Remembering Sunderland in the 1960s, including coffee bars, Club 11 and El Cubana

The coffee bars of Sunderland played a huge part in bringing the latest music to town in the 1960s.

Perhaps you remember Club 11 in Villiers Street, or El Cubana in Toward Road.

Phil Curtis, from Sunderland Antiquarian Society, has recalled them in an article for the latest society newsletter.

The biggest names in showbusiness would grace the stages of Sunderland in the 1960s.

But it was the coffee bars which often led the way in bringing live entertainment to teenagers back in the day.

Club 11 was the place to be

Club 11 was opened at Christmas 1961 by Mike Pemberton and Frank Pickering.

The coffee bar and dance club was an immediate success.

A year later, El Cubana was pulling in the punters in Toward Road after it was opened by Eric Punshon and Cliff Balbach with the Kylastrons performing.

It soon developed an upstairs nightclub called La Cubana.

The two venues were soon attracting bands such as Junco Partners, The Valiants, The Invictors, Jazz Board and The Invaders.

The local acts weren't the only ones to grace the stage. The Spencer Davis Group (whose hits included Keep On Running) and Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger, and The Trinity (This Wheel's On Fire), played there too.

5,000 entries and a Sunderland band was the best

An unlikely contributor to the scene was Liverpool House department store which made the suits for Sunderland band Chris Warren and the Strangers when they did brilliantly in a national competition.

There were 5,000 entries and the Sunderland lads won the final at Brighton with judges including Kathy Kirby, David Jacobs and Jess Conrad.

Their prize was a cheque for £250 which was handy as their van had broken down six weeks earlier on the way to a gig in Hartlepool.

Chris Warren later joined the group Pickettywitch which had a hit with Same Old Feeling.

Loads more to see at the Heritage Centre

Thanks to Phil for another wonderful article.

The society's newsletter goes out to its members and is packed with fascinating reads about Sunderland's past.

You can also find out more about the Antiquarian Society by getting along to its Heritage Centre which is open in Douro Terrace on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9.30am to 12pm.

You can also visit the Antiquarian Society’s Facebook page or its website which is at http://www.sunderland-antiquarians.org

And to become a member, email [email protected]

Tell us about a moment in Sunderland history that you would like us to revisit, by emailing [email protected]