Brilliant Monday night music sessions here on Newhall St in the city centre, the former site of Polly Annas, Tressines was a strange mix of students, music lovers, low key gangsters and business people. I used to love this place and ended up here on my 18th as I knew the owner Jimmy, would look after me. He did!
Celebrating Birmingham's Popular Music History
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It was also called Topcats, Pollyannas and Topcats was owned by Don Fewtrell and was brought by a guy who’s last name was Tressine. Jimmy was Jimmy Brady Jnr who owned and managed many, many pubs and clubs in his day. wonderful Gentleman.
monday nights was called boogie shoes great night.jimmy is my dad still going strong but retiered.poor don and ken tressine both gone now.
Hi, My name is Tony i worked at Tressines for 9 years, my uncle worked for Ken just before he died. how are things with you, do you see any of the old crowd?
hello tone hope your ok remember the Christmas and newyears do,s way b4 channel 4s my big fat wedding hav to get in touch somehow all the best chris.
Used to love driessing up in my retro gear and getting on down to Tressines. Was a bit sketchy on the bus though, looking superfly!
Ken was my neighbour and best mate for the 10 years that i knew him , he
bought a club in shrewsbury originally called ‘ bedroom ‘ and he named it ‘ topcats ‘ this was his last business venture before he sadly was taken away from us all , miss him greatly and i still hear his lines going through my mind and his cheeky laugh and smile , god bless you ken i will always love you , your mate natalie ( spanner ) x
Hi Natile
It’s Anna Ken’s daughter. Hope you are well. Sorry we lost touch but I struggled with my grief would love to say hello properly
Hi Anne, my name is Wayne Barratt, my dad Bill was a good friend of your dad Ken , I knew him as Uncle Ken and he and your mum Rose helped my dad and mum(and me and my brother Keith) out when they arrived back in England from Canada in 1963 .I have a pretty good memory of both yourself and brother John , and your mum and dad. I live back in Canada now, you can contact me on waynebarratt @msn.com If you like . regards Wayne
The Funk/disco night on Mondays at Tressines was fantastic! I would literally dance all night in my hot pants, halter-neck top and ankle boots!! I think DJ Pants needs to come out of retirement and resurrect those nights – our kids are all grown up now and we are well up for some all night funk sessions again ?
Hi, A place called The Night Owl on Lower Trinity St in Digbeth Bham does a night called Le Freak the last Friday of every month. They play all the old school Funk, Soul and Disco club tunes. It is a great night ou t for these times.
Came to Birmingham 1985 on a mates stag do, He was living in Aston at the time. After visiting a few hostilities on Broad Street I was handed my complimentary ticket to tressines House night!! What a fantastic place with a real edge and full of characters!!! As on of the regulars casually remind me in a soft Brumby accent “if your banned from everywhere else mate they’ll still let you in here” bought a news of the world on way home at 2-30am!!! Great day’s!!
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Spent many a Monday night at Tressines whilst studying in Birmingham 1990-93. Very happy memories. Any ideas how to track down some of the tracks played there?
Thanks xx
I used to love trissines. I still remember the boincers.
What is tressines niw. I would love to go back and have a look.
I used to deal with Ken Tressine in the 1960s. He supplied pinball tables and one-armed bandits mainly to cafes from his Nissen hut workshop in Queenshead Rd. Handsworth before moving to Arden Rd. Saltley where his sidekick Brian was manager in a converted church. Around 1970 he owned The Watersplash nightclub in Walsall. He was a good friend of Maltese Joe who ran an illegal casino at Football Joe’s cafe opposite the Mermaid Pub on Warwick Rd., Bham. They were strange days, like “Minder” !
Hi John, my name is Wayne Barratt, you may remember my dad Bill Barratt who worked for Ken and Brian Mahoon at Auto Gaming Machines when they were in Queenshead Road at the back of the scrapyard. I worked there too cleaning up the amusement machines (bingos and flippers) when I was a kid . My dad set up some of the machines in cafes and would empty the cashboxes as well as supply “Tanners” to the cafes at night If they had run out .
How weird to hear a comment from the past. It’s like a dream. Ken used to gamble in casinos, when it became too much of a problem he would give Brian the takings to hide until he became desperate and would then threaten him to reveal the hiding place. At that time Ken had a Roller. He gave Football Joe a Shoot-a-line bingo pinball for his cafe on Warwick Road, I did a swap with Joe for a club fruit. I kept it all those years until a few months ago when I sold it for £500. I wrote a story of its provenance inside it, including reference to Ken and Joe for posterity.
Dear Anna ( Ken’s daughter )
Thank you for sending a reply message to me ,please get in touch with me if you wish to , I hope you are well you can contact me via email at natjanolive@gmail.com. Would be nice to hear from you again .
Kind Regards,
Natalie x
Hi anyone remember Charlie that worked on the bar and her brother Richard?
Hi everyone,
I used to love to dance at Tressines when I was a pharmacy student from 1992 to 1995. Saw Mick Hucknell there one night. Currently sat in my ironing shed listening to some disco music and reminiscing. What a great night out. I used to love how people would dress in their white suits and retro gear.
Top night.