Star Group, Cavendish House, Albion Street.

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Dutch Dave
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Joined: Wed 26 Jun, 2013 4:05 am

Post by Dutch Dave »

Is there anyone out there who worked for Star Group back in the late 60s/early 70s? This was the biggest family-owned entertainments company in the UK, having some 150 bingo halls, 90+ cinemas, 6 discos(Penny Farthing), a pub (Red Lion) on the Champs Elysees in Paris and the Hofbrauhaus in the Merrion Centre.As an outcomer from Halifax, I was allowed the privilege of working in the publicity department as a layout artist (no jokes, thanks).Although the pay was lousy, the atmosphere was great and was one of the best jobs I ever had. I ended up in charge of our small studio and solely responsible for doing the Penny Farthing ads (very badly). On Fridays, we impoverished lads would retire to the King Charles pub (now gone) to drown our sorrows. The office block, Cavendish House, was nine stories high and we occupied about 6 floors. Next door was the first microwave cafe I'd ever seen-The Magic Box and the ground floor housed Australia House and the AA shop/office.Although from Halifax, I spent virtually all my working life in Leeds from 1968 up to jacking it all in at 60 (2006) and moving to Zakynthos, Greece.Other places I worked: Ardente Hearing Services, Lax and Shaw and Nordal Aluminium Profiles plus my 3 year stint at Leeds University, where I discovered the delights of the Fenton (frequently).

Jogon
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Post by Jogon »

I visited the Hofbrau.. Missed the King Charles - sounds an interesting thread this group

Dutch Dave
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Post by Dutch Dave »

Jogon wrote: I visited the Hofbrau.. Missed the King Charles - sounds an interesting thread this group Thanks for picking this up, Jogon. I did a bit of artwork for the Hofbrauhaus opening back in '71.The photo brought back a few memories of the King Charles and then I remembered we also frequented the Merry Boys Bar in the Guildford. One of our "lads" was Steve Gaunt whose father, Fred, had an unsuccessful career on YTV but ran an excellent pub in, I think, Guiseley or Rawdon. Corrections, please.

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Croggy1
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Post by Croggy1 »

I don't remember the Star group, but I worked in Cavendish House when the Halifax centralised their admin. The building was used by them until the merger with the Leeds Perm and operations were moved to Lovell Park.

Dutch Dave
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Post by Dutch Dave »

Thanks, Croggy1, for that info. Star Group was eventually taken over by EMI so, in effect, it ceased to be. We, if memory serves me well, occupied the 2nd and 5th to 9th floors. There was also the Northern Secretarial College on the4th floor (or was it the 3rd.?). As I started on the second floor in bingo publicity, we had a large, flat-roofed area adjacent and, if you remember, the stairs were all panelled in glass. Back in the late 60s, all the young girls at the college would use the stairs and provide us lusty young men with an enjoyable view of some very fine limbs and not a few smiles.One abiding memory from my bingo days was the use of the flat roof over Australia house and the AA as a cricket pitch in summer.We had a store of yellow bingo balls and these often used to end up sailing on the breeze down the Headrow as we showed the Aussies below how to knock a boundary.

andyfox
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Joined: Mon 29 May, 2017 8:01 pm

Re: Star Group, Cavendish House, Albion Street.

Post by andyfox »

regards star group
worked there at head office .also at batley stayed with Star group about five years leaving about 1972 .It was great travelling all over england to every situation as they opened /converted /and closed. I thought the nicest one was prince charles cinema in Leicester square .scamps southend was best disco formerly penny farthing. Fastnet fish restaurent in morley was great ,it is on my doorstep Still trading under Mermaid group.. went to scotland for the stags heads to adorn Hoffbrau walls happy days
a fox.

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Re: Star Group, Cavendish House, Albion Street.

Post by [email protected] »

I worked for many years doing the signs for the Star Group. The fishnet ..where we were working in the back as Terry Wogan came in the front to open it....the biggest was the property by the North Pier in Blackpool .....Paul Macarthy and Ratcliffe (difficult man to deal with at the best of times)were the people I remember.

andyfox
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Joined: Mon 29 May, 2017 8:01 pm

Re: Star Group, Cavendish House, Albion Street.

Post by andyfox »

Ron Teal on the second floor was a
nice character
ln charge of post room i do believe
still have a few momentoes from scamps ect1\

aussie 99
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Joined: Mon 23 Jan, 2023 6:01 pm

Re: Star Group, Cavendish House, Albion Street.

Post by aussie 99 »

I worked there also big Geoff binns was my manager I was a paste up artist did the transparencies for the cinemas and went down to soho a few times good times had there

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