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Dance Halls

S

sistersue61

master brummie
Couldn't really decide which forum this belonged to, but mom and dad were telling my daughter about where they met - does anyone remeber the Laura Dixon Dance Hall in John Bright Street in the 1950's?
Mom went with her friend from work, then her old schoolfriend and dad nearly caused a riot by winking at her over the shoulder of the girl he was with!!
Mom says there were two floors the first floor was 6d and the 2nd 9d for more experienced dancers.
They both also recall that all of the Burtons mens outfitters ahd a dance hall over them.
Sue
 
I remember Laura Dixons about 1958/9, it was on the corner of Navigation and John Bright Streets,the entrance was in Navigation Street up some stairs, I think they had dance lessons most nights. On Friday night there was a dance to records, I went for a short while with friends but it wasn't my scene.

Pamela
 
hello all, i only remember going to Laura Dixsons once, but i used to go to Burton's on the Stratford road quite often on a friday night i think it was.

shardeen
 
I reluctantly went to Laura Dixons a couple of times,it was a bit boring,( only cups of tea were served).
They used to also have afternoon tea dances...:rolleyes:
Oh, that was the early 50s.
 
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I went to Laura Dixon's once but I have not got a clue who I went with. Obviously I was not impressed, but I do remember going to the Ninevah Dance School on the coner of Soho Road and Ninevah Road. The Dance teacher was a Dorothy Carless whose husband was called George. I think the building is the tall one of the Soho Road shops that has recently been posted. We went in through a side door and immediately up steps. It seemed very glamorous to me, but I don't suppose it was really. I used to go twice a week, until I met my husband and then it stopped, as he did not wish to float around a room 'with a number on my back'. What rubbish!
 
Of course the main problem with an afternoon tea dance was the inevitable spillage of ones earl grey on ones best suit whilst doing the fox trot.
 
Can't remember how much Laura Dixons cost probably a couple of bob,two shilling's worth of dark in the back row of a cinema was more fun.:):):)
 
Here is a old photo of the dance school laura Dixon, later to become the very exciting Whisky agogo all nighter club, but no alchol in the early 60's. there are a lot of other posts in Birmingham's Night Clubs thread, but don't let that stop you all as I am intrigued about other Dance halls that of course where not your regular night clubs.

Bob
 
I met my late Wife at the Masque Ballroom in Walford Road (by way of the No. 8 inner circle) at a Xmas dance Dec 1951 whilst on leave in tthe RAF, 12 months later we were married, 3 months later we were at a dance in the Blue Moon night club in Hong Kong were I had been posted. My Wife had a bronze medal for dancing, where she got it from I don,t know but I remember her talking about Laura Dixon and another place by Aston Cross who name eludes me at the moment. Eric
 
Re: Laura Dixons
To pay for my dance lessons I used to work upstairs at the coffee bar on a Saturday night. This was in the late 1950's early 1960's. Thanks for the photo it brought back happy memories.
 
To most people of a certain age Fri/Sat/Sunday nights were for dancing, the West End Ballroom, the Tower, and many more. Most schools also had live dance bands, Hartfield Cresent I remember had
two halls and two bands. No stuck in front of the TV in those days. Many happy nights and the All
Night Service to get you home, not much chance of a sleep/over in those prim and proper days
Bernard
 
bobsummers said:
Here is a old photo of the dance school laura Dixon, later to become the very exciting Whisky agogo all nighter club, but no alchol in the early 60's. there are a lot of other posts in Birmingham's Night Clubs thread, but don't let that stop you all as I am intrigued about other Dance halls that of course where not your regular night clubs.

Bob
Click to expand...
What a great photo, is it me or does Mr Policeman look really bored
 
Bernard when I was little we used to visit my aunt on Friday evening, we would come back home about 8pm, we had to catch our bus in Suffolk St opposite the West End, I always thought how lovely the girls looked in their dance dresses.
 
Don`t forget The Custard House, Blake Lane, Crown & Cushion, Perry Barr and The Swan, Yardley frequented dancers like me who thought the were better dancers than they were!. Len.
 
We also did a lot of gigs at the 'Irish Club' off Cov rd above the park in Small Heath is that still there? also gigs at the 'Jewish club' in Brum. we played all the old standars, real easy to dance to, have great following BUT drank all the profits away.Lots of FUN.Fun.had great times. walked late in night from Brum to Yardley with my Sax in case, many times after we had missed the last #17B Bus. but well worth it, John Crump OldBrit now in Parker,Co USA
 
Thanks for the pic, have showed it mom and dad and they loved it. They also went to the dance hall on the Stratford Rd over Burtons and as a lot of you have commented, it was teh entertainment for weekends!
Sue
 
View attachment 66327Also payed with the Johhny Kalua band he played electric guitar very smooth sound, The pianist is Colin Willetts who I understand is decesed he palyed the vibes also, became quite famous in the Brum area played with many of the top musicians around Brum and even recorded several records. Robin Kendall who I grew up with played bass, he had a van that he hauled us all around in, Ted Haynes played dums, Had a Premier Dum set, the 'gen' in thoes days, Mac on trumpet not sure what happened to him? I played a Selmer Mark 6 alto and a Conn tenor, Had a Selmer cigar cutter sax also that I wish I still had, Great times! John Crump OldBrit and proud of it,in Parker. Co USA
 
Hey Len, Is that you 'cutting the rug' with your 'bird' in the one photo? also you went to school with Robin Kendall the bass player and John Headford the guitar player plus me. John Crump OldBrit
 
Hi John, You are the Sax player, Yes, the more i look at him the more i think i know you!, i did not visit The Swan dances much, to close to home in Charles Edward Rd, my Dad was a regular in the bars and he would have got to know to much!!!, he would say when we went out "Enjoy yourself and don`t bring any babies back here!!". Len. (it was not me dancing in the photo!)
 
On Sunday nights when most of the other venues were closed we went to the RC social club at Our
Lady of Lourds, only tea coffee or lemonade there.Trittiford Road was it??? Bernard
Some of you "Keep Music Live" men must surely remember the late, great Freddy Gardner, he
could make a sax sit up and beg!
 
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Yes Len I am THE sax player. Look close at Robin Kendal he lived on Bilton Grange Rd, was quite a wag at school, John Headford lived on the corner of Elmcroft and Moat lane, His Dad had a pawn shop in Brum, John was also a opera singer worked building car bodies metal work, Cheers John Crump
 
I went to Hawleys dance hall once in 1958, then found out they only served tea, coffee or pop, I walked out never to return. Never learned to dance and still cant. I prefer to just listen to the music.
 
Bocker & Bettridge, Station Street was my place to learn to dance, they had a bar, never got a medal. Len.
 
Hello Dancers Everywhere?
I am sure you all remember the original " Come Dancing " programme. It was a competition between all the regions. Unfortunately { or fortunately? } West Midlands did not at that time have a formation team. Laura Dixon was asked to provide and train the couples to take part in the programme. { quite a feat for Laura } as she did not have sufficient couples herself she contacted the local dance specialist - Bobby Short - and he talked us in to taking part. As we were all competitors and had our own style of dance this gave Laura quite a headache trying to train us all to dance a sequence all looking the same. However after a great deal of hardwork and lots of fun {and ridicule ! } we finally got it together and appeared on Tele. So, had it not been for Laura Dixon West Midlands would not have been able to compete. It was held at the Casino in corporation street we were there all day for the tele show so Mecca gave each of us a voucher for free food !!!! This consisted of a cup of stewed tea and a dried up cheese sandwich with curly crusts. Ah! the good old days of your. Wonder where the team is now ?. { on a side issue, I seem to remember someone saying Laura's husband either invented or made cats eyes ???? }
Another note, I used to teach dance at Phil Hawley's on Dudley rd.,So we may have met!.
 
Betty, Cats eyes were invented by Perry Shaw of Boothtown, Halifax which I believe made him a millionaire, (sorry for going of thread.) so I do not think it was him. Eric
 
Let's get energetic ... What about the Second City Jazz Club down Digbeth way. Many a great night spent there. Great bands, good beer and a tremendous atmosphere shared by all because of a common love of Traditional Jazz. Even a great place to find a partner for life as I did with my wife over 45 years ago.
 
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