Web Page 2068
6th July 2014
Top Picture; Kontiki Bar
Second Picture: Sinah Warren Hotel
Third Picture: Hayling sand dunes
A Night Out
Growing up in the 1960’s meant
that we travelled from childhood into adulthood and one of the advantages of
getting older was that we became drivers after passing our Driving Tests and
transport became available, even though it might just have been borrowing
fathers car at first before the cash flow was good enough to buy your own car.
Once on the road all sorts of venues for an evening
out became available, The Royal Oak at Hooks Way, The L shaped Room in The Bull
in Chichester and the Hole in the Wall Club also in Chichester and the Concorde
Club in Southampton. But to go a little upmarket it meant a trip off the mainland
and onto Hayling Island.
The venue on Hayling was the Kontiki Bar which was
within the Sinah Warren hotel complex. As can be seen from the picture the
whole place was done out as a traditional Polynesian hut with a long bar all
along one side and booths for the drinkers ranged opposite. At one end was a
small stage and the evenings that I went were the evenings when there was a
jazz band appearing.
This was a prestige venue and was guaranteed to
impress any girl that you took there although I must admit that one of my
companions, when asked what she wanted to drink, surprised me by asking for a
Bat’s Blood. At that time I was drinking Black Velvet’s but Bats Blood was a
new one on me. I made my way to the bar and asked for my drink and then for
hers. The barman said ‘a what?’ so I repeated the order. ‘Never heard of it
mate.’ he said, what is it?’ Well, there I was completely stumped so I had to
go back to the booth we were sitting in and ask her what the drink consisted of
and was told cider and blackcurrant, on returning to the bar and telling the
barman he responded ‘well, that’s a new one on me!’
As far as I remember my relationship with this young
lady did not last long and I am ashamed to say that I have forgotten the young
ladies last name, although I do remember her first name was Susan, but the
story really sticks in my mind and as I will relate it followed me around for
quite some time.
Whilst I was at college I worked as a part time
waiter on many occasions at Sinah Warren and was consequently entitled to staff
discount at the bar, which was very helpful during an evening out when I had a
limited budget. But of course it had to happen, the barman one evening
recognised me and said’ hey weren’t you the bloke who wanted a Bats Blood?’ The
word soon got round the permanent staff that this was the bloke who asked for a
strange drink.
It then progressed from there; firstly while working
I became known as Bats Blood for a short time, this was then shortened to BB
and then some bright spark realised that there was a famous sexy French actress
with these initials and so for the rest of my time working at Sinah I was known
as ‘Bridget’. As I normally worked on a
Saturday evenings I was soon known as Bridget at weekends. I am only very
grateful that none of my mates in the Drayton area at the time learnt of my
unfortunate nickname. Please keep this quiet as I have not mentioned this for
years!
On leaving the Kontiki to be alone the usual thing
was to go and park in the sand dunes but even that pleasure is denied to todays
youth as all the sand dune have been flattened and taken away. Health and
safety I suppose. These Coucils have no romance in their souls these
days!!!!!
Stay in touch
Peter
DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
You Write:
News and Views:
On this Day 6th July
1960-1965
On 08/07/1960 the number one single was
Good Timin' - Jimmy Jones and the number
one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide
(ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho.
A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to
becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 06/07/1961 the number one single was Runaway - Del Shannon and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Harpers
West One (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and
One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and
Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
The big news story of the day was Mario Dubois born.
On 06/07/1962 the number one single was Come Outside - Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard and the number
one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street
(Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia.
A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to
becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was
94 die in Bombay air crash.
On 06/07/1963 the number one single was I Like It - Gerry & the Pacemakers and the number one
album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street
(Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of
today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the
Season's Division 1 champions.
On 06/07/1965 the number one single was I'm Alive - Hollies and the number one album was The Sound of
Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street
(Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound
of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to
becoming the Season's Division 1 champions
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