1970's Cleopatra's Nightclub

'Cleopatras', if memory serves, was in the tower building on the front! Spent the entire  fortnight of my 1st holiday without my parents in 1977 !. After many years and many holidays, THAT fortnight still ranks as one of my favourites !. My best mate, Billy (sadly, no longer with us !) and I had an absolute ball - the very first night we went to the Long Beach bar and met a fantastic crowd who we met up with every night after for the duration of the holidays !. I had a holiday romance and Billy had a holiday 'girl fest' - we all had a great time and there was no trouble/fights the whole 2 weeks - bit of a rarity seeing as the majority were teenagers but there you go !

Cleopatra's was on the first floor of the Tower building opposite the Casino run by Ted Hardwick. One of the door securities was Italian Joe. I can't remember who owned it at that time ,but it was a fairly popular place. I worked upstairs in the Tower Ballroom and often got to go downstairs on a break. Joe was a real treasure, he later went to a bar not far from Cleopatra's, by that time it had changed names.

loved cleopatras ....great music ......happy days there

Had the best time there back in the 70’s. Met my first love Keith from Lowestoft, holiday romance that lasted a good few years, happy days with Nicky and Ricky. I wonder where they are now ……. Me returned in 2011 to live in Caister 

I played drums and percussion professionally and worked as a professional musician for many years. I was taught by drummer/bandleader Colin Copeman of The Trevor Copeman Band which was resident in The Tower ballroom in Great Yarmouth throughout the 1960's and 1970's. Sadly Colin passed away on March 17th 2019 at the age of 86.

One of my early bands called SILVER LINNING which consisted of myself on drums Barney Hackett on lead guitar,  Tony Hackett on lead vocals and Danny Johns on bass and we played Cleopatras Nightclub situated on the second floor of the tower complex during the early 1970,s.

I noticed when we entered the nightclub that the DJ was raised off the floor fenced off inside what seem to resemble a bird cage, I guess in case someone decided to flex their muscles when I thought something else  to look forward to. I also recall us on one occasion during the early 1970's playing a gig in The Tower Ballroom alongside The Alan Dennis Band.

              'AH' GREAT DAYS  FRANTIC TIMES

In recent years some time ago I was asked to take part in a documentary for the BBC along with Peter Jay drummer with 60's band Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers now owner of the Hippodrome Circus about the Great Yarmouth music scene of the 1960's which all you music lovers out there can view on Youtube.  Enjoy!

ALL THE BEST

KEEP SWINGING

JOE.