RE: BIRMINGHAM PUBS as is and was - 10

Did you ever go to La Dolce Vita with us VM, I can't remember.?

I don't think so SB, it was Romeo and Juliets by the time I went, assuming I have the correct building on the corner of Hurst Street and Smallbrook Queensway.
VM

I used to go in there just to buy the Sunday Mercury at midnight.

I used to get my Sunday Mercury on Saturday night outside the Co op on the High Street just after Midnight as Well. I can't understand how those street vendors could make it pay enough to be out on the street selling papers in the middle of the night. But I was always glad to buy a copy.

Phil

Yes Vm LDV did change to Romeo's and Juliets

I'm just trying to think of some of the acts I saw at La Dolce Vita. Well The ones I enjoyed were Norman Wisdom, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, Kathy Kirby, The Barron Nights. There were others that I didn't enjoy obviously. Lets face it, the majority of acts in those days were crap there were a few that stood head and shoulders above the rest. One of the best singers I saw anywhere was P.J.Proby.

Phil

At Romeo and Juliets I can remember seeing Bernard Manning, Jim Davidson (many times) and a famous crap hypnotist. No he didn't hypnotise crap he just was crap, like they all are.
VM

Evening Volty, The Hypnotist you mentioned I think was Martin St. James, I saw him at the Cresta.

I remember seeing Paul Daniels at the Cresta when he was on his way up. He took someone out of our crowd and levitated her. He must have given her a few bob because she wouldn't say how he had done it.

Phil

He must have given her a Raise

She wasn't one of our usual crowd and had been brought along by one of my mates. Her name was Monica if I remember rightly and she caused some ill feeling because naturally everyone asked how he did it and she wouldn't say.

Phil

Maybe She didn't know, could he have Hypnotised her.

Hey SB & Volty,

I had cause to be down your sort of way yesterday, I passed by a pub that I never even knew about and obviously have never used. The Iron Horse on Flaxley Road, what sort of a pub is it? I only asked because when I drank over that way with my mate Graham we never ever used it and we used most of the pubs around there. I find that strange because it wasn't all that far from his house.

Phil

Phil give the Iron Horse a wide Berth

SB

I don't think I will be going anywhere near it, but I find it strange that my mate never took me there in the 80's when I was drinking in that area. After all we drank in the Meadway and they didn't come much rougher than that.

Phil