Ye Olde Birmingham of Yore

[OutByEaster?]

Menagerie at the Hummingbird was often an almost surreal experience. I remember watching a bouncer approach some kid lying on the floor unconscious, he sort of arranged him into the recovery position, went through his pockets, stole what he found there and wandered on. Those were happy days in a haze of Red Stripe, allsorts and big hair.

 

[bickster]

3 hours ago, mottaloo said:

I do but only cos my bus in to town stopped outside it. I never went in there but often thought how grim it looked from the outside. 

I also wondered how it could make money as it was not exactly in the centre of town's bar and club circuit. 

I think it might've turned into a curry house or if not isn't the hen and chickens desi grill place somewhere around there ?

I guess only @Xelacould confirm that !

It was on its last legs at the start of the 80s and essentially turned into a punk club, then closed down about 83 / 84

[imavillan]

A couple for the old uns.....

Back in the day........ The Rum Runner Broad Street

Some nostalgic info to be found here

 

and there was Barbarellas

 

 

These days it's slippers on, feet up and tv !!!!!!!

[sidcow]

Anyone remember that Curry House on Bristol Street opposite The Dome that had a gigantic plastic tree right in the middle of it? 

So Bizzaire.  To get to it from The Dome you had to go on a suicidal mad dash across the dual carriageway and then there was about a 6ft drop on the other side that deposited you in the middle of the dual carriageway on a blind bend near the exit from The Queensway tunnel. 

Just thinking about it now scares the shit out of me but after 10 pints of Brew XI it seemed like a bit of a giggle.  I'm amazed nobody got killed on our jaunts over there. 

Edited March 1, 2021 by sidcow

[sidcow]

Pagoda Park, probably my most frequented weekend venue.  The DJ booth went up and down the levels in a lift you know. It seemed important at the time. 

 

 

[sidcow]

Prepare to meet thy Dome. 

 

[bickster]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

The DJ booth went up and down the levels in a lift you know. It seemed important at the time

Presumably different decks on each level? Otherwise thats some effed up DJing. Jump, bounce, skip....... even with CD decks and especially back then

[bickster]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

Prepare to meet thy Dome. 

Went there once. I was on an Ents Sec conference at Bham Uni and they took us there for "A Night Out." Given that half of us were seasoned players on the Uni Ents scene and the other half were f***wits who got voted in for a laugh. A lot of us in my camp and the Industry Pro's who were along for the ride (sorry, presenting modules), stayed for the free drink and buggered off to the Powerhouse to watch a band, which we all managed to blag the guest list in no time at all.

It was obviously dreadful from the moment we walked in

[trekka]

2 hours ago, sidcow said:

Anyone remember that Curry House on Bristol Street opposite The Dome that had a gigantic plastic tree right in the middle of it? 

So Bizzaire.  To get to it from The Dome you had to go on a suicidal mad dash across the dual carriageway and then there was about a 6ft drop on the other side that deposited you in the middle of the dual carriageway on a blind bend near the exit from The Queensway tunnel. 

Just thinking about it now scares the shit out of me but after 10 pints of Brew XI it seemed like a bit of a giggle.  I'm amazed nobody got killed on our jaunts over there. 

Ah, Koh-I-Noor. We used to go there every Saturday .  

Grumpy waiters, the big tree and lovely things such as the Russian Coffee, Hawaiian Coffee, Irish Coffee, French Coffee...

[sidcow]

3 hours ago, bickster said:

Presumably different decks on each level? Otherwise thats some effed up DJing. Jump, bounce, skip....... even with CD decks and especially back then

 

[bickster]

19 minutes ago, sidcow said:

 

It would have been my first question, even back then

[Xela]

If you know...

[sidcow]

Snobs was definitely the best place and probably my last 10 or 20 visits to an actual club would have been Snobs (the old one mind, not embarrassed myself by being the man too old to be in a club at the new one). *

I remember being in there one night when they pretty much played my record collection. The place erupted when Basket Case came on. 

* Actually I've just remembered that I went to a corporate quiz only a couple of years ago at Apres in Summer Row.  Afterwards our hosts blagged us into the club next door which was somehow connected to it.  We went through the inside connecting doors and we were next to the front doors when they opened and piles and piles of women 1/2 my age wearing essentialy what would have passed for their underwear in my youth came strolling in. 

I've never felt so old and out of place in my life.  After half an hour of ogling I had to get out of there.

Edited March 1, 2021 by sidcow

[Xela]

14 minutes ago, sidcow said:

* Actually I've just remembered that I went to a corporate quiz only a couple of years ago at Apres in Summer Row.  Afterwards our hosts blagged us into the club next door which was somehow connected to it.  We went through the inside connecting doors and we were next to the front doors when they opened and piles and piles of women 1/2 my age wearing essentialy what would have passed for their underwear in my youth came strolling in. 

I've never felt so old and out of place in my life.  After half an hour of ogling I had to get out of there.

Mechu.

I went on the opening night, stole an ashtray and was sick on a table. 

I never went back. 

[NurembergVillan]

STOODI BAKERS MAKE SOME NOISE!

[sidcow]

Just remembered an odd little place I used to go to called Mega’s Wine Bar on The Priory Queensway at the top of corporation street. 

There was just a door on the street, around where the Sainsburys Local is now, the door went straight to a staircase and up to this little wine bar that used to have live bands. 

We used to go there so the girls could drink Thunderbird on the cheap. 

My biggest memory is standing outside when a car came careering round the Old Square Island with 2 topless squealing girls hanging out of the windows.

[Xela]

Talking of wine bars, anyone remember Horts?

[sidcow]

18 minutes ago, Xela said:

Talking of wine bars, anyone remember Horts?

Yes, been mentioned earlier (though misspelt I think as Hortes). 

I used to go their a fair bit.  Usually before going into Maximillians. 

[mottaloo]

46 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Yes, been mentioned earlier (though misspelt I think as Hortes). 

I used to go their a fair bit.  Usually before going into Maximillians. 

I felt that Hort(e)s was a bit classier than other wine bars as it was nearer the financial/business area of the city and was next to leafy Edgbaston. 

The era i went was the one where tucking your sweater or jumper inside your trousers was fashionable. 

Yes - I'm that old !

Edited March 2, 2021 by mottaloo

[sidcow]

22 minutes ago, mottaloo said:

I felt that Hort(e)s was a bit classier than other wine bars as it was nearer the financial/business area of the city and was next to leafy Edgbaston. 

The era i went was the one where tucking your sweater or jumper inside your trousers was fashionable. 

Yes - I'm that old !

Yeah me too.  My proper going out outfit would include a diamante brooch across the front of my shirt neck.   Thought I looked like an extra from Miami Vice. 

Hort's was definitely the classiest drinking place.  Most venues tagged as a "wine bar" were just a bar trying to sound like somewhere that yuppie Londoners would be drinking.  Hort's was a proper wine bar.  Only closedown in 2007 apparently when the Edgbaston shopping centre was demolished.  That's probably getting on 15 years after I last went to it! 

I still own my favourite 80's Miami Vice shirt.  I used it on the beach for years.  I use it for 80's fancy dress too but it's now getting so thin you can barely make out the white and mint green swirly pattern. 

It's a good job that big and baggy was the fashion because I seriously doubt any normal clothes from when I was 19 would come close to letting me into them now. 

Edited March 2, 2021 by sidcow