50 Years Ago Today

jambutty · 31-12-2006, 16:55

31st December 1956 was a Monday and although serving in the Royal Navy I had New Year’s leave, having been on duty over Xmas. I arrived home in the late hours of Friday the 28th for a fortnight’s leave.

Admission to a New Year’s Eve hop was by ticket only and they were sold out long before the exciting day came round. However being mindful that servicemen were not in a position to buy a ticket unless someone at home got them one, the dance hall managers would hold back a few tickets for the armed forces. All a serviceman had to do was to show his leave pass and a ticket would be available. I got mine for the Ritz Ballroom on the Saturday.

In those dark days most working people would have been at work on New Year’s Eve day although many finished in mid afternoon AND GOT PAID RIGHT UP TO NORMAL KNOCKING OFF TIME. Shop workers did not have this luxury though. They had to work until normal closing time. But nonetheless you could almost feel the excitement and anticipation as people went about their normal business.

The New Year’s Eve dance would go on until past midnight, some until 12:30am but most until 1:00am. Pubs too stayed open legally until 1:00am. But the down side was that there were no buses to take people home and taxis were few and far between. So people didn’t stray too far from their homes and in the main attended a dance in their own town because they would have to walk home.

It was probably snowing (I can’t clearly remember) but 50 years ago we did have winter snow and white Xmasses.

As if by some celestial command boys and girls who were old enough to attend a New Year’s Eve dance shut their collective front doors behind them at around 7 o’clock clutching their precious tickets.

The boys were dressed in suits or at least a blazer and trousers all with a tie and the girls wore their very pasty party frock and looked like girls. Their natural attractiveness was not coloured by wads of make-up other than a bit of face powder and usually bright red lipstick, which during the course of the evening had to be re-applied several times.

In the stillness of the evening with the snow gently falling to the ground they made their way along snow covered streets to a pub near the dance hall. Those who were old enough or could pass for 18 took up station in a pub. The girls drinking Cherry B’s or Babychams and the boys were on pints. Some of the more daring would go for a rum or a whiskey. Some girls managed a gin but with tonic or something. They remembered dad’s stern warning and mum’s girlie advice. The rest found a café with a jukebox and drank coffee.

At around 8 o’clock most of the pubs would empty as the boys and girls headed for their dance hall leaving the adults to party in their own way. Snowballs criss-crossed the streets as the boys tormented the girls with well-aimed lumps of snow. The girls giggled, screamed and dodged the missiles, but it was all in good fun with no malice intended.

Once inside the first stop for the girls, after leaving their coats in the cloakroom, was what the Americans call the “Powder Room” to make running repairs to their make up and hair. The boys dumped their coats and headed for the bar.

On a stage the band was ready to play, the lights dimmed and struck up with a waltz. Bunches of mistletoe hung from the ceiling and right in the centre overhead a large ball covered in small mirrors slowly rotated whilst a couple of coloured spotlights bounced off the mirrors and cascaded onto the floor and walls. No one accepted the invitation to dance until two girls, dancing together, twirled around. More joined them and then real couples got into the festive spirit.

Quickstep followed waltz and a slow foxtrot kept the dancers on their toes and away from the bar as slowly the dance floor filled up. The braver boys would spy a fancied girl across the room and sidle up to ask her to dance some with a flourish and an actual bow.

To encourage more people to dance the bandleader announced a ladies ‘excuse me’ where a girl could approach a dancing couple and take over from the girl or indeed approach a lad sitting down. Not to be outdone there usually followed a gentlemen’s excuse me.

As the alcohol took hold and natural shyness drifted away there would be games to play with small prizes for the winners. Spot dances would find more winners. Everyone joined in the Hokey Cokey and to really mix up the partners they played a Paul Jones and a progressive Barn Dance.

There was a happy buzz about the place as the kids danced the night away.

As midnight approached the band stopped playing and accompanied by the base drum the countdown began. On the stroke of midnight a chorus of Happy New Year deafened all and sundry, whistles blew, streamers were thrown and hundreds of balloons tumbled from up above. Boy kissed girl and girl kissed boy as the band struck up Auld Lang Syne and then kissed again after the last chord drifted into silence.

The last hour was a bit of an anti climax as tired but happy youngsters abandoned any pretence of dancing and just swayed to the music until finally the band played “Goodnight Ladies”. The night’s festivities were over.

Outside it had stopped snowing but as the carol states it lay on the ground crisp and even. The frost in the air accompanied groups heading for home and couples, some new couples, trudged through the snow in their own world.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

garinda · 31-12-2006, 17:01

That's really beautiful Jambutty.

Happy New Year.

SPUGGIE J · 31-12-2006, 17:32

A story of a bygone era that was a tad better in someways than what we have today.

Sara · 31-12-2006, 17:55

Enjoyed reading that, thanks for sharing it. A happy new year to you too.

Wynonie Harris · 31-12-2006, 17:57

A very evocative piece of writing, Jambutty.

However, as it was the end of 1956, surely the bandleader would have slipped a few Bill Haley or Little Richard jivers into the set. And what's all this with suits and blazers? I always had you down as a drapes and brothel creepers man!

Seriously though, I really enjoyed that. Thanks and Happy New Year.

Tinkerbelle · 31-12-2006, 18:20

Beautiful jambutty

Happy New Year

shillelagh · 31-12-2006, 18:42

Happy New Year Jambutty

cashman · 31-12-2006, 19:52

happy new year mate,they dont have em like that any more, mores the pity.

jamesicus · 31-12-2006, 20:47

60 years ago today:

The first really good New Year since WW2 ended.

Six of us (boys and girls) went to the Nelson Imperial from Burnley by bus -- all Big Band music then (gosh how I did love it) -- "Woodchoppers Ball", "In the mood", "Tuxedo Junction", "American Patrol", etc. -- went up the hill to a Pub in Nelson for pints during intermission -- back to the Imp suitably inebriated -- danced too long and missed the last (very late this night) train to Burnley -- walked home to Burnley (actually up Manchester Rd to Rosehill) -- got home early in the morning completely "knackered" -- slept till noon the next day -- what glorious times!

Happy & Prosperous New Year to all!

James

Ianto.W. · 01-01-2007, 00:15

I was picking collecting glasses in the Globe Inn on Blackburn road for 'Mother Walsh' my grandmother, God rest her soul.

garinda · 01-01-2007, 00:20

Fifty years ago tonight I was just an as yet unjoined collection of cells in the bodies of a twelve and fourteen year old respectively.

katex · 01-01-2007, 00:23

Well, not sure, but possibility waz there that night .. dad played with Sid Ashmead on occasions .but you put it better than I tried Jambutty x

Wynonie Harris · 01-01-2007, 00:29

Fifty years ago, I was still happily playing with the presents Father Christmas had brought me and looking forward to showing them to my friend, Peter Britcliffe whose parents had a selling-out shop round the corner from us.

garinda · 01-01-2007, 00:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Fifty years ago, I was still happily playing with the presents Father Christmas had brought me and looking forward to showing them to my friend, Peter Britcliffe whose parents had a selling-out shop round the corner from us.

What a terrible picture you just gave me. I hope that's all you showed each other.

Wynonie Harris · 01-01-2007, 00:40

Yep, apart from our bus numbers, as we were both very keen Accrington Corporation Bus spotters. In fact, Peter once told me that he had spotted every bus in the fleet. I think that was the start of my lifelong mistrust of politicians.