Who remembers City Hall dances c1954?

[Arfer Mo]

I too went to Alfred Golds on St Pauls Parade.Happy times, though if we saw it now it would probably be like a postage stamp. I was only allowed to go because it was a "proper" teaching school. Sorry mum and dad.

And the city hall. What memories. All the girls lined up between the pillows.

The time I went on my bottom bopping without shoes on the glass tiles and the anticipation of the last waltz.

The world was our oyster:)

Hi SHE SHE, What memories you evoke with girls and pillows, think you really meant pillars, excuse joke she she, Cheers Arthur.

[Joanl]

I seem to remember that the favorite female drink was Barley Wine. It only took a couple.

On a visit to Sheffield this year I was walking through town thinking how nice it would be to bump into some of the sweet young things that used to go to the City. Then I realized that they would be old enough to be grandma's. End of dream.

 

Even Great Grandmas:hihi: still sweet young things on the inside though.

[Texas]

I recollect going to Alfred Golds when I was about 15, for dance lessons. That would be around 1948. Stumbling around the dance floor, nervously gripping hold of some chick old enough to be my ma', was not my idea of an initiation into the world of terpsichore.

It was all my mates fault, he'd got his eye on a girl who went there regular for lessons, so he dragged me along on a support basis.

Funny thing was a number of years later, when I had a decent suit, another guy talked me into working as a doorman. I mean, I ask you, Alfred Golds, security? A couple of quid was the price of laying my life on the line. Dangerous joint was Alfred Golds, all those stairs.

[Timbuck]

I met and danced with my Wife for the first time at the City Hall in 1959....Bernard Taylor was conducting the Band, the Crooner was singing "A Foggy Day In London Town" I was full of "Tennants Beer" from the "Albert Hotel" so I was full of courage and I asked her for a dance...She jumped at the chance..Well who wouldn't???? I was very good looking in those days..She's stood behind me now while I'm typing this, and calling me Big Head (and worse)... Good now She's gone...Can any of the lads remember a dance we used to call "Belly Scrubbing"???.

[Gerry]

Even Great Grandmas:hihi: still sweet young things on the inside though.

You're absolutey right Joanl

[Texas]

Not so much a dance hall, more a way of life I think.

Remember when the band went into the 'Mambo' set, everybody trying to get someone to jive with?

Remember Ivor the drummer, cant recollect his second name, great guy though. He used to sing occasionally, his big number was 'Close your Eyes'.

[Gerry]

We used to stand on the lefthand side facing the band, about two pillar's down from the band. Where did you stand?

[Timbuck]

One of my memories was the snack bar, where you could get a coffee and a sausage roll..There was a great big mirror behind the bar and the lighting was flourescent tubing type and after a few beers I remember I looked very strange in the reflection..so did everybody else......Also I remember meeting "Bert Weedon" the Famous Guitar player .. He had just finished a show upstairs in the Main Hall and he was trying to find a way out of the building, he was walking up one of the side corridors and he stopped me to ask the way out....Another occasion I went into the Dance hall early one Saturday night to meet a girl, and Frank Hyfield and Don Everly were Rehersing some Everly Bro's songs..Phil Everly had been taken ill and Frank was Standing in for him..So they were going through the program down in the empty Dance Hall before going back upstairs to perform the gig.

[nanrobbo]

I have only just noticed this post has been 'revived', I had thought only Buck and myself had memories. Been really great reading your reminiscing.

JoanL you hit the nail on the head- we are still those sweet sixteens inside, in my case pity about the outside:hihi:

Timbuck I really don't remember a snack bar, too busy eyeing up the boys and wondering which one my mate would allocate to me (she always got first pick).

Did anyone else go into the Forresters, which was just up from the City Hall?

It was a great pub and always had the latest records, Mona was the landlady and made sure we girls weren't bothered by drunks.

[alankearn]

These if I remember correctly they were Municipal run dances, surely some of you remember the the Company (employers) run dances with licensed bars on Fridays at the City hall and Cutlers hall.

 

nanrobbo

I remember the forresters on Division street, but I'm not sure if its still there or not.

Do you remember the Albert/ Minerva (SAM and Lil)/ Red Lyon/ Barley Corn(a little bit taboo for us this one) and the two big pubs opposite the bottom of Cambridge street at the top of Moorhead some of these were on our hit list before going to the city hall strange that we appeared to have our fill of booze and yet there did not seem to be as much trouble as the present day.