El Mambo

[Slinny 278]

Hi  one night in February 57 my mates Rex Lloyd and David platts went to see love me tender   Elvis at the union street pictures when we got there David’s mom was waiting for us she wanted to see Elvis when it finished  David went home me and Rex went in the mambo and Rita rexs sister was in she told use that a guy asked her and her mate if they wanted to go to London and make some good money she said no I think one or two went  the guy who served the coffee was called Hughe I sometimes used to help Harry parfait clean cars around town he had a bike with cow horn handle bars where he carried is buckets he used to play Ralph goodman Barrny son on the pin ball machine for 2shillings a game Harry won a lot that was upstairs in the mambo we once took two lasses to the hippodrome in the gods they were the cheapest seats one of them paid for us  as we had spent our money on coffee in the mambo ps got most of my teddy boy suits from montegh ressels just down road from the old nelson pub where mick crich lived with his mom and dad  the land lord  forget name of road

[Elmambo 25]

On 22/09/2021 at 14:39, Slinny said:

Hi skin again I never paid to go in heaven or hell in the mambo I never r saw any bother in there when I was 15 I started work in the fish market that’s where I got to know a lot of the older guys names in the mambo around Jones tea stall in latewho  59 that’s when I first saw other guys in the mambo malcom  Sargent mick bond Charlie hill Derek Marriott arn Brian maGrayl Trevor nick name laromy  arnald bullimore Trerry Alcock  others  my mates Jimmy Bradshaw  rod goodison  and George cutts, who I carried the hod for, can anyone remember a cafe on Matilda street run by a guy called Abdul  a lot of the older mambo members went in there my,teddy boy days were great times .

 

The name was Adam, not Abdul -Tall, easy-going guy with glasses.  Last saw him about 15, years ago.  The place was run in a fairly chaotic way which I suppose was part of the appeal.

[diksey 15]

On 22/09/2021 at 18:15, cuttsie said:

One of Sheffields best hod carriers Slinny ,   I know all the people you mention , some no longer around .

 

The lasses in the mambo where all very smartly dressed , I remember Carol Hancock , Ann  and Eileen Jackson , Sandra ??? who was courting Pete Ansell or Anson . Also gas lamp a 6ft tall lass who I once took out , she used to kiss me ont top of mi head for a laugh . 

The mambo had a bad reputation but it was unfounded as it was a mix of all nationalities in the early sixties who all got on together . Well most of the time any way .

Ralph Goodman who's dad owned Barney Goodmans tailors two doors up from the Mambo used to lose a fortune on the pin ball machine in the Mambo , some one had fixed it so the story goes .

Ralph used to get hustled playing snooker at the snooker hall at the top of Cambridge Street.

[Slinny 278]

Ralph  played Harry parfait who was car cleaner around town he tilted the pin ball machine ,the last time I saw Harry was in Blackpool selling on a street corner  I used to go in the Milton it was Sam smiths beer with all the mambo crowd  did not like beer  I went in landsdown pub bought pale ales took them to Milton tipped beer out and drank them my self Jimmy Bradshaw george cutts  cuttsie  rod goodison knocked about together for years around town  also centre spot pub on basegreen  Harry and Ralph used to play for two shillings and six pence old money you could get four coffees for that in them days or two pints of beer or twenty park drive 

[cuttsie 1,089]

The Milton pub , best youth club in Sheffield , Old Lorrie and Ann , the landlords tolerated us kids because we were the only ones who went in. When I say the lot of us were under age I  am not exaggerating . 

You forgot to mention Joe Hancock Slinny. He was a bit intimidating if you din't know him  but I always found him good company , mind you I wun't know a hard man if one hit me in the nooooas as I  never took any notice of em .

[Slinny 278]

Hi George was working with you when joe got killed in new nelson   I think he died on stairs in nelson joes wife was good lass  saw her years later in Carlton pub attercliffe with their daughter blonde hair just like joe we had some good laughs with him wife’s name carols maiden name walker 5?

[cuttsie 1,089]

1 hour ago, Slinny said:

Hi George was working with you when joe got killed in new nelson   I think he died on stairs in nelson joes wife was good lass  saw her years later in Carlton pub attercliffe with their daughter blonde hair just like joe we had some good laughs with him wife’s name carols maiden name walker 5?

knew her well Graham ,good lass 

Edited October 14, 2021 by cuttsie

[Slinny 278]

Hi a guy as wrote a book on the cafes up town in 50s he has wrote in the book that they had some acts in thei mambo well I went in their a lot up till it closed and I never saw any at all and I think if any of a guys a knew that went in would say the same I went in from 56 till I think it was 61 when it closed 

[St Petre 85]

I recall as a thirteen year old school kid around 1959/60, two kids in the my class were going on about 'going to get' another lad who had threatened them (with whatever) and another classmate chimed in: "Yo' want to be careful wi him. his brother goes int El Mambo" ! 

[Slinny 278]

Hi Peter that sounds bad I was a teddy boy and I never liked bully’s  I found the mambo just a place where could have a laugh with mates it got a bad name though silly People putting around  loads of rubbish about teddy boys 

[St Petre 85]

40 minutes ago, Slinny said:

Hi Peter that sounds bad I was a teddy boy and I never liked bully’s  I found the mambo just a place where could have a laugh with mates it got a bad name though silly People putting around  loads of rubbish about teddy boys 

Good point Slinny, remember all the school kids were about thirteen and the lad's elder brother would be about seventeen year old wannabe hanger on. i doubt that he even frequented the place at all.

Edited November 7, 2021 by St Petre
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[Elmambo 25]

7 hours ago, Slinny said:

Hi a guy as wrote a book on the cafes up town in 50s he has wrote in the book that they had some acts in thei mambo well I went in their a lot up till it closed and I never saw any at all and I think if any of a guys a knew that went in would say the same I went in from 56 till I think it was 61 when it closed 

Remember, the Mambo was not far from the Empire stage door. The only act I ever saw was when the Most Brothers were appearing there and Micky Most came down with his guitar and sang a few songs. (in the third room)   He didn't get paid, said he just wanted to encourage people to play and sing - I thought this was a great gesture.