Nottingham Club and venue 1963 – 1970’s

Original club, Drury Hill August 1963 – Autumn 1967
Relocated club, Heathcote Street, Hockley – Late 1967 – 70’s

The Club Pigalle was situated at 24 Drury Hill, Nottingham. Opened in August 1963 it offered a Casino, Bars and Dancing. Club cabaret acts were booked but occasionally beat groups like Sons and Lovers, Six Across, The Lovin and the M.I.5. played there. Sometimes called Pig Hall, with doormen called Geoff Ash & Trevor Wood, the clientele would drink and play cards till the end of the night.

It was opened by licensee and manager Bruce Wells, a former British and European amateur middleweight boxing champion living in Ilkeston. Harlesden born Bruce Wells was an acclaimed amateur boxer, in the RAF, and who later went into minor acting roles and working as a stuntman. He appeared in various episodes of Dr Who as a Thal, Cyberman, Alien guard and an episode of Minder in 1984. He once fought Muhammad Ali in a charity match in 1977.

Froggy on the Nottstalgia forum 2010 remembered:
“Anyone remember Bruce Wells’ Pigole Club in Drury Hill? I never went in but tried once. I was out on the town with my drinking and prowling buddy when another friend of his spotted us. He suggested that we went to the Pigole, saying that he helped Bruce out when there was some trouble and was given a free meal. So, off we trotted full of hope. As we stood down the step from the door a lady in a fur coat turned up. ‘Hello Judy, said the new guy. She gave him a dirty look and said nothing. The door opened and a guy in a smart suit wedged his shoulders between the door posts, asked Judy who we were and let her in. Then he wedged his shoulders back in place. This was Bruce Wells, the one time amateur boxer.
‘Ah’, said Bruce pointing a finger down at the face of the new guy, ‘You’re the customer who didn’t pay his bill.’ As my mate and I looked at the new guy in surprise and annoyance, another toughy, resplendent in sheepskin coat, arrived behind us. I won’t bother with the rest of the conversation but lets’ say that we were promised a good thumping if we didn’t clear off. We cleared off. There’s a sequel to this. A few weeks ago, in a restaurant here in Thailand, I met a Londoner who used to work behind the Pigole Bar. After he gave me some more background on the place we worked out that he was probably there that very night. Small world”.

1964

1966

From a “Nottingham Way Back When..” Facebook post, Catherine Brooksby remembered:
“The Club Pigalle was definitely on Drury Hill. Used to go there every Wednesday. Five shillings to get in, five shillings for 19 Benson & Hedges and five shillings for a brandy and Babycham. We could only afford one drink. Remember seeing The Children there”.
The Children became The Lovin who did play there. It was either one or the same gig or maybe they played more than once under both names.

A fire in May 1966 caused a lot of damage but Bruce Wells had it refitted and the club opened its doors once more.

1967

However, the longevity as a club was always in doubt. While excepting that progress is always needed, by the summer of 1967 plans to knock down and clear the area of Drury Hill became a reality. One of the oldest streets in Nottingham with buildings of historic interest was set to be bulldozed to make way for the new Broad Marsh bus station and even after all these years must still rank as one of the worst decisions made by our City Council in the last century with tourist possibilities reminiscent of the middle ages area of York called the Shambles.

Added to that the destruction of the Black Boy Hotel and even the Milton’s Head Hotel in 1970 and 1971 some great landmarks of Nottingham were destroyed with opportunities lost.

1968 – Heathcote Street

By January 1968 the Pigalle relocated (in name) to the corner of Heathcote Street in Hockley and in May 1968 Bill Haley and the Comets played at the Pigalle. The legendary Scottish footballer Jim Baxter, who signed for Nottingham Forest at the end of 1967, was a late night drinker and would sometimes be seen in the Pigalle.

1969

1970

The clubs future, however, was to be short lived. In February 1970 a club “on” licence transfer was granted at the Pigalle Club, Heathcote Buildings, Heathcote Street, from Neil Smith to Roy Oaks and Michael Parker. Music, singing and dancing licence transfers were granted from Bridget Casey and Michael Parker to Roy Oaks and Michael Parker.

Later in 1971 licence applications were becoming difficult, and some trouble eventually led the club to close its doors sometime in the seventies.