Positively Pottering
East Midlands
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271 of 284
Tue 5th Aug 2025 6:50pm
On 5th Aug 2025 5:01pm, Not Local said:
In the 70's there was a nightclub in Watch Close, can't remember what it was called. The back of this club could be seen from the Ring Road.
EDIT: Was it the Robin Hood club?
Wasn't it The Naval Club? |
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Mike59
Coventry
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272 of 284
Tue 5th Aug 2025 7:52pm
On 5th Aug 2025 12:57pm, Positively Pottering said:
On 4th Aug 2025 7:48pm, Mike59 said:
I'm probabaly the baby of the team, though I remember the Locano, but never went in. I did go in to Tiffany's, Mr George, City Centre Night Spot or Club (the time gap is getting the better of me), and later years, Park Lane and Memory Lane, and what was the one by the Ring Road?
The Pink Parrot originally The City Centre Club.
The O'Briens owned it.
Are you referring to Carey's being near the ring road, was once The Antelope?
From what I recalled, quite a few nightclubs were owned by the O'Briens
The City Centre Club later became the Pink Parrot, and I think at sometime it was called Tamango's. But as I said, " the time gap is getting the better of me", and the nightclub in Tower St may not have been the City Centre Club.
Definitely neither The Antelope or Careys.
A quick look on Google Maps, a building in Watch Close looks remotely familiar. That building is now Laser Quest, or very close to the Laser Quest premises.
Mike "Yesterday I was a child of the sixties…. Today I’m a cynical adult…"
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Mike59
Coventry
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273 of 284
Tue 5th Aug 2025 7:55pm
On 5th Aug 2025 5:01pm, Not Local said:
In the 70's there was a nightclub in Watch Close, can't remember what it was called. The back of this club could be seen from the Ring Road.
EDIT: Was it the Robin Hood club?
I think that was it.
After seeing Watch Close, I had a look on Google Maps, Laser Quest is either that same building, or close to it.
Mike "Yesterday I was a child of the sixties…. Today I’m a cynical adult…"
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Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
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274 of 284
Tue 5th Aug 2025 8:19pm
In the 1980s that club in Watch Close had become Studio 21, which the GEC would hire out for all us Spon Street factory workers after mid-day on the day we broke up for Christmas each year. Some time after that it became the Irish 2000 club.
And yes, the same building is now Laser Quest. I also recall that part of that building was the warehouse for City Pram and Toy Co., where I picked up my first new bicycle in 1981 shortly after starting my GEC apprenticeship.... and which was stolen from behind the Butts college just a few weeks later!
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stpauls
norfolk
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275 of 284
Wed 6th Aug 2025 12:08am
On 21st Feb 2013 10:21pm, shoestring said:
Thank you all very much.  Funny thing is that the name 'Janet Ball rings' a distant bell with me too now, dohhhh. I wonder if she is still around???? That was a super story about her.
Hello Shoestring. The name Janet Ball also rings a Very distant bell for me. Many years ago - early 50s - I worked for a short time at Sutton's Bakery on the outskirts of Coventry. At that time a Mrs.Ball was the manageress of the canteen and was forever talking about her daughter's success in ballroom dancing and her daughter's name was definitely Janet ! I'm pretty sure this must be the same lady. |
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TeePee
Stratford Upon Avon
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276 of 284
Thu 14th Aug 2025 5:35pm
In the early 1960's with three friends, having spent time in the Locarno bar while girls danced around there handbags, we decided to learn to dance and went to the Balalaika which was, as already posted, on the upper floor of the Lower Precinct. Janet Ball and David Butler ran it and our teacher was Wendy F who is still a good friend. One of our group went on to Bronze medal ballroom. Wendy said I made the right steps but at the wrong time (have I heard something similar said??). I believe Janet and David are no longer with us.
Mrs Pattison's school in Stoke Green, also mentioned, rings in our family as my sister-in-law was a pupil there and went on to dance in shows around the country. Julie's name is on the programme published here in the HC section on the Coventry Hippodrome where she appeared a number of times.
The Matrix Hall is mentioned several times, it was one of the two properly sprung dance floors in Coventry the other being GEC social club Stoke. Matrix Hall now occupied by Topps Tiles and Howdens!
I called in there recently and at the Top Tiles end it is possible to still see where the stage was.
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Mr Blue Sky
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
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277 of 284
Thu 14th Aug 2025 11:22pm
I learned to dance at Victor Sylvester's Dance School based in the Gaumont Cinema, by the time I could dance, my Tutor was wearing steel caps over her shoes, I lost count of how times I said sorry.
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Annewiggy
Tamworth
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278 of 284
Fri 15th Aug 2025 11:43am
On 14th Aug 2025 5:35pm, TeePee said:
In the early 1960's with three friends, having spent time in the Locarno bar while girls danced around there handbags, we decided to learn to dance and went to the Balalaika which was, as already posted, on the upper floor of the Lower Precinct. Janet Ball and David Butler ran it and our teacher was Wendy F who is still a good friend. One of our group went on to Bronze medal ballroom. Wendy said I made the right steps but at the wrong time (have I heard something similar said??). I believe Janet and David are no longer with us.
Mrs Pattison's school in Stoke Green, also mentioned, rings in our family as my sister-in-law was a pupil there and went on to dance in shows around the country. Julie's name is on the programme published here in the HC section on the Coventry Hippodrome where she appeared a number of times.
The Matrix Hall is mentioned several times, it was one of the two properly sprung dance floors in Coventry the other being GEC social club Stoke. Matrix Hall now occupied by Topps Tiles and Howdens!
I called in there recently and at the Top Tiles end it is possible to still see where the stage was.
Does my memory serve me correct, was the stage in the corner, quite high up ? I am going back to the 60's ! |
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TeePee
Stratford Upon Avon
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279 of 284
Tue 19th Aug 2025 5:31pm
As I recall the stage in the Matrix Hall was across the lefthand end as you entered. I started at Coventry Gauge and Tool in August 1960 and used the Matrix Hall as the canteen at lunch times but never went to a dance there. Dick Salter the paint shop Forman and amateur artist, used to produce I.e. paint, the posters for events. He was the uncle of my wife to be (we married 1966 and still are!) and she remembers posters drying on his banister rail at home. The days before inkjets!! Dick was also nephew of Florence Weston who is well known for her paintings and drawings of Coventry between 1912 and 1940. She features here in the 'Famous Coventrians" section.
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Positively Pottering
East Midlands
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280 of 284
Tue 19th Aug 2025 6:05pm
On 15th Aug 2025 11:43am, Annewiggy said:
On 14th Aug 2025 5:35pm, TeePee said:
In the early 1960's with three friends, having spent time in the Locarno bar while girls danced around there handbags, we decided to learn to dance and went to the Balalaika which was, as already posted, on the upper floor of the Lower Precinct. Janet Ball and David Butler ran it and our teacher was Wendy F who is still a good friend. One of our group went on to Bronze medal ballroom. Wendy said I made the right steps but at the wrong time (have I heard something similar said??). I believe Janet and David are no longer with us.
Mrs Pattison's school in Stoke Green, also mentioned, rings in our family as my sister-in-law was a pupil there and went on to dance in shows around the country. Julie's name is on the programme published here in the HC section on the Coventry Hippodrome where she appeared a number of times.
The Matrix Hall is mentioned several times, it was one of the two properly sprung dance floors in Coventry the other being GEC social club Stoke. Matrix Hall now occupied by Topps Tiles and Howdens!
I called in there recently and at the Top Tiles end it is possible to still see where the stage was.
Does my memory serve me correct, was the stage in the corner, quite high up ? I am going back to the 60's !
Indeed it was and it revolved enabling the next act or DJ to continue without interruption
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Annewiggy
Tamworth
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281 of 284
Tue 19th Aug 2025 8:09pm
Thanks positive, saw some good groups in there !
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Positively Pottering
East Midlands
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282 of 284
Wed 20th Aug 2025 2:57pm
On 19th Aug 2025 8:09pm, Annewiggy said:
Thanks positive, saw some good groups in there !
Me too.
Good weren't it.
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Julaw
Stoke on trent
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283 of 284
Fri 17th Oct 2025 11:44pm
I started dance lessons at thr Balalaika school of dancing when I was 4 years old in 1958 and attended until I was 16 in 1970. The school was run by Janet Ball who started the school sometime after being crowned ballroom queen in 1954 . I remember that myself and Janet had our photo published in the Daily Sketch because I started dancing classes at such a young age which was uncommon at that time. Unfortunately i.no longer have a copy of the photo and have been unable to get one. Because I progressed rapidly with my dancing I was unable to get a male partner, male dancers were very scarce, and I was very tall for my age. Janet got busier with time and became a judge on Come Dancing so David Butler became my teacher and I used to enter competitions with him. I have many fond memories of the years spent dancing there and would live to hear memories of others who attended there.
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Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
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284 of 284
Sat 18th Oct 2025 9:15am
Welcome to the forum, Julaw, and thank you so much for sharing your lovely memories.  |
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