Author Topic: The Jungle cafe, Highgate Rd Balsall Heath 1960 also Blues at 16 Trafalgar Rd  (Read 7612 times)

oldbrummie

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Hi would anyone remember the Jungle cafe that was situated just under the railway bridge in Highgate Rd. It used to be open 24 hours. At 16 Trafalgar Rd Moseley around the same time there was a blues club with a bar.

Phil

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Hi oldbrummie,
 
you have got me stumped there, what year would that be. All I can remember on Highgate Rd just under the bridge was Hudsons furniture shop and removals on the one side and on the other was the sewing machine shop a couple of clothes shops and a shroud maker. On the corner of Kyrwicks Lane was Fred's Cafe and down the road near Ladypool Rd was Olives Cafe. These were the only two cafes I remember in Highgate Rd. But if it didn't last long I could have been on my travels or living in Nechells. Or was it in the 70's after I had moved to Solihull?
 
I can't say I remember a Blues Club in Trafalgar Rd either, are we talking about a shebeen, because they were all over Balsall Heath in the 60's. They did start calling them Blues later didn't they?
 
Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

roy one

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hi Phil when you cross the lights at  belgrave road then you  went in to highgate road just under the bridge was the cafe it was run by  the brother of pat roach but i can not remember it being an all night er Roy im sure that was called the jungle
each day is a blessing and I bless each day when it comes

Phil

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Roy
 
What year would this be, because I have no memory of it at all. As I say all I can remember the first shop under the bridge being was a sewing machine shop. That would be up to 1968 at least.  After that I couldn't say because I got married and moved away.
 
Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

roy one

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hi phil
         i can not be sure but its got to be late 50s early 60s Phil  pat roach was at the embassy at the time restling thats how i met him in the cafe  it was on the right hand side going down highgate road just past the railway bridge i think it was two or three shops down
 
it was a long time ago phil and the mind plays tricks
each day is a blessing and I bless each day when it comes

frederick

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I used to go to a fishing tackle just before the bridge on the left going towards Moseley rd that would have been late 50s into the 60s.
Failure to Prepare is to Prepare to Fail

oldbrummie

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Someone mentioned to me that Pat Roach had a cafe in Lodge Road. The Jungle was owned by John (Buck) Ryan and his brother Nicky.

Andy Capp

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Hi all I lived off Balsall heath Road until 1964 & in Highgate Road & Larches Street until 1969 the only cafe i can remember was freds cafe on the corner of kywicks lane & Highgate Road We often had a bacon & sausage sarny & a mug of tea in there. The Other shops there were as Phil mentioned in an earlier posting. The Jungle Cafe must have came after i left the area. Andy Capp

vauxonion

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Occasionally I used to pop in a cafe when working in that area but all I can remember were lots of saucy postcards up on the walls. Dek

Andy Capp

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Hi vauxonion. I think the cafe with the saucy postcards was Freds on the corner of Kyrwicks Lane all his customers used to send one when they were on holiday. We Used to have a good laugh reading them. Andy Capp

Phil

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The café with the saucy postcards all around the wall would have definitely been Fred's on the corner of Kyrwicks Lane. The first Café in Birmingham to have a serve yourself tea machine.
 
I've been thinking about this Jungle Café, and somewhere in the back of my mind there is something nagging me about it. I'm sure some of my relations used to mention using a Coffee Bar called the jungle at one time.
 
As this would have been at a time that I wasn't living in Birmingham around 1968 - 69 it might have been then. At that time I was doing my hippy thing around the south west coast. I can't ask any of my family about it, as they are all dead now. There is someone else I can ask, so I will see what I can find out.
 
Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.


 

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