Rob Smith was forever hammering it but it just sounded so good blasting through that sound system. Then of course later as we got a bit older there was "Grab a Granny" on a Wednesday Night (Over 21's), boy I have some wonderful memories of the Palais. Alternative Dance, Alternative/Indie Rock, Edmund de Waal: 2010s - 2020s Yes Colemans was a big oblong room with seats round the outside. The Locarno, Stevenage, which was completed the same year for a slightly more modest 150,000, was designed by Leonard Vincent, the chief architect of Stevenage Development Corporation. I often wondered if other people would put the same records to the same venue (they were obviously played elsewhere at the time). Especially in new buildings, which were liable to } The Tommy Allen Trio, Bill Buttery and his Band, Harry Theakstone and his Band andDownbeaters Group etc last contact was Ramsey Allcock who played for the Blue Ramblers in the early 50s and was a Teacher at Yorke St School, MW in the 50s. That was the famous and now legendary sign located above the entrance to the Nottingham Palais de Danse one of the many traditional dance hall venues owned by the Mecca Leisure group. 78 Carl Heimann cited in Anon., Stepping Out (London, 1940), p. 54. His encore was 'Now is the Time' which he reprised. What a pair of real gents they were and full of interesting recollections of their time with the band. 199204Google Scholar. st ives to me, has certain stand out records Eddie Reagan, billy prophet, susan coleman etc all wigan biggies im sure, but when you only ventured 'close go home' I suppose they evoke memories of certain venues ? We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Elvis Presley Fans Dance On A Traffic Island Outside The Palais De Danse Hall in Nottingham. All About the SOUL. At the time, Harry was drummer with the Palaiss resident trio, The Mike Miller Set, led by singer/guitarist Mike Hester, said Adrian. 39 Dancing Times, March 1928, pp. I think nowadays its called The late lounge possibly. The floor consisted of light grey marble-effect tiles, interspersed with a starburst design, and the walls were clad in alternate wood laminate and fabric panels, with black leatherette quilted panels, which adding a feeling of softness and luxury to the scheme. On its growth in northern English towns in 1920, the Cheltenham Chronicle commented: Dancing, with the pictures and football, fill in all the non-working hours in our great manufacturing towns, and, as a consequence, dancing masters not only teach the young how to step, but provide handsome dancing halls for them. They also said they played the Palais regularly amongst many local and national venues. They were brilliant they were on more or less every three months and always went to see them. The floor could be adjusted to provide varying degrees of springiness, and locked to prevent movement when not required for dancing.Footnote 23, The space above the dancers heads was just as important as that beneath their feet. The Palais de Danse on Humberstone Gate, Leicester Many readers will remember The Ivor Kenney Sound, the resident band, during the 1960s and 70s, at Leicesters Palais de 8889Google Scholar. More common in the interwar period and actually constructed were fusions between dance halls and cinemas, largely led by cinema owners afraid of dancing's threat to their business.Footnote 65 Manchester was particularly well served by these so-called super cinemas. The Bomb (1997 ?) London, The National Archives, BT 31/24605/155007, Hammersmith Palais de Danse (191932). For example, at Tony's Ballroom in Birmingham, in the mid-1930s, there were two halls with sumptuous interiors on an Eastern theme. Pasted as rich text. I took Sharon by the hand, tapped Mark on the shoulder and told everyone we'd see them shortly and that was it, the 3 of us heading straight to the front doors, and in. Camping, fishing, travel, photography, boating, sailing, motorbikes. Good post mate. Remnants of this approach to atmospherics could be seen in some dance halls as late as the 1950s and 1960s, despite the more functional Contemporary style taking its place. From the mid-1960s, dance halls were rapidly replaced by discos and nightclubs, or closed altogether. The democratisation of pleasure that dance halls represented is nowhere better illustrated than in the varied social profile of the Hammersmith Palais's customers. Wendy Northern Soul Cinema Theatre Vaudeville Theatres Auditorium Courtesy Opera House An Article from arthurlloyd.co.uk. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter sent straight to your inbox. No booze was sold there in there in those days, just coffees, tea and soft drinks in the wee Cafs: - Cupid's Bar 84 The Stage, 10 August 1961, p. 5, and Nathan, P., ed., CLH says The Collected Observations, Instructions and Philosophies of C.L. Dancing had a cross-class appeal and yet, by the mid-1920s, it was predominantly an activity of the working and lower-middle classes. Originally named the Palais de Danse when it opened as a dance hall in 1925, it later became the Ritzy in the late 1980s, then the Palais again, Oceana, and then Pryzm. 11 See Atwell, David, Cathedrals of the Movies (London, 1981)Google Scholar; Eyles, Allen, ABC: The First Name in Entertainment (London, 1993)Google Scholar; Gaumont British Cinemas (London, 1996)Google Scholar; The Granada Theatres (London, 1998)Google Scholar; Odeon Cinemas 1 (London, 2002)Google Scholar; Gray, Richard, Cinemas in Britain: One Hundred Years of Cinema Architecture (London, 2011)Google Scholar; Harwood, Elain, Picture Palaces (London, 1999)Google Scholar. 21 September 2018. Mick Knight was the Manager of the Palais, whose Mum used to be my Dinner Lady at Daybrook Junior School and they lived together on Edwin Street in Daybrook if I remember right. Dayglo socks were all the rage then but my parents did not approve of them. Had some good nights at the old Palais as a teenager in the early sixties, probably the most memorable being the appearance/s of the then, Shane Fenton, (later to become Alvin Stardust), sadly no longer with us. Contact, loveslure @gmail.com, Drinking, snooker, pool, birding, football (NOTTS COUNTY) bringing up my kids, fishing and photography especially Aviation, Motor racing, Karting, My Dogs, Guitar, Photography, Gunsmithing Jetski. Purpose-built dance halls had a confident street presence that was not always the case with conversions. Saw Gene Vincent, Rocking Berries, Barron Knights, Mike Berry there and many other bands, Sunday night was the best time. One sprung dance-floor system that came to dominate from the 1920s onwards was the Valtor floor, developed by Francis Morton and Company of London. They may well haveappeared when they were called Ricky Storm and the Stormcats from 1962. Want to read more Leicestershire nostalgia? never missed a soul do there, from feb 78, until 83 (then the bank hol sunday nights , late 90's). I featured on a few backing vocals too until someone actually heard me!. Ballroom, rock N Roll you name it. The warmth and thrill of dancing cheek to cheek, waist to waist, as desire and passion ebbed and flowed at three beats to the bar, and bodies clasped together while moving gracefully, ungracefully, freed from their workaday sitting and standing, now gliding, gyrating, swaying, bending and shaking together and apart. I used to love the deserted streets. 3 Paul Holt, Daily Express, 16 November 1938, p. 16, and Economist, 14 February 1953, p. 401. Many of the businesses behind these dance halls were local consortiums made up of investors with other interests in the entertainment industry. The same probably goes for Cobblestone. 34750, and University of Sussex, Mass Observation Archive [hereafter MOA], Music Dancing and Jazz [hereafter MDJ] 3/A, C.L. Can't understand why these aren't played now, they were so BIG in '76. Like you said they where playing at other venues so it really does come down to where you heard them as to where you get the memories, Outsiders, JC Messina, Kelly St Claire , Gerri Thomas, Harry Betts, John Hendley, Barnaby Bye, Frankie Crocker, Three Degrees (Contact), The Apollas , Billy Purcell, Bobby Diamond, KIki Dee, + lots more, all massive records at T'palais .. love em or hate em, they were a part of the scene in those days, still very vivid to this day, Ian. Beginning as a practical necessity of separating the musicians from the dancers, the bandstand developed into a distinctive architectural feature. Happy days. The constraint of the crowded dance floor, for example, demanded a constant process of negotiation. Feature Flags: { know one of paper lace was later working as a joiner. Oh and I met Andy Cannon again at the last Blackhearts nighter last month after 30 years. New dances were formulated to accompany the new music and were deliberately designed for couples (most notably the foxtrot). In an era of full employment and job security, real wages rose by 20 per cent between 1951 and 1959. The Palais De Dance Nottingham, my big ( older ) Sis used to go there a lot in the mid 50s Mm, come to think of it I'm not sure that "is that you, that you baby" has any merit either. Common locations were town halls, assembly rooms and church halls, but public dances were also held frequently in swimming baths, department stores, political clubs, hotels and restaurants. They remained in residence until a Fire caused its demise and its closure in 1967.The format was Mondays General Dancing (with an Half Hour Jive Session to Records (later replaced by An Organist (Freddy Carlilse) Tuesdays I believe was Personal Tuition Wednesdays was STRICTLY BALLROOM DANCING mainly for those who were receiving Tution and those who were involved in the finer aspects of Ballroom Dancing with Tutors in attendance Thursdays I seem to think it was not open unless it again was put on one side for Dance Lessons Fridays was always available for Private Dances and Functions (tickets only) This was the Only Night there was a Bar Saturdays was Similar to Mondays ( If you attended On that night you were given a Token which allowed Two for the Price of one (providing one of each Sex) for the price of 2/6 In their early Career Adele And Freddie were very much involved in Old time dancing being not only Judges Nationally but they had invented several Dances and won many competions nationally most notably a dance called Lingering At times Championship Ballroom Dancers would do an Exhibition during the interval and on a few occaisions a variety act. dances at the Clinton Rooms on Thurland St.,.Saturday evenings were O.K but Wednesday nights were known as grab a Granny night. The Palais De Dance with Jack O'Boyle. At one stage Mike Knight, the manager of the Palais for as long as I could remember shoved a microphone under my nose and asked me a few questions but I couldn't answer them, I was far too shy and embarrassed. Postcard view of the interior of the dance hall at Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, 1911 (author's private collection). From the mid-1920s until the mid-1960s, the dance hall occupied a pivotal place in the culture of working- and lower-middle-class communities in Britain. Yep I went to the dayers and nighters. The final date was the 4 musicians backing Heinz (formerly bass player with The Tornados). Big bands who played at the Palais included Joe Loss. Guest malc gibbons, November 8, 2008, Soul Source - A Soul music magazine The Jubilee Hall, which was the Co-op, and the Corporation Hall. Especially in new buildings, which were liable to be damp on completion, room had to be left around the floor to allow the wood to swell. Bugger work on the Monday!! 1. History. Both moved on from the band around 1967 to have successful careers in business. 199204. However, this was a temporary structure, not a permanent dance hall. She had a dance studio at Bridlesmith Gate Nottm. But most of all I love the Palais because I got see my dad. 52 Nottingham Evening Post, 10 September 1924, p. 5. And what about Lainie Hill "Time Marches On". Doesanyone remember the Mansfield and the Sons and Lovers playing there? Virtually all dance halls, right up to their decline in the 1960s, used live music, which would continue through the evening practically non-stop. Richard Kemp, Alan Bakewell.no doubt there's a few more I've forgotten. April 2009 in Zagreb, Kroatien und endete am 9. I don't know why but "Love On A Mountain Top" seemed to get something of a revival at both the Palais and the Locarno at the same time. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Fig. Now in those days doormen weren't the breed they are today. The harmonies were as good as they used to be, they played a good selection of numbers from the 60s and 70s and everybody enjoyed themselves. and Long Row, resided Plains Row Nottm. On its growth in northern English towns in 1920, the Cheltenham Chronicle commented: Dancing, with the pictures and football, fill in all the non-working hours in our great manufacturing towns, and, as a consequence, dancing masters not only teach the young how to step, but provide handsome dancing halls for them.Footnote 2, By 1938 it was estimated that around 100 million admissions were made to dances every year, and the figure doubled by 1953.Footnote 3 The dancing halls that sprung up to cater for this unprecedented demand developed into unique social spaces and a distinctive new building type of the twentieth century. Three stylii were used to transfer this record. 36 Dancing World (AugustSeptember 1921), p. iv. This article examines how the architecture of dance halls represented moments of optimism, escapism and modernity in British history in the period 191865. Worked in the downstairs bar. The Palais de Danse, built by Midland Palais de Danse Limited, opened on the corner of King Edward Street, John Street and Convent Street (now Upper Parliament Street) on 24 April 1925. Your first impression is of the red glow of the room red walls, predominantly red carpets, orange and red lights [] The room is crowded. 75962. One thing I noticed was a couple of ex chart Northern sounds that had been re-activated and played to a packed dance floor. Used to go to colemans at the weekend, upstairs i think, we would just walk round and round and round, crazy. At no time before had so many people danced so regularly and attracted so much contemporary interest and debate. 7), designed by Clement Stretton and George Nott and opened in 1926, drew particular praise from The Builder for its elegant arcaded faade with neoclassical swag decoration.Footnote 47 The Astoria Palais de Danse in Bolton (Fig. Die I Am Tour von Beyonc begann am 26. .May not have played at the Palais but Im sure played in local pubs, I think both used to appear at the White Gates at Forest Town in the 60s /70s. The designs also included a health centre, squash courts, gym and rooftop gardens. In September 1931, the Nottingham Palais paid more than 1000 laying a new dance floor, and in October 1933 the Hammersmith Palais spent 5000 on a maple floor. 8. Palais De Danse, Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham Rotating dance floor at the Palais! Even got "Paper Lace" - Billy don't be a hero & The night Chicago died.What happened to them I wonder? 1896), whose interwar work also included the Casino Assembly Rooms in Stepney, east London, which contained a ballroom.Footnote 42 A notable survival, the Ritz dance hall built in Manchester in 1928, was an early work of the Manchester practice of Cruickshank and Seward.Footnote 43, Choosing well-established architects demonstrated the willingness of dance-hall businesses to make significant investments and helped attract publicity. 509-511 Alfreton Road Skyy Bar 511a Alfreton Road Stork Club (2) Blueprint Club Bluecote Street The Junction Bottle Lane Arriba (1) Nick Palmer Paul McKenzie 45 Bridlesmith Gate Le Gourmet The Hippo Alex Smith Pat Petal Petal Mr Millers Nick Palmer Camelot Howard Cooper The Hippo (1993 ?) 14. Our first opportunity to assess the size of the queue and who we could spot. 9) featured a Canadian maple dance floor, a revolving bandstand, elegant boudoirs for ladies and stag rooms for gentlemen, a club room with lounge and bars, refreshment bars and buffets, stepped balconies with tables, an open-air dancing terrace, and a starry ceiling over the dance floor incorporating hundreds of tiny coloured lights.Footnote 51, Fig. One of the first was introduced at Mecca's flagship hall, the Locarno in Streatham, south London, in 1931.Footnote 26 Its purpose was twofold. Handsome corner entrance to the Astoria Palais de Danse, Bolton, 1928 (Bolton News/Newsquest Photos), Although the construction of purpose-built dance halls declined from the 1930s, it did not end, and a second wave occurred in the late 1950s and early 1960s. 99103, and Architectural Review (June 1961), pp. 6d., indicates that dance organisers and commercial dance halls were aiming at a working-class audience. The floor was both one of the principal technical challenges for the architect of a dance hall and a principal attraction for customers. We moved down to Kent in the late 80s. 29 Crewe Chronicle, 11 November 1961, p. 6. I played the Palais 7 times and here are the dates and the band, 29/04/1966 (Carl Pagan and the Heathens). 30 The Rivoli, Brockley, and the Ritz, Manchester, are both recognised for their special interest as listed buildings. He once came to our house in Rainworth to see my brother and gave me a pair of his drumsticks, I wish I still had them. Enjoyed other peoples recollections of the Palais, the place where I met my now wife Margaret & actually danced to musicians. By I boughtboth of them from Selectadisc but unfortunately they "disappeared" over the years. Lovely post Martyn , would Sharon be from Langley Mill by any chance ? I love kids and old people - because children have not yet learned to lie - and old people have nothing to lie about. The final crucial design and technical challenge of the dance hall was the bandstand. 8 Rowntree, Benjamin Seebohm and Lavers, George, English Life and Leisure: A Social Study (London, 1951), p. 279Google Scholar, and Daily Mail, 17 October 1956, p. 8. 4 For a full discussion of the dance-hall industry, see Nott, James, Going to the Palais: A Social and Cultural History of Dancing and Dance Halls in Britain, 19181960 (Oxford, 2015)CrossRefGoogle Scholar, chapters 13. Pryzm Nottingham is a chain nightclub located on Upper Parliament Street in Nottingham, England. The Palais de Danse, built by Midland Palais de Danse Limited, opened on the corner of King Edward Street, John Street and Convent Street (now Upper Parliament Street) on 24 April 1925. It was originally designed as a dance hall and billiard saloon. They changed their name ten years after they started. One of the main events of the year was the General Hospital Ball which transferred to this venue in 1929. Exterior of the Leicester Palais, a purpose-built dance hall, 1926 (author's private collection), Fig. All three of them had great memories of their times with the band with Stuart telling me that as my cousin was only 14 when they invited him to join, they had to persuade my aunt and uncle to let him join up and that they as worldly-wise 18 year olds would look after him! 81 TWA, DT.Tur/4/AG1859, Mayfair Ballroom, Newcastle Ticket Hall (1961). 2 Cheltenham Chronicle, 18 December 1920, p. 8. Personally, one of my fave records from the Palais dayers was Toni Basil's "Breakaway". I remember the music being so loud, it would have been the early seventies, Many happy memories of the palais,Ted Heath did not play there,but the place for big bands was Festival Hall Kirkby, Many big bands played there admission 3/6d to 5 shillings.Ted Heath I paid 7/6d a very lot of money in those days. joining Art. The Music Hall and Theatre Indeed, the first palais de danse in Britain, the Hammersmith Palais, was opened in 1919 by two American businessmen (Howard Booker and Frank Mitchell) who had seen these developments at first hand.Footnote 18, Fig. 79 Nottingham Evening Post, 11 April 1925, p. 3. First, it offered a practical solution to the problem of providing non-stop music. It was owned by the Mecca Leisure Group. We are both still alive and live in a rural area of the Wairarapa 90 minutes drive north of Wellington. There were three bars, one off the dance floor and another two upstairs (itself indicative of a less paternalistic attitude to dance halls up to this point, magistrates had insisted they remain dry). Mike Knight is second from the right and my dad is the chap wearing the party hat, 22nd April 2012 "Notts Palais Crew" by Souled On Soul, on Flickr, And here's a very rare image of the Palais I found after a lot of searching t'internet, nottingham palais by world of andrew woodyatt, on Flickr. my memory is going what was the pubs name? Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon. Hale, Matthew Nottingham is the queen of the Midlands. Its Blackpool venue (Fig. Its emergence and popularity following the First World War reflected improvements in the social and economic well-being of the working and lower middle classes. 88 See Horace Richards, Dancing Throughout Britain, a series of six reports printed in Popular Music and Dancing Weekly, 22 November to 29 December 1934. Performers would dash across Humberstone Gate for interval drink, Enjoying our history and nostalgia stories? I love the Palais for taking me to a special place on a Monday night once a week and kicking the week off with a bang. Not very active now. The one at the Mayfair in Newcastle, which opened in 1961 (Fig. 34750. The dances performed there were the height of fashion no outdated sequence dances or polkas for Hammersmith, but foxtrots, quicksteps and the modern waltz. The dance hall's emergence as a distinct social and architectural space was shaped by its varied roots in both the social world of the elite and the growing leisure industry of late nineteenth-century Britain. 57 For a full discussion of the moral panic associated with dance halls, based on allegations of immorality, misbehaviour from youths and concerns about race, see Nott, Going to the Palais, passim.