Those Golden nights
Last updated 09:20, Saturday, 14 June 2008
It’s good to hear from Tom Lomas again, who is a well-known drummer on the music circuit.
Today he recalls his time playing at The Golden Fleece, Ruleholme, a favourite venue in the Sixties and Seventies.
“One night, a chap knocked on my door and asked if I would like to play at a hotel called Ruleholme. Having never heard of the place, he began to describe it in glowing terms. How vibrant and popular the place had become and what a great singer/guitarist they had.
“The chap who knocked on my door was Ritchie Jefferson who played the piano and the singer in question was Maurice Petrie.
“My first night was a real eye-opener. The place was all Ritchie had said it was and so, of course, was the singer. Maurice would sing a few songs and then invite members from the audience onto the stage to sing a couple of songs.
“Early in the night of course, not many people were too keen to perform (understandably) and Maurice would have a bit of fun teasing them until eventually someone would take the plunge and, to huge applause, kick off the night’s entertainment.
“Occasionally, a singer would set off in the wrong key but Ritchie had become adept at quickly finding the right key and it was all part of the fun. A few performers did take things quite seriously and would give it their all and bring the house down.
“A number of these performers went on to better things, and one person is still working to this day and doing very nicely thank-you.
“That first night for me was quite hectic as, no sooner had we finished at Ruleholme, we had to pack our gear and set off for another place called Kirklinton Hall, which was a nightclub with the usual gambling features, roulette, blackjack, plus of course the glamorous croupiers.
“We would provide the backing for that night’s cabaret artiste, then transfer to the ballroom for general dancing until whatever time the owner Ted Cain decided, which could be anytime after midnight. Ted was a charismatic Londoner who knew what people wanted. Everyone except of course the police and fire brigade who were always raiding him, due to his apparent disregard to the number of people he had in the hall and any fire precautions.
“A few months more and Ted had to beat a hasty retreat back to his native London.
“We then returned to our less hectic Saturday and Sunday night at Ruleholme. When the breathalyser came into force it had a big impact on the hotel. I eventually joined The Edenaires... this time it was for more than one night! I’ll tell you about that next time.”
Did you go to Ruleholme? Tell Timeline your memories.
