Just Another Day - Soho - John Pitman - BBC - Documentary - 1985

Just Another Day - Soho
Broadcast: March 8th 1985
Just Another Day was a documentary series by John Pitman following the working day of various professions which ran for
three series on BBC TWO between 1983 and 1986.
First transmitted in 1985, John Pitman talks to people who live and work in Soho, once known as London's 'crooked square
mile'.
He meets Alfredo the doorman who happens to have sung with Frank Sinatra, Beryl the queen of sound effects as she
struggles to unzip a banana, hears a 1721 Stradivarius being cracked open and sympathises with retired wrestling master
of ceremonies Frankie, who complains the girls just aren't what they used to be!

[@lewisgreen1633]

What a lovely man that teacher is.

[@nightperuser]

So glad i found this documentary quite by accident. I often frequented The Colony Club, Kettners and The French Pub in the 80s and it made it seem like only yesterday. Great to see the lovely Gaston and Ian at The Colony and sad to think they are both now long gone. Happy Days.....how the years fly by.

[@davidgrahamscott]

I only got into the Colony latterly....with the late great dandy Sebastian Horsley. Bless em all!

[@sensiblename295]

Should have been longer. Fascinating time capsule.

[@mikeos1]

As a young lad I worked in the film industry in Soho in 1957. I used to take films to be certified at the film censors office in Soho Square. I remember the lady writing the details with a white pen on the certificate which used to appear at the front of every movie.

[@vlloyd46]

I love this documentary. Wish Soho was still like that. But they've cleaned it up now. It's a sin to tamper with Soho. My lovely mother came to London in the 50's. (She was Irish). Died 4 months ago. But she used to tell me about the 'ladies of the night'. She used to say how friendly they were, when she was on her way to the jazz clubs. They let her use their bathroom one night, because she was desperate for the loo. They told her. Don't talk to any men. Look straight ahead, because you look like a nice girl!! My mum loved soho & London. Miss her like mad!!

[@videocurios]

Hi Vicky thankyou R.I,P your dear mum,Mine died in December 2013,and like yours she was Irish from Athlone,and she is always with me in my thoughts. As a young man I got my introduction to sex from several of the very kind Ladies of Soho in the 70's and 80's. Sex is a very over rated instinct,but can make young men do stupid things so butrning off that negative energy with a professional probably saved me a lot of of problems,the kindness i found in their company I will never forget .

[@ajs41]

Politically correct puritans are trying to clean up everything and ruin it in the process.

[@paulphilipempey1]

I love the quote by Ian Board from the Colony Club regarding Soho: "It isn't what it used to be, but it never was what it was!"

[@talesfromtinpanalley-thedo6198]

Great line

[@michaelcoward7698]

just another day from then until now, soho is still there if you know where to look...

[@IainLucey1972]

Thanks for uploading this....a brilliant piece of history from.....35 (!!) Years ago....... most people featured in this are long gone...... all echoes of the past....

[@stevesandford1437]

Watching that master-craftsman 'carve up' a Stradivarius violin is as unsettling as watching a brain or heart surgeon perform an operation... (Marvelous documentary...) xx SF

[@fodsaks]

Those kids in the classroom are 40 now!

[@jennylast3149]

Lovely film another John Pitman special.

[@Creighton-Jones]

Thank you for uploading this documentary.

[@djgingecoldwell10]

My father worked in Soho in the 70s, remember as a kid, going to work with him to Dallard Study part of Star Illustrations, located in Great Portland Street, it was clothing workshops, photography productions, and movie related products ie cameras, sound equipment. Really loved going, really good people and fab cafes.

[@MrMan756]

fab!!!! thank you for uploading.

[@ps4geek970]

Thanks for uploading this

[@spottydog4477]

21:23 Clamping the car is outside Ronnie Scott's Jazz club on Firth St . I had a coffee at Bar Italia once - directly opposite

[@illuminant1129]

Wonderful film. Full of telling vignettes of life then - and now, in it's way. The big changes are the small things. The Colony is no more and Ian Board and Jeffrey Bernard and other shave long departed to the Big Bar in the sky. But the other telling point - apart from the cars and the fashions - was that everyone merrily puffed away on their ciggies' and you can't have that today. And I say that as a non smoker. It's part of the different ambiance. Goodness alone what it will be like when we finally emerge out of this wretched pandemic. Let's hope we do soon.

[@malo66]

But the Coach & Horses still has sing along on the piano and Norman occasionally pops in!

[@mikeos1]

Looks a lot like Matt Ross on piano at 15:40. Credited with knowing every popular song ever written.

[@amandabeauchamp244]

so interesting 🌺

[@ivanahavitoff7308]

Love the primary school teacher. Wonder if hes a head now.

[@peterclark1041]

Is there still a basement jazz venue near Windmill? Used to be Cy Lauries in the 50’s......such happy memories of adventurous times all around there.

[@matrags]

SO different in such a short space of time.

[@friendlier]

THIS is why I bought a premium subscription to youtube. To be able to watch terrific docs like this, without ads, is so much better than the cable I used to pay for.

[@LiDiMjsPyt]

Just so you know, this video didn't have any ads

[@greggrimer1428]

So they can restrict free speech. Well done genius

[@th8257]

You don't need a premium membership to avoid the adverts. There's a trick to get round it. You drag the slider of the video along to fast forward it to the end. then start it again from the beginning. No adverts.

[@liammarshall1759]

The great Jeffrey Bernard seen at 22.40

[@tangodelta7617]

You're right, knew he looked familiar.

[@frankburns8946]

Yes...what a guy he was. A great column in the Spectator each week. His books are great reading as well. 'Low Life.' and others.

[@jeremyhaines4481]

I still go to the French House and coach and Horses for a drink and i go to The Algerian coffe stores and lina stores and camsia to buy food

[@jeremyfielding2333]

The Algerian Coffee Store was the best place to buy coffee, when most people in England only knew Nescafe.

[@borderlord]

Things change but it's a shame when an area loses so much charm and the characters!

[@leonardssenkindu5802]

I can’t believe that guy is talking like that in front of the kids, lol

[@kgb804]

Hey, has anyone seen the "Just Another Day" episode about Selfridges? It was directed by Adam Curtis in 83'. I'm desparately trying to find it as I really like Curtis' work and am doing a uni project about Anthropocene (human activity being the dominant force in shaping our environment/earth), therefore consumerism is something i'm exploring and what better place to start than Selfridges. Really any info would be extremely appreciated! Cheers.

[@videocurios]

Haven't got this or I would have upped it,but you could try the following TV Forum www.britmovie.co.uk/forum/main-forum/looking-for-a-video-film-tv

[@kgb804]

@@videocurios Much appreciated.

[@joannehowe7513]

If you find the one about Walton on the naze, please let me know, even though you’re not looking for it!

[@ajs41]

I've uploaded it to my channel about 18 months ago. I've also found the Walton on the Naze documentary on the WaybackMachine website because it disappeared from KZbin a few years ago. Sadly, every time I try to post a link to it on here, the comment disappears. Obviously KZbin don't like people posting links to the WaybackMachine on here when it's a previous KZbin video.

[@brianlynch5112]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKLTgp6KmKdpfpo

[@davidholt1250]

Soho was rather sweet and domesticated in those days....

[@videocurios]

[@odilemornay4770]

je recomence en francais j aie eu la chance d etre membre du colony room aux alentours de 1974 et bien sur craquer pour jeffrey fantastique 1 semaine ou 2 ses adorables yeux bleus mais maintenant a mon age le beau souvenir nous nous somment reveiller petit dejeuner en bas de chez lui patisserie valerie et le bonus + lucien freud colny room pour moi meme avec les escaliers crasseus j aie eue une amitie forte avec annie ross et aussi avec iann souvenirs souvenirs

[@videocurios]

Google translator didnt help me understand what you was saying " I recomence in french I had the chance to be a member of the colony room around 1974 and of course crack for jeffrey fantastic 1 week or 2 adorable blue eyes but now at my age the beautiful memory we woke up breakfast downstairs from home patisserie valerie and the bonus + lucien freud colny ​​room for me even with the stairs crasseus j has had a strong friendship with annie ross and also with iann memories"

[@MrBlaxjax]

Jeffrey Barnard at 22:47 surely?

[@stacychambless6682]

Yes - just read his 'Low life' - nice to see some of the places he mentions

[@comeonman5300]

Sorry to be a pain but it's Jeffrey Bernard not Barnard. When the The Spirit of Soho mural was launched the guide book had him down as Geoffrey Barnard as I recall. Easily done.

[@davidgrahamscott]

Me at 5:12

[@nightperuser]

Are you the policeman or the bloke crossing the road?!

[@davidgrahamscott]

The alcoholic on the pavement.... Not really, lol....I'm leaning on the lamppost....not playing the ukulele though !

[@mjh5437]

Soho was still quite dirty and sleazy and dangerous and fun when this film was made in 1985,but has since been homogenised,sterilised,sanitised and generally ruined by greedy landlords,property "developers" and hipsters and is just plain boring and uninspiring now.....If you`re thinking of visting to see Soho as seen here,don`t bother,it`s over.

[@jeremyfielding2333]

True, I was there in the 70's and 80's, unrecognizable now.

[@correctomundo4279]

And most of it was run by criminal gangs. No loss as far as anyone normal is concerned.

[@johndaarteest]

It used to be glamorously seedy now - it's just glamorous.