Legendary club boss Joe Conti dies, aged 87

A former restaurant boss who hosted comic giants Bob Monkhouse and Ken Dodd at his legendary Wolverhampton club has died at the age of 87.

Joe Conti ran The Spinney Club in Finchfield and was well-known around the West Midlands as a gourmet chef.

Mr Conti, who was originally from Italy, moved to London, where he worked at the Savoy, and then came to Wolverhampton in the early 1960s, where he was head waiter at the Victoria Hotel, which is now the Britannia Hotel on Lichfield Street.

He moved from there to launch his own restaurant, Pepito's, on School Street in the city centre. He gave his name to Pepito's, which means Little Joe in Italian.

In 1960s, he took over the running The Spinney Club Italian restaurant and function suite, on Walnut Drive, in Finchfield.

Son Richard, aged 32, of Wombourne, said: "The Spinney played host to many cabaret nights which included visiting acts at the time including Roy Castle, Bob Monkhouse, Ken Dodd and Tommy Mundon.

IT worker Richard said: "They were up and coming at the time, in the late 70s and early 80s."

He said his father worked tirelessly together with members of the Spinney Club in supporting a number of charities. In the 1980s, he helped to raise £18,000 for Wolverhampton's first mammagram machine.

He and the members of the Spinney also raised £10,000 in 1983 for the Macmillan cancer charity.

Mr Conti Jnr said: "He continued to organise a number of sponsored walk's in aid of Compton Hospice."

Mr Conti retired from the Spinney Club in 1993 and it has now been converted into flats.

Joe's culinary flare continues to thrive through his step-daughter Caroline Haddon, 48, who is a partner and chef at The Seven Stars in Beckbury, near Shifnal.

Mr Conti, who also leaves a widow, Vivienne, 74, and step-daughter Beverley Shingler-Day, 51, of Telford, had been ill for some time. His funeral will take place on December 30 at Telford Crematorium from 1.45pm.