The Boomerang Club

Discuss the early days of the Club with the manager.
stan
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The Boomerang Club

Post by stan »

I am Stan Pierce, who was a partner in the Boomerang Club in Duke Street in 1958.

I knew Geoff right from the first day of arriving in Liverpool when he and an elderly chap, I thought was his father, had an art business in Slater St. just a door or two from where the Jacaranda was to open.

When Geoff opened his club in Temple St., my memory keeps telling me it was called the Green Door Club, he told me he was getting some musicians up from London to play on the opening night. I do remember that they cost him 200 pounds for the night which sounded to me like a family fortune in those days.

The group had a Trad Jazz sound, like Acker Bilk, but was probably the Temperance Seven. I can't think of any others they might have been. Very good group as I remember. But Geoff, you will have to straighten my memory out if I'm way off beam here.

Was this the same club re-named the Iron Door or a club previous to the Iron Door?
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13_temple_street
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Post by 13_temple_street »

Hi Stan,Harry Ormesher first thought up the name of the club whilst painting the the huge iron door at the entrance to the building.
In the time frame available to us to book a jazz band,no London based jazz bands of sufficient reputation were available,so we booked the "Saint's Jazz Band" who were based in Manchester.

I remember you and George Williams working feverishly on the basement premises in Duke Street, Liverpool 2.
The logo of the boomerang which was to hang above the door I cut out for you in "Essex" board.
Stan Pierce & George Williams were amongst a hand-full of entrepreneur's who opened up coffee clubs to cater for the change in peoples attitude to the social life in Liverpool.
In the years after the second world war Liverpool virtually closed down after 11-0-clock at night,the break through occurred when a all-night cafe opened close to the campus of the Liverpool University "The Pack of Cards" it became so popular that you had to queue for hours to get in.

I understand that some bright lawyer found a loop-hole in the local planning & building regulations,if the proprietor's of premises invited people to join a club,they would not be subject to the strict laws governing the opening times,also less supervision on the sanitary arrangement's some of the coffee clubs didn't have proper toilet facilities.
Most of these clubs were situated in the basements of large buildings,the cost of satisfying the regulation's was prohibitive.

They were a overnight success,people began to feel liberated from the early hours closing,it was exciting to stay out all night,soon debating groups,poetry and skiffle groups started to spring up.
It wasn't unusual to rub shoulders with Lawers,Surgeons,Doctors,Nurses,Students and the occasional judge.

Merchant Navy Seamen on the routes to America brought back the latest Vinyl recordings, it wasn't long before the skiffle bands started playing the music with their own interpretation.

This was one of the routes some of the Liverpool Beat Groups tracked.
The "Boomerang Coffee Club" closed down in 1960.
New owners changed the name to the Zodiac Club.
This was refurbished more up-market it boasted the only illuminated glass dance floor in Liverpool.The dance floor consisted of twelve engraved thick Perspex panels with the signs of the ZODIAC.
The Zodiac became a regular meeting place for the Rock&Roll groups it was a ideal venue for relaxing after a gig.It was one of the Beatles favourite haunts.
Cilla Black worked there in the coffee Bar,where she met her future husband
Some all-night beat shows were organised with the Big Three.
The lease of the club was assigned to me in late 1962/63.
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Post by admin »

Glad to have you back 13_temple? Image
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

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Post by 13_temple_street »

CILLA BLACK & DICK MATHEWS in the Zodiac
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Re: The Boomerang Club.ZODIAC.Cilla Black.

Post by 13_temple_street »

.In response to the article in the Liverpool Echo-Cilla-Black where she belongs.
Kira had the presence of mind to post the missive by Joe Riley on the Liverpool Project site.
The Iron Door and the Zodiac are mentioned in the newspaper, I had a interest in the two establishments It allows me to write in some detail regarding Cilla's connection with the clubs.
Tuesday March 14th 1961 Cilla was at the Liverpool Jazz Society (aka Iron Door) lunchtime session, she was accompanied by her girl friend who encouraged her to approach one of the band members in Rory Storms group to allow her to sing with the band,she sang 'Fever'.
The following lunch-time March 15th 1961 she again made her presence known this time she sang with the Beatles.
Saturday April 1st 1961 she was on the bill of of one of the many all-night sessions singing to a audience in excess of one thousand five hundred.
This was the start of Cilla Blacks show business career.
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by kiramdear »

Thanks for that information, Geoff. I was hoping you would chime in following my post on Cilla :D
All I wanna do is rock!
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by Scottjwilliams »

Dear All

My name is Scott Williams, George Williams' son (legacy join-proprietor of the Boomerang Club), who remains alive and well in Cambridge, England.

We were talking about the good old days of the clubs and the music scene in Liverpool of that era, prompted by an article on the radio this morning so I thought I'd do a quick search on the internet and found this post.

Dad would love to hear from you so if you are willing to get in touch, drop me a line and perhaps I could re-connect you.

I appreciate that the earliest post by Stan was made back in 2007 and much time has passed, but I thought I'd reach out anyway.

Best wishes

Scott
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by admin »

Thanks for your comments Scott. Email sent.
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by 13_temple_street »

Welcome Scott to the Rickresource Forum (Quote ' George remains alive and well in Cambridge,England'). In the late fifties and early 60s I saw your father George on a regular basis,it was quite a shock when I was informed that in late 1962/63 he moved to Cambridge,naturally over the years I have often wondered whatever happened to George Williams!
Members and visitors to the Forum are always eager to read first hand accounts of events in Liverpool that eventually lead to the so-called British Invasion; your father played an important part, I'm sure he has a great tale to tell of his time in this great city.
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by jackev5 »

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone had any photographs of the Boomerang club around 1958/59? My late mum (who was a nurse) met my dad there around this time and I would love to see any photographs. I am putting an album together of old pics /stories about my mum an it would be lovey to include a pciture if where she met dad. My dad would love to see one too Im sure,
thanks a lot
J
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by 13_temple_street »

Welcome jackev 5 to the Iron Door forum; I have searched in my collection of photographs for images of the Boomerang Club
from 1958/59 which drew a blank.Hopefully Stan Pierce or George Williams may read your request!
May I wish you a every success in compiling the album.
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by Scottjwilliams »

Gentlemen

Please accept my sincere apologies. I have not revisited this site until today and found that there have been one or two posts that on the face of it I appear to have ignored.

Rest assured that this is not the case!

In response to Geoff - many thanks for your warm welcome and kind words about my father. It really was an interesting time and he has a number of stories to tell of that era. I have made an attempt to get him to make some notes of his most vivid stories so that I could record them - his memoirs if you like. It is interesting, because as a result of my original post on this forum, Dad and Stan are now back in touch (some fifty years since they last saw each other) and talk regularly over the phone.

In response to Jackev5, I realise that some time has passed since you posted your request in November 2012, but if you are still putting your album together then I will ask Dad (George Williams) to dig out his old photos of the clubs he had in the late 1950's through to the early 1960's.

Do let me know and I'll see what he can come up with.

Apologies once again

Scott J Williams
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by 13_temple_street »

It is a pleasure to see you back on the forum Scott; I was delighted to read that your father and Stan are once again in touch with each other.
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by ArthurDooleyTribute »

Good afternoon gentlemen.

My name is Dennis. I run and own the Official Arthur Dooley Archive website in conjunction with John Moores University along with a Facebook tribute page. My current research is focused on the Jacaranda,Dooley, Allan Williams and Slater Street c 1957-62. Would it be possible for anyone to help with this important project ?. Thank you.

Kind Regards

Dennis
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Re: The Boomerang Club

Post by 13_temple_street »

Dennis; I frequently visited Arthur when he moved into a vacent ground floor room at the back of 17, Slater Street,Liverpool. Arthur filled the room with scrap metal to a point that the door opened wide enough for a person to sqeeze in. Arthur would work away welding and hammering in the midst of all the scrap.
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