Soho Memories | People | soho 1960-1980

Contribute

User name: Password:

soho 1960-1980

By David Silverman

I worked in Soho for 20 years but kept no record other than what is in my memory bank. I am interested in whatever information and record has been kept of that period, especially the early 60's. I cannot imagine that any of my biographical detials will be of any use but if your organisation has any specific questions I may be able to answer them.

I was keen on music and was a habitue of all the clubs in their various forms. I met my wife in the whiskey-a-gogo in 1965. I visited the Marquee in its all its guises and was present at the opening night of The Scene club.

I witnessed several of the Soho characters, was a regular at the Dog & Duck, the Crown and Two Chairmen, Jimmy's restaurant and the New Shanghai on the corner of Wardour Street and St Ann's Court.

I am looking to jog my memory of that period.

Thanks, David Silverman

This page was added by David Silverman on 14/04/2011.

Comments about this page

I too have worked in Soho since 1987, blimey over 20+ years…My pals and I often reminisce about the places that have gone and the things and have ended up in their place. In no particular order, only as it comes to my memory… FRITH STREET The Dog & Duck when it was all hot, sweaty and full of blokes invariably in leather jackets with collars up, shoulder to shoulder drinking smoking and talking about work. When the windows were frosted and a trip to the loo was something of a challenge after a few pints. Across the road on the corner was the now gone Rasa Sayang…where you could get the best prawns in batter…and a post 3pm Tiger Beer before all day hours. Then a trip down to The Carlisle Arms for those delicious door-step sandwiches. Andreas…the Anglo-Greek restaurant across the road from Tapestry, where you could get the best steak & kidney pie with mash and Brussels sprouts, washed down with gallons of retsina… Capinina’s which was the Italian restaurant with the Swiss Chalet feel, where they presented the food to you raw on a trolley for you to choose your meal. And finally from Frith Street, Lepicure with the gas lamp burning outside and when a visit to the toilet there was a visit to a throne-room with magazines an papers to be read at your ease. Kettners is still there of course, but not the Kettners we can recall going to. The very expensive Champagne Bar then into the main restaurant to be serenaded by the nice old fellow in the DJ and the grand piano while we ate either pizza, burger, steak, baked potato, with either Peroni or Frascati... That's all I've got for now, but I'm sure there is more if you'd like it

By Laurance O'Neill
On 28/07/2011

Hi David, did you go to The French pub & if so, do you remember Robert MacBryde or William Crozier both painters who went there? or even Martin Green the publisher who would hang out with David Archer or Patrick Swift? I'd like to hear from you,Fiona

By Fiona Green
On 28/07/2011