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Old Glasgow Pubs by john gorevan

 

Birds 'N' Bees Disco.

Paisley Road Toll, Glasgow.

Birds and Bees Paisley Road Toll

Birds 'N' Bees Disco advert. 1972.

In the News 1972...

Learn all about the Birds 'N' Bees...

When Luigi Zani arrived in this country 12 years ago from his native Milan he had no choice but to come to Glasgow. A hotel school in Italy decided where its pupils were to study, and Luigi's name was marked down beside Glasgow. Well, as I said, that was 12 years ago, and he's still here, through choice.

"I like Glasgow and I like the people, in fact I think they're wonderful," he told me. One doesn't remain a pupil for ever, and when his training days were over Luigi decided that he'd stay and get more experience, first as a waiter and then managing restaurants, discos, and cabaret spots. He went further afield, up to Aberdeen to manage the best cellar night spot in a city centre hotel.

Experience

But Glasgow was the place where he wanted to stand on his own two feet, and when he thought he'd gained sufficient experience back he came. The results of his watching and waiting policy can be seen tonight when his new venture The Birds 'n' Bees discotheque opens at Paisley Road Toll.

This weekend nightspot for the youngsters is a means to an end for Luigi's burning ambition is to open a high class club where people are admitted by membership only and where they can have an excellent meal dance to a first-class band and watch some tip-top entertainment. But that kind of venture requires backing, and some one with an existing business is more likely to receive backing than someone starting afresh.

"I had a choice," explains Luigi. "I could open a hotel or a restaurant or a discotheque, the outgoing capital required for a disco isn't as great as for the other two. And so the idea of the Birds 'n' Bees was born. Why the name? "I suppose it gives the idea of young people getting together," he laughed. "Anyway, eventually I want to be the best discotheque in the West of Scotland."

Guest group

To start with, the Birds 'n' Bees will open only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Tonight the two guest groups are Stag and Verge and Luigi has plans to invite at least one top 10 group to his place once a month.

End.

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