Alf Golds' Dancing, City Centre 1950s

[Redfyre]

It would be very interesting to hear stories of the old Friday night dances at Alf Golds top floor place, overlooking the old Peace Gardens, especially in the mid-1950s. An old pal of mine met his wife there around 1956-7, and there were a lot of regulars who must now be in retirement.

[ptrA]

Went quite a few times, but didn't compare with the City Hall or Locarno

[SILLY]

I went and thought it funny when you had to all crouch down when you got to the slope in the ceiling. And always had to walk to the bus stop with my shoes in my hand my feet were killing me.

[Redfyre]

We used to go on Friday evening, and, at the half-time break in the dancing, we would nip down all those steps (it seemed like hundreds) and pop across to Marsden's Milk Bar opposite the Peace Gardens. We were "very sophisticated" teenagers! Tunes I recall (always played on a 78rpm gramaphone records!) from those nights include "It's Almost Tomorrow" and "Rock'n'Roll Waltz".

Girls I remember from that 1950s era include Jean Dickinson (I think she came from Essex Road, but she went on to attend Leeds University and disappeared from the local dancing scene), Ann Addy and Sheila Pearson (they both came from the Southey Green area).

[Redfyre]

I thought someone might have some memories of Alf G. I believe he was an award-winning dancer. In the 1950s he had a good team of teachers, and I thought someone might remember some of them.

[Sedgey]

I went to Alfred Gold's dance school for a number of years. the school itself was based at Handsworth, then closed and we had to go to classes at St Paul's.

[mrsmontague]

I went regularly to Alfred Golds Friday evening dances, I had a private lesson, during the week.

I remember him playing "WHEELS" to dance the cha cha cha.

It was one of my most favourite dances.

I realy enjoyed Friday evenings, and had my first crush on a boy, I saw there.

His name was John Davies, and his parents owned a beer off shop, on Barrow Rd, in Wincobank.

I went on my first date with him, to see the film CLEOPATRA.

The romance didn't last long, I met a young man, who looked like Ringo Starr, and he was history !

Such happy happy days, I wish I could re-live it all again, youth is wasted on the young, we take everything for granted.

[USUK]

I had the hots for a young redhead there in the early 60's. Judy I think her name was.

[Jack Hallows]

I remember Alf and Teresa Gold moving into 167 Hall Road Handsworth when Len Matthews left - that would be late 1940's I reckon. They then acquired an old stone house on the main Handsworth Road at the junction with Oakley Road (?) : my father helped them knock a wall down and lay a new floor, to give them room to teach the twirly bits!

[rozweb]

It was the junction with Oakley Rd. My mother sent me there when I was about 9 to learn to dance on a Saturday morning but I was only interested in learning to twist to Beatles records, so it didn't last long. I regret not learning to dance properly when I had the chance