddle, they were great days, never any trouble and everyone got home safe, simple pleasures that we would never be able to let our kids or grandkids enjoy without keeping a close eye on them. Sad times we live in.

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Originally posted by rainbow2411

I remember the club trips.

 

Blimey, dunnit bring back the memories. I went on the trips to Mablethorpe from the Loco club in the 60's. The ticket was 2/6 and you got 10/- spending money as well as tear-off tickets for lunch and tea. The coaches (chara's) lined up in Pye Bank Road. At the time it looked amazing even if there were only ten or twelve of them.

Must admit that I (and my younger sister) spent most of the time blowing our 10/- in the amusement arcades. But it was great fun with hardly a spot of trouble. Changed days, huh.

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And that 10/- would be about £10 today.

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Ron Delta..I knew Ron..he was a very clever and funny entertainer and he should have been one the top comedians in Britain on theaters and Television..but whenever he went to auditions or he knew that someone from some top line agency was there to vet him the pressure used to be too much for Ron to handle, so he would have a Drink or two to steady his nerves..and this was his downfall co's he always seemed to lose his edge when he had drink...but for me, when he was in top form he could be the funniest man in the world..On or off stage he never stopped entertaining..I rememeber one night in the Dial House Club bar he was chatting away to a well known glamorous Lady vocalist in front of dozens of onlooking people ..a normal sort of thing to do if you are in the entertainment business..but the young lady was unaware that Ron's trousers were dropped round his ankles.

 

He had a friend called Bobby Warner (a drummer resident at the Marples six day licence Pub) who was just as mischieves as Ron and some of the exploits they performed together are ledgendary.

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