The Rex Cafe Etc.
A Memory of Motherwell.
Motherwell in the 1950’s seemed fairly dull to me, which is where the Rex Café next to the Rex cinema comes into the picture, if you’ll pardon the pun. It was 1958 when I first feasted my eyes on the café’s flashy jukebox. It looked like something from another planet. I think it was a Rock-Ola jukebox, a state-of-the-art music machine made in the USA. I’m also reminded of Mills music shop, which was on Brandon Street. I purchased my first piece of sheet music from there when I was 13. I thought the price was 2d. I should have looked closer because the price was in fact 2 shillings, which I found out when I got to the counter. I was too shocked and embarrassed to change my mind and simply handed over the cash. One week’s pocket money blown in one fell swoop for a single sheet of folded paper with dots on it. Ah well…
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Were you in my class at "The Central"? Can you name some of your classmates to see if I can remember them?
Regards,
Peter
Your name is familiar too. Did you play football.
Regards,
Peter
Your name is familiar too. Did you play football.
Regards,
Peter
I’m not sure whether it’s me to whom you’re addressing your question or John Potter – but if me, then I’m sorry for not responding sooner. What makes recall more difficult is that while at Brandon High I was dropped a stream after a year owing to a pronounced lack of academic effort and ended up with an entirely different set of classmates! Unfortunately after all this time I have no reliable memory as to which of the two streams the following pupils belonged! However, some of the names I remember (hopefully correctly) are: Kenneth Cummings, Hugh Bulloch, Anthony Livesley, Alan Lenthall (Dux medallist) Thomas Dick, Jim Prentice, Alec McBride, Bruce “Flash” Gordon, Malcolm & Colin Russell (the twins), Tom Weir, Billy Mann, Ian (?) MacDonald, and Kenneth Armstrong. Anyway, I hope some of those names are familiar to you.
Your name is familiar as well. Did you play football then?
Regards,
Peter.
Here is a test. What was the name of that piece of sheet music you bought from Mills? Might it have been Blue Suede Shoes?
I was in No.8 Motherwell BB, which was part of the now long gone Clason Memorial Church.
Some names you might know were Sandy Nelson, Nelson Cardwell, Malcom McGregor, Jim Durie, Jim Watt etc. Friday nights ended with a trip to the Co-op bakery in Merry Street where we scrounged free hot rolls and broken biscuits from my Uncle Hugh the baker.
Hi Ian,
Just discovered your comment; “Teenager in Love” by Craig Douglas was the sheet music. Most of what I acquired in those days has long gone, though I still have a 1958 copy of Bert Weedon’s “Nashville Boogie” [also bought from Mill’s music shop] somewhere in my collection. Interestingly, back in the early 1960s I briefly knew someone called Ian Jackson who sang rock ‘n’ roll – a favourite of his being Blue Suede Shoes! If you’re the same Ian Jackson, then very good to hear from you – hope you are well Ian and keep the memories coming.
I have added comments to Ladywell, Central and Brandon threads. I had a cousin also called Ian Jackson who was a year or so older and lived in the prefabs across from the Metrovick factory. I only met him once and that was when I was 10. I don't know where he is now.
Craig Douglas was a favourite of mine too with he likes of Only Sixteen and Hey Little Girl.
Ian