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Wood Green Jazz Club

Wood Green Jazz Club, The Fishmongers Arms and Bourne Hall.

Last month (March 2010) Eddie Fowler who runs the Wood Green Local Knowledge Club, wrote to say that he believed Django Reinhardt gave a cup to the winner of a Quintet competion in 1938 at the Gig Club, Bourne Hall, Wood Green. Eddie wondered whether this could have been the Wood Green Jazz Club at the Fishmonger's Arms, 287 High Road, Wood Green, London, N22 8HU (now a block of flats, says Eddie).

'I would be grateful for any help the enquiry generates as this detail will soon disappear - Bourne Hall seems odd, and yet the jazz club didn't exist then as the Fishmonger's Arms. Maybe a local community hall?'

We have received a number of replies, and trombonist Tony Milliner came with us to take a look at the 2010 version of the Fishmongers Arms (click on the picture for a larger image). The building is still there and the tiled facade at the bottom and the general exterior seems to have been preserved, including the name Fishmongers Arms at the top of the building. Much of the ground floor is now occupied by Police Station offices, and as one of our correspondents says, the rest of the building has been turned into flats accessed by a small door to the far left.

Tony Milliner remembers the two doors to the left of the building being those the bands used to take in their gear, and to go into Bourne Hall. Bourne Hall was part of the Fishmongers Arms, but a separate room at the back of the building, says Tony. Our second picture shows that something was once attached to the side but has since been removed to build new houses.

Trumpeter Bunny Austin writes:

The Bourne Hall was a wooden hall attached to the Fishmongers Arms. The Fishmongers pub was on the corner of Trinity Road and Wood Green High Road. This hall became the Wood Green Jazz Club run by Art and Vi Sanders circa 1947-8, but the Bourne Hall was used as a local dance hall during the 1920s. I know this is correct because in 1950 I played in a band with pianist Les Stanford, born in 1902, and Les told me he played in the Bourne Hall during the 1920s and 30s. The Bourne Hall became a favourite venue for the first Alex Welch band, but before he played there Art Sanders booked the Dutch Swing College band about 1949 and Joe Daniels jazz band around 1951 with Dave Shepherd, Alan Wickham, Nevil Skriumshaw, etc.
With regards to the the Django  presentation  at the Gig Club, maybe this could have been put on by members of the musicians union North London branch? I was in the MU in 1959 and we used to have meetings over at Bush Hill Park, not far from Wood Green. Lots of the members then were of pre-WW2 vintage and I'm sure they would have been keen to meet Django.

Clarinetist and bandleader Alvin Roy recalls:

Bourne Hall was indeed where Wood Green Jazz Club was situated. Bourne Hall was attached to the Fishmongers Arms and as you entered the doorway, you turned left and walked a short distance down a corridor to enter the club. If you turned right you went into the pub, which had its main entrance facing the High Road (Green Lanes). Art Sanders was usually stationed in the corridor at the entrance of the club ready to have a friendly chat as he took your money. The Fishmongers is still there, but Bourne Hall is now flats and part of our youthful memories has gone ... sad but inevitable.

Mike Durell agrees:

Regarding Bourne Hall and Wood Green, it was part of the Fishmongers Arms pub (at the rear of the pub). I played there many times.

Richard White also writes from south-east Asia:

I am writing in response to your query about the "Bourne Hall" in the Wood Green area.  I am writing from south-east Asia and so do not have access to any written records, but I was a denizen of Wood Green Jazz Club and the Fishmongers Arms from approximately 1960 to 1970.   For a few years I had a flat within walking distance and I am sure that I can recall the name of the hall behind the "Fish" being Bourne Hall. I was sorry to read that it is now a block of flats. I'm about to go to a meeting so will have to stop soon.  Just another twelve bars - I have so many more than fond memories of  Art and Viv and all the great bands and musicians I saw at Wood Green Jazz Club. So I'll be writing a bit more at some later date.

Tony Milliner also remembers a notice put up for a gig with the Alex Welch band featuring George Melly. It advertised: 'Belch and Belly'!

Django, Bourne Hall Gig Club and Paul Vernon

(From Eddie Fowler, February 2010)

As you will probably know, 2010 marks the centenary of the great gypsy jazz guitarist, Django Reinhardt. According to Eddie Fowler who runs the Wood Green Local Knowledge Club, Django gave a cup to the winner of a Quintet competion in 1938 at the Gig Club, Bourne Hall, Wood Green. Eddie wonders whether this could have been the Wood Green Jazz Club at the Fishmonger's Arms, 287 High Road, Wood Green, London, N22 8HU (now a block of flats, says Eddie). Can anyone help? Eddie has a parallel interest in that he runs a website for guitarist Paul Vernon who continues the Gypsy Jazz / Manouche tradition in London. 'I would be grateful for any help the enquiry generates as this detail will soon disappear - Bourne Hall seems odd, and yet the jazz club didn't exist then as the Fishmonger's Arms. Maybe a local community hall?' Please contact us if you can help.

Wood Green Stompers

(From Ron Prentice, February 2010)

Ron Prentice (double bass and bass guitar) writes: "I saw your web site and was most interested to read about Wood Green Jazz Club at the Fishmongers Arms. I started my career in music at that club when at the age of 19 I joined The Wood Green Stompers. I was 19 and Terry was 17, I well remember backing Big Bill Broonzy sometime in the early 50s. I left Terry to join Eric Silk and after a year or so gave up jazz to earn more money in dance bands. As a young semi- pro I used to work at Woodall House in Lordship Lane. I still play a mixture of music including some jazz. If you would like to see my web site look me up on Ron Prentice musician." Ron who now lives in Somerset has worked with the Exe City Big Band (based at Exeter College) and still plays on cruise ships. He is off again in April with Bill Geldard, Roy Willcox, Tommy Whittle and Tony Fisher. Ron also works with pianist Elizabeth Hayley and often meets up with Mike Cotton. 

Wood Green Jazz Club and Bruce Turner

(From Martin Guy, January 2010)

'Alvin Roy's article on Wood Green Jazz Club (click here) rings very true as I too went to the Fishmongers Arms. He forgot to mention Thursday nights when Diz Dizley played there with the great Denny Wright.'

'Bruce Turner was a strange but lovely man. I remember one evening with the Kenny Baker Trio with Bruce as a guest, and we were discussing the programme. He said: "Who do you want me to play like tonight Dad?" He could do it too, Hodges, Desmond, Konitz, Carter, etc. But we sometimes wonder who was the real Bruce.

Wood Green Jazz Club

(From Alvin Roy, December 2009)

'I too went to Glendale Grammar School in Wood Green and around 1958/9 started going to Wood Green Jazz Club at the Fishmongers Arms. I had just started playing the clarinet (rather badly....no change there then) and remember Sandy's band on Tuesdays and Alex Welsh on Sunday nights. Walking back to the Zambezi coffee bar in Turnpike Lane after the gig had finished was the icing on the cake.....my, we knew how to enjoy ourselves in those days. I got to know the late Archie Semple, clarinettist with Alex Welsh, who gave me some tips. One highlight I remember, apart from my band's first gig at the club, was sitting in with the Alan Elsdon band together with Sandy Brown. I'm not sure how that came about but as I can't remember what happened yesterday, that's not surprising. What thrills me today is that some of the musicians I saw in those days on the stage at Wood Green, I've since played gigs with: Roy Williams, Diz Disley, Sandy Brown, Tony Milliner, Acker Bilk, George Chisholm, Harvey Weston, Lennie Hastings among others. I never thought that when I was listening to those bands as a schoolboy, I would, years later, be sharing the stage with my jazz heroes......but don't tell them that.

(From Arthur Amis, October 2009)

' I used to go to Wood Green Jazz club around 1958 - I was only 16 but an older guy John Gough who would have been about 18 used to go with me. The best dancers in those days I seem to remember as a brother and sister couple [could have it wrong but there surname could be Maddens?].

Later we drifted not far away, just across the road to a place called Harry Bolts, there was no live music there just records but a lot of girls seemed to hang out there. Amongst old papers I found my membership card - it mentions the wrong pub, should be Fishmongers Arms not Nightingale [that was Maurice Jay dance place, I think?] There is no year on the card but the number may mean something? Just a little thing aside and following on from ''Mama Don't Allow'' this guy was nothing to do with that film, but just up the road in Winchmore Hill  where I lived growing up in the 50s was Tony Richmond who went on to be a massive cinemaphotographer'.

Mike Cotton

(From Peter Bonhomme, May 2009)

'Have just read some web stuff about the Mike Cotton Jazz Band from the late 50s / early 60s onwards. I used to work with Mike during those years as we did our apprenticeships at the same time at Standard Telephones and Cables, New Southgate. I moved out of London in 1966/67 and I guess Mike got on with playing. I remember meeting Mike one Saturday coming home at Manor House tube station in London - he had just bought a spanking new trumpet. Poor Mike - he had to finish his apprenticeship before moving into his music full-time. A group of us used to frequent Wood Green and Tottenham jazz clubs through those years and it was manic. My memory was jogged when I listened to a Radio 2 programme recently about the Clyde Valley Stompers and I wondered if Mike was still around and maybe playing? We are both getting long in the tooth now....'

(Mike Cotton is still very active although he is away from the UK for several months of the year when he is much in demand playing jazz on cruise ships. Mike still plays occasionally with the Great British Jazz Band alongside Digby Fairweather, Pete Strange, John Barnes, Dave Shepherd, Len Skeat and others. Click here for information about their album Swing That Music on the Candid label and the cover picture of the band members -Ed).

BFI Mediatheque - Momma Don't Allow

(From What's New page, March 2009)

It is perhaps worth reminding people of information originally sent to us by Anne Hudson about the Mediatheque at the British Film Institute on London's South Bank where the 1954 Karl Reisz / Tony Richardson 22 minute film 'Momma Don't Allow' can be viewed free of charge. The film was shot over nine Saturdays at Wood Green Jazz Club and features the Chris Barber Band at the time of Monty Sunshine, Lonnie Donegan and Ottilie Patterson. It's a great short film that really captures the atmosphere and audience at the Club.

The Mediatheque is a separate room at the BFI (near the Festival Hall and Hayward Gallery). It has a number of computers with fairly large screens each with its own comfortable single or double seats. You are given headphones when you go in and instructions on how to use the computers. You plug in (there are facilities for two people to watch at the same time) and choose the piece of film you want to watch. It is a very pleasant experience, a great resource and the staff are most helpful. You can book your computer in advance or just turn up and hope one is free. For more information click here. 'Momma Don't Allow' is also on a DVD set called 'Free Cinema' available from the BFI.

Wood Green Jazz Club

(from Peter Pohl, February 2009)

"Looking through some old diaries, I noted that I first visited the club in 1952. I first heard Steve Lane and his Southern Stompers at the club and was most impressed! Living in Southgate, N.14 at the time, Wood Green was about the nearest club. I was a very frequent visitor up to about 1956 when I moved to Ealing ... Eric Silk was there on 18th January 1953; Chris Barber and Monty Sunshine on 15th February 1953, and Ken Colyer on 11th October 1953. Other bands and artists heard at the 'Fishmonger's Arms' were Alex Welsh, Sandy Brown, Terry Lightfoot, Mick Mulligan, the Wood Green Stompers (they were also playing at Boreham Wood Jazz Club around the same time), George Melly, Beryl Bryden and Kathy Stobart.

I remember the small bar at the club - Belgian Lamot lager was the drink at that time! A work of art to cross the crowded floor with a couple of full glasses! There was an 'Old Boy' there who, I think, used to help out with clearing glasses. He often got up on the stage and sang 'Ol' Rockin' Chair'. Who still remembers him?

The record played most times during the intervals must have been Earl Bostic's 'Flamingo'. I can't hear that number now without being taken back to those great days at WGJC! We were all a bit younger then! I have been a jazz fan for well over sixty years now, and a record collector since about 1947. I first visited 100 Oxford Street in 1951 (although we knew it as 'Mac's' at that time)."

(from Jennifer Bernhard, January 2009)

Jennifer Bernhard from the United States has added to our collection of memories of Wood Green Jazz Club: 'I was trying to find current information about Glendale Grammar School where I was a student back in the late 50s, early 60s, when I came upon your wonderful description of all the goings on at my favourite place of all times - the Wood Green Jazz Club. I loved that place where I used to dance my heart out and the music wasn't too shabby either! I lived on Winkfield Road so never had to worry about driving home under the influence because it wasn't far to walk! I left the UK in the 60s to work in Belgium and then came to the US in the early 70s. Thanks for rekindling those early memories.'

(from Brian Stanley, November 2008)

I used to go to Wood Green a lot - maybe 2 to 3 times a week during 1957-59 before I married. Saturday was the main night, but Sunday and Tuesday too. I remember Art and the crowded bar where we used to order brown and mild, drinking plenty to replace the sweat from frantic jiving. A young bloke used to dance with two girls at once in the front by the stage. He was smartly dressed in a snappy suit with, I think, an overcoat he wore on arriving over his shoulders like a cloak. Or am I mistaken? Popular bands were Barber, Lyttelton, Sandy Brown and Al Fairweather (Tuesdays I think), Alex Welsh, Colyer sometimes? I think we had an extended licence at Wood Green on New Year's Eve. I walked home to East Barnet - none of us had cars. Great stuff! Friday night was good at Haringey Jazz Club.

(from Anne Hudson, October 2008)

Anne Hudson lived five minutes from the Club in the 1950s and often popped in when bands were rehearsing. She writes that her sisters were keen supporters of the Club - 'one sister was the best dancer around and the other married a member of Chris Barber's band ...', whereas Ann herself preferred 'going to places like Klooks Kleek to listen to Tubby Hayes'. Ann has discovered that Momma Don't Allow can be viewed free at the British Film Institute Mediatheque on the South Bank.

(from John Cox, January 2008)

I worked at Wood Green Jazz Club from about 1962 to 1968'ish. I helped Viv and Art run the club, cleaned up, picked up glasses, repaired their car and hopefully advised on bands and helped with bookings. I know I am a bit later than the period you are looking for (see previous correspondence), but it was a fantastic club and allegedly the oldest 'hot rhythm'club in the UK, with posters advertising appearances by Django Reinhardt and many others. When I first became involved with the club it was strictly Trad on Sundays and Tuesdays and the first band I saw was Freddy Randall in about 1962. The regular Sunday band was Alex Welsh, and Tuesdays were an assortment of bands that slowly metamorphed from Trad to R&B, the main instigator of this being Mike Cotton. Tuesdays from then on became one of the hottest places to be in town with all the best new wave of music that was sweeping the country. John Mayall, Zoot Money, Mike Cotton Sound, Graham Bond, Brian Auger Trinity with Julie Driscoll, Long John Baldry and 'Rod The Mod', the Artwoods, the Kinks, the list was endless. Being a bit more of a modernist, I persuaded Viv and Art to book some of the more adventurous bands on the Sundays and so we were fortunate to see Mike Westbrook's Concert Big Band featuring the likes of John Surman, Alan Skidmore, and the very underrated, late Mike Osborne. On several occasions I got to book my own favourite, the Tubby Hayes Quartet, of which I must confess I have a bootleg recording. Of course I do remember appearances by the Fairweather-Brown ensemble. Wood Green Jazz Club was a fantastic place and memories I will always treasure.

Wood Green Jazz Club

In August, we mentioned a letter from Frank Harrison to Jazz Journal magazine where Frank was enquiring about a privately made LP of the Sandy Brown Band at Wood Green Jazz Club in 1955. No-one has responded to say that they have any information about this, but Mike Ricketts has brought to our attention a British Film Institute three DVD set called 'Free Cinema' (£21.45 from Amazon or used copies cheaper) that contains a 22 minute documentary called 'Momma Don't Allow' recorded at the Wood Green Jazz Club in 1956 by the Chris Barber Band. Mike found it 'evocative of a Britain long gone...' If you are interested, you can go to the Amazon site and search their DVD page for 'bfi Free Cinema'. Mike wondered whether we had any more information about Wood Green Jazz Club. Can anyone remember anything about it? (if so, please contact us). See the Forum's Sandy Brown page for more information.

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