Milton’s Cellar by Casey Watson, 2023

The Milton’s Head Hotel was the building situated where the main entrance to Victoria Centre is now at the junction of Milton Street and Lower Parliament Street and was demolished in 1970. It held variety nights and in the late sixties, was home to jazz groups and for a couple of years, and in the cellar, new progressive blues groups under the banner of “Blues Train”.

In January 1967 landlord J.B. Etherington, after refurbishing the rooms, opened an old style music hall night with variety acts, singers and comedians in the long bar. Downstairs was the “Cellar” bar and the jazz community started using Milton’s Cellar for its gatherings. Also, there was the appropriately named “Folk Cellar” where as the name suggests folk artists were able to hold their meetings and perform. At the same time the Newshouse on St James Street was still holding folk gatherings and The Fox on upper Parliament Street had long been a venue for the jazz, blues and folk renegades of Nottingham. Folk music was made by the likes of Bill Clifton, The Journeymen Folk Group, Keith Chetwin, Dave Turner, Tony Rippon, Reg Cooper, Paraphernalia, The Lee Siders and jazz music attracted local and out of town names like Johnny Johnstone, Tommy Saville, Les Shaw, Gerry Marshall, Mel Thorpe and The Riverside House band.

At the beginning of 1968 the new progressive blues players made the “Milton’s Cellar” their home until December 16th 1969 when they had one final jam and then looked elsewhere for a new blues venue. The “Blues Train” was a night organised by Roger Dennis who had started this venture at the Bodega in late 1967 and moved it after a couple of months.

The “Raw Meat Blues Band” was led by guitarist Tony Crosby with drummer was Mick Winfield. Rick Kenton, Mick Wheat, Steve Harris and John Sanderson as “Woody Kern” soon established themselves as a fine unit and secured a record deal with Pye Records. “Life Without Mother” featured Harold Burgon, Al Gascoigne, Steve Otter and later Mick Wheat. The “Red House Blues Band” was led by Tim Disney with Mick Broughton, Bill Clifton and John Bryant. Tony Crosbie would join them later when the Raw Meat Blues Band disbanded. The “Harvey Stuart Group” had been on the scene for a couple of years and had in it’s ranks Colin Staples, Ray Northfield, Fred Smith and Mick Mellors all later of Nottingham seventies fave’s “Cisco”. Almost Grown with Steve Boyle, Kev Davies, Pat Wood and Colin Atkin also played progressive blues there. By January 1969 Colin Staples left the Harvey Stuart Group and played with Al Gascoigne. The Harvey Stuart Group relocated to London but did still visit Nottingham for gigs. Colin Staples formed his first “Colin Staples Blues Band” in January 1969 sometimes calling himself “Lord Colin Staples“. “Injun” featured Chris Steer and Ian Belton and after the demise of “The Tadpole Lane and District County Council Charity Band” a young Paul “Beano” Summers met Colin Staples and started a musical partnership which is still operating today. In May 1969 “Red Wine” were described as Progressive Blues band and they were led by brothers Paul and Trevor Dickens. Another group were called “The Wait“. In November 1969, Tim Disney formed a new group called “Merlin’s Wake” with Al Gascoigne, Steve Otter, Mick Wheat and Harold Burgon. “Acid Truth“, “Symbiosis” and “Mamal” may have been band names or the name of a particular jam session and in the great tradition of the blues many of the musicians depped for each other and joined in jam sessions.

Other guests included Yonders Wall, Axis Blues (which may have been a short lived name for one of Tim Disney’s line ups), Terry Williams, Roger Norman who also sang on the folk nights, Rave Flute. Steve Whiteley, Modern Idiot Grunt Band, Ginnia Finn and Seamus Beg. From Birmingham came the Bakerloo Blues Line who shortened their name to Bakerloo achieving an album release in 1969 with a role call of names who would feature in many early seventies groups.

In January 1970 the bulldozers moved in and when the Milton’s Head was demolished, J.B. Etherington took over the licence of the Fountain on Bridlesmith Gate. The new Victoria Centre rose in the early seventies and is still a landmark in Nottingham today.