Author Topic: The Castaways Club  (Read 47836 times)

Pat H

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #44 on: October 14, 2009, 11:18:36 PM »
Just found this site, what happened it suddenly came to a dead end. Shame because it certainly brought back lots of memories I was in the resident group also, the one in the grass skirt, I must have been mad walking around dressed like that. ::)

Where did you get that photo from Phil?
 

john2000

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #45 on: October 15, 2009, 12:04:38 AM »
Pat H, are you the one with the blue knikkers .? :D
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

Mary8790

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #46 on: October 15, 2009, 12:45:54 AM »
Hi Pat.  A lot of famous people appeared at The Castaways, have you got any stories to share with us?

Phil

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #47 on: October 15, 2009, 03:50:33 PM »
Hi Pat

Welcome to the forum glad you like it here, sorry I can't remember where the photo came from, it's not a personal photo so it must have came from a book or another site. It looks like a publicity photo for the club.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Pat H

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #48 on: October 17, 2009, 02:15:11 AM »
Thanks for the welcome, I will have to get my thinking cap on to see if I can remember any good stories. Don't think I had any blue knikkers! :o

That photo was taken at Ashton Court Country Club in Bristol, before we started the residency at the Castaways.


Pat

sheldonboy

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #49 on: October 18, 2009, 06:36:27 AM »
Welcome to the Forum Pat, I hope you stay with us. SB
Strangers are just friends you havn't met yet

mike .tee

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #50 on: October 06, 2011, 02:18:31 PM »
i remember the club i worked there from the start .it was the first top theatre/restaurant in birmingham. with celebrites of the day appearing there.the carpets were made looking like sand with footprints in them and others looking like bamboo .one of the doormen who worked was dave ismay he works for the evening mail and a after dinner speaker
as you entered the club the music in the background was of the sea then you entered the first floor the casino where the wakikis were playing  live music before you  went to the third floor to the cabaret room/and restaurant.
the owner was john reeves from coventry the club closed suddenly with money problems

Phil

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #51 on: October 06, 2011, 02:53:13 PM »
Hi Mike
 
Welcome to the forum, as I think I said earlier on this thread The Castaways was not my type of club so I didn't get in there, though I know some of our members did. They might be able to mull over old times with you.
 
Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

john2000

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #52 on: October 06, 2011, 07:26:36 PM »
i remember the club i worked there from the start .it was the first top theatre/restaurant in birmingham. with celebrites of the day appearing there.the carpets were made looking like sand with footprints in them and others looking like bamboo .one of the doormen who worked was dave ismay he works for the evening mail and a after dinner speaker
as you entered the club the music in the background was of the sea then you entered the first floor the casino where the wakikis were playing  live music before you  went to the third floor to the cabaret room/and restaurant.
the owner was john reeves from coventry the club closed suddenly with money problems
If I remember right, he said he was going to buy a boat and charter it out in the Caribbean ..J2
Growing old is mandatory..........Growing up is optional

mike .tee

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #53 on: October 06, 2011, 11:57:52 PM »
i remember
yes mr sabey was general manager, there was a man called ted in charge of the casino,trish was in the was the cashier in the casino, the other doorman was a fellow called frank he liked to sing like frank sinatra.
the waikikis islanders group was fronted by basil hendricks on pedal guitar and his wife pat on guitar with a singer (who is playing the drums in the photo) everynight they finished their first half of the act with singing strangers in the night this meant the band wanted to be fed.
they played downstairs then the cabaret would start upstairs with all top liners of the day played there
upstairs there were 62 girls scantily dressed trying to serve hot dishes in (grass skirts)  talk about (health and safety)the head waitress was twiggy and a waiter
called nello. they all had to be taken home in the castaways mini bus.
yes good days but hectic.
john reeves was the owner and yes he did go abroad in the end and charter out his boat but he was mugged and ended up with a plate in his head.the last i knew of him but the club closed with money problems such a shame

roymondo

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Re: The Castaways Club
« Reply #54 on: October 08, 2011, 07:51:21 PM »
I remember going to see Johnny dankworth and Freddie Garrity (not on the same bill) at the castaways in its early days, I was working the clubs as a drummer and did quite a few gigs with the wakiki islanders and their rivals Sounds Hawaiin in the eighties, i finished up playing with the George taylor quartet on a regular basis and i think that George who was pretty big at that time did the early first few weeks at the castaways before becoming the MD at the Cresta club in Solihull, he also did the opening week at the prohibition jazz club near the bull ring, i used to go out with one of the waitresses and can remember the footprints painted on the sand coloured carpet that led to the bridge ,nice touch i thought at the time, in recent years i played at a society wedding where the marquee and lights cost over £30,000  the bridegrooms father who was footing the bill said that he used to own the castaways but i can't remember his name,small world as they say.


 

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