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Recollections - Entertainment
Clubs
and
Discos
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1. |
Linda Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
The
Story Club
The Gamp
The Place
More Discos
Magoos
The International Club
Bungy's
The Athenians
Music |
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2. |
Barry Fawcett
Canada |
The International Club |
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3. |
Lenny Toshack
Leith, Edinburgh |
1960s
McGoos
Reunion - 2008 |
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4. |
Eric Gold
East London |
McGoos |
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5. |
Eric Gold
East London |
Victoria Street |
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6. |
Lenny Toshack
Leith, Edinburgh |
Battle at McGoos |
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7. |
Jimmy Davidson
East Lothian, Edinburgh |
The Place and
Bungies |
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8. |
Frank Ferri
Newhaven, Edinburgh |
Band Reunion |
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9. |
Lyndsay Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
After McGoos and Bungies
The International Club
The International Club -
Fire
Where was The Gonk? |
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10. |
Lenny Toshack
Leith, Edinburgh |
The Gonk |
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11. |
Barry Fawcett
Canada |
Clubs |
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12. |
Lyndsay
Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh
with replies from
Gregor Henderson
North Berwick, E Lothian, Scotland
and
Lyndsay
Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
Music
Shop
Cafes |
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13. |
Ian Foster
Western Australia |
The
Americana
The
Gamp |
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14. |
Lyndsay Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
The
Americana
The
Gamp
The Screaming Citizens |
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15. |
Ian McCallum
Rosyth, Fife, Scotland |
The
Abstracts |
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16. |
Ian McCallum
Rosyth, Fife, Scotland |
Cafe -
George IV Bridge
Cafe - Hanover Street |
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17. |
Lyndsay Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
Cafe -
George IV Bridge
Cafe - Hanover Street |
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18. |
Patrick Hutton
New Town,
Edinburgh |
The
Laigh Coffee House |
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19. |
John Gray
Portobello, Edinburgh |
The Nash
Salvation |
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20. |
Linda Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
Toto
McNaughton |
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21. |
Frank Ferri
Newhaven, Edinburgh |
Toto
McNaughton |
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22. |
Lyndsay
Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
The
Gamp |
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23. |
Brian Porteous
+ replies from
Brian Porteous
South Africa
Stuart
Old
Edinburgh |
The
Plaza: 'Kentones' |
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24. |
Jim Di
Mambro |
Toto
McNaughton |
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25. |
Linda Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
The Gamp |
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26. |
Lenny Toshack
Leith, Edinburgh |
McGoos Re-union Dance, 2009 |
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Recollections
1.
Linda Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
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Thank you Linda (now Lyndsay) Montgomery for sending
her memories of some of the clubs around Edinburgh
Lynda wrote: |
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Top Story Club
"I
remember there was a live music club at the top of Leith Street.
©
I used to go there
as a teenager. It was at the end of
the part with the balcony running along it, and was called the Top
Storey Club. It was always packed to
the roof. I've no idea how on earth
we found the room to dance!
The
local band at the time was the Embers, lead singer,
Jimmy Cruickshank who did some really great covers of
rhythm and blues numbers,
so popular at the time.
©
The club
closed in the sixties, with the street
being demolished."
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The Gamp
"The Gamp club
on Victoria Terrace where I was an habitué as often as it was open.
A band called The Screamin' Citizens held court there on
maybe Saturday nights. Stewart
Smith was their singer."
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The Place
"After The Gamp,
we'd go to The
Place, just across the street.
I think that's now Espionage in Victoria street.
Various bands played there, but the one that stands out for
me was Tam White and the Boston Dexters.
The Place and
The Gamp were probably the first clubs to
do Discotheque in town, given that there was still the Palais
in Fountainbridge with a big band."
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More Discos
"There was
also a disco above the cinema on Clark Street on a Friday night, and
when The Gamp closed,
another club opened on the High Street on the left side going down
from the cross- roads
with the Bridges. I can't remember the name, it wasn't open long,
and was run by the same folk (Pops and Buddy) who had run
The Gamp."
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Magoos
©
"Magoos was
farther down the High Street on the other side of the
road. It used to be an old cinema,
and was again packed to the gunnels every night it opened.
This too didn't last very long, |
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The International Club
"The
International Club was
in Princes Street, I think above Watches
of Switzerland. It was a big place
with a few different floors with different styles of music played.
Please see 'Recollections
9' below. |
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Bungy's
"Another club
opened in Fishmarket Close called Bungy's.
I think it had been a seedy cafe in the early sixties or
late fifties at the time of
'beatniks'." |
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The Athenians
"Another well
known band from these heady days was, of
course, The
Athenians with the famous restauranteur,
Ally Black, owner of Shapes Restaurant in town.
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Music
"In those far-off
days I don't think I ever stayed in at night, not even to wash my
hair! Music was a big thing for me
and still is, unfortunately for my wallet.
You can see I've had a mis-spent youth!
My father was in a band,
I'm told, so maybe that's why
I have the interest."
I'd love to
see some other's memories of the live music scene from this time."
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Linda (now Lyndsay) Montgomery, Old Town,
Edinburgh: July 16, 2008 |
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Recollections
2.
Barry Fawcett
Canada |
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Thank you to Barry Fawcett who wrote:
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The International Club
"I'm
writing this from Canada but I grew up in Edinburgh and went to most of
the local hangouts. The one that gets little mention is
The International Club on Princes Street.
I would be most grateful for any
info you can provide."
Barry Fawcet: July 27, 2008 |
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If you'd like to reply to Barry Fawcett's comments above,
please email me, then I'll pass your message on to him.
Thank you.
-
Peter Stubbs: July 27, 2008 |
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Recollections
3.
Lenny Toshack
Leith, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Lennie Toshack, Leith, Edinburgh, who
wrote:
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1960s
"I was very interested after
reading your take on the Edinburgh clubs of the 1960s.
I used to frequent these clubs almost as a slave."
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McGoos
©
"My fave
club was McGoos in the High Street which was converted from
the Palace Picture House
to a brilliant teenagers' club.
I virtually lived in the place
until it's untimely demise due to local gangsters trying to muscle in on
the club which was packed just about every night.
Mr Crolla who ran the club shut
it down rather than pay these hoods and it was sorely missed by a heck of
a lot of people not least me!
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Reunion - 2008
A
Re-union Charity Dance is to be held for those
who went to
the Edinburgh clubs in
the 1960s such as:
- Americana
Discotheque
©
- Bungies
-
The Gonk
-
The Green Light
©
-
The International
Club
©
-
McGoos
©
-
The Place
©
-
Romanos
-
The
Top Storey
-
Walkers.
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The Re-union Dance
will be on September 12, 2008 at the
Masonic Club at Shrubhill,
Leith Walk. All proceeds from this night are to
be given to charity.
Please click on the
thumbnail image below to enlarge it and read about how to get tickets for
this event: *
©
Re-union Charity Dance 2008 - Postponed
until 2009. See below.
Lenny Toshack, Leith, Edinburgh: July 29, 2008 |
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Re-union Charity Dance -
February 2009
The Re-union Charity Dance has now been rescheduled
for February 27, 2009. Please click on the poster below for further
details, including telephone numbers.
©
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Recollections
4.
Eric Gold
East London |
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Thank you to Eric Gold, East London, who wrote:
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McGoos
©
"Lennie is right,
you would get wee gangsters trying to muscle in on the club scene.
Peter Williamson in the early
1970s to the mid 1980s was the big fish in town. He had bars and
clubs in Edinburgh. He was my uncle Paddy's best mate and these wee
gangsters would be sent packing (ha ha ha ha)."
Eric Gold, East London: July 29, 2008 |
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Recollections
5.
Eric Gold
East London |
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Eric Gold added:
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Victoria Street
"I’m still trying to think of the
club or pub with all those wee bars and where
folk music would be played. It could be
The Place.
It was on the
left-hand side as you went down Victoria Street to the
Grassmarket."
Eric Gold, East London: July 29, 2008 |
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Eric investigated further, then wrote:
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Nicky Tams
"The name of the club
in Victoria Street was Nicky Tams.
The Place was downstairs in the same building,
under the same ownership."
Eric added
"Nicky
Tams was the name given to the string used by
farm workers to tie their trousers below the knees, partly to hitch them
up out of the mud."
Eric Gold, East London: July 30, 2008
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Recollections
6.
Lenny Toshack
Leith, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Lennie Toshack who replied to Eric
Gold's comments in 4 above.
Lennie wrote:
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Battle at McGoos
"Yes that was the norm back then.
I vividly remember seeing an almighty battle in
McGoos one night.
We
were all told quietly to get off the floor by some regulars and then it
kicked off.
Many
years later, I
recognised one of the guys who was on McGoos
side. He had an incredible memory. He
told me
that the fight was to sort out a gang from Musselburgh trying to
take over the club security by intimidation."
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Lenny Toshack, Leith, Edinburgh: July 29, 2008 |
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Recollections
7.
Jimmy Davidson
East Lothian, Scotland |
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Jimmy Davidson, East Lothian,
who attended James Clark school, St Leonard's around 1960-63, wrote: |
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The Place and Bungies
©
©
"The posters advertising The
Place and Bungies were really interesting
and brought back a lot of happy
memories.
I used to go to both
clubs on a Saturday night / Sunday morning
along with Bobbie Wright, Cliff Davidson and
Derek Johnstone, a cousin of Cliff Davidson."
Jimmy Davidson, East Lothian, Scotland: August 1,
2008 |
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Recollections
8.
Frank Ferri
Newhaven, Edinburgh |
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Frank
Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh, wrote: |
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Band Reunion
"I organised a Sunday afternoon band reunion
at Leith Dockers Club last year.
Frankie Connor came
up with Johnny (Rainbow) Laidlaw, Toto McNaughton
(Drummer) and a number of others.
We all had a great jam session, would like to
organise another one."
Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh:
August 5, 2008 |
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Recollections
9.
Lyndsay
(formerly
Linda)
Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
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Lyndsay
Montgomery wrote: |
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After McGoos and Bungies
"I was reading Barry Fawcett's comments about
the International Club. (2 above). I can't remember when
it started exactly, I think it was after Magoos closed and after the
incident at Bungies, where someone got stabbed, and we all spent the rest
of the night waiting to be searched at the cop shop up the street .I
don't know if they ever caught the culprit."
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The International Club
©
"The International
was run or owned by an Italian. I can't
remember their name. On the door,
when you got upstairs, was Eddie, and usually
someone else. Eddie was an ex-boxer
who spoke very quietly and slowly, and was an all round nice guy unless
you got on his wrong side.
There were at least
two dance floors. In the one looking out
on Princes Street there was a balcony where you
could have a soft drink and talk to your friends.
There
were live bands or a
disco, depending on the night.
The cloakroom was at the very back of the building, virtually at
the back door.
I can't remember missing many nights, but
the club might have been closed one night
a week. I just remember the great times
to be had there."
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The International Club
Fire
©
"Later,
I remember there was a fire in
the club. A famous person who shall remain
nameless, was supposed to have started the fire
in order to frighten the owner, and so offer to buy the club.
I remember being in someone's house when the
person who was supposed to have done it was asked, and admitted it
was an accident.
I was away for a while after that, and can't remember what happened to
the club. I only know that whoever had it sometime in the
1980s gave it a good name - 'Fire
Island'."
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Lyndsay asks:
Where was The Gonk?
"Where was the Gonk Club?
Was it the upstairs of the Cavendish in Tollcross?"
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Lyndsay Montgomery, Old town, Edinburgh:
August 2, 2008 |
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Recollections
10.
Lenny Toshack
Leith, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Lennie Toshack
for replying to the final paragraph of Lyndsay's
message in 9 above
Lennie wrote:
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The Gonk
"The Gonk Club was in Riego Street in
Tollcross. It was,
if I remember correctly, in the middle of a
street of houses.
The area
has been completely demolished and rebuilt with the same name given to the
street. It actually
ran parallel to the
present Riego Street.
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Lenny Toshack, Leith, Edinburgh: July 29, 2008 |
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Recollections
11.
Barry Fawcett
Canada |
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Thank you to Barry Fawcett for writing again.
Barry wrote:
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Clubs
"I've compiled
this list of the clubs which,
due to a mis-spent youth,
I suppose, I frequented more regularly than I should have."
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The Top Story
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Leith Street. |
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The Top Rank
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The Bridges. |
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John
Gray, Portobello, remembers The Top Rank to have been at
Clerk Street
above the Odeon |
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The Cavendish
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With the glass ball and floor that bounced. |
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The
Cephas
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Shandwick Place -
Sunday nights when
there was nowhere else to go.
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Magoos
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The MIle |
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The Place
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Top of Victoria Street |
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The International
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Princes Street, above the jewellers |
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? (name
forgotten)
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Bridges, opposite Chamber Street
I remember enjoying 'The Dream Police' aka 'Average White Band'
on several occasions |
Barry Fawcet: August 7, 2008 |
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Recollections
12.
Lyndsay
(formerly
Linda)
Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
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Lyndsay
Montgomery wrote: |
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Music Shop
"I seem to remember a large music shop in St
Mary's Street in the 1960s or 1970s. I can't
remember the name of it, but I think it sold second-hand
albums, and might have been where there is a musical instrument shop now.
Does anyone remember
this shop?" |
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Cafes
"There was also a late night cafe-resto on the
corner of the High Street and George IV
Bridge, and another basement-type
place on Hanover Street that had folk music singers.
Does anyone remember the
names of these cafes?"
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Lyndsay (formerly Linda)
Montgomery, Old town, Edinburgh: August 6, 2008 |
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If you know the answers to the questions that Lyndsay asks,
please email me, then I'll pass on your message to her.
Thank you. - Peter Stubbs:
August7, 2008 |
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Recollections
12.
Reply
1
Gregor Henderson
North Berwick, East
Lothian, Scotland |
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Thank you to Gregor Henderson who replied to Lyndsay Montgomery's
questions above.
Gregor wrote: |
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Music Shop
"I'm sure the record shop in the St Mary's St.
was called the 'Other Record Shop'." |
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Cafe
"The cafe on the corner of Thistle St. and
Hanover St. was called 'The Stockpot' and was where Bert Jansch was an
early performer. I guess it must have gone by 1966. |
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Gregor Henderson: North Berwick, East
Lothian, Scotland: October 21, 2008 |
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Recollections
12.
Reply
2
Lyndsay
(formerly
Linda)
Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Lyndsay Montgomery who replied to Gregor Henderson's
comments above.
Lyndsay wrote |
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Music Shop and Cafe
"Gregor is dead right, immediately I read his
reply, the names were there, I could picture both of them. It was worth
waiting for." I wish we could all of us with the
same memories, get together and talk about them....... Those were the
days" |
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Lyndsay (formerly Linda)
Montgomery, Old town, Edinburgh: October 25, 2008 |
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Recollections
13.
Ian Foster
Western Australia |
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Ian Foster
wrote: |
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The Americana
"I remember a cafe
called the Americana, I'm sure in
Hanover Street."
*
*
But see the reply in Recollections 14 below.
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The Gamp
"Does anyone
remember the Gamp? It was opposite the
Place in the early 1960s"
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Ian Foster, Perth, Western Australia:
Message posted in guest book:
August 8, 2008 |
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Recollections
14.
Lyndsay
(formerly
Linda)
Montgomery
Old Town, Edinburgh |
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Lyndsay
Montgomery wrote: |
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The Americana
"Hi there Ian
(who wrote Recollections 13 above).
The place in Hanover Street wasn't called the
Americana. That was the name of a disco at
the corner of Fountainbridge and Semple St."
© |
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The Gamp
"I was a regular at
the Gamp, and when it finished at around 1.30am, I'd go across
the road to the Place, which was always open
later.
I have a recollection of a band that sometimes
played in the Gamp. The
singer wore a a toilet pull handle on a chain round his neck, I think they
were good, one of the band was called Ricky, but I don't remember what he
played or their name." |
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The Screaming Citizens
"Do you remember any
other clubs or any of the bands that played in
them? I remember the Screaming Citizens | |