1950s & 60s Dancehalls/Ballrooms

Patricia first met me at the Ilkley dance. It was February 1957… and there was I believing that I had met her. This confusion came about from our quite separate understandings that each of us was the centre of the universe. I realise now that we must have met each other but it took both of us almost a lifetime for the realisation to dawn upon us. If that sort of thing happened to two Olicanian innocents who had both experienced the ‘seen and not heard’ upbringings of the 40s and 50s, there’ll be a lot more fun to be had by our modern counterparts in the ‘me’ millennium.

I felt special when Patricia conspired with me in the ‘Challenge of the Five Steps’ by allowing me to do several dances with her that evening. Patricia was called Pat then and she stayed that way for several decades. She was 16 years old, and I was 18, but she told me afterwards that she thought that I seemed older. Either my wit and charm had finally woven their magic spell that evening… or she was being very patient with me. I was allowed to present my full CV (albeit that it had to be delivered in several discrete sections) and, although I had no way of knowing it at the time, I was being sized up for the last waltz. I spun her off her feet in a dazzling display of the quickstep, I admired her hair, and tried to impress her with my prospects of becoming the world’s first gangly-morph Chartered Engineer.

I had dared to hope that the world might become my oyster in those early days, but shellfish would later prove to be allergic to me. Puffing up my puny pectorals like a preening pigeon, I regaled Patricia with tales of my Grand Tour of Europe. She had never been further than Skegness at that time, but the tide was out when she arrived and, as it had been sunny, she thought that she had been to Libya. For me, it was love at first sight (yet again!) but this time the love was to last longer than its usual fortnight. She did allow me to escort her home and I discovered that Nat King Cole was right when he enthused about the joys of “Walking his baby back home”. However this particular walking was to prove to be a treat for me in a way that even he hadn’t appreciated… She lived less than five minutes walk from the dance hall!..

There's ( lots) more should you be interested

Closet dance hall to Muswell Hill

List of Ballrooms in North London in 1960's

Hi Neil. My memories of the Guards at Caterham. go back to the late 40's and 50's when at weekends small groups of Welsh Guards would be seen wandering along North End Croydon. They were probably new recruits out on their first weekend pass. All very tall with boy like well scrubbed faces and smartly pressed uniforms.. For some years now the old barracks has long since been rebuilt into housing and office block units.

that is awesome and sweet of you to take your mom out

Living in the country I remember my Farther ferrying my sister to the local village dances with local bands doing their best to play the current hits .Being seven years younger Disco's were up and running when I reached my late teens. I was an assistant in a record shop and the DJ's came in to purchase the 7 inch singles .How technology has moved on but vinyl is making a big come back

Hi everyone, I'm new here, so here goes.
Anyone remember the "mecca, otherwise known as the spinning disc" Leeds. Great times there in the mid sixties onwards. Long ago now! But was the place to go, great people, great atmosphere, great everything.

I was more an Orchid Ballroom boy back then, but does anyone remember the Club Location, Woolwich and what is it today - if anything?
PS. I'd add a poster of the club but cannot see how to do it. Any suggestions?

Wonderful times, met my wife Paula at the Orchid Ballroom, Purley 30.08.2019. Marvellous time, we married at Sutton 24.06.1970 and will achieve our 50th wedding anniversary in 2020.

Hello I am interesting in ballrooms in London or south east London.

Hi, are you talking about the Ritz in Woolwich? I'm trying to find archive photos of it but no luck. I remember the Granada , woolwich, the embassy welling and Greenwich baths.

I'm looking for a dance hall where it's 50's and 60's music where I can take my Mom here in Shreveport Louisiana, Does anyone know of a place here?

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I am new to silver surfers, but I thought I would respond to this post, as I have happy memories of my teenage years in and around Cambridge. The place to go on a Saturday night was the Dorothy Ballroom. It had a maple sprung floor so dancing was strictly ballroom, but downstairs there was an alternative area for jiving etc. I used to waitress at the afternoon tea dances in the ballroom when I was a student, they were very sedate affairs. I also enjoyed jazz so another favourite venue was the Rex Ballroom where I met my ex-husband. All the big jazz names came to Cambridge and we didn't miss any if we could help it. Neither of these venues exist anymore, it's wine bars and nightclubs etc. Shame.

I lived just outside Brighton in 1960s went to the Starlight Club which was in basement of large house on Montpelier Road Brighton many times I had to run along Western Road to catch last bus at 11.45pm out side Regent Dance Hall near Clock Tower -in my village and surrounding areas all street light were turned off so had to run up my avenue in dark -but then again I was only 15yrs old nothing bothered you then ......

Does anyone remember a dance hall called Tiffanys .I think it was in Shaftesbury Avenue in London it wasn't open for long I had some great nights there and met one very special girl there.

Used to go to the Royal Tottenham in the early 60's with my Mates especially Jimmy Parsons and John Killingback. We used to play football with the bounces on the dance floor after it closed late at night. I also used to go to the Kings Head, Edmonton Green and to the Ilford Palais.
here's a link to a picture of the dance floor.

Were do I start, lived in Birmingham and went to the Plaza Handsworth Saturday night or The Cedar Club, Sunday The West End, Monday The Locarno, Tuesday West End, Wednesday The Whiskey a GO GO, Thursday the Brum Cavern, Friday Plaza. Some Saturdays after the Plaza we used to get on the M1 and go down to London to The pink Flamingo to see Georgie Fame he was my favourite and the Rolling Stones. Last week I won tickets to go and see Georgie Fame in London he was great and his voice hasn't changed much at all it was at a Jazz club and the atmosphere was great, and 2 yrs ago for my 68th birthday my 2 grandchildren took me to the Rolling Stones Concert at Hyde Park it was an experience I will never forget it was amazing, so I got to see my 2 favourite groups early and late in life cant be bad can it ?

I remember the Plaza Ritz owned by. Mrs Regan. Used to go to the plaza, Monday's Fridays and Saturdays and the Ritz sometimes depending what was on don't remember tea dances it was all 60s music and bands. Used to to cavern in Birmingham

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Lol a bit before my time but that was the age of romance for sure when a man and a woman danced together properly as a couple. Not like today throwing themselves around and shaking their bottoms at the screen! Hehe