Fforde Greene pub.

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 1:06 am

zip55 wrote: What was the hole-in-the-wall Club nearby? Strega.

Hats Off · Post by **Hats Off** » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 1:32 am

Is that Irish club 'Delanies' still there, it wasn't far from Kwik Save ?

zip55 · Post by **zip55** » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 2:14 am

I always thought it was the Strega, but seeing other posts in here people mentioned another Strega in town maybe. Was there two?

fevlad · Post by **fevlad** » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 8:10 am

Hats Off wrote: Is that Irish club 'Delanies' still there, it wasn't far from Kwik Save ? yes, walked past it yesterday

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 11:28 am

zip55 wrote: I always thought it was the Strega, but seeing other posts in here people mentioned another Strega in town maybe. Was there two? yes it was deffo the strega, It got closed down maybe 8-10 years ago.

iansmithofotley · Post by **iansmithofotley** » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 2:33 pm

Hi everyone,I don't know what is meant by a 'hole in the wall' club. During the late 1970/80's the Strega Club was a small basement discotheque type club on Roundhay Road, opposite the Clock buildings and on the Chapeltown side of the road. At that time it was owned by a West Indian man called Kenny Abbisetti. The club was mainly frequented by West Indians. There was always a suspicion of illegal gambling taking place in another room for 'friends'. It also had a reputation for drugs and it was also frequented by many prostitutes and their pimps. It was a great place for listening to Reggae or Blues music. Personally, I always found it to be a friendly place, as was Kenny. I spent many happy hours there. I lost touch with the place after 1982 so I do not know what happened to it after that.Ian.

Si · Post by Si » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 3:00 pm

Sounds like a place I went once, Ian, (late 70s) but I can't remember if it had a name. I think it was in that area, though - long time ago! I was into reggae at the time.

iansmithofotley · Post by **iansmithofotley** » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 4:21 pm

Hi Si,There was another club, similar but bigger, situated at the junction of Francis Street and Nassau Place. It was generally known as the International Club but also went under other names such as the Cosmos Club, etc. I seem to remember that the building was owned by a chap called Ashley Hyman who was one of only a few West Indian business and property owners in Chapeltown, at that time. His son later had (still has?) a jewellery shop at the top of Eastgate. The International Club was managed by two chaps called Lloyd and George (who later went on to manage the Hayfield Pub at the junction of Chapeltown Road and Reginald Terrace, before it was closed down). Again, the Reggae music was great and there was always a good atmosphere. It also became very popular with students from Leeds University and, I believe, there were special nights for them with guest bands to suit their tastes. The down side was that it was generally a place of ill repute and throughout the 1960/70's was also frequented by the criminal fraternity, particularly in the late afternoon. In those days, when the pubs were closed between 3pm and 5.30pm, drinkers would exit the pubs (typically in East Street, Cross Green, East End Park, Gipton, Halton Moor, Wykebeck and Seacoft areas, besides the city centre) at 3.10pm and go to a Working Man's Club or a place like the International Club until the pubs re-opened at 5.30pm. Some would also return after the pubs closed at 10.30pm, or 11pm or during the early hours. There were often complaints from local residents about places such as the International and Strega Clubs but I always remember an occasion when the Police tried to close the International Club down by opposing the grant/renewal of liquor licences. The Stipendiary Magistrate in Leeds at the time, John Randolph, refused the Police objection and said "There is a need for places like this for the people in this area (Chapeltown) so I will disregard the objection and grant the licence". I also remember the Police making a similar objection with regard to the Shaheen Club at Sheepscar but, again, it was refused. In the end, the Police involved the Fire Brigade and the place was closed down due to Fire Regulations and the fact that the main dance floor area was unsafe due to the weight of too many people. The place later re-opened with a limit on the numbers of people.Another thing that used to happen is that people (usually drunk) would often complain, between say 2am and 6am, "I have been robbed outside a nightclub in Louis Street (or Bankside Street or Back ????? Street)". No 'nightclubs' existed in these places and they had in fact been to a Shabeen (also called 'Blues') and had been robbed when they left. Because they had had to pay to enter, and had to pay for their drinks, some (naive) people, or visitors from elsewhere, thought that the premises were legitimate and they had been to a club. No doubt many other people were also mugged but never complained because of where they were, where they had been and who they had been with, and they did not want their families to find out. Happy days.Ian.

Si · Post by Si » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 4:57 pm

Thanks, Ian. The International rings a bell, but I have a feeling that where we went was an illegal drinking den - friendly, though, and great music.

wiggy · Post by **wiggy** » Thu 27 Mar, 2008 5:14 pm

iansmithofotley wrote: Hi Si,There was another club, similar but bigger, situated at the junction of Francis Street and Nassau Place. It was generally known as the International Club but also went under other names such as the Cosmos Club, etc. I seem to remember that the building was owned by a chap called Ashley Hyman who was one of only a few West Indian business and property owners in Chapeltown, at that time. His son later had (still has?) a jewellery shop at the top of Eastgate. The International Club was managed by two chaps called Lloyd and George (who later went on to manage the Hayfield Pub at the junction of Chapeltown Road and Reginald Terrace, before it was closed down). Again, the Reggae music was great and there was always a good atmosphere. It also became very popular with students from Leeds University and, I believe, there were special nights for them with guest bands to suit their tastes. The down side was that it was generally a place of ill repute and throughout the 1960/70's was also frequented by the criminal fraternity, particularly in the late afternoon. In those days, when the pubs were closed between 3pm and 5.30pm, drinkers would exit the pubs (typically in East Street, Cross Green, East End Park, Gipton, Halton Moor, Wykebeck and Seacoft areas, besides the city centre) at 3.10pm and go to a Working Man's Club or a place like the International Club until the pubs re-opened at 5.30pm. Some would also return after the pubs closed at 10.30pm, or 11pm or during the early hours. There were often complaints from local residents about places such as the International and Strega Clubs but I always remember an occasion when the Police tried to close the International Club down by opposing the grant/renewal of liquor licences. The Stipendiary Magistrate in Leeds at the time, John Randolph, refused the Police objection and said "There is a need for places like this for the people in this area (Chapeltown) so I will disregard the objection and grant the licence". I also remember the Police making a similar objection with regard to the Shaheen Club at Sheepscar but, again, it was refused. In the end, the Police involved the Fire Brigade and the place was closed down due to Fire Regulations and the fact that the main dance floor area was unsafe due to the weight of too many people. The place later re-opened with a limit on the numbers of people.Another thing that used to happen is that people (usually drunk) would often complain, between say 2am and 6am, "I have been robbed outside a nightclub in Louis Street (or Bankside Street or Back ????? Street)". No 'nightclubs' existed in these places and they had in fact been to a Shabeen (also called 'Blues') and had been robbed when they left. Because they had had to pay to enter, and had to pay for their drinks, some (naive) people, or visitors from elsewhere, thought that the premises were legitimate and they had been to a club. No doubt many other people were also mugged but never complained because of where they were, where they had been and who they had been with, and they did not want their families to find out. Happy days.Ian. yeah! the international/cosmos became the phoenix,after it was burned down.this was long before peter kayes excellent tv series.