Nostalgia - What are your memories of Stafford?

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
They used to have a bit of a heavy rock night now and again, when all the dress restrictions were lifted. Long hair and leather jackets everywhere, and notable for a lack of trouble. The bouncers had nothing to do. :mystery:
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Can't remember what the main dancefloor with the stage was called.
I remember Hot Chocolate performing on that stage one night ......had the music level set so loud that many bodies near to the speakers were passing out !

Me & my mates regular route....around the downstairs dancefloor.... then the raised up bit by the tables downstairs...then upstairs and around the balcony (where we watched Johnny Pickup joining in dancing aound the handbags)....then around the Grasshopper and another little room upstairs....then back downstairs via the balcony to start all again .
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
Some may remember the big rocket that was the Top of the Grot sign on the outside wall when it first started. During a rag week some students (and they must have done it in the heart of the night) painted weird looking alien foot prints coming out of the rocket, up the main street to the bogs in the Market Square, and then back to the rocket, (apparently aliens do not have the highly absorbent underpants technology of the human space effort. :facepalm: )

It must have been an epic operation when you think about it. :buddy:
 

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
I remember Hot Chocolate performing on that stage one night ......had the music level set so loud that many bodies near to the speakers were passing out !

Me & my mates regular route....around the downstairs dancefloor.... then the raised up bit by the tables downstairs...then upstairs and around the balcony (where we watched Johnny Pickup joining in dancing aound the handbags)....then around the Grasshopper and another little room upstairs....then back downstairs via the balcony to start all again .
The "other little room" may have been the restaurant area. Did it run the width of The Grasshopper overlooking the main dancefloor?
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
Chartley Castle. Used to play up here as kids. The upper pix is from my old Handbook of Stafford so is more than a century old. The lower pix I took about 4 years ago trying as best I could to get the same angle. This has a bit of history. Built some time in the 12th Century it was pretty much abandoned after the Battle of Bosworth (1485) when the owner got killed. So presumably it's lay in ruin for more than 500 years !!
Great playground for a kid although I'm still not sure what the legality of running around the ruins was.

ChartleyCastleThenNow.jpg
 
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BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
Should come good if the Google Earth image is anything to go by. It looks as if it was quite a big castle in its day. I was looking for the site of Chartley Manor where Mary Queen of Scots stayed for a while at Elizabeth's pleasure. There is a large manor to the west of it, but that's relatively modern I think, might be built on the same site though.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Can't remember what the main dancefloor with the stage was called.
I had a moment of fame on that stage once :lol: Given free raffle tickets as we entered the 'Over 25's night' , I was dancing in the Grasshopper when my number was called out. Wasn't going to claim it incase I was found out for only being 18 ... Bouncers saw me looking at ticket and dragged me downstairs and onto the stage to claim my £100 voucher prize :D (Chose to spend it in Peter Richards clothes shop, so with sales on as well it kept me and my mate kitted out for months after :) )
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
Couple of incarnations of the Grot. Top pix is 1978, lower one maybe the 90's (not sure.) Sadly don't have any of the original Rocket sign from the 60's.

topoftheworld.jpg
 
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