Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers

Subject: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: GUEST,Den at work
Date: 06 Feb 01 - 12:10 PM

I know, I know, terrible thread name. However there is method to my madness. I'm going to be doing a story telling and music session at the local library for St. Pat's and I want to stay clear of the usual shamrocks and leprechauns stuff. I did a session last year and it was really well received. I told people right off the bat that I was from N. Ireland and that I would be telling stories about people I knew or knew of when I was growing up. I'm sure some people were there to hear the mythology stuff but so many others do that I just wanted to do something different. Everyone stayed though and I got a standing ovation at the end, which was very nice.

Now back to the thread title. I'm going to tell a story this year about my Granny Kenning. A real character. Your typical wee Belfast woman, hard as nails but with a heart of gold. My memory of her is a little sketchy as she died when I was about 11. The things I do remember though are her talking about the ballrooms she attended, bottles of Guinness and wrestling on the Tv on Saturdays. She mentioned Donegal Square and I wondered if any of our Belfast catters could help here. I seem to remember someone talking about a Ballroom (the Starlight?) in Wellington place.

She loved the tag team wrestlers and in particular two young brothers named the Royals if memory serves. She loved to hate Mick MacManus because he was always beating up on the Royles but she thought that he may have come from Ireland (the name sounds like he might have) so she generally forgave him. She would yell at the TV "would you look at the big gom batin' them poor wee fellas." We would say oh Granny come on now, sure he's Irish and probably a good catholic," just to get a rise out of her. She would say "och I know but I couldn't like thon man if he was kissin' me." Mick MacManus had a tag partner at that time and they both dressed in black shorts. Now maybe some of the British catters may remember his name. Logan seems to ring a bell but I can't be sure.

Granny Kenning was fascinating. She remembered having the day off to go watch the Titanic being launched or so she told us. Things I remember her saying were, "where's me fegs (cigarettes). "Did any of yez see my beg" (purse). She always said "thee," instead of three. Anyway I hope someone can help patch a couple of holes in my memory here thanks in advance Den.

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 02:16 AM

Den, there was Romano's, the Astor, John Dosser's, Betty Staff's. Van Morrison played in a showband before he played with Them, in the Floral Hall and other spots. The Clipper Carlton, Dave Glover's Showband as well as the Royal and the Miami performed there. Mick McManus's nemesis was Jackie Pallo ( a real glipe if ever there was one.) Yer granny sounds like a wee cracker, so she does.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: alison
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 07:16 AM

Wasn't the Floral Hall the one that is up beside Belfast zoo?... or at least it was the last time I was at the zoo maybe 10 years ago..... round behind the flamingoes....

My Gran used to watch the wrestling.. she booed Mick McManus.... he was a baddy as was Giant Haystacks, (although to give him his due he did flatten Jackie Fullerton on the ITV news when Jackie stupidly said "its all just pretend you guys don't actually hurt each other".... hahaha.. so he wasn't all bad....).... and Big Daddy was the goodie......

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 04:27 PM

Alison, you are correct. The Floral Hall was up by the zoo. There was also the Boom-Boom Room which really went Boom-Boom during the troubles. And Billy Two-Rivers and Englishman with a Mohawk haircut who pretended to be an Indian wrestler.

All the best.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: Jimmy C
Date: 07 Feb 01 - 04:52 PM

There was also the Orpheus on York Street above the Co, on Tuesday and Saturday nights, The Plaza, Cecil Clarke's in Lower Donegal Street , The JIG in Coates street (A real dive - if you wanted a fight you had to put your name on the board). There was also one around North Queen Street called " The Blouse Club". There was Caproni's in Bangor and another dive up in Larne, I had to run like the wind some nights from the latter.
The only wrestlers I remember was Mike Marino.a real athlete and Billy Two Rivers.

If I think of others I'll let you know,

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 02:22 AM

Jimmy C, I was wonderin' how long it would take you to thow in your sprazzy's worth. There was another wrestler called Les Something or other. He was an oul' lad - looked about 50, and always acted like he was stocious in the ring. Oh, aye and another one was Rikki Something or other (not related to Les) and he was a ballet dancer. He'd pirouette round his opponent til he was dizzy - the opponent, that is - and then knoller him with a drop-kick to the gub. Rikki Starr! That's who it was! He was dynamite, so he was! My Granny loved him.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: alison
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 08:35 AM

You didn't happen to have a dog too did you Seamus?... everytime my gran booed or cheered the wrestling.. the dog went beserk...... it was mosre entertaining watching them than the wrestling.......

BTW.. if I remeber rightly the wrestling was on ITV at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon (Play away had just finished on BBC2........ *grin*)

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: alison
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 08:40 AM

It's amazing what you find at google.. just type in Mick+McManus there's heaps...

in this one he's flattening "Quasimodo" and "Jackie Pallo"

there's a list and links to British wrestlers at this one....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: alison
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 08:46 AM

Here's another list of British Welterweight title winners...... see if any names ring a bell

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 09:56 AM

Alison - your British wrestlers link - who's that below Mick McManus - one Ian Campbell? Could this indeed be THE Ian Campbell of folk group fame? A day job, perhaps? (Er, judging by the photos this is unlikely to be feasible).
What is it about Norn Iron grannies? Mine was mad keen on the wrestling too. And dodgy gameshows with glittery curtains. I can remember there being a wrestling tour that once visited our arsehole-of-nowhere village... Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy I recall.

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: alison
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 10:04 AM

LOL,,,, yep game shows with glittery curtains and hosts with bad toupees.... still loves them, and still watches the darts and the snooker...... and still cheers them on...... 91 and still booing the baddies..... pretty good going....hahaha

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 10:09 AM

I have lasting memories of sitting by the fire in my Granny and Granda's on a Saturday evening, eating snowballs and drinking tea and watching "3-2-1 Dustybin". That has got to be one of the most bizarre shows ever. And then we drove home in a car that smelt of leeks and parsley that Granda had given us from the garden. He still does, when I visit.

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: alison
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 10:36 AM

hahaha.... now you've annoyed me.. what was the name of that show? Ted Rodgers was the compere..... and there were really bizarre clues to the prizes

was it called 3..2...1..?

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 02:22 PM

Alison, my granny did have a dog. A corgi that would go buck-mad when my granny would yell at the bad guy wrestlers. "Thon's one dirty baste, thon Mick McManus! I wish to God somebody would knock his melt in!" She'd scream. And the corgi would gowl (not "growl") at the TV. As for game shows, I always wanted a Crackerjack pencil.

All the best.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: GUEST,Den at work
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 03:29 PM

Thanks everybody that was brilliant... ahh the memories. Its Friday its five to five and its CRACKERJACK. Man I hated that bastard Leslie Crowther.

I'll be able to sling a few of those Ballroom names into me yarn about the Granny.

So your Granny had a corgi Seamus. We always had a wee black and white dog that was part border collie and part border guard. Everybody in our estate practically, had one of those wee black and white dogs. You never see them in such numbers anywhere else but home. I still see it in mind's eye a bunch of kids running down the road with a half dozen of them wee black and white dogs.

Alison I will go directly if not sooner to that sight about Mick MacManus. Can nobody remember his tag partner. A big ugly guy with jet black hair that kind of hung over his eyes. My Granny hated him and would shake her fist at the TV when he came on. I swear to God she used to hold her "beg" closer to her chest every time he would get in the ring. Thanks again Den.

Subject: RE: Belfast Ballrooms and Wrestlers
From: alison
Date: 08 Feb 01 - 09:39 PM

lol... there are photos at one of those sites Den.... see if you can find him...... hahahaha

this has brought back a lot of lovely memories...

(my dog was a pure shetland collie)

slainte

alison