MANCHESTER POP TRAIL

ONE of the most popular city centre clubs during the 60s music scene was the Jungfrau. In fact, it was one of the first to open its doors on November 30, 1962, to capitalise on the ‘teen beat phenomenon’ sweeping UK towns and cities.

Situated under Ellis Brigham’s outdoor climbing shop on Cathedral Street between the Mitre Pub and Manchester Cathedral, it was the perfect haven for the scooter boys lining up along the street with the club proving itself popular to the over 16 years, a membership offering evenings of live music and a disco.

It was popular for local bands such as Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, plus lesser-known today acts like Kirk Price and the Pathfinders from Dukinfield and The Chasers from Weaste.

Out of town artists such as Screaming Lord Sutch appeared at the Jungfrau, along with The Mojos from Liverpool featuring actor Lewis Collins on drums plus The Paramounts with Gary Brooker pre-Procul Harum.

Jungfrau had a ‘no jeans and leather jackets’ policy, plus a strict no alcohol rule.

It was originally billed as The Swiss Coffee Dance Club and had alpine-themed décor with the DJ box in the corner of the dance floor.

Pete ‘The Buff’ Dwyer and Jack Birley spun the discs that featured heavily on Motown, R‘n’B and Stax. It’s said Birley borrowed his aunt’s piano for the visit of Screaming Lord Sutch, but the thing fell to pieces on stage, and Lord Sutch took an axe and finish it off!

The crowd loved it as if it was part of the act, while Birley looked on in horror. Needless to say his aunt never spoke to him again - such is rock’n’roll...

The Frau, as it was known, was a ‘sweat pit’, with condensation streaming down the walls coupled, with warm coke when the ice machine frequently broke. That was a perfect excuse for the young crowd to pop down the Mitre for a couple of underage drinks.

The Frau is frequently mentioned along with The Twisted Wheel, regarded as a ‘Pre-Wheel’ meeting place for the early Mods and Northern Soul crowd that congregated in the city including the popular Cona Coffee Bar on Tib Lane.

Email your Jungfrau and Cona memories to manchesterpoptrail@ btinternet.com.