Jim Isherwood.
Like lots of people of a certain age, I have many happy memories of
Uncle Tom's.
Who would have thought that at 18 that I would now be looking back
on those times!!
I really enjoyed the music, and the whole atmosphere. It was local and
didn't cost the earth to get there.
Best of all for me, I actually got paid to have such a great time. I worked
on the bar. I remember the small cocktail bar as being a special intimate
place.
I also remeber the night Jimmy Ruffin was there. fantastic.
I can remember Mike being the Manager at one time and who could forget
Kevin Lane, with his blond locks!
Although I have looked at the photos on the web site, I can't say that I
really recognise anyone. Probably it would be the same for others seeing
me after so many years!!
Sue Walton (Susan Faulkner)
Hi,
My memories of "Uncle Toms" are both good and bad. Firstly the good,
could anybody had a better teenage than I did in my beloved Toms. Although I was under age like most of the other people(sorry Kevin) it
was my first serious time for consuming alcohol. Like everyone
else at that age on occasions I went over the top, and cringe when I
think of some of the things me and my mates got up to. This is where the
bad comes in, on one night I was so drunk(we're talking on the floor
couldn't get up)that I was chucked out by the bouncers. I've got to
say thirty years later they were more than justified in there actions. The
next time I turned up at the front door wondering if I would get in or not,
I was welcomed as though nothing had happened. I suppose they were
used to nurse maiding young idiots like me. Thanks boys.
The Toms girls were great, I don't think I have ever been anywhere else
where the girls were so friendly. And as long as you didn't take
advantage I always found they were up for most things. They also taught
me how to dance, for which I am eternally grateful. Not that I am any
type of Fred Astaire, but even today I can get on a dance floor and not
look like the village idiot.
Unfortunately living at the other end of the country it is too far for me to
attend one of your Nostalgia Revue nights. But it doesn't surprise me
that the atmosphere is so good, as it always was at Toms. If you could
have bottled that atmosphere you would have made millions.
Thanks for everything, it's a shame it couldn't have gone on for ever,
but I guess we all had to grow up sometime.
Ian Gray
Kevin
The thing I remember most about Uncle Toms were the people who
worked there. My memories are of some great nights, great music which
has stood the test of time, but most of all some of the people who worked
there.
Who could ever forget Bernard Rafferty and the rest of his doorman. Kevin
where has Bernard gone, how come you haven't got him on the web site, or
better still why is he not on the door at some of your Motown nights. There
are a lot of us who would like to give him a peck on the cheek because
although we didn't think it at the time , he really looked after us, in a nice sort of a way. I remember Jimmy Barlow when he worked on the cloakroom
he was a cheeky sod then, and he doesn't seem to have changed with the
years. Also a guy called John who took the money, can't remember his
second name, he was quite good looking. I remember at least two managers there was Mike and later Tommy, can't remember any of the
bar staffs names but there were some nice looking girls and blokes. Then
of course there was you the first Sweet Talking Guy I probably knew, and
I remember another DJ later called Glen somebody. He was like a younger
version of Danny La Rue, we all thought he was gay, don't know if he was or not.
These were just some of the people who are in my memories of Uncle
Toms. I would love it if you could get some of them to your Motown
Night. Dont suppose we would recognise any of them now.
Last of all there was Tommy Brown who owned Uncle Toms, we didn't
see much of him, but I remember when he did turn up all the staff being
on there best behavior.
Thanks for some fabulous times, and also for all the magical memories
I've got of Uncle Toms. Keep up your Motown nights they are great.
Jackie Williams
Kevins note: We have been trying to find ex.staff with no success apart
from Sue who has written above. We were told Bernard Rafferty had moved
to the Blackpool area.
Seeing how eveybody else is getting into the act I might as well put my
two pennies worth in.
I am embarrassed to say the main thing I remember about Uncle Toms
was the bingo. I think you used to do it on Sunday nights. I remember
when one of my mates told me about it and said it was great, I thought
this isn't for me. The way I saw it, my mum and dad went to the club to
play bingo, it wasn't for me I was a soul brother. That was it till one night
when I was in Uncle Toms and the bingo was on, the way I saw it in for
a penny in for a pound. You've guessed it , I won the first time I ever played,
I won a table lamp, and believe it or not my mothers still got it, I think it
still works as well. Well after that I was hooked I never won again but I
remember Jimmy walking round with a bucket of beer, and whoever won
it eveybody was dipping into there bucket.
Another of my memories of Uncle Toms was the Pomagne. I can't remember if you gave that as bingo prizes or if it was something else.
At the end of the night the floor would be littered with empty Pomagne
bottles. Everybody seemed to get drunk on it very easy. I don't know if
you can still get it, but I've not seen it in ages.
Apart from the two above things, I really enjoyed the atmosphere in the
place, as other people have said it was so friendly, it didn't seem like
other places where there would be cliques. At Uncle Toms everybody
seemed to know everybody else.
Funnily enough I still miss it thirty odd years later.
Alf Robertson
Me and my mates went to Uncle Tomsin the late 60's. I used to really
look forward to going every week. The music was great (Motown and Soul)
the people were friendly and the DJ's were fantastic.
We had to force barley wine on my friend Susan, because she was so shy
(not like me and my other friend Barbara). There was always something
happening in Tom's, games where you had to eat as many cream crackers
as you could, that was very hard but a good laugh.
There was always the chance you might meet someone interesting, as me and Barbara did (we ended up marrying them).
I wish I had a time machine.I'd go straight back to Tom's.
Jacqueline Carty.
Hi I've just found your web site by chance, how long have you been
going? Although I have lived in the south of England for the last twenty
odd years, I have never lost the memories of my youth at Uncle Toms. I've
been searching the web every so often for years but have never found
anything but a few small mentions on other sites, but this is fabulous,
even down to some of the music we used to enjoy at Uncle Toms. Keep
up the good work keeping us long distance ex Uncle Toms punters happy.
My actual memories of Uncle Toms are a bit cloudy, guess I am getting
old. It can be summed up in three words, girls booze and fun. I do remember the bingo, the groups, the crazy party nights, and most of all
the music. You just don't hear that type of music nowadays where I live.
To anybody who's still living in the Little Hulton area and coming to your
Motown nights, you don't know how lucky you are.
I was looking through the old newspaper adverts and remember some of
those nights as it was yesterday. How I wish it was. The one I liked most
where the advert said Sunday night is Crumpet Night, if you advertised
like that nowadays all hell would break loose. Every politically correct
crank would be screaming at you. I ask you what harm did we do.
I will keep looking at your web site and if I am ever in Little Hulton I will
most certainly attend one of your Motown nights.
Bob Wilde