Old Haunts

[Doc Vernon]

I know that we all went to many old haunts in our time and there has been lots about them on the site in the past,there is a Thread about all the old Pubs around the World that is very informative!
However one old Hotel just came to mind Today as I was searching for something very different and Bang! This old place was a real dive in its time,so I am wondering if any of you (I am almost sure there are) have ever or recall the old HARP HOTEL ,in Long Street Cape Town,now of course occupied by another Building.
The reason too that I ask is I am hoping that possibly someone may per (Long Shot) chance still have in their Bags of Cobwebs a Photo of this old Hotel!
Although it was quite a dive then,it was also very popular with the Seaman ,as I remember it so well!
Had many a good time in there and met some real good time Gals! LOL
Thanks for reading
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

Never really looked at the names of bars before entering, the real couple that stick in my mind is the Carlton and the Del monica , although have been told the following day that visited the navigators den and other places of iniquity. Went to the movies once in Cape Town where you could be served with a meal and a drink whilst watching the screen. They brought such a cinema out here in Perth not so long back as though it was something new, they had the same in Kaapstad in the 60"s. Cheers JWS

[Doc Vernon]

Hello JS
Yes those were good little what we called Ticky Bioscopes (Movie Houses) I really loved them and there were quite a few in my days!
Ones that come to mind are
Majestic
Forum
Roxy
Elstree
Rex

there were a few more but cannot recall at this time



All the same sort of Movie places and what was so good is that one got a Double Feature ,The Newsreel, a Serial and sometimes a Funny short too!
And best of all one could sit there all day if you wanted to just ordering a new Cooldrink now and then,as they replayed the same Movies all day long! Used to Bunk School a lot to go sit there with the little Girlfriends! LOL
I recall paying 8 Pence Entry and that included the first Cooldrink.
Then as you asy there were the food Snacks you could order,quite cheal as well and I just loved the Hot Egg Sarnies!
Cheers
Good old Memories

[Doc Vernon]

Trivia JS

The Roxy Bio-Cafe opened circa mid-1930’s and was situated in the basement of Atlantic House on Longmarket Street across the road from the Forum/Royal Cinema, in Cape Town.

It was typical of Cape Town’s Bio-Cafe’s which served refreshments to patrons at their seats during continuous performances.

The Roxy Cinema was Cape Town’s longest surviving cinema of the Bio-cafe era. It closed in 1995.

The Picadilly Cinema was one of three “tea-room” bioscopes, along with the Roxy Cinema and the Pigalle Cinema. It ran triple-features on rotation, normally two Hollywood films and a Shaw Brothers Kung-Fu movie or something similar. It was located in the small Parkade Mall and had a narrow entrance with a small concessions stall along with the ticket booth. Entrance was through a curtain and the auditorium was a flat area divided into two sections with a middle aisle. The cinema was not well maintained and being in the city centre was often the refuge of people fallen on tough times who were happy to pass the day away in the confines of the cinema, but back in those days a triple feature was a big deal and represented great value for money. I recall the price of admission in the late-1970’s was around 35c.

Capture Tea Room Bio Ticket.jpg

So there are the others I could not recall !

This one that was before my time but know the name
This cinema was built in 1915 and the first sound film was shown here on 8th December 1930.

The cinema closed and was demolished circa early-1940’s, and an office block (named Security Building) erected on the site. The address of this building was No.7-15 Exchange Place which was situated between Adderley and St.George Street.

In the early-1970’s the office block was demolished, Exchange Place closed to vehicular traffic, and a new building (The Old Mutual) erected on the site.

Here is a Real Oldie! Gees!!!
ImagineMag! - a South African arts & culture emagazine providing a voice and information for people interested and involved in arts, culture, heritage and the performing arts.

[j.sabourn]

Thinking back S.A. must of thought of themselves as Europeans what I wonder do they think of themselves as of today.The seats on buses and other places were marked out as European or non European or in a lot of cases Blanc or non blanc. Japanese were classed as European and yet Chinese weren't. Maybe that is why so many surrounding countries are trying their hands at illegal immigrants as have decided they are European by definition. Last time I was in Capetown would have been 1969 and was only there as a port of refuge as was on passage from Gdansk ( Poland) to Karachi with a cargo of coke, not marijuana or coca cola, the sort you put in furnaces. Cheers JWS PS wasn't a ticky a sixpence. ? JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Remember the Bioscope in Cape Town and the refreshmenst they served.
There was one bar, just off Dorp Street and he had the biggest Rhodesian Ridgeback I have evr seen.
The barman told me he was very placid and would not bite.
Not taking chances I sat at the far end of the bar, near the exit.

[Ivan Cloherty]

[QUOTE=j.sabourn;258816 Cheers JWS PS wasn't a ticky a sixpence. ? JS[/QUOTE]

It was a 'tanner' in the UK

[j.sabourn]

Thanks Ivan knew someone in the world of high finance would know. My wife I am sure used to have a bracelet with silver threepenny bits on. haven't seen it for a long time, maybe she used them when we were hard up. As always. Cheers JWS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Thanks Ivan knew someone in the world of high finance would know. s JWS

I remember a time when the tanner was my high finance!

[Keith Tindell]

Not wishing to engage in an argument at this time of the morning with you very knowledgable guys, but I always thought a tiki was three pence, as in tiki hock at the capetown railway bar, however, just consulted the man ( Google ) who seems to know all, and he agrees with me, kt