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Post by paduard on May 21, 2016 14:31:17 GMT 1
This is a really great nostalgic thread. I went to the Mistrale / Tites club, many times between 1967/ 1968. A really great night out, saw lots of good bands. The last Friday night I went there, was hopefully to meet up with a girl, that I had met briefly the week before, which again was either 1967 or 1968. i was walking down Beckenham Hill road, after leaving the club that night, I was with a couple of friends. As we got quite a way down the road, there was a girl in front of us, that was about to go along the access road into the flats, which are on the left hand side going down Beckenham Hill road, I think the block of flats nearest the road is called TYRALL HOUSE, anyway, the girl looked at me, I looked at her, I asked her to wait, I caught her up, we walked down to the flats, we spoke for wait seemed like hours, I cannot remember all the conversation, as it is nearly fifty years ago, but I am sure we arranged to meet at the club, the following week. Unfortunately, I was so excited at meeting her, I did not get her name or phone number, or even which block of flats or the number she lived at, we kissed goodnight and I left, but unfortunately, I never saw her again, I was absolutely distraught, we had got on so well , that I really thought that we would be together. Even after all this time, I think about her all the time and wish I had known her name and which flat she lived at, I will never forget the magic of that night, it will be with me forever, I only wish I could meet her again. I know it's a long shot, after all these years, if anyone might know of a girl ( obviously now a woman ) who lived in those flats on Beckenham Hill road and went to the Mistrale club and who may remember that night, please let me know.I am nearly 66 now, so I would love to be able to see her again, before it's to late. Many thanks I had to smile when I read your nostalgic piece above. Not that in my opinion your disappointment was unusual - in fact probably quote normal. Many missed opportunities in life were missed. For example, taking an earlier period than yours [by about 16-17 year gap], when national service was compulsory at 18yrs of age what you describe was very common. Since disappearing for 2 years from your mates/girlfriends had its obvious drawbacks [I think jokingly that that was when the song 'dear john' was popular. However that is not the only thing that made me smile (doesn't apply to you though - you are too young - nevertheless it is this. That one of my friends at School was nick-named "Woody" - and his closest friend's surname was "Miller". Just put this on to perhaps make you laugh. Wish you all the best regarding your 'search' for the lost girl. paduard |
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vee
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Post by vee on Jul 21, 2016 17:11:02 GMT 1
Does anyone remember Dolly's Disco, held in the basement under Beckenham Ballrooms/Mistral on a Wednesday night? A real firetrap, just one room with a dj on one side, sweat streaming off the walls and everybody smoking. Upstairs on a Friday night often seemed to be Geno Washington and the RamJam Band. Also the Justin Hall on the way to West Wickham, The Herd were always there.
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jw
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Post by jw on Aug 23, 2016 11:59:24 GMT 1
Has anyone got a photo of The Mistrell Club and better still what about the Rolls Royce that was inside that was used by the door person to collect the entrance fee. Practical Classics published a very short news item about the Rolls-Royce in the February 1981 issue,which was on sale from about mid-January 1981. The deadline for this issue would have been fairly early in December 1980 so the photograph which appeared probably was taken in late November or early December 1980. Michael Brisby, the then Editor, stated in the news item that the car was an early 1930s Rolls-Royce 20/25. The photo in the magazine was not very revealing or very clear, showing only the front half of the car emerging from the building and very little of the building itself. No registration number is visible. As the magazine has changed ownership at least once since those days, I think it most unlikely that the original photo could be obtained from the publishers. The report also stated that the car had been inside the building since 1968. |
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Sept 15, 2016 14:41:19 GMT 1
This is a really great nostalgic thread. I went to the Mistrale / Tites club, many times between 1967/ 1968. A really great night out, saw lots of good bands. The last Friday night I went there, was hopefully to meet up with a girl, that I had met briefly the week before, which again was either 1967 or 1968. i was walking down Beckenham Hill road, after leaving the club that night, I was with a couple of friends. As we got quite a way down the road, there was a girl in front of us, that was about to go along the access road into the flats, which are on the left hand side going down Beckenham Hill road, I think the block of flats nearest the road is called TYRALL HOUSE, anyway, the girl looked at me, I looked at her, I asked her to wait, I caught her up, we walked down to the flats, we spoke for wait seemed like hours, I cannot remember all the conversation, as it is nearly fifty years ago, but I am sure we arranged to meet at the club, the following week. Unfortunately, I was so excited at meeting her, I did not get her name or phone number, or even which block of flats or the number she lived at, we kissed goodnight and I left, but unfortunately, I never saw her again, I was absolutely distraught, we had got on so well , that I really thought that we would be together. Even after all this time, I think about her all the time and wish I had known her name and which flat she lived at, I will never forget the magic of that night, it will be with me forever, I only wish I could meet her again. I know it's a long shot, after all these years, if anyone might know of a girl ( obviously now a woman ) who lived in those flats on Beckenham Hill road and went to the Mistrale club and who may remember that night, please let me know.I am nearly 66 now, so I would love to be able to see her again, before it's to late. Many thanks What a sad story Woody, I can relate to that totally. Sadly, even though I was around at the time I'm unable to help - that probably makes my post seem pointless, but I just want to wish you luck in your search - these things come but once in a lifetime and you should never give up, she's out there somewhere. Good luck, and let us know if you do ever manage to find her. Pete |
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Post by oldbiker on Oct 21, 2016 14:50:39 GMT 1
Only just caught up with this Pete - its been a busy summer.
I think the bike shop in Catford you refer to was Deeprose. There was a Dunstall, 2 in fact. I think the Dunstalls were brothers, one shop was on the green in Elmers End and the other over Sidcup way.
A mate of mine bought a bike from Deeprose - a 750 Royal Enfield Interceptor. Used to go like the clappers but not too reliable - aka the reason for the decline of British motorcycle industry.
I wish I remember more about the Clock House cafe - it really was a long time ago and it is hard imagine a group playing in there.
Somewhere in the loft lie a couple of black & white pics that were taken there. If ever I find them I'll post them on here.
Best wishes.
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Nov 4, 2016 17:01:15 GMT 1
Only just caught up with this Pete - its been a busy summer. I think the bike shop in Catford you refer to was Deeprose. There was a Dunstall, 2 in fact. I think the Dunstalls were brothers, one shop was on the green in Elmers End and the other over Sidcup way. A mate of mine bought a bike from Deeprose - a 750 Royal Enfield Interceptor. Used to go like the clappers but not too reliable - aka the reason for the decline of British motorcycle industry. I wish I remember more about the Clock House cafe - it really was a long time ago and it is hard imagine a group playing in there. Somewhere in the loft lie a couple of black & white pics that were taken there. If ever I find them I'll post them on here. Best wishes. Thanks for the Deprose info Oldbiker, my memory isn't what it was! You're right about the Clock House Cafe being small - I have no idea how we fitted in there with a group and have no memory of it whatsoever, but I have been told by two separate people it happened, so I have to take their word for it! I hope you find the Clock House Cafe photos, I'd love to see them!!! :-) |
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Post by oldbiker on Jan 27, 2017 14:05:06 GMT 1
Hi Pete
Trawling through the mounds of stuff that accumulates over the years, I happened upon 3 small B&W prints from the Clock House Cafe featuring various Herberts of the Parish!
Not sure about posting pics of identifiable individuals on forums - I'm sure there are rules in this day and age about such things.
Any way they are scanned and ready to go once directions are received from the Mod.
Best wishes
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Jan 28, 2017 12:58:54 GMT 1
Hi Pete Trawling through the mounds of stuff that accumulates over the years, I happened upon 3 small B&W prints from the Clock House Cafe featuring various Herberts of the Parish! Not sure about posting pics of identifiable individuals on forums - I'm sure there are rules in this day and age about such things. Any way they are scanned and ready to go once directions are received from the Mod. Best wishes I'd love to see those old pictures Old Biker (still love that name, wish I'd thought of it!  ). If you can't post them on here, maybe you could send me them by PM? Just a thought, it would be great to see them! Thanks, Pete |
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Post by The Historian on Jan 30, 2017 2:33:42 GMT 1
Hi Pete Trawling through the mounds of stuff that accumulates over the years, I happened upon 3 small B&W prints from the Clock House Cafe featuring various Herberts of the Parish! Not sure about posting pics of identifiable individuals on forums - I'm sure there are rules in this day and age about such things. Any way they are scanned and ready to go once directions are received from the Mod. Best wishes Feel free to post. Admin |
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Post by oldbiker on Feb 14, 2017 20:23:57 GMT 1
Hi Pete Trawling through the mounds of stuff that accumulates over the years, I happened upon 3 small B&W prints from the Clock House Cafe featuring various Herberts of the Parish! Not sure about posting pics of identifiable individuals on forums - I'm sure there are rules in this day and age about such things. Any way they are scanned and ready to go once directions are received from the Mod. Best wishes Feel free to post. Admin  Well there we go - scanned from good old-fashioned black and white prints. According to a note on the back taken Xmas 1967. Venue was the Clock House Cafe. Chris (bottom left) and yours truly (bottom right) had Ariel Arrows, the young lady I believe was called Roz. Who are the other chaps? Attachments:
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Feb 27, 2017 15:38:41 GMT 1
View AttachmentWell there we go - scanned from good old-fashioned black and white prints. According to a note on the back taken Xmas 1967. Venue was the Clock House Cafe. Chris (bottom left) and yours truly (bottom right) had Ariel Arrows, the young lady I believe was called Roz. Who are the other chaps? Great pics old biker, thanks for posting them!  I really wish I could say I recognise anyone, but sadly I don't - it was all so long ago, but I do seem to remember someone with an Ariel Arrow. EDIT: Looking back at the pics... the faces (without helmets) are starting to seem familiar, I just wish I could be more positive, but as I said, it was all so long ago. I would definitely have been around at the time, although by then I was possibly flying around in my old Zephyr - the Ford Zephyr being the traditional 'go-to' after the bike and especially useful during the winter if you had a young lady in tow! I think I still had my bike Christmas '67, but can't be sure. If I was still on my bike it would either have been the old BSA Golden Flash with Steib chair, or a Royal Enfield Continental GT. I got back on the bikes (the RE) after being frustrated tied to 4 wheels, but I don't think that lasted that long again and I eventually ended up back with the car - my next being a metallic green Vauxhall Velox. Either way, thanks again for posting these pics, they are great to see - the name Roz rings a bell, can you remember anything more about her? I've attached some pics, one on the BSA (taken in Queens Road, just around from the Cafe), and the two cars - the Zephyr pic was taken on Farnaby Road, Shortlands and the Vauxhall Velox in 1969, but in Lincolnshire. PS.. do you remember old Maurice's tea? I can still see him standing there behind the big old urn - and to this day, whenever I make er-indoors a cuppa tea I always refer to it as a 'Cup of Old Maurice"! |
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soulchamp1
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Hi Members, Just seen the the facebook video recorded in Bromley High Street featuring the vocalist
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Post by soulchamp1 on Mar 14, 2017 10:10:58 GMT 1
Hi, I remember the ever changing Night club and Beckenham Juntion Station well. We used to go there every Friday night Herve, Steve, and myself. We first called the place Dollys Disco/Beckenham Ballroom I believe originally used to teach Ballroom Dancing. The club soon became The Minstral a Dark maze with black walls with various speakers placed pumping both soul and Ska/Reggae/Blue Beat. I did not know the early Djs untill Lee arrived my backup Dj and pal from the Penthouse Days. The club was full of locals they also came as far as Dartford, Bexley as local underground Clubs were few and far between in those days. The Problem then was getting home 6 in a mini or as many in a bubble car was not unusal I often had to walk 2 to 5 miles home before I owned my first car a Morris MG Magnet. I remember seeing Atlantic Label Star Pery Sledge performing When a man loves a woman on his Knees small stage my favourite way back then was Major Lance and my red hot underground tune I used to play late at night call In my Lonley Room a rare old tune being a B side 7inch vinyl track nobody had a clue who the arsist was as I used to cover the labels of my hot tunes. I did manage to see Major Lance live at The Bromley Court Hotel. All for know my son has arrived. Any questions fron around this time please ask.
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deb
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Post by deb on Feb 11, 2018 21:37:58 GMT 1
I well remember all the hot Saturday nights at the Beckenham Ballroom as it was called then next to the station.This was 1963-5 with much dancing with my date,Norma Richardson,to Denny Mitchell. At the time we used to alternate with the Regal and even the Royston nearer to Penge. Do any interior shots of any of these venues survive? |
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Post by davemitchell on Feb 11, 2019 0:17:27 GMT 1
I'm a bit late catching up on this thread which I came upon by chance and I see I've been mentioned several times. That was all a lifetime ago, 50 odd years. I've probably forgotten an awful lot (probably a good job too) but there's plenty I do remember.
I'm Dave Mitchell. Back in the 70's I was working for Barry Thompson at Hatherley Garage in Sidcup. He and Mike Loveday were partners in a night club that they planned to open in Beckenham. They had been looking for a vintage Rolls Royce and one was located somewhere near Canterbury. Although it was in a bit of a poor state it was driven from there to Sidcup under its own power. It was repainted in white and I had the job of driving it to Beckenham, where the builders were waiting to brick up the hole in the wall that had been knocked through to get it into position in the ground floor of the club. It coughed a bit, then broke down on Chislehurst Common and was towed the rest of the way.
The Mistrale Club opened in April 1967, I think. It was named after the Maserati Mistrale which Barry owned at the time. The whole club had been painted in black and downstairs there were perspex panels round the walls with lights behind. There was also ultraviolet lighting to show off the fluorescent paint around the edges of the Rolls. It also showed up dandruff on shoulders, made teeth look green and highlighted the girls white underwear.
The first DJ's were Unni (later Mike's wife) and her friend, (Bengte, perhaps) but they soon got bored and I and a colleague, Rob, were asked to step in. The gear was pretty basic, just two old Garrard turntables with a two way switch between them and a microphone and the speakers were built in to the walls. The record decks were set where the back seat would have been and we DJ's sat on fold down occasional seats that were part of the original fittings.
The music was very top twenty oriented in those early days but as we learned our trade and reacted to demand, more soul, ska and bluebeat was included. A great guy called Steve, who used to play in Penge, brought us a copy of 'Goodnight My Love' and as has been said, it became the traditional closing number. On Thursday nights we started having guest Sound Systems and Little Lee and the Savoy sound was the most popular of these. A few years later Lee joined the team.
There was a refit and refurb a few years later. The Rolls was moved to the entrance to become the pay booth and a new perspex fronted DJ booth was installed downstairs with updated equipment and an improved sound system. I think the upstairs stage was moved to the right of the ballroom at that time too. It was larger and had better facilities for the bands.
Lots of great bands appeared there. Too many for me to remember but some that stand out were Ike and Tina Turner, Ben E King, Manfred Mann, Moby Grape, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Fairport Convention, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and The Nice. There were many top DJs appearing on stage on weekend nights. Emperor Rosko was a regular, also Johnny Walker, Noel Edmunds, Ann Nightingale, John Peel and most of the Radio One guys appeared at some time.
I remained there as resident DJ all through the Mistrale Club days and then was joined by Richard Taylor when it re-opened as 'Tites'. We had a large light show and video screens all controlled from beneath that giant fibreglass spider. I eventually set up my own road show in 1975 and left to work in west London with Capital Radio's Mike Allen as my manager. I did return once, as the main event on stage with my Roadshow.
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hank
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Post by hank on Apr 23, 2019 21:01:26 GMT 1
Hi. Can anyone remember the name of the nightclub that stood adjacent to Beckenham Junction station around 1966? I have a feeling it might have been called The Blue Hawaii but am not sure. With thanks, Pete Fisk In the early seventies, circa 1974/5, it was called Tites.... |
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