The collective memory of this forum. (London, late 70s - discotheques)

I'm trying to recall a memory from my time in London. I've lived in London from August up to Christmas 78. I was a student at a Dutch uni and I did an apprenticeship at a primary school near Paddington Station. (Is 'did an...' the correct expression?). During that time, I stayed at a run-down, el-cheapo hotel at Lancaster Gate, just off Baywater Road. I cannot imagine that there are cheap hotels in that neighbourhood anymore!

Anyway, the owner was a guy from Libanon who I never met, the people working for him were students, like me. Boys and girls from Israel, Scotland and France - about my age: around 20 y/o. We had a great time together and every time we had the opportunity, we went out for a party in one of the discos in London. And that brings me to my question.

There was an almighty large discotheque near Leicester Square. I think it was owned by EMI. Once inside, there was a circle-shaped stand at one end and it was able to move. Going through smaller hallways, there were less noisy 'bars' where you could sit down in large cushions on the floor.

Is there a forumite who's memory is better than mine? Google doesn't provide what I am looking for. I'm just trying to fill blank spots.

Menno

London discos or nightclubs of any kind have never been on my radar, but I can say that the Bayswater / Paddington area still has more than a fair share of low grade / budget hotels.

I was 7 at the time so no direct knowledge but are you describing the Hippodrome? Or something that was on the site of the current Hippodrome which is a casino?

Streetview pic here: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5113...!7i5376!8i2688






P.S. > Is 'did an...' the correct expression?
Yes it is.

We used to lodge in the Transport Workers Union Hotel next door to the FA HQ in a Lancaster Gate vaguely remember those seedy foreign owned hotels and a few clubs down the Bayswater Rd. Not happy days for me working away from home trying to save but loved going out on the town

It was the Hippodrome Empire (thanks to Joe for correction) on Leicester Square with Maximus just along the pedestrianised bit. Used to go to Raffles on the Kings Road and a place called "Henry J Beans But His Friends Call Him Hank" which is now the location of the Ivy Chelsea Garden.

There was a burger place on the Fulham Road called "Up All Night" which you would be if you ate any of their food, and there was more than one bar that stayed open late as long as you had food, so the bar was littered with uneaten corn on the cobs!

Used to cruise up and down the Kings Road in my Citroen DS making the pneumatic suspension go up and down as we kerb crawled with George Benson playing on the cassette.

Could never get into Annabels which is where all the posh birds (later to be known as Sloane Rangers) went.

Also used to go to the Camden Palace when it first opened. They had a giant pair of pigs suspended on the ceiling that swung together, one with a large penis that the council ordered to be cut off as it was deemed too pornographic entering the other pig with each swing.

Prior to moving to London, I lived in Essex and frequented Zero 6 and TOTS in Southend, DJs in Chelmsford and a place called Guisnes Court which was next door to the infamous location of the Jeremy Bamber murders.

Sound like the Hippodrome. Spent many evenings there in the early 80’s (83/4) as my manager was the spitting image of August Darnell (Kid Creole) so we used to be sat in the VIP zone( behind the velvet ropes) by his Agent, I looked enough like Glenn Gregory so I was allowed to sit there and just smile at the ‘plebs’ :-) Great fun at 18!

It was the Empire.
The Hippodrome which was the old Talk of the Town is on the east corner (Charing cross road) .
Keep on truckin'
Joe

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Dover St winebar was my favourite

80's classic

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Originally Posted by Joe.K

It was the Empire.
The Hippodrome which was the old Talk of the Town is on the east corner (Charing cross road) .
Keep on truckin'
Joe

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Yep, the Empire. I was a regular, also the Global Village, another huge multi roomed club/disco behind Charing Cross station. Watched Dave, Dozzy Beaky Mick and Titch play live in one room and then danced around in another while Roger Scott DJ’d - years later Global Village became the huge gay club Heaven. I also frequented the Birds Nest on the Kings road ( now the Ivy Chelsea) and Busbys , Charing cross road/Tottenham court rd,

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Originally Posted by Noaksey

Dover St winebar was my favourite

80's classic

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Went there a few times in the late nineties early 2000’s . Sad day when it closed.

Thanks for the responses! Looking at pics of the various discotheques mentioned above, I'm almost certain that it was the Empire. I remember that the entrance was rather modern looking and that the foyer was smoothly finished.

I had a great time in London (and Oxford for a few lectures). It was late 78 and the weather was incredible. Walking the London streets in October, wearing nothing more than jeans and a t-shirt, was something I still remember. That weather lasted until November. (I returned to Holland just before Christmas. Not knowing that a week later, the worst winter of the century was about to start...).

During my stay in London, I had to visit a dentist. Conveniently located next to the hotel. A dentist from Pakistan or India filled a molar, saying: "It's a temp. Have it replaced by your own dentist when you return home!" My dentist here in Holland had a look and said: "Brilliant job. I'm not touching that!" It stayed 'in situ' for years and years! Indeed, a brilliant job.

During my stay in London, there was this German gay couple who stayed at the hotel for a while. Two young men my age, wanting to explore the London gay scene. I remember we went out with them: the two Germans, a guy from the hotel (Scotland) two girls from the hotel (Israel) and myself. Just curious what we would encounter... I remember ending up in a place called Fangs. It was on the NE side of Paddington, in the basement of a hotel I think. There was a small entrance and you had to go down the stairs to enter an elongated club with arches. Not the sort of club I fancied. A mix of eclectic gays and punks. To be honest, none of us (6 people) was really taken away by the atmosphere. :worked_till_5am:

Menno

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Originally Posted by thieuster

wearing nothing more than jeans and a t-shirt

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Of course clubs in those days wouldn't have let you in wearing that. I remember carrying a spare set of everything in my car as the bouncers were prone to saying "sorry, can't let you in with that shirt/shoes/jeans/haircut etc"!

On a Saturday night our crowd used to drive up from Henley to go to the Empire in the 70's, returning home in the early hours. We thought we were ever so sophisticated.

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Originally Posted by broxie

Of course clubs in those days wouldn't have let you in wearing that. I remember carrying a spare set of everything in my car as the bouncers were prone to saying "sorry, can't let you in with that shirt/shoes/jeans/haircut etc"!

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A spare wig?

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Originally Posted by broxie

Of course clubs in those days wouldn't have let you in wearing that. I remember carrying a spare set of everything in my car as the bouncers were prone to saying "sorry, can't let you in with that shirt/shoes/jeans/haircut etc"!

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True. But we sometimes roamed the streets without the idea of getting into a club. Low on money was mostly our reason to stay out. And, I had to appear presentable in front of the class next morning.

I'd forgotten that! First time we went to (what we know now as) The Empire, we were contemplating about going in or not. There was a hefty entrance fee for us, poor students. One of the bouncers came up to us and started talking and asked where we were from. I said: "Holland". Then he started talking in Dutch to us, with a British accent. His mom was Dutch. (I was the only Dutch-speaking of our group). A short conversation in Dutch between us was enough to get us in. I vaguely remember that he gave us a card or similar when we left a few hours later: "If you want to come back, just show 'm this when I'm not at the door!" We must have been properly dressed. At least, my wardrobe had a selection of 'teacher-ish' clothing: jacket, tie, white shirts, black shoes etc.

Menno

Is this it, at the end of this clip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd1ZoWH-Uzo

It looks like it, but there's 'Mecca Dancing' on the billboards. I don't know if the Empire was part of that Mecca Group as well. (BTW, a name no longer considered PC nowadays, I suppose...)

Yes it's it, the Empire was indeed a Mecca ballroom.
London really was fun in those days, so many clubs and music pubs (worked in the Marquee as a young teenager in the early/mid 70's and then the Nashville 78/79) and spent every night I could out at clubs and parties: the details of which are oddly blurry ;0).

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Originally Posted by Joe.K

and then the Nashville 78/79)

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I remember going to see Georgie Fame at the Nashville in 1975 and Elton John was sitting at a table also watching George.

I saw George Melly there about then, what a performance! The standouts had to be the Clash though with the Cramps and suprisingly -as I thought I didn't like 'em- the Specials giving them a run for the money. Sadly pre mobile phones with their ubiquitous cameras so all those wonderful gigs are just footprints in the sands of time and memory.

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the details of which are oddly blurry ;0).

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Indeed... I have nó idea of why and how. All I know is the overall feel of a great time in London. Did I learn a lot as an apprentice? Mmmmwha. One funny thing perhaps. There was a teacher with lots of experience and he told me: "Never smile before Christmas!" Not something I've copied when I was a teacher.

Ah the memories

http://www.joeydevilla.com/wp-conten...-amazement.jpg

I went to London in '79 for six weeks and left in '87. Don't remember much and most of what I do remember requires a select audience 👁👁

Another club related post not many know about (apologies for cut and paste from my reply in another topic) ..

In 1957 a lady called Regine Zylberberg opened the first club in Paris that was the predecessor to the modern discotheque/nightclub.

Determined to be successful, she instructed her DJ to play the music loud and for the first three nights told the doormen not to let anyone in, telling punters the club was full. It created such a pent up demand that on the 4th evening, the doors were opened and she enjoyed decades of success.

I was never a great disco fan but the Chelsea Kitchen in Kings Road used to be a good place to go for cheap grub and plenty of characters and to watch the Sloanes walking past...unfortunately closed many years ago.

[QUOTE]It created such a pent up demand that on the 4th evening, the doors were opened and she enjoyed decades of success.[/QUOTE]

That's how Rolex got the idea of 'there are no Subs for sale'!

Menno

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Originally Posted by Stanford

I was never a great disco fan but the Chelsea Kitchen in Kings Road used to be a good place to go for cheap grub and plenty of characters and to watch the Sloanes walking past...unfortunately closed many years ago.

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I’ve still got one of their original photocopy menus. They moved to the Fulham road after the Kings road shop shut. Unfortunately they couldn’t get the custom like they did on the Kings road and shut down about 18 months ago.

Wow Those were the days.Does anyone remember a club in Croydon where You paid a (at the time) fairly hefty admission but then drinks were free? It was a strange set up.