Who Remebers The Black Cat Club

[Guest Drumbeat62]

Below is a shot of our group/band 'The Drumbeats' very first gig which was at the 'Black Cat Club' in late summer 1962, the club had only been open about 6 weeks when we played, during the next 12 months we played nealry 300 gigs due to the emergence of 'Beatlemania'

[RichardB]

Please tell us more; my memories of the time are somewhat limited - my date of birth 11/3/62 (Jessop)

[Guest Drumbeat62]

Please tell us more; my memories of the time are somewhat limited - my date of birth 11/3/62 (Jessop)

Like many other groups starting out in those day we started playing the usual stuff which was Shadows, Ventures and just about anything from the US Rock & Roll scene.

We were on stage at St Aidens Church Hall (To become The Black Cat Club) one night having a go on another groups gear who were rerhearsing there when Pete Stringfellow came in and said "Great guys; I'm starting running dances here in a few weeks I'll put you on".

We played the Black Cat several times including supporting 'Screaming Lord Sutch'.

The next 12 months were incredible and completely down to the new sound of 'Merseybeat and Bealtlemania that took over.

[jiginc]

Like many other groups starting out in those day we started playing the usual stuff which was Shadows, Ventures and just about anything from the US Rock & Roll scene. We were on stage at St Aidens Church Hall (To become The Black Cat Club) one night having a go on another groups gear who were rerhearsing there when Pete Stringfellow came in and said "Great guys; I'm starting running dances here in a few weeks I'll put you on". We played the Black Cat several times including supporting 'Screaming Lord Sutch'. The next 12 months were incredible and completely down to the new sound of 'Merseybeat and Bealtlemania that took over.

Sorry to be pedantic but I think St Aiden's was his second club. The first being in a Church Hall on Nursery Street.

One of Peters problems was that as the lighter evenings came he need to black out the Hall. This was done with large sheets of hardboard suitably painted in gory colours. They had to be removable for the other users of the hall so they were supported on wooden batons held in place with metal brackets.

The youth club (AYPA) asked if they could use them so they could play 5 a side football in the hall without breaking the windows. Peter was very happy to let us do this. One of the acts, it may have been Screaming Lord Such left a coffin on the stage and at the Sunday night Youth club meeting one member got in the coffin and was carried across the crossing on City Road and into the church grounds right in front of a 95 bus. About half way across an arm was seen to come out of the lid, I don't know what the passengers must have thought.

Peter Stringfellow became a good friend of the Vicar and for many years kept in regular contact with him. What a character he is.

Same stage slightly different act.

Looking they other way down the hall

[DaveH]

"]Sorry to be pedantic but I think St Aiden's was his second club. The first being in a Church Hall on Nursery Street.

Got to agree with jignc here, St. Aidens was his second club, - although it was also called the "black cat"

However, it's great that drumbeat62 played there and has memories of it as I have already referred to this club in a couple of other threads on this site, mainly in connection with The Beatles first appearance in Sheffield in February 1963 which had to be switched from the St. Aidens Black Cat club to the Azena at Gleadless due to the size of the expected audience and the larger capacity of the Azena.

[jiginc]

Sorry to be pedantic but I think St Aiden's was his second club. The first being in a Church Hall on Nursery Street.

One of Peters problems was that as the lighter evenings came he need to black out the Hall. This was done with large sheets of hardboard suitably painted in gory colours. They had to be removable for the other users of the hall so they were supported on wooden batons held in place with metal brackets.

The youth club (AYPA) asked if they could use them so they could play 5 a side football in the hall without breaking the windows. Peter was very happy to let us do this. One of the acts, it may have been Screaming Lord Such left a coffin on the stage and at the Sunday night Youth club meeting one member got in the coffin and was carried across the crossing on City Road and into the church grounds right in front of a 95 bus. About half way across an arm was seen to come out of the lid, I don't know what the passengers must have thought.

Peter Stringfellow became a good friend of the Vicar and for many years kept in regular contact with him. What a character he is.

Same stage slightly different act.

Looking they other way down the hall

Just seen the post re FRANKINSTIEN AND THE MONSTERS thats the group that left coffin in the hall.

I wonder if they took it outside during a gig.

jiginc

[Guest Drumbeat62]

Sorry to be pedantic but I think St Aiden's was his second club. The first being in a Church Hall on Nursery Street.

Where was the 'Blue Moon Club' ?

[jiginc]

Where was the 'Blue Moon Club' ?

That sounds like the first one behind the church on Nursery Street.

Click here to see.

<http://maps.google.c...F8&ll=53.387654,-1.465666&spn=0,0.016458&z=16&layer=c&cbll=53.38775,-1.465778&panoid=9ji96rpVl2GSJvBggoD4NQ&cbp=12,11.06,,0,-2.63>

A friend has a copy of Peter's book I will ask her (if she still has it) to look it up.

jiginc

[Guest Drumbeat62]

That sounds like the first one behind the church on Nursery Street.

Click here to see.

<http://maps.google.c...F8&ll=53.387654,-1.465666&spn=0,0.016458&z=16&layer=c&cbll=53.38775,-1.465778&panoid=9ji96rpVl2GSJvBggoD4NQ&cbp=12,11.06,,0,-2.63>

A friend has a copy of Peter's book I will ask her (if she still has it) to look it up.jiginc

Well I can then assure you that the 'Blue Moon' was the second and not the first, initialy until we got on the gigging roller coaster we were regulars at the St Aidens Black Cat the Blue Moon wasn't opened until the following year (63 at the earliest) whereas we gigged at the Black cat around September 62.

[SteveHB]

Well I can then assure you that the 'Blue Moon' was the second and not the first, initialy until we got on the gigging roller coaster we were regulars at the St Aidens Black Cat the Blue Moon wasn't opened until the following year (63 at the earliest) whereas we gigged at the Black cat around September 62.

I think jiginc may be refering to the buildings shown in his link,

rather than the order of opening.

Strip Magazine .. An Interview with Peter Stringfellow

[DaveH]

One of the acts, it may have been Screaming Lord Such left a coffin on the stage and at the Sunday night Youth club meeting one member got in the coffin and was carried across the crossing on City Road and into the church grounds right in front of a 95 bus. About half way across an arm was seen to come out of the lid, I don't know what the passengers must have thought.

Well, if they crossed the crossingfrom St. Aidens Church Hall (Black Cat Club) who says they were going to St. Aidens church on the other side?

They could have walked up City Road a bit on the other side,

Past the house of the "White Witch" (anyone remember her?)

..and straight into City Road Cemetry

Seems a sensible place to be taking a coffin lol

[DaveH]

one member got in the coffin and was carried across the crossing on City Road

Off topic, but that particular crossing on City Road near the ends of Manor Lane and Dovercourt Road was known locally as "Dyson's Crossing" after the City councillor and one time Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Alderman Sydney Dyson.

Yes OK, a leading civic figure like Syd Dyson deserved better than a crossing named after him and officially of course "Dyson House" on Suffolk Road in town was named after him.

But Dyson, who lived locally, was once involved in a minor accident, as a pedestrian, whilst on that crossing and so it became known locally as Dyson's crossing.

I bet he had something to say about that and about road traffic safety in the next council meeting. lol

[jiginc]

Well, if they crossed the crossingfrom St. Aidens Church Hall (Black Cat Club) who says they were going to St. Aidens church on the other side?

They could have walked up City Road a bit on the other side,

Past the house of the "White Witch" (anyone remember her?)

..and straight into City Road Cemetry

Seems a sensible place to be taking a coffin

Actualy we took it through the Church Grounds and up to the Vicarage. I cannot remember what the Vicar said when he answered the door!!!!

[DaveH]

Sorry to be pedantic but I think St Aiden's was his second club. The first being in a Church Hall on Nursery Street.

One of Peters problems was that as the lighter evenings came he need to black out the Hall. This was done with large sheets of hardboard suitably painted in gory colours. They had to be removable for the other users of the hall so they were supported on wooden batons held in place with metal brackets.

The youth club (AYPA) asked if they could use them so they could play 5 a side football in the hall without breaking the windows. Peter was very happy to let us do this. One of the acts, it may have been Screaming Lord Such left a coffin on the stage and at the Sunday night Youth club meeting one member got in the coffin and was carried across the crossing on City Road and into the church grounds right in front of a 95 bus. About half way across an arm was seen to come out of the lid, I don't know what the passengers must have thought.

Peter Stringfellow became a good friend of the Vicar and for many years kept in regular contact with him. What a character he is.

Same stage slightly different act.

Looking they other way down the hall

So, it's been -

The Black Cat Club

A Scout Hut

A Youth Club

A Church Hall.

A Church

Makes you wonder how many uses and different types of events have taken place there over the years.

This is the building as it is today

[jiginc]

So, it's been -

The Black Cat Club

A Scout Hut

A Youth Club

A Church Hall.

A Church

Makes you wonder how many uses and different types of events have taken place there over the years.

This is the building as it is today

Other uses were,

A dance hall with live bands (these were proper dances as in come dancing) I was told the floor upstairs was a fully sprung wooden dance floor. A great job was putting down the chalk to make it slippy.

Downstairs was a three table billiard hall and as said the scout hut and Rover Den.

It had a full time caretaker who lived in the upstairs flat, later the flat was used as accommodation for the curates who helped the vicar.

Every year it had a Christmas Fayre, a major draw being the grotto and Father Christmas. The queue to see the grotto and meet Father Christmas stretched the full length of the hall up stairs down the back stairs and through the scout room.

The Grotto;

Milk Bar at the Christmas Fayre

The other users were the men's Group and the Mothers Union. Children's Play Group.

Even as a carpet sales room.

Like most Church Halls it was hired out for parties, weddings and birthdays.

Some time in the late 70's the Church was altered to create it's own meeting hall and the Church Hall sold off. As you can see it is now a Gospel Hall.

The association with Peter Stringfellow continues as I understand he supported the creation of the sound studio in what was the Vicars vestry. During a visit to Sheffield as a supporter of the Abbeydale Cinema revival Peter visited the Church and Hall, that must have been some trip down memory lane.

[DaveH]

Even as a carpet sales room.

Hey I can remember it being a carpet sales room at one time, - and until you mentioned it I had totally forgotten about that :huh:

[Guest Drumbeat62]

Another good thing about the Black Cat Club for me was that I could take my beginners gear and catch the 95 bus in Walkely and get off outside the club.

[DaveH]

Another good thing about the Black Cat Club for me was that I could take my beginners gear and catch the 95 bus in Walkely and get off outside the club.

That's a bit like applying for a job as a "handy man" and when asked the question in the interview "What makes you think you would be handy?" replying with "Well I only live up the street" lol