Some interesting flyers from the Fiesta. These used to be laid on the tables in the Fiesta to advertise forthcoming attractions. Courtesy of Alice Gardner who thinks they are probably from 1969. 
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A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Anyone remember Del Shannon playing at the Fiesta club in the 70’s?
Yes, I saw Del at the Fiesta on 7th August 1973. He was a great performer.
I worked at the Fiesta and spoke to Del Shannon one night as he was coming down the stairs from his dressing room where I was delivering basket meals to
Those were the days my friend. I worked at Club Fiesta From 1968 to 1974 and have got my diaries with the top artist names in for those years.
have you a date for eric and ernie think it was sept 1968
Still alive and kicking – wouldn’t we all like to bring those days back.
Hello Ian. I worked for Baileys on a freelance basis for quite some time, apart from building maintenance in the North East area. I also did relief management from La-Dolce-Vita in Newcastle down to the final days of the Marimba until taking on a club for Baileys in South Yorkshire which should have been a stepping stone for my destined club further South, however circumstances led to the Yorkshire manager CM having to go back to Teesside before the club opened so I decided to stop there, what a difficult club on the third floor of the…? Pleasant memories Ian. Take Good Care John L.
I loved the Fiesta and I saw lots of famous groups and artists. I shook hands with Gene Pitney and used to go back stage for autographs whenever possible and I was always up on the dance floor. I always enjoyed chicken in a basket.
I remember meeting Status Quo, Solomon King and Don Partridge at the Fiesta many years ago, when my ex appeared on the bill with them. However, years later, I became PA to Stan Henry and to Ian Young. Happy times! The La Ronde club in Billingham was also worth a visit. If anyone can trace Ian Young – ask him to bring them back!
Discussion concerning some of the best acts appearing at the Marimba in the early 60s brings to my mind some really famous acts who would be very hard to follow such as Calypso Kane, Bri Tyerman and his assistant Billy the Baked Bean, Sam and Bubba Hart with John Bitter. I believe some of these names went on to become international celebrities having got their start in the Boro.
I worked the door at the Marimba when Jack Esther was the manager. We had some great shows in those days such as Jayne Mansfield, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Helen Shapiro to name just a few. The Marimba was a great club, as were the Fiesta, Titos etc
Thanks Dee, I had not realised that Jayne M. was killed so soon after returning to the USA, i.e. after her UK nightclub ‘tour’. By the way, are you related to Jo Dale? A girl I recall, who had a classic ‘bob’ hairstyle and was a terrific dancer. She was a well known personality during the 60’s, around the various clubs of Teesside, especially ‘The Kirk’ & ‘Mr McCoy’s’. Back then, I remember she lived at Park End, M’bro close to Ormesby Station.
The car accident that took the life of Jayne Mansfield was on 29 June 1967, just a few weeks after her appearance at the Bailey Organisation nightclub, The Marimba in Middlesbrough.
The Paper Dolls (Copper, Spyder & Tiger) had their only UK hit ‘Something here in my heart’ during 1968, which reached No.11 in the charts. The girls were also due to record a song called ‘Build me up Buttercup’ by Tony Macaulay, which due to a misunderstanding, was then offered to ‘The Foundations’ (also shown above) and with which they then had a monster No.1 hit on both sides of the Atlantic, later in 1968. However,original ‘Paper Doll’- Suzi Mathis (Copper) returned to the UK charts as the vocal coach for the St. Winifred’s School Choir, which scored the surprise 1980 number one UK hit ‘There’s No-One Quite Like Grandma’.
Just looked at the above ‘flyers’ in detail. I acknowledge, that some of the bands may have made several appearances at The Fiesta. However, the date 1969 seems wrong somehow – it may have been 1968. Certainly , I recall seeing with my pals, The Alan Price Set playing ‘Don’t stop the Carnival’, a number we’d never heard before and all agreed would be a chart-buster. This was a hit in 1968. Similarly, ‘The Herd’ broke up later that year, as did ‘Amen Corner’. I can also recall once staring up at the large boards each side of the stage that announced forthcoming acts, and seeing ‘The Love Affair’, then remarking ‘Who are they?’. A month later, this previously unknown band, had their ‘Everlasting Love’ at No.1 in the charts -just before appearing at the Club! That was Jan ’68 -which might just fit that February date on the flyer. I remember that at the time, there was controversy as to the fact that ‘Love Affair’ personnel didn’t actually play on the recording, the producers having used session men along with the band’s singer. Just before their performance, this emergent fact must have terrified Club Fiesta’s owners, the Lipthorpe brothers!
The name of the gentleman who gained ‘close-contact’ to Miss Jayne Mansfield at The Club Marimba, was in fact Mike Dales, from South Bank. Mike is a relative of famous local saxophone player Ray Dales. Jayne sat on Mike’s lap and hilariously rubbed that ample bosom into his face during her cabaret performance! Jayne of course, was Mum to Margita Hargitay the current star of Law & Order: SVU on TV. I believe that she was in the same car accident, as a toddler, when Jayne was killed, i.e. about a year after her appearance at The Marimba.
I worked the lights at the Fiesta for many years in the 70s, but never kept a diary. I would love to have a list (preferably with dates) of the acts that I worked. Does anyone have such memorabilia
?
My nephew was photographed with Jayne while he was in West Lane hospital in Middlesbrough, she very kindly visited the wards. He may still have the photograph.
Bill, it must have been Ken Jones.
Dee Dale – sorry, not me! Went to the Marimba only seven times, all in the same week to see Jerry Lee Lewis in 1966. Dunno where you got the Jayne Mansfield thing from, never saw her, except in the movie ‘The girl can’t help it’.
Paula McGinley searching for information on Jayne Mansfield. It was not the Club Fiesta at Norton, Stockton-on-Tees where Miss Mansfield appeared in approximately May 1967 shortly before the tragic car accident. The club was in fact the Club Marimba at Middlesbrough, part of the Bailey Organisation from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I believe some of the members of the Bailey family who ran the clubs are still around in the Newcastle area. However, I do recall that a frequent correspondent on this site actually attended one of Miss Mansfield’s shows at the Marimba and I believe he came in quite close contact with her. I’m sure the Picture Stockton team will put you in touch with Bill Mann.
Re darts players at the Fiesta… Do you remember the two local lads Ray Harvey and Geoff Wright from Norton workies, they lost in the final of the Camerons gold darts competition and got 48 cans of beer as a prize..
I’m a producer for BBC Radio 4 and I’m making a documentary about the Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield and her tour of northern clubs in 1967. I understand that she performed at the Fiesta and I’m trying to locate people who might have seen her show or worked at the club while she was there. I would be very grateful if you could contact me via the Picture Stockton Team if you can help. Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from you.
Does anyone remember Dave Townsend, he used to work the Door at the Marimba and Contessa?
Of course some of you will be shouting ‘What about La Rhonde at Billingham’. Yes that too was a Bailey Night Club and an awful carry for equipment. You had to carry everything up to the first floor before you could use the service lift up the further floors, and of course bands like Rivers Invitation and ourselves Harvest, had to manhandle the organ all the way up the stairs. Among the glamour and glitz what the general public didn’t know was that Baileys general policy was all the bands had to set up before the public came in the building and you couldn’t take it down until the clubs had closed.
The main difference between ‘The Fiesta Night Club’ and ‘Titos’ was the fact that ‘Titos’ was The first purpose built nightclub in Stockton, it was built for the Bailey Organisation and run by the Bailey Organiisation along with ‘Club Contessa’ (at that time a gambling house) and ‘Club Marimba’. ‘The Fiesta’, even with all it’s glory, was a converted building. Jack Ester, the manager of ‘Titos’, ran the club so well that he got first pick of the touring artistes within the Bailey Organisation and that also meant priority over all the Bailey clubs in Newcastle and Sunderland and their main club in South Shields. Baileys also ran a club belonging to Bob Monkhouse in Newcastle called ‘Changes’ and one night, while playing there with the band I was in at the time called ‘Harvest’, the super group to be ‘Led Zepplin’ called in for a drink. I played in all of the Bailey clubs in the North East over the years and ended up doing a residency in Club Contessa. Amazing times.
Guys n’ Dolls (of which I was a member) played several times at The Fiesta, It was always one of our favourite venues. One date in particular was 25th May 1977. I had just seen my team Liverpool win the European Cup for the first time, before leaving for the show. For the encore I changed into a Liverpool strip and the audience went wild as it was the first British European cup win since Man Utd in the sixties.
RE GUYS AND DOLLS, THEY PLAYED THE OLD SOUTH BANK SPORTING CLUB IN THE 70/80. CAN’T REMEMBER THEM PLAYING THE FIESTA.
Yes guys and dolls did play at the fiesta, I was bought an eight track cartridge from them. Anyone remember seeing Eartha Kitt, Lulu, Dusty Springfield, Scott Walker?
If I had been 10 years younger, I would of been there to see these acts. What have I’ve missed, Dusty Springfield and Lulu, pure diamonds.
Just found this site and it has brought back loads memories. I used to live behind the Fiesta and from 14 years old I used to be in the club helping out making tea and coffee for the stars every Sunday afternoon. I met loads of them then went on to spend my nights there when I became old enough to drink. I made lots of friends even with the singers (Cliff Richard, Peter Gordino, Peter Noon etc) Every time they came we would chat for ages. Those are the days that I miss. When it closed down I was gutted but I have my memories.
I’m trying to find my fathers sister Judith who lived with the Laidler family. I’m just wondering if you had any info with living behind the Fiesta… I would be very grateful.
I remember going to the old baths on the school bus in the early seventies and seeing a black woman and 3 or 4 black guys walking up Norton Road towards the Fiesta. I realised that it was Motown superstars Gladys Knight and the pips. Imagine todays pop stars…
I remember Tommy Harbron before he formed the Zephyrs, trying to form a skiffle group, stating one day his ambition was to play on stage at the Empire. I know the Zephyrs played on many, many stages but did they ever play the Empire and what has become of this very talented guitarist??
Even though l lived in Stockton the Marimba was the first night club I went to as my then boyfriend worked there. I saw Tom Jones when he used to perform there then dash to the
contessa for another performance on the same night.
Your right Kevin McGowan it was 1969. How I remember is I gave Rusty from The Paper Dolls a lift home to The Boro. I was at the Fiesta that night with my ex wife and bumped into Rusty on the way out. I knew her from the opening night of a new club in Manchester where the Paper Dolls were appearing. In fact after they had finished their act they sat at our table. I was working in Manchester at the time with another engineer who wife was Rusty’s cousin, consequently, that’s how when we were invited to the opening night. I remember the night although it were yesterday.If I remember rightly Rusty joined The Paper Dolls after their big hit and I think at the time the lead singer was dating a guy from the Rocking Berries.
I spent many happy night in this nightclub and I met my husband there
I concur with Pat Pattison, Tito’s was the first nightclub in Stockton. I started working for The Bailey Organization in late 1962 as a croupier and was trained at Tito’s during its opening. We were already working at The Contessa and the Marimba pre the Tito’s opening.
This was before the Fiesta opening because my wife worked at Kidds in M’bro with one of the Brothers who opened the Fiesta at a later date . Probaly a couple of years later.
The first night club on Teesside was, I think, the Empire Continental next door to the Town Hall. Variety and cabaret artistes and the odd “beat group” were booked for 7 day stints around ’61/’62ish ish. The Contessa and the Bongo followed and then the Marimba. The South Bank Sporting Club was another popular live cabaret venue. Mick Kemp’s Blue Caps supported a young Gerry Dorsey complete with Jerry Lewis impressions back in early ’65.
Pat Pattison is correct, Titos was indeed Stockton’s first nightclub and the first nightclub in Teesside was (I think) the Marimba on Newport Road, Middlesbrough. I had many good nights at Titos Thursdays & Sundays. Among the acts I remember seeing were Jerry Lee Lewis, The Bachelors, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Dickie & Dottie (remember them with their “hilarious skit on strip”!!), Maori Castaways, Paul Jones, Ronnie Dukes & Rikki Lee, Marianne Faithfull and many, many more I can’t remember.
Sorry Picture Stockton Team, but the Fiesta was not Stockton’s first night club. It was Tito’s in Brunswick Street, off Dovecote Street. My future brother in law worked for an accountants firm which must have been involved with the set up and he was given four tickets for the opening night (my memory fails me here on the year, but I know it was between 1962 and 1964). My brother in law, and his wife, and me and my future husband Dave, duly turned up on the night, the men in suits as they did then, and us girls in posh frocks and fur jackets, only for Dave to be refused entry at the door because his sideburns were too long!! We deserted him and went in, and he had to dash home under the tunnel at the top of Dovecote Street, to Oxbridge to shave some of the length off. Tito’s was certainly a new experience for Stockton.
Do you remember the opening of Stockton’s first night club in 1965 and the stars that played there? Join Barry Jones at Stockton Central Library and share your memories. Thursday 21 May at 2pm (2009) – All are welcome and refreshments are provided. Contact Stockton Reference Library on 01642 528079 for more information
Superb entertainment venue used to go there from Eston on most Thursdays or Saturdays from 1969 to 1972, then the Kids came along, Happy days. Saw Tommy Cooper, Blue Mink, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Grumbleweeds, The Black Abbots, Norman Wisdom, Gene Pitney etc etc etc But don`t forget The Ray Dales Band, great days.
I left Norton for the RAF before the Moderne became The Fiesta, so I never experienced the venue. To put things in perspective, in the 1960″s the RAF Waddington NAAFI (known as The Raven Club) would get similar acts on a Saturday night and we once had The BeeGees. The Fiesta”s 21 shillings (One Guinea) membership fee was a bit stiff, mind. In 1969 my take-home pay was only ten pounds six shillings a week!
Can anyone remember the 70″s group Guys n Dolls playing the Fiesta at Stockton? Any advertising from those days still around?
Yes, I remember going to see them with my husband. We sat at the front, to the right of the stage and I was transfixed by one of the girls not wearing tights, which was unheard of back then, and she had the hairiest legs I’d ever seen!!! Great group though, and some great nights.
Can”t remember if Englebert played at the Fiesta but I distinctly remember him playing at Tito”s in Stockton. The poster stayed in the advertising hoarding for months and me and my friend used to giggle at the name!! He probably did eventually play at the Fiesta as well but I didn”t see him.
Did Engelbert Humperdinck play at the Fiesta?
He played at South Bank Sporting Club the gig before he changed his name from Gerry Dorsey
I remember as a young boy going to the fiesta. I had a couple of birthday party”s there, my dad was floor manager and in charge of the door staff (ken stalford) and my mam was one of the fiesta bunny girls (beryl). Quite often some of the act”s would come and stay at our house. I remember one in particular, Brian Pool and the Tremalos. It must have been one of the best clubs in the north, what happend?!!
REFERENCE MY LAST COMMENTS ON THE PROFESSIONAL DARTS PLAYERS THAT APPEARED AT THE FIESTA, LETS NOT FORGET OUR OWN LOCAL LADS THAT GOT TO PLAY ON THE FIESTA STAGE, BERNIE GARVIE, PETER HOBSON, WALLY LARGE, LES WILSON, JOHN MCALEES, TO NAME JUST A FEW, I”M SURE WE WILL GET MORE COMMENTS WITH A FEW MORE NAMES.
A few years ago, in a tiny out-of-the-way cd store in Englewood, Florida, USA, I found a cd of a live performance of Roy Orbison recorded at the “Fiesta Nightclub, Stockton, England”. There was no date listed on the cd.
Yes Eric, I do remember Harmony Grass, we thought they were a much better group actually than Amen Corner but I haven”t heard anything of them since so time tells, doesn”t it. I cannot praise the Fiesta highly enough, all those top line artists (and Tessie 0″Shea) just down the road from home. How they managed it I will never know. It was a moment in time that could never happen again I think. Shirley Bassey, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, what about the week when Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons were here?
When did the 4 seasons appear at Fiesta Stockton in 1971?
There was a large, brightly coloured poster in a glass frame attached to the wall either side of the Fiesta entrance. One poster advertised the artist(s) currently playing, with the other promoting the new artist(s) for next week. The poster writing was large, so you could identify the artists or “stars” from passing buses on the other side of Norton Road. After the show, particularly on a weekend, groups of people often left the Fiesta loudly singing the songs they had just heard as they moved down Norton Road and Avenue. Mike Pinders hairdressers in Stockton, during the late 60s to early 70s, had a collection of promotional photographs of groups that had appeared at the Fiesta and locally elsewhere pinned to the wall. I was jealous because it was better than mine. Today its hard to believe that “supergroups” once regularly turned up at Norton. I am always amazed that many of todays taxi and bus drivers know where to go if you ask them to drop you off at the Fiesta (or even Hill”s).
I LIVED JUST OFF NORTON AVENUE SO THE FIESTA WAS IN WALKING DISTANCE FOR ME. I SAW SOME GREAT ACTS, GENE PITNEY, ROY ORBISON, FREDDY STARR, ONE ACT I WENT TO SEE FIVE NIGHTS RUNNING WAS TONY CHRISTIE. I ALSO REMEMBER SOME GREAT DART PLAYERS GRACING THE STAGE,JOHN LOWE, ERIC BRISTOW, JOCKY WILSON, LEIGHTON REESE, BOBBY GEORGE TO NAME JUST A FEW, BILLY KELLY WAS THE COMPERE, SO THEY WOULD ALL MEET IN THE MALLEABLE CLUB AND HAVE A FEW GAMES OF DARTS BEFORE THEY WENT TO THE FIESTA, SO WE GOT TO PLAY MOST OF THEM IN THE MALLEABLE CLUB, NO MATTER WHO IT WAS THEY STILL MARKED THE BOARD IN ORDER TO PLAY. GREAT TIMES.
I got my first taste of the Club Fiesta in 1974, seeing bands and singers such as The Searchers, Alvin Stardust, Mud, Lynsey De Paul and Gene Pitney over the years. It”s hard to believe that the Fiesta was the hub of the North in the show-biz world. Wish I had seen more acts.
You are quite right Alice that was a sensational night at the fiesta. Do you remember the support group who came on first that night? It was Harmony Grass, and they too were very impressive. One of the best groups I ever saw at the Fiesta. The Fiesta was the business, there has been nothing like it since.
Definitely 1969, because the dates shown on the flyers did fall on a Sunday that year.
I would particularly draw your attention to the w/c Sun Feb 23rd. I think this must have been 1969 because I went every night to that Top of the Pops week. All those artists were at the peak of their careers in that year, just take a look at who was on in just one week at the wonderful Fiesta! On the night that Amen Corner were playing, I was in the audience and they had just gone to number 1 with the song (If paradise is) half as nice. I have never experienced a more dangerous situation and came out of it relatively unscarred. There was just no room in the place whatsoever, we were also introduced to “strobe lighting”. You couldn”t hear Andy Fairweather Lowe singing for the screaming, his voice was very weak but nevertheless the place errupted when they started singing If Paradise…. The strobe lighting made us all appear to be moving in slow motion. In order to actually see him everybody had to stand on the tables. What with the strobe lighting and alcohol and standing on tables it was totally surreal. The worst part of the evening came when they left and we all wanted to go home and get our coats. In those days we left our coats in the cloakroom for 6d ticket I think. The queue was manic. Everybody was pushing from behind and soon I found myself wedged up against the desk, unable to move and the lady behind the counter was inundated with arms waving tickets. It felt like I was trapped there for hours but in reality it was probably just over an hour. I couldn”t breathe at one point and just as I was on the point of collapsing, she took my ticket and I managed to push my way out with my coat. Don”t suppose health and safety people would even allow that many people to be in a place like that nowadays. I would also like to point out the price it was to become a member which was printed on the back of the flyer!!