Its name was possibly a combination of The Black Cap, and another Camden pub, The Mother Red Cap. The pub in the 1986 film Withnail & I is the "Mother Black Cap" (which stood in Tavistock Crescent). Top drag acts such as Adrela and Lily Savage also appeared at The Cap during the eighties.
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The Black Cap was a favourite haunt of the serial killer Dennis Nilsen, who used it to pick up his victims, and of Anthony Hardy, "The Camden Ripper", who dumped the dismembered bodies of his victims behind the College Arms pub in Crowndale Road (now demolished).ĭuring the 1980s, artists such as Reg Bundy who began his Cabaret 'life' as part of the triple Act "The Disappointer Sisters", performed his alter ego Regina Fong on Tuesday nights, attracting a following of "Fongettes". Jojo Martin said of Rex Jameson, "Rex Jameson was a genius at his craft, I think the book written about him, ('The Amazing Mrs Shufflewick'), is a very apt title, he was amazing, looking at the photograph on the dust jacket, it is no wonder many thought Rex really was Mrs Shufflewick, rather than a female impersonation act, he should never be forgotten and should always be remembered with the other greats, such as Arthur Lucan ( Old Mother Riley) and George Logan and Patrick Fyffe Hinge and Bracket". Jameson died in 1983 and in memorial, the upstairs bar was called The Shufflewick Bar. Sunday crowds were large and included Charles Hawtrey, Barry Humphries and Barry Cryer. A Hammond organ played by Frankie Rae and drum kit played by David Thallon took pride of place on a tiny stage upon which Mrs Shufflewick performed two shows, usually with fellow-artiste Mark Fleming. Mrs Shufflewick appeared weekly for Sunday lunch during the 1970s. The character Mrs Shufflewick was celebrated by artists such as Danny La Rue, Roy Hudd, Bob Monkhouse, Barry Cryer and Barry Humphries. Rex Jameson was a variety artist who hit the big time in the 1950s and 1960s, and went on to attract audiences in the 1970s.
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A performance was recorded there in 1972. Ī notable regular performer at The Black Cap was Rex Jameson's drag persona, Mrs Shufflewick. Drag acts under the 'Baton' of Tony Page, who became the first Resident Compére from 1969 until 1976 and Resident Duo Frankie Rae and David Thallon, Hinge and Bracket started their careers at the pub. In the winter of 1965/66 the pub became predominantly known for a homosexual clientele, and in the later 20th century it became known for its drag queen cabaret, and promoted itself as the "Palladium of drag". The pub was initially called the Mother Black Cap after a local legend concerning a witch, and had that name, according to licensing records, as early as 1751. Let us know if there are any we've missed.The Black Cap was a pub in Camden Town, London known for its drag cabaret, and popular from the mid-1960s until it closed in April 2015. Some of our older readers may even remember donning baggy trousers and hitting the dancefloor at Cleopatra's in the 1970s when Derby had a northern soul scene. Zanzibar might not have been to everyone's taste but it was very popular at one point and the toilets were quite spacious, to be fair.
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Maybe you snogged your future spouse for the first time in Eclipse, or perhaps you were there that night in The Pink Coconut when Mark 'Return of the Mack' Morrison got arrested outside. Names such as Ritzy, The Rock House and Paradise will still resonate with thousands of people who came of age shaking their bits to the hits in Derby's top nightspots. These shots will drag you back in time to a period when you could still get a pint of warm lager for a couple of quid. As Kylie wisely sang, when you can't find the music, to get down and boogie, all you can do is step back in time.Īnd that's exactly what we're about to do, having trawled through the Derby Telegraph archives in order to dredge up a few pictures of Derby's old nightclubs.