The Plainsman

John Campbell, Derek Wright and
ROCKHAPPENZ Public Collections

The Plainsman  —  110 Lichfield Street, Christchurch

Bell Motors replaced it's then premises at 110 Lichfield Street with a new building, to the design of the Luttrell brothers the city's leading architects of the day - the building being supposedly designed to the Chicago Skyscraper idiom.  Charlie Bell was the local agent for AJS and Indian motorcycles as well as Humber and Robin Hood bicycles.  The Bell Motor Works business closed in 1960, and it became Gilbeck Motorcycles.  Subsequently it was famed as the Plainsman Nightclub, but by the mid 1980s it had become Shanton Apparel, a ladies fashion-wear retailer.  In 2006 the former Bell's Motor Works became the home to His Lordship's.  The pic below shows the entrance to the refurbished building then housing the Mexican Café, subsequently to become the all new His Lordship's Café and Bar.

Lichfield, High and Manchester Streets intersection

Plainsman sign seen from Manchester Street

The building dressed up as His Lordship's Tavern

The Plainsman was opened by Doug and Heather Cowan, and sold to Leo Jenson around 1967.  The Plainsman nightclub operated from 1962 until 1972 .....

The Dynamics with touring group The Surfaris at The Plainsman - 1964
Peter Hansen, Pat Connolly, Wayne Allen, Jim Fuller, Jim Pash,
(front) Dennis Moir and Derek Wright

On Stage at The Plainsman
Possibly the last iteration of The Dynamics
Derek Wright, Ted Meares and Petr Hansen

On Stage at The Plainsman
The Dynamics backing Diane Jacobs (Dinah Lee) and Rochelle Vinsen

Original owners of The Plainsman - Doug and Heather Cowan

GoGo Girls arriving from Australia