A Memory of Growing Up in Tottenham - Tottenham Royal

By David Clinch


 

 

My first taste of an exciting social life, mostly on Thursday evenings in the mid to late 1960s. Always great sounds, especially Soul, Blue Beat, Rock Steady and Ska. The DJs would also have ‘Dream Time’ which was the signal for unattached young men to ask unattached young women for a slow dance. It was all very binary in those days, or so we thought!

'Mods' were often dressed in Fred Perry tops, Levi Sta Prest trousers and loafer shoes or in two-tone mohair suits, young women in mohair jackets and matching skirts. Jeans weren’t allowed. Some of the older ones would have arrived on Lambretta scooters, of which I was very envious.

 

MODS DANCING AT TOTTENHAM ROYAL IN 1961

ALONGSIDE THE DAVE CLARK FIVE
 

THIS EVOCOTIVE PHOTO BY KEN HAYNES SHOWS THE ROYAL IN THE BACKGROUND AND A
LAMBRETTA SCOOTER IN THE FOREGROUND

My brother John and Lynne his then girlfriend (later they married) once won a Sam and Dave album in a dance competition at The Royal.

Sometimes it could be dangerous in particular if a gang known as ‘The Highbury Mob' led by a certain, feared, Jacky Groves were in. They were easily identifiable in their sheepskin coats.

Often there’d be a punch up as people were leaving, usually for something as innocuous as bumping into someone by accident earlier in the evening and not apologising quick enough or looking at someone’s ‘bird’ aka ‘sort’ the wrong way.

 

A large crowd would gather outside at the end of the evening, as the poor bloke who had been identified came out to face a beating. The police station was literally across the road with the doors firmly closed. They weren't interested, neither were the bouncers who everyone disliked, as they were often violent when ejecting people for alleged misbehaviour.
 
 
AMEN CORNER
(With Andy Fairweather-Low)

BEN E KING


DAVE CLARK FIVE – TOTTENHAM ROYAL

THE MIGIL FIVE

It was also where I first saw Andy Fairweather-Low and Amen Corner. Ben E King also played there as well as The Dave Clark Five, The Migil Five and the Ray McVay Orchestra who all had residencies.

David Clinch

February 2022