View Full Version : Roxy on Idsworth road


Alanbro
27-04-2004, 19:33
Used to go to the Roxy on Idsworth Road at Page Hall in me teens. There used to be a bouncer there who was very supple.
He could bend fully over backwards and pick up a handkerchief with his teeth. He wasn't a heavyweight bruiser, but he could sure sort the troublemakers out.
The market lads used to put in an appearance there regularly and it was like Yosser Hughes time as they like to use the nut in an argument.
There was a small balcony over the entrance to the dance hall and that is where you could get your refreshments.
We went down to the coffee bar on Owler Lane and down to the Firth Park Hotel for a couple of jars.
They said then that " Rock and roll is here to stay; and it sure is!"
Pity so many of the true greats had to die so young.

By the way the old Roxy building is still standing, but it's now a secondhand furniture emporium and it's character has long gone.

Drugs were not on the scene then and you could walk the streets feeling completely safe, whatever the time of day or night.

I also saw Buddy Holly and the Crickets in person at the City Hall.
Duane Eddy and Eddie Cochran at the Gaumont and Gene Vincent(I think that was at the City Hall).
The world is now a different place (not all bad), but it's nice to look back and nostalgia will live forever.

Alanbro in a melancholy mood.

PaulTansley
28-04-2004, 07:57
The music still lives on in my house Alanbro as i have all the rock'n'roll greats and they are always on in my car to.
I was only a baby when the greats were strutting there stuff and i think the late 50s early sixties music is the best ever recorded by far and will never be beaten.
The late greats of Eddie Cochran, Buddy and Jimmy Justice, i could go on.
I am trying to get a ticket for the Shadows farewell concert at the Barbican in York but there like gold dust and there is a waiting list for any that might come on the market due to someone coming down ill.
They will be on The sound of the sixties on radio 2 on Saturday which will be worth a listen to.
Great music, great legends and music will never be the same.

CR

Abdul
28-04-2004, 11:56
The Roxy has been all sorts over the past couple of decades. The ones I can remember (from the early 80's onwards) are of it being a dance club, a gym for infants, a snooker club and bingo hall.

It is a furniture store now, though it sells new stuff, not second hand. The exterior of the building was shown in the local film 'The Full Monty'. Although some scenes of the movie were filmed at the Shiregreen Working Mens club, the old Roxy was used for the external scenes.

I'm always interested in the history of that part of Sheffield. What decades are your memories from, if you don't mind me asking?

Timbuck
28-04-2004, 14:56
When I was about 17 in1956 I went to the Roxy Ballroom for the first time ..I went in and payed my Entrance fee and I was fascinated by a sound I'd never heard before, a sort of rhythmic Boom, Boom, Boom..when I went inside the main room I found out it was the sound of feet hitting the floor in time to a "Bill Hayley" record, I stood against the wall for the rest of the night just watching Rock and Roll dancing and listening to the music..I was hooked on Rock-n-Roll for the rest of my life.

I went again the next week, and I saw my first live pop group "The Four Imp's" from Lincoln featuring a young lad on guitar called "Dougie Brown" later to become well known as a TV comedian/entertainer.

Alanbro
30-04-2004, 21:22
No offence intended about the Roxy building, Abdul. I've only been past at a distance and not really looked closely at the furniture shop.
My memories are from the 50's onwards.
My first rock n roll records were by Tommy Steele, Marty Wilde(Kim Wilde's dad), Bobby Rydell and numerous other, mainly British singers, until Buddy Holly came along and then I concentrated on buying his records. I went to see Buddy and the Crickets at the City Hall in 1958. Me and me mate sat in the front row of the balcony. The joint was raving. All the Crickets could not appear because of work permit problems.
Buddy died a short while later and sadness prevailed for a while. I bought the record "Three Stars" which was about the demise of Buddy Holly, Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. There were a few tribute records released, but "Three Stars" was the best at that time, until Don Maclean with "America Pie".
The 50's and 60's were my favourites for music. Bobby Vee sounded very much like Buddy Holly, and in between all this was the "King", Elvis Presley himself. I saw all his earliest films, but when he started making films like "Girls, Girls, Girls" his film credibility dropped enormously. His music is the greatest.
Thanks for your contribution as well, cycleracer. You have tremendous good taste!

Regards from Alanbro

Underground Airman.

rainbow2411
09-05-2004, 00:02
I used to go to the Roxy in the late 50's early 60's along with the Locarno on a Sunday night. I remember listening to Radio Luxenburg desperately hoping that the signal wouldn't fade when the new releases from America where played, after the musical diet of Ronny Hilton, Dickie Valentine, David Whitfield and the Billy Cotton Band Show, the excitement of listening to Roy Orbison, Rick Nelson, Buddy Holly and of course Elvis for the first time was something that I will never forget.

coddy
09-05-2004, 16:03
I went to the Roxy when I was really little and it was a cinema. My mom took me and my sister to watch Kid for 2 Farthings. I remember I was given a little brown envelope with 2 farthings in it. I kept it for years but think it got chucked out when mom and dad sold up and went into retirement bungalow. I was probably only about 3 at the time but remember walking along Page Hall road with my envelope.

roughy101
09-05-2004, 16:28
does anyone remember big jim moran who worked on the door he used to be a wrestler , he was awsome

awoollen
28-08-2004, 18:12
Originally posted by Abdul
The Roxy has been all sorts over the past couple of decades. The ones I can remember (from the early 80's onwards) are of it being a dance club, a gym for infants, a snooker club and bingo hall.

It is a furniture store now, though it sells new stuff, not second hand. The exterior of the building was shown in the local film 'The Full Monty'. Although some scenes of the movie were filmed at the Shiregreen Working Mens club, the old Roxy was used for the external scenes.

I'm always interested in the history of that part of Sheffield. What decades are your memories from, if you don't mind me asking?
i remmember the roxy when it was called the page hall
used to get in for nothink one offthe lads payed rest went through the toilet doors
got kicked out many a time

Gerry
01-09-2004, 21:40
The next dance will be a Mambo. No Bopping in the first two numbers.

little malc
21-09-2004, 13:36
I remember learning to Ballroom dance in 1959 at the Roxy, the music was provided by a wind-up gramophone playing Victor Sylvester records, I can't remember the name of our female tutor, but she was fierce!!

roughy101
22-09-2004, 09:11
they filmed the full monty from idsworth rd

awoollen
09-10-2007, 12:57
Used to go to the Roxy on Idsworth Road at Page Hall in me teens. There used to be a bouncer there who was very supple.
He could bend fully over backwards and pick up a handkerchief with his teeth. He wasn't a heavyweight bruiser, but he could sure sort the troublemakers out.
The market lads used to put in an appearance there regularly and it was like Yosser Hughes time as they like to use the nut in an argument.
There was a small balcony over the entrance to the dance hall and that is where you could get your refreshments.
We went down to the coffee bar on Owler Lane and down to the Firth Park Hotel for a couple of jars.
They said then that " Rock and roll is here to stay; and it sure is!"
Pity so many of the true greats had to die so young.

By the way the old Roxy building is still standing, but it's now a secondhand furniture emporium and it's character has long gone.
it was called pagehall when went thier thy was benches on the front 3 4 rows

Drugs were not on the scene then and you could walk the streets feeling completely safe, whatever the time of day or night.

I also saw Buddy Holly and the Crickets in person at the City Hall.
Duane Eddy and Eddie Cochran at the Gaumont and Gene Vincent(I think that was at the City Hall).
The world is now a different place (not all bad), but it's nice to look back and nostalgia will live forever.

Alanbro in a melancholy mood.#
it was called page hall when i was a lad their was benches on the rows

Maybeme
09-10-2007, 18:37
The dance school at the Roxy was run by Constance Grant. I went to the dance classes there along with quite a few of the young people from Hucklow Road School but also people from other areas. We had such good times, this would be about 1956 so who knows some us on here may have alread met there.

My favourite music was 60/70's and they are still played regularly at my house, also lots of them on my MP3 player. I don't thin k this music wil ever die.

awoollen
16-10-2007, 09:39
they filmed the full monty from idsworth rd
it was shiregreen club

Texas
24-10-2007, 18:39
A few of us would go to the Roxy, way back when cinemas first started showing movies on Sundays. I remember some shops across the tram tracks from the bottom of Idsworth Road, one of which sold motor bikes. Would I be right thinking it was owned by a guy called Bill Beevers, a TT champ? He used to have a racing machine in the window.

ronn
13-07-2009, 10:59
I used to go to the Roxy in the late 50's early 60's along with the Locarno on a Sunday night. I remember listening to Radio Luxenburg desperately hoping that the signal wouldn't fade when the new releases from America where played, after the musical diet of Ronny Hilton, Dickie Valentine, David Whitfield and the Billy Cotton Band Show, the excitement of listening to Roy Orbison, Rick Nelson, Buddy Holly and of course Elvis for the first time was something that I will never forget.

we used to go to the old roxy dance hall myselve and my wife 1953 ro 1958 except 1954-1956 army did you then

Nigel Womersle
13-07-2009, 23:31
it was shiregreen club

I think it was both. There is a scene outside The Roxy, where the would be strippers are talking to two women, telling them they will be doing the full monty. The last scene, where they strip, was Shiregreen WMC. Apologies if I am wrong.

lakerman
15-07-2009, 18:08
The doorway to the old Roxy building was definitely used for some of the outdoor scenes in The Full Monty, and Shiregreen W.M.C. was used for the interior shots.
I am a member of Firth Park W.M.C. which is just up the road from the Roxy. When they were about to start filming the Full Monty, there was a sign put up over the door of the old Roxy. It said Millthorpe W.M.C. ( I think that was what they called it, i'm sure someone will correct me if i'm wrong) Some of us who are members of Firth Park W.M.C. thought that there was a new club opening. It was only when they started filming that we realised what it really was.
Ironically, I actually did some of the security work on some of the other Full Monty locations.

ronn
17-07-2009, 17:28
we went to roxy dance 1952 to 1958 did you go then my email address is simcalblades36@hotmail.co.uk please let me know

ronn
17-07-2009, 17:30
we went to the roxy dancehall pagehall 1952 to 1958 my email address is simcalblades36 @hotmail.co.uk please let me know

facefacts
16-12-2011, 21:39
I used to go to the Roxy dance hall from about 1959, loved the place, met a guy called Malcolm Perks there, had a thing with him, used to be a great place to dance and meet people, anyone remember that time???