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I was only about 12-14 and remember it always kicking off down there with hundreds of Mods/skinheads? I'm not sure I was to young but I seem to recall it was always Pre planned event for a ruck. Was it Barry Island or Porthcawl? Im sure this happened?
Porthcawl was the big one out this way , scrapping on Coney beachQuote:
Originally Posted by uncle bob
I was too busy dangling my rod off the pier
Are you sure your mind's not playing tricks on you.
I think you're about 20 years out!!:hehe:
I think every teenager / youth from Barry worked on the Island at some time in their life.
I did Butlins, the Fairground (the Log Flume) and various arcades.
I really don’t recall skins/mods battling away on the island, but it was always pretty lively in the evenings…. The Friars, the Pelican, the Bier Keller
…… but I do remember the London Road Rats MC turning up one Bank Holiday and mayhem breaking out that night.
Ok, anyone put a name to this bar on the Island?
...... as you exited the train station, it was on your right, you didn't need to cross any road, perhaps just 60 metres or so from the station entrance.
Small bar, with a pool table I recall. I only went in there the one time, but often wondered about its opening hours - was it only open during the summer period and what kind of trade did it do?
I couldn't imagine it being open in the winter, of course I might be wrong on that.
Not sure how long ago you're talking about, but It's Finnegan's Inn now. It was The Acropolis for as long as I can remember. It was a bar/nightclub and they also had the chippy next door (but they knocked through to extend the bar after changing owners). They opened the Quasar upstairs in the 90s too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock_Flock_of_Five
It's open throughout the year now (as it was back in the day) as a restaurant/bar.
I'm not even sure myself as to when it was, probably in the mid-90's. Nightclub as well, eh! Why is it that in my mind's-eye, I picture the place as being very small?Quote:
Originally Posted by Heisenberg
Bank holiday was always lively early 80s in Barry Island.Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle bob
I used to see hundreds of skinheads there every bank holiday along with gangs of punks i never saw many mods.
I remember a load of bikers turning up at a pub near the seafront and it kicking off i think some of the bikers got stabbed or beaten up as i remember a few ambulance and lot's of police turning up.
As for Porthcawl my family always stayed on trecco during the miners fortnight early 80s. It was popular to gang up with other young skins, punks and trendies as we called them and fight the fair boys who were a tougher older bunch than us.
I also remember joining up with Merthyr , Rhondda and Aberdare boys and fighting a biggish gang of Newport boys outside jolly jesters in Trecco..
The main Mods and Rockers era was in the 1960's. I recall Porthcawl being a place where rivals clashed but never Barry. The 1980's much too recent for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle bob
I did the luggage trolleys at Butlins and then worked as a drinks waiter in the Pig & Whistle. On the fair I worked on the Helter Skelter, the People Mover and the Dodgems. My main memory of the fair is having to occasionally work on the bins.Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcP
Then our paths must certainly have crossed.Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCBlue
I was the stage manager of the Pig & Whistle for about 3 summer seasons.
Taffy Apple were the resident group when I did my stint.
I did one summer as an 18 year old at Porthcawl. Hard work for rubbish money as mostly clearing up the rubbish and looking for parents whose kids had wandered off. They were normally in the bar! No idea about the original query although I do remember the Echo used to run scare stories about bank holiday bedlam in the late 70’s but aside from one incident I think the only issue was rubbish weather.
Add, part cooked chips, stale sandwiches and cakes, cold tea/coffee, warm beer and you’d just about be there :hehe:Quote:
Originally Posted by Majorblue
And you’re still trying to dangle your rod - with less success, my friend. 😜Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
I remember going down the Island with my mates probably 1985 on a bank holiday.
We could get a 353 bus from the top of Ely.
We were all dressed as trendies pringle fila etc when we got off the bus we were accosted by a group of skinheads who were a bit older than us they talked to us and said we were OK it was the Mods they were after.
We walked over to the front and there was a good 50 or 60 scooters parked up. There was also a certain message board owner with about 30 of Cardiffs finest with him.
It all went off the mods did a runner leaving their scooters they ran around the headland to the bay by the causeway.
The fun over they turned their attention to a man with his Mrs on the beach wearing a jack top.
I'm not the message board owners biggest fan but he intervened and stopped the bullying.
I distinctly remember train loads of mods descending off the from Barry Island train , all crombied up with redQuote:
Originally Posted by uncle bob
handkerchiefs visible in top pocket , ox blood boots or loafers
Please don't mention the forum owner or there will be a thread and book out about it :hehe:Quote:
Originally Posted by insider
Crombies and ox-blood boots was the attire of skinheads, not mods.Quote:
Originally Posted by life on mars
Quote:
Originally Posted by life on mars
CorrectQuote:
Originally Posted by Rock_Flock_of_Five
Most MODS (not Mike’s type), were married and living in suburbia by the 80’s
There was a renaissance in the late 70's/early 80's of the mod style, of which I was a part of. ;o)Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUETIT
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock_Flock_of_Five
Where did you get your “mohair suits” made ????
Most good tailors had shut by then, but Goodfellow & French, May still have been trading. Best tailor in town
Me too, I’d say it continued until the mid 80’s. Mods were always young it seemed though, hanging out in littlewoods cafe average age must have been 16. I was about 13. Had run ins with skins too used to chase us around the place. All part of the fun going into town back then. It was like the warriors on a very small scale....:hehe:Quote:
Originally Posted by Rock_Flock_of_Five
In the original Mods /Rockers era the Mods had motor scooters and wore Parkas and the Rockers rode motor bikes and wore leather jackets. I forgot about the later Mods who wore smart suits and cut their hair short but I can't imagine those guys wanting to fight as any kind of scuffle would put their hair out of place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vindec
You forgot the Paul Weller “hairstyle”
Jam shoes or bowling shoesQuote:
Originally Posted by BLUETIT
The red hankerchief was the pocket lining pulled out to look like one :biggrin:Quote:
Originally Posted by life on mars
August bank holiday 1983 was a bit lairy I recall
on the one side we had the skins and punks the other Mods and scooter boys/ girls just outside the fun fair think they were called the Cardiff Cougers if my memory serves me correct . Police running all over the place to keep apart . remember it well as my mates car took a kicking who i was with
Not the Mini?Quote:
Originally Posted by MOZZER2
The blue one?Quote:
Originally Posted by valleys caveman
Can't remember the colour, but Mozzers old avatar was a picture of him and an old Mini. I have a blue one though.Quote:
Originally Posted by xsnaggle
I remember the Radio One roadshow with Smiley Miley and Wack Wack Oops DLT - Bits and Pieces with some thicko and special guests are per effin usual Bad Manners. then trying my hardest to get off with Cardiff girls and failing badlyQuote:
Originally Posted by uncle bob
Mod revival kind of died in 82 when the Jam and Secret Affair split
Squire, Purple Hearts, beggar were still going I think....Mods mayday 79 is one of my fave albums of all timeQuote:
Originally Posted by binman
you have a good memory caveman yes that old yellow mini got a bit of abuse that dayQuote:
Originally Posted by valleys caveman
that short MOD revival back in 79 to 83 did bring some good music fair play
my fav from that short lived revival
my world :music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiClYIr6-sA
It kicked off in all the seaside towns but they say places like Brighton were warzones back in the old days
a tune that was played on a regular basis at ninian park by ali at that time
time for action ...great times
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZCOwnMEVvE
Saw them in the Top Rank. They were surprisingly good. That first album was good too.Quote:
Originally Posted by MOZZER2
a great time to be alive and be a teenager NYC
punk / skin / 2 tone / new wave /mod / rockabilly revivals etc
1983 was the end of it which of course gave us the smiths and bunnymen for the rest of the 80's to laud over
When I lived in the N East of England there were 10 pubs and clubs within easy walking distance of my house.Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
You could guarantee that on any Bank holiday of the year there would be a fight in every single one of them before 6 PM.
That include Good Friday and Boxing day (appropriate name really lol)
It simply wasn't safe to go out on those days, literally.