[Brighton] The Pink Coconut mid 80s

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

We alternated between all of them and Coasters. Coasters was younger I think.

In the era I was referring to I think Coasters might have closed by then.
As mentioned by @BN9 BHA we also moved on to The Gloucester

 

[METALMICKY]

Did you ever try other clubs on Eastbourne?

We were too young a crowd for Kings … my older brothers went there in the 70’s to ‘meet’ Scandies.

Shimmer, TJ’s, there was one in Seaside Road and in the 90’s we went to one in the South Street area …. Cloisters?

Did them all. The original Kings club was a huge shed like affair that was part of the Kings Holiday Park site out on the Pevensey Bay road where ASDA is now. Curiously the big night there was Thursday night which was bizarrely nicknamed ' grab a granny night '. It was bizarre because it was the opposite and attracted a young crowd including lots of girls looking for a holiday fling.

In later years when the holiday park went, Kings nightclub was reborn in Eastbourne town centre with a fairly mainstream crowd. In later years it became Calebs and is now Cameo.

Shimmers was in Seaside and was fairly small and run by a dodgy geezer called Lakka who was renowned for watering down the beer and turning the air con off!

Upstairs from shimmers was Cloisters which was notorious as being a haunt for older clientele who had seen better days and were a little desperate. You weren't allowed in unless you had been divorced at least twice and had issues! The reputation was well deserved. We only went there twice as some of our cricket team were a little longer in the tooth. The air of desperation was quite tangible.

TJ's was a little doorway in the town centre next to where Millets is now. Fairly small on two levels it was another mainstream crowd but a more a place to drink or watch a band upstairs rather than shake your funky stuff.

During my time the least popular haunt was Gulliver's which was a horribly pokey joint which was again a little doorway where Harry Ramsdens is now. Beloved of visiting foreign students but had there ever been a fire a total death trap.

 

[Weststander]

Did them all. The original Kings club was a huge shed like affair that was part of the Kings Holiday Park site out on the Pevensey Bay road where ASDA is now. Curiously the big night there was Thursday night which was bizarrely nicknamed ' grab a granny night '. It was bizarre because it was the opposite and attracted a young crowd including lots of girls looking for a holiday fling.

In later years when the holiday park went, Kings nightclub was reborn in Eastbourne town centre with a fairly mainstream crowd. In later years it became Calebs and is now Cameo.

Shimmers was in Seaside and was fairly small and run by a dodgy geezer called Lakka who was renowned for watering down the beer and turning the air con off!

Upstairs from shimmers was Cloisters which was notorious as being a haunt for older clientele who had seen better days and were a little desperate. You weren't allowed in unless you had been divorced at least twice and had issues! The reputation was well deserved. We only went there twice as some of our cricket team were a little longer in the tooth. The air of desperation was quite tangible.

TJ's was a little doorway in the town centre next to where Millets is now. Fairly small on two levels it was another mainstream crowd but a more a place to drink or watch a band upstairs rather than shake your funky stuff.

During my time the least popular haunt was Gulliver's which was a horribly pokey joint which was again a little doorway where Harry Ramsdens is now. Beloved of visiting foreign students but had there ever been a fire a total death trap.

Thanks, genuinely, all interesting. We were Brightonians, but went occasionally on and off over many years.

Shimmers - a former girlfriend and I took an older brother of mine once in about 1991 when he was suffering after a divorce. Despite it being a Saturday night, there was no atmosphere, punters waited for someone to dance and no one did. A smallish rectangle. A far cry from heaving Brighton.

Cloisters was a little craze we had early 90’s. The one time I didn’t go someone outside started on another brother of mine and came a cropper.

What was the name of the fairly well known one off burger joint, run by an Arab or Iranian bloke?

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Anyone go to Night Fever in Ship Street?
It was above Smugglers, which used to be called Annabelles I believe

Had my engagement party in there, 1985 ish

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I didn’t go to Sherries, too young, not sure when it changed to Pink Coconut, I did go there a couple of times but got turned away by the bouncers more than I went in.
The bouncers at the Pink Coconut wouldn’t let groups of men in or if they thought you looked drunk….or multiple other reasons
Pink Coconut and The Suite had a dress code, smart trousers, shirt and shoes, I used to go out in casual gear and wasn’t bothered about dressing up to go in these clubs.

Simple workaround to avoid this.

Me and my mates used to find a group of girls in the queue and ask them to pretend to be our girlfriends just to get past the bouncers and in the door. Always worked, never got refused ...

 

[OzMike]

Count me in, I also witnessed the last couple of years of Sherrys.
I moved into a flat in central Brighton in 1984 and was a club whore for years, must have spent time in all of them.
Ventured to a few in Eastbourne, Hastimgs, Worthing and London, plus surrounding areas.
I was a pub/club doorman for a while and used to treat the clubs like pubs, as was never asked for an entry fee.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

The Revolution (under Top Rank Suite / Jenkinsons) was my earliest club. 16 and bopping to Dancing Queen. Free entry with complimentary tickets from Brighton Technical College.

Mr Ks (was or became The Gloucester?) was also a popular hunting ground.

Marvelous scenes ...

 

[nicko31]

Didn't it get requisitioned by Sussex Police the night of England v West Germany in Italia 90 to put a load of language students in to keep them out of harms way when it was all kicking off?

Yes you’d be right it all kicked off that night. West Street was definitely meat wagon territory regularly around 2am. No idea what it’s like today

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Everyone at Coasters loved Rory a real charachter

I recall he also had a pink poodle ( that is not a euphemism!) .

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Knew that was coming, no, more like Micky Dolenz apparently

I used to know of someone who looked like Mickey Dolenz when I hung out in Lewes when doing my A levels in the mid 80s. Are you from that area?

 

[Flounce]

I used to know of someone who looked like Mickey Dolenz when I hung out in Lewes when doing my A levels in the mid 80s. Are you from that area?

No that won’t be me I have not been to Lewes very often

 

[Bry Nylon]

No that won’t be me I have not been to Lewes very often

Not even to catch The Last Train to Sackville?

 

[Silverhatch]

Clubbing in the 70s-80s:

Started with 14-15 year old fun at Saturday morning school discos at the Suite (circa 74) and Saturday nights at Sloopys.

Then (memory shot)… Sherrys/Coconut, Abinger, Bonsoir, Cinderellas/Stroods, Buccaneer, Years, Night Fever, Kings 1, Papillion, Seven Stars, Bentleys, Kings 2 and then road trips to East Grinstead (Clouds) and Tunbridge Wells (Neville Crest & Gun) plus honourable mention for Sunday nights at the Dyke!! Forever grateful smart phones didn’t exist

 

[Official Old Man]

Quick story about the Pink Coconut.
Back in 1982/3 I was the DJ in Rain, later to become Buddies, and amongst the music I was playing was Wham, Wham Rap (thanks to the guys at Rounder Records). The single flopped badly but I knew of the group. One Sunday night two lads came in for a burger, Andrew & George. Obviously no one had any idea who they were except me, so I had a chat with them.
I've told this story for 35 years knowing people didn't believe me.
And then.....
I met a guy who was in charge of booking acts in the PC back in the 80's and he told me how he'd booked Wham for a Sunday evening (Sunday's were gay nights by the way). It all fell into place. Yes, he sent them round for something to eat, yes they were in Rain that night and yes I did meet them.

 

[METALMICKY]

Not even to catch The Last Train to Sackville?

My wife threatened to leave me over my obsession with The Monkees. I thought she was joking till I saw her face and now I believe her!

 

[BN9 BHA]

My wife threatened to leave me over my obsession with The Monkees. I thought she was joking till I saw her face and now I believe her!