A series of decades-old photos uncovered by a local photographer feature in our new book about Barnsley life during the 1970s.
The Dirty Stop Outs Guide to 1970s Barnsley feature the photographs, taken by the father and son team, Stan Plus Stan Two, throughout the decade of glam.
The rare images show wild nights at Club Ba-Ba and The Birdcage in Hoyland, private parties at Keresforth Hall and Ardsley House, performances by famous comics, including Dukes and Lee and Charlie Williams, Mayor’s Parades, and even Shaun Doyle’s legendary boxing nights.
“We have thousands of negatives with all kinds of treasures on them,” said Stan Bulmer, who launched the family business with his dad in 1978.
“It’s having the time to go through them, but when we did recently, it was really interesting to look back and remember some of the great events and people we’ve photographed over the years."
The Dirty Stop Out’s Guide to 1970s Barnsley celebrates the era dominated by venues like Club Ba-Ba and the Londoner, and the heyday of Barnsley’s Civic Theatre; jam-packed with memories and stories right from the mouths of local people.
The book’s writer, Nik Farah, said: “I was so excited by what Stan uncovered, particularly things like photographs from the inside of Club Ba-Ba which, honestly, I was beginning to think just didn’t exist. I’ve spoken to so many people while I’ve been doing research for this book, and memories and stories have been free-flowing but photographs have been trickier.
“The 1970s in Barnsley was the era of questionable fashion, go-go dancers, glam rock and industrial action. What’s more, it was a time of community and it’s been wonderful getting people to cast their minds back to who their best mates were, who they fancied, which variety acts they remember appearing onstage at which pubs and clubs.”
