The 1970s

A Memory of Consett.

I was born in the 1950s but, despite having memories of happy times spent in the old bus station in the late 1960s, I would class the 1970s as more my era. Us lasses would sport shaggy-cut hairstyles, mini-skirts, hot pants and platform shoes and we'd buy stuff from She Fashions. We would do a tour of the pubs, usually preferring the less classy establishments because they didn't mind if we stuck a few bob in the jukebox and danced in the middle of the floor. So each Friday night, we would all meet up in The Duke of Wellie. Our boyfriends would usually be there too but they sat in their gang and we sat in ours and we didn't really bother each other, but it was a set-in-stone rule  that we would meet up in Testo's Night Club, The Bowl, after the pubs closed.
We went from The Duke to The Coach then on to The Turf for the "Go As You Please". Old Maggie always sang "The Wonder Of You" and I thrilled the captive audience with my rendition of "Paper Roses".
We would  dash off to Testo's at about 9.45 cos it was free admission if you were in before 10! There was always a canny crowd in by then and the regular house band "The Joe Morrell Trio" would be playing the hits of the day. This trio comprised Joe on keyboards, Bill on guitar and Brian on drums. They were also there to provide backing for the cabaret.
We always sat at the same table right next to the main doors and handy for the netty. The "restaurant" was pretty handy too and Sally Rafferty cooked a lovely steak, or a toastie sandwich if you weren't rich enough to afford the steak.
All the lasses drank lager and lime but if a bloke asked if we wanted a drink we would always say "Yes please. Pernod and Grenadine" (cos it was trendy).
We had to make many trips to the "Ladies Room" to check that our false lashes were still in place and to apply more purple eyeshadow and equally purple lippy. We all looked as though we had a bad heart!
The lads would usually arrive after 10, just to give the impession that they were "flush" and had enough to pay to get in. As usual they would all sit in a huddle together. They would get us up to dance though and make it known that we were part of their lives.
Many famous faces performed there as cabaret guests, Freddie Starr, Liz Dawn, Frank Carson, Roy Walker, The Searchers, Susan Maughan and Tony Christie to name but a few.
All of the singing performers obviously felt compelled to sing "Beautiful Sunday" and the house band did the same so it wasn't unusual to hear the same song four times in one night. Even now that song drives me batty!  The place was never over-crowded despite getting in a canny number of people. Everyone knew everyone else too so the atmosphere was homely. If strangers DID descend on the place then they were interrogated by the regulars in a friendly enough fashion and welcomed into the crowd.
Though Friday was our Big Night Out we sometimes went out on a Thursday and Saturday too and everything would be the same.
After a while a band from Teeside called "Pittsburg Steelers" took over the vacant slot after Joe and his band left. I recall the singer being called Alan and he had a fab voice. His verson of The Eagles "Desperado" was wonderful.  So was "Please Stay" (an oldie) and The Animals song " Bring It On Home to Me".
Pittsburg Steelers drew in a larger crowd but then they left too. Now then, this time the resident band became Ocopus  - a very handsome bunch of Maltese guys who were sensational. They drew in many of the "Botto's Crowd" (especially the lasses) who seemed to appreciate their talent.
We would watch the clock and at about 1am our respective boyfriends would get us up for the "smoochie dances" that would be par for the course for the last hour. Many of them had cars and would take their lasses home. But for those who didn't it was a case of toddling across to the Venture Taxi Office on Medomsley Road to book a taxi through a tiny grill type window.  No luxury of standing in the warmth there then. The queue would be miles long and folk would be frozen to death in the winter.
Then, after a couple of tragedies, The Bowl lost its licence. No more special place with a resident band and cabaret artists. It was off to Botto's for us then where we had to learn to dance round our handbags to records like Trammps "Hold Back The Night", The Drifters "There Goes My First Love" and George McCrae "It's Been So Long".
Not quite the same, having to squash past people to get to the dance floor, having to stand 10 deep at the bar to get a drink. And another thing, hot pants, high boots and mini-skirts had now been replaced by "New Length" dresses and skirts that came way down past the knees. Not nice.
I'd give anything to relive those 1970s days trekking fom The Duke to The Coach often taking in The Alex en route and maybe nipping into The Norven and Brit as well.  Then having the entertaining cabaret, dancing and hot meal that The Bowl provided as the big finale to the night out.
Now they were Golden Days.  
I have many memories of my hometown. But the 1970s were very special.
 

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