Soho sleaze and striptease

I know one part of soho had the vintage mag shop ( I hope it is still there) and the road down from there led down a side street the led out to the end of Shaftesbury Avenue and into Piccadilly Circus which I'm sure has changed considerably too and there were a couple of strip clubs but can't remember the street name but do recall several times walking up or down that street and the police were at one of the clubs.
There were a couple of side streets off Oxford Street that did have strip clubs in them but I didn't go down any.

This may be of interest.

http://avengerland.theavengers.tv/Shirle.../SW01.html

(15-10-2016 13:25 )babelover48 Wrote:  I know one part of soho had the vintage mag shop ( I hope it is still there) and the road down from there led down a side street the led out to the end of Shaftesbury Avenue and into Piccadilly Circus which I'm sure has changed considerably too and there were a couple of strip clubs but can't remember the street name but do recall several times walking up or down that street and the police were at one of the clubs.
There were a couple of side streets off Oxford Street that did have strip clubs in them but I didn't go down any.

Hi Babelover,

Sorry to inform the Vintage Mag Shop is no more. I was in the area this morning, it was on the corner of Great Windmill Street and Brewer Street the shop is closed and there are notices from Bailiffs/ Administrators, very sad I was shopping there in the 1970s, it beside 1950s Vogue etc had Harrison Marks, vintage Mayfair, Parade, Fiesta
Time moves on, also Rio's Café is now a upmarket bar, , Rio's must have been there 40 years, it will be interesting to see how long the new place lasts

(15-10-2016 13:47 )Kevin555 Wrote:  

(15-10-2016 13:25 )babelover48 Wrote:  I know one part of soho had the vintage mag shop ( I hope it is still there) and the road down from there led down a side street the led out to the end of Shaftesbury Avenue and into Piccadilly Circus which I'm sure has changed considerably too and there were a couple of strip clubs but can't remember the street name but do recall several times walking up or down that street and the police were at one of the clubs.
There were a couple of side streets off Oxford Street that did have strip clubs in them but I didn't go down any.

Hi Babelover,

Sorry to inform the Vintage Mag Shop is no more. I was in the area this morning, it was on the corner of Great Windmill Street and Brewer Street the shop is closed and there are notices from Bailiffs/ Administrators, very sad I was shopping there in the 1970s, it beside 1950s Vogue etc had Harrison Marks, vintage Mayfair, Parade, Fiesta
Time moves on, also Rio's Café is now a upmarket bar, , Rio's must have been there 40 years, it will be interesting to see how long the new place lasts

Inage of The Vintage Mag Shop as it is today and Rio as it now is,
Back in the day my friend says he sat on the table next to Andy Fairweather Low, for breakfast

Hi
A new location with a bit of a story has come to light and help with information would be appreciated.
The story is as follows, In Cleveland Street in the 1970s one of the pubs had on Wednesday topless barmaids and on Friday evening strippers, on Sunday it was closed but in the afternoon it opened for a membership club and had stag shows.
In the 1970s the Clearing Banks had a huge staff shortage and so offered with financial inducements 12 months transfers to London, the women were given hostel accommodation in the YWCA which was in Weymouth Street.
Back to Noel Street, in the 1970s an unlicensed drinking club opened, it was unlicensed rather that “Near Beer” operated by a couple from Kent. They had topless barmaid and strippers, the girls were not from the usual rota which served the main strip clubs, on Saturday nights once a month they had stag nights with Blue Shows, the attraction of the place was it was not a Clip Joint, prices were higher than pubs but in line with clubs. After about 2 years it was raided and closed down.
About a year later it re-opened but as a clip joint, raided and closed again.
After about a year it re-opened run by the original Kentish couple but as a “Near Beer” bar, with hostesses and a VIP Room, this was basically an area where you could have extras with the girls, again it had stag nights at the weekend, never a clip Joint but the prices had increased.one again raided and closed down.
Now the story I was told was that several of the girls who did the stags in Cleveland Street and the extras and shows in Noel Street were by and large provincial bank staff living at the YWCA in Weymouth Street. This story ties in with other information I had at the time, The News of The World did an expose and one of the girls named as an escort lived in the hostel.
Does anyone have any information.
Attached are two images of Noel Street one for each side

I can't shed any light on the above story. I used to work near Weymouth St and I remember the headquarters of the YWCA was there, in the late 60s and the 70s (the YMCA was present in Weymouth St too). Other than that I'm afraid I can't contribute anything.

(17-10-2016 13:19 )elgar1uk Wrote:  I can't shed any light on the above story. I used to work near Weymouth St and I remember the headquarters of the YWCA was there, in the late 60s and the 70s (the YMCA was present in Weymouth St too). Other than that I'm afraid I can't contribute anything.

Hi Elgar,
This story has taken on a new life. Speaking to my friend about this he was saying one particular girl from the YWCA in Weymouth Street did both Cleveland Street and Noel Street events, and named her with a description.
Back in the day, I like you worked near to Weymouth Street in Great Portland Street and my pubs were, Horse and Groom on GPS and also in Weymouth Mews, The Dover Castle and I knew this lady very well, hearing the story it did not come as a surprise to me, nice girl may be, but she was she made her money and returned up north and settled. I have not heard from her in over 30 years. So my appetite for addition information is wheted.
One other thing is the Dover Castle from those days, in the evenings before heading to clubs in Soho/ Carnaby Street it used to be frequented by Page 3 girls, I have seen Jane Warner in there, not sure of the year and several up and coming models from that era. It was a good pub to talent spot.

(15-10-2016 19:46 )Kevin555 Wrote:  Back to Noel Street, in the 1970s an unlicensed drinking club opened, it was unlicensed rather that “Near Beer” operated by a couple from Kent. They had topless barmaid and strippers, the girls were not from the usual rota which served the main strip clubs, on Saturday nights once a month they had stag nights with Blue Shows, the attraction of the place was it was not a Clip Joint, prices were higher than pubs but in line with clubs. After about 2 years it was raided and closed down.
About a year later it re-opened but as a clip joint, raided and closed again.
After about a year it re-opened run by the original Kentish couple but as a “Near Beer” bar, with hostesses and a VIP Room, this was basically an area where you could have extras with the girls, again it had stag nights at the weekend, never a clip Joint but the prices had increased.one again raided and closed down.

I can't offer any information, although I often walked down Noel Street in those days. I had no idea that anything like this happened there!

(18-10-2016 12:26 )marlowe Wrote:  

(15-10-2016 19:46 )Kevin555 Wrote:  Back to Noel Street, in the 1970s an unlicensed drinking club opened, it was unlicensed rather that “Near Beer” operated by a couple from Kent. They had topless barmaid and strippers, the girls were not from the usual rota which served the main strip clubs, on Saturday nights once a month they had stag nights with Blue Shows, the attraction of the place was it was not a Clip Joint, prices were higher than pubs but in line with clubs. After about 2 years it was raided and closed down.
About a year later it re-opened but as a clip joint, raided and closed again.
After about a year it re-opened run by the original Kentish couple but as a “Near Beer” bar, with hostesses and a VIP Room, this was basically an area where you could have extras with the girls, again it had stag nights at the weekend, never a clip Joint but the prices had increased.one again raided and closed down.

I can't offer any information, although I often walked down Noel Street in those days. I had no idea that anything like this happened there!

Hi
It is the same for me, I knew about the topless barmaids in Cleveland Street but not about the stag nights
Noel Street like you I walked along many times without knowing
That is the thing with these places we only find out when they are closed , in this case for over 30 years LOL

(15-10-2016 13:47 )Kevin555 Wrote:  Sorry to inform the Vintage Mag Shop is no more.

Well I'm a bit shocked at this news. I always regarded that shop as one of Soho's landmarks. I've found an article in my local paper though which says the Vintage Magazine Shop is going to continue online.