rEMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES AT LACARNO AND CITY HALL DANCES, THINK IT WAS HALF A CROWN TO GET IN, WE WOULD STAND IN LINE FOR AGES TO GET IN, MY SISTER AND I WOULD CHANGE FROCKS HALF WAY THROUGH THE DANCE IN THE LAV TO SEE IF ANYONE NOTICED, NO ONE EVER DID ? EVEN WHEN WE CAME BACK AND DANCED WITH THE SAME BOYS, ALWAYS HAD A GOOD LAUGH IN THE DRESSING ROOMS WITH THE OTHER GIRLS FIGHTING FOR A MIRROR, GREAT BANDS, OUR FEET WOULD BE KILLING US BY THE END OF THE NIGHT, THE HAD TO RUN DOWN TOWN IN THOSE SPIKE , SPENT IT IN THE BARHEELS TO CATCH THE LAST BUS, NO MONEY LEFT FOR A TAXI, SPENT IT ALL IN THE BAR.

HI Poppins

yes I used to go to the C/H on saturday nights. I remember the glass floor, and was it Bernard Taylor's band.? I met a girl there who was the proud possesor of Johnny Ray's shoe. When he appeared at the CIty hall he was mobbed and the saying went, stripped. Never met anyone who had the rest.

I remember the Locarno opening. i think we caught the tram home. remember dancing all evening in stiletto heels and those multicoloured petticoats and a waspie belt nipping your waist in, and earings nipping your earlobes.

Do you remember the Embassy opening. I was18 and oh the joy of going to the all night dance. I went with my cousin and I got taken home by a boy and she had to sit on the doorstep as our dog would not let her in! she still mentions it
happy days
hazel

Very amusing, I,m to young to have been part of this but its sounds like exellent entertainment.
I can picture you lot now dancing to all that dance band music.

Hmm, I do envy the old theatre and dance hall days, i was born to late, which the Ponytails would say.:hihi:

hi hazel
yes i think it was Bernard Shaws band, all us girls use to dance together close to the band stand so the band could see us, some girl always had a crush on a player, we wore our stiletto heels so long the heels would be leaning under the show and all the leather would be worn down to the metal, hazel did you use to draw lines up the back of your leg to make it look like you had nylons on ?my sister and i would do each others, i did her's dead straight, she was short sighted and always drew mine crooked,she thought i didn't know, she had a favorite dress for the c/hall, was a pink fish tail dress, so tight she had to stand up on the bus, good times, even getting chucked out a few times for under age drinking was ok, lacarno was always packed like sardines, i'v been living in the states now for 40 years, get back often to see my sisters, we always talk about those days, we use to meet our dates at coles corner,i had to go with my sister to show her her date from the night before, she couldn't see.

Hi Poppins

No. I'm too young for the era of pretending to wear stockings cos they were in such short ssupply, but i had young aunties who did. they used gravy browning to dye their legs too. i can justn imagine you and your sister with the pencil. i was in the time of seamed stockings which we were forever checking to see whether the seams were straight and the suspenders were always coming undone. you had to discretely turn your back to fasten your them. They called them fully ffashioned, never did find out why
Everyone met on Coles corner in thope days, which is where the midland bank is now, opp the cathedral.
My aunt may was forever doing her hair in lots of little curls which was perhaps the style that you had I thought she looked very glamorous.
hazel

HAZEL
THINK THOSE LITTLE CURLS WERE CALLED THE BUBBLE CUT, WE DID HAVE NYLONS (NOT THAT OLD YET) 63, IT WAS WHEN WE HAD NO MONEY LEFT TO BUY ANY WE USED EYEBROW PENCIL,DIDN'T HAVE MUCH LEFT AFTER GETING OUR SHOES HEELED &SOLED, BUYING PAN STICK AND FAGS, THOSE CAME FIRST.

YES I NOTICED COLES CORNER WAS A BANK NOW THE LAST TIME I WAS HOME, WALSHES WAS ALWAYS A GOOD MEETING PLACE TOO, THINK IT'S FRASERS NOW, I LIKED COLES CORNER BEST AS IF YOU GOT STOOD UP IT WASN'T AS NOTICEBLE.

DON'T REMEMBER JONNEY RAY AT THE C/H BUT I DO REMEMBER FRANKIE VAUGHN COMMING TO THE LACARNO, NEVER LIKED HIS SINGING, BUT I UNDERSTAND HE WAS A REAL NICE PERSON,AND STAYED NICE THROUGH HIS SHOW BIZ YEARS.

REMEMBER WEARING CARDIGANS BACKWARDS ? I THINK THAT CAME BACK IN STLYE NOT TOO LONG AGO.

ALSO WE MISSED THE LAST BUS FROM POND ST MANY TIMES AND WALKED ALL THE WAY TO SOUTHEY GREEN, CANNOT IMAGINE WALKING THAT DISTANCE NOW.

In those days I worked for the scpwd and had to replace one of those squares of glass in the dance floor.
another place to meet was under the town hall clock.

I think the Town Hall clock had a bad reputation in those days.
Could be mistaken for a lady of ill repute or so the saying went.

hazel

hazel, do you remember how at the locarno, everyone used to walk round and round all night until you saw someone you liked and then you started dancing,i met my ex husband at the locarno,wish i had kept walking,lol.

Originally posted by roughy101
hazel, do you remember how at the locarno, everyone used to walk round and round all night until you saw someone you liked and then you started dancing,i met my ex husband at the locarno,wish i had kept walking,lol.

Locarno was great, us girls would just stand there pretending we didn't want to dance, then would dance with each other around the edge of the dance floor to see who was there, if no good prospects we would take off to the City Hall and do the same thing over again.

Yes
you've brought memories back of walking round and round at the Locano. I usually went with the current boyfriend so missed a lot of the fun. Valentines day at the Lacano was sheer bliss.
Did you notice if your partner was a good dancer so were you.

You were right those curls it was the buble cut Poppins Did you have it. Wasn't it Gina Lolobridgida who first had that style.
Hazel
PS are you still married to him roughy

Originally posted by hazel
Yes
you've brought memories back of walking round and round at the Locano. I usually went with the current boyfriend so missed a lot of the fun. Valentines day at the Lacano was sheer bliss.
Did you notice if your partner was a good dancer so were you.

You were right those curls it was the buble cut Poppins Did you have it. Wasn't it Gina Lolobridgida who first had that style.
Hazel
PS are you still married to him roughy

Hazel, I have the bubble cut all over again now, perms every 3 months now, YES deffinatley if he could dance well i could too, but imagine girls dancing together now a days, we did it all the time just to see who was there, too bad you went with a boy friend, you did miss out on a lot.

Yes all you say is true, they were great times, Thursday night for bopping at the Locarno, Friday was at the Locarno as well, but we pretended to be older and more grown up, if I remember right you had to be 21, then Saturday night was at the City hall, do you remember queing for tickets with your rollers in, and a scarf tied round the back like Bridgette Bardott, then Sunday back to the Locarno again for some more bopping, certainly didn't need Gyms in those days, I never remember any trouble back then we'd walk up the Moor and meet the others coming home from the City hall, but never any bother.

Originally posted by Applegrim
Yes all you say is true, they were great times, Thursday night for bopping at the Locarno, Friday was at the Locarno as well, but we pretended to be older and more grown up, if I remember right you had to be 21, then Saturday night was at the City hall, do you remember queing for tickets with your rollers in, and a scarf tied round the back like Bridgette Bardott, then Sunday back to the Locarno again for some more bopping, certainly didn't need Gyms in those days, I never remember any trouble back then we'd walk up the Moor and meet the others coming home from the City hall, but never any bother.

And then walk all the way home after missing the last bus, if it was snowing we would go in our boots, but take our shoesto change into in case someone wanted to take us home, wouldn't be see dead in boots comming out with someone no matter what the weather was like outside.

And my flat chested sister would stuff nylons down her bra, no wonder i never had any hose to wear on saturday night.s

remember going to town on a saturday afternoon with your hair in big rollers, ready to go out saturday night,what a statement walking around woolies, it meant if you were in rollers you were out that night, if not you were staying in.
do you remember the duster coats, mine was 3/4 lengh pale blue with fur cuffs oh i thought i was the bees knees in that with white stilletoes,and a bouffont hair.

Originally posted by roughy101
remember going to town on a saturday afternoon with your hair in big rollers, ready to go out saturday night,what a statement walking around woolies, it meant if you were in rollers you were out that night, if not you were staying in.
do you remember the duster coats, mine was 3/4 lengh pale blue with fur cuffs oh i thought i was the bees knees in that with white stilletoes,and a bouffont hair.

Wouldn't been seen dead in rollers, my duster coat was black, shoes from Saxones, white with bows on, i think you could buy the bows and change them to other shoes, although the heels of my shoes would always go UNDER as we use to say, too much walking home after the dance, and usually on my own as my sister always go the date, must have been the LOVELY figure she had with my nylons !

I had a royal blue duster coat' stood the collar up pushed the sleeves up and wore it over a sheath dress, complete with stilletoes and long earings
Do you remember the long umbrellas I had an asortment of different covers to match the outfits.
Thought I was the bees knees.
Remember the shoes from Saxone. 49/11 nearly £2 -50.
Hazel

Must have been too young to go to the Lacarno on Saturday Night.But there was one on Saturday morning for kids I was about 15yrs .Ithink it was also called the Mecca.

Originally posted by roughy101
remember going to town on a saturday afternoon with your hair in big rollers, ready to go out saturday night,what a statement walking around woolies, it meant if you were in rollers you were out that night, if not you were staying in.
do you remember the duster coats, mine was 3/4 lengh pale blue with fur cuffs oh i thought i was the bees knees in that with white stilletoes,and a bouffont hair.

Hello Poppins

Funny that you should post about the Locarno. I made a rare visit to Sheffield recently and was appalled by the appearance of the building, all-over matt black and looking filthy and possibly derelict. I'm about the same era as you and my first recollection of the place was as Marks & Spencers just after WW2. It was a cinema before the war. When it was the Locarno, we lads would be on the opposite side from the girls, plucking up courage (usually Dutch) to ask for a dance. I think the resident band was the Dudley Conn Trio or similar.
You did right to emigrate. My daughter lives in MA and we love coming out to New England for visits.

i used to go to the lacarno sat mornins got chucked out once cause the lads i was with was causin bother cant even remember who they were now lol.loved it in there they used to play all the tamla music then .now it looks a mess

I remember the Locarno opening, but I liked the City Hall better. During the interval we'd go down to the Black Swan for a couple of jars, then get back in time for a last dance or two and pick up a date. They didn't like you bopping at the city so we bopped more just to be awkward. Sunday nights we went to the Palais in Nottingham on a charter bus. cos they allowed Sunday dancing in that sinful lovely town!

In the early sixties, my friends and I went dancing at the Lacarno every Saturday morning. We would have been about 12-13yrs old. We loved it. We often went in black polo neck jumpers grey skirts and black stockings and thought we looked great.

In the early sixties, the places for me (with the lads) were the Locarno on Wednesday nights and Nether Edge Hall on Saturday nights. I met my wife at the Locarno and "we,ve bin togevver nar for forty years...."

HI,Oldrowley I think it was a British home stores before it became lacarno. but Spent some happy hours in that place.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by poppins
[B]Wouldn't been seen dead in rollers, my duster coat was black, shoes from Saxones, white with bows on, i think you could buy the bows and change them to other shoes, although the heels of my shoes would always go UNDER as we use to say, too much walking home after the dance, ]

Ha ha - that could have been me posting lol!
Just joined this site and we all seem to have the same memories - we were probably at the Locarno/CH on the same nights ;-)
I had a pair of pink shoes from Saxone - 49/11, with a tiny white bow on the front - I LOVED those shoes! I also bought a pair from a catalogue which were pale blue with a peep toe, very high heels and had pink running stitches in a sunray effect on the front complete with pink bow - I thought I was the bees knees in them - now I cringe at the thought lol!
I loved the fashions of the late 50's early 60's of wide belts and flared skirts, and lots of net petticoats underneath - the aim being to make our skirts stick out as much as possible. My friend Sandra and I bought cotton half slips that had 3 'channels' circulating around the skirt, into which you threaded plastic strips, this created a 'crinolin' effect, but when we sat down on the bus, the front of our skirts shot up lol! So we had to stand up, to spare our blushes.
ah - those were the days........ :-)

I remember the girls wearing those crinolines ... I wasn't allowed cos i was considered a little too young but remember an older friend ... she was sooo embarrassed ... major design flaw lol.

I was allowed to have a net skirt though ... let loose in either BHS or M&S not sure now - racks and racks of them - soooo pretty ... white net with either little bows and roses on in red, blue, pink. or lemon ... rainbow coloured ones ... girly dream!!

the net underskirt, red gingham dirndl skirt, white shirt blouse with red buttons, a beige elastic belt and matching suede ballerina slippers with a 1" kitten heel ... I was 13 or 14 but I felt so very grown up ...

They used to stiffen the net with sugar water - some girls used to spray their bouffant hair do with it too - did you ever do that - all the wasps in Millhouses park making a target of you!!

yes I remember soaking my net petticoats in sugar water to make them as stiff as possible. I too loved seeing all those lovely net petticoats in M&S and C&A , but as money was short, I made my own with net bought from the market - 1/11 a yard lol! Did you find that the stiff net snagged your stockings?? I got around this by wearing a straight slip inderneath the net one - it also prevented the boys from glimpsing my stocking tops when spinning around on the dance floor - hee hee. ;-)

I think the elasticated belts were caled waspies,
I too made my own net skirt on a treadle sewing machine that had belonged to my grandma and it did snag your stockings and scatch the tops of the legs. I also usd to go the market buying enough material for a £1 to make a dress. Used to take a piece of the dress material to Coles and for 4/6d they would make a belt to match.
Shoes from Saxone-- seemed to wear a lot of white stilletoes, but remember a beautiful blue and white pair, white broderie anglaise blouse royal blue skirt and shoes to match. Never left home witthout my long umbrella with cover to match
We must have all looked the same.
hazel

Hazel as I remember it, the waspie was something you wore underneath your clothes to pull in your waist, an abbreviated version of what the Victorians wore, although the elastic belt certainly helped to cinch in the waist too. I found I couldn't wear the waspie for too long as it gave me stomach ache lol!

I used to buy my shoes in the rag and tag, they were 39/11d,
and it seems as though we all did our own underskirts, but we also used to have fancy long handled umbrella's,with covers to match, what must we have looked like,and we had gloves to match! Can you girls remember the cloakroom in the Lacarno?All those mirrors and lights, it was like Hollywood in there.!

the best outfit i ever had,(apart from my pale blue duster coat)was a pink 2 piece mohaire suite,tight skirt little box jacket with white stilletoes,white clutch bag,white gloves, jet black beehive hairstyle,and thick, dusty springfield eyeliner,that was around 1966.i also remember the shoes on the rag and tag,i thought they were 27/11 and 37/11:heyhey: :heyhey: :heyhey:

Did an of you ever go to Glossop Road baths to the dances on Saturday nights or to the Cutlers hall

went to cutlers hall,sang there in 1964,little jenny and the pentagons

Hi Poppins

Met my late wife at the Locarno.

Do you remember when Jimmy Savile came down as guest DJ on stage. It was rumoured he was going to have multi-coloured hair, but he let us down on that score.
Apart from Jimmy Young, it was the fastest I'd ever heard a DJ talk.

Now, of course we've got Vicky Pollard.

Great times at the Locarno. Used to come in by bus and we had a great time, me and me mates.

There was a great chippy at the top of Boston Street at that time.
We went to the City Hall as well, but I always enjoyed the Locarno best, and besides there was the Lansdowne were we had a game of darts and sank a few jars.

Happy Days

Regards from Alanbro.

Applegrim
I'd forgoten the gloves, never went without them usually white ones
haxel

Hi I never went to the Lacarno. We used to go to the City Hall I think it was or Cutlers. Yeah. we wore the dirndle skirts with the broad elastic fancy belt. Broderie Anglaise blouse and the Maralyn Monroe hoop earings. Could have worn a bit of leg paint when we couldn't afford the black stockings. Did you ever wear those plastic shoe protectors used to wear them if it was snowing to save the shoes getting wet. Must have looked a mess lol. but we thought we were pretty cool.
Hair style was a bang at the front and page boy. OMG best finish there

Regards Vera.

Hi Vera
Nice to hear from you again,
Didn't those earings nip you ears, Oh the relief of it when you took them off. your earings and your shoes. I didn't know which was worse the ache in the ears or the feet. I used to think it was toothache.
I was in my 40s when I plucked up courage to have my ears pierced, I remember my delight-- no more nipped ears.

hazel

I think you are both masochistic! we men would never have gone to such lengths to look attractive to the opposite sex, apart from the winkle pickers of course. ;)

I've seen men almost stand on their heads to attract the attention of a beautiful woman. I don't think they can help it. It's biologically programmed in.
Thier brains descend and they are lost. It's a sad sight. :gag:
hazel

You seem to have lost the thread about the Locarno.
Won't be back; got better things to do.
Them were the days though!

well Alanbro, obviously we don't have better things to do ... and the convo has moved on - we're talking about clothes now!!!

lol .... men! *tuts* .... now about these gloves and matching brollies .... (pours everyone another cuppa and settles down for a nice long comfortable gossip) and those earrings ... tell me more :D



edit - owdlad, woman aren't trying to look attractive to the opposite sex lol - we're just trying to outdo the other women we know!!! :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Applegrim
I used to buy my shoes in the rag and tag, they were 39/11d,
and it seems as though we all did our own underskirts, but we also used to have fancy long handled umbrella's,with covers to match, what must we have looked like,and we had gloves to match! Can you girls remember the cloakroom in the Lacarno?All those mirrors and lights, it was like Hollywood in there.!

Aw - weren't we proper young ladies then lol! I had one of those long umberellas with covers to match all outfits, and how we would get all dressed up on a Sundays - little hat, clutch bag and long or short gloves - ah those were the days....sigh

Originally posted by Alanbro
You seem to have lost the thread about the Locarno.
Won't be back; got better things to do.
Them were the days though!

alan - come back - we need a few men around here to tease lol! ;-)

" red gingham dirndl skirt, white shirt blouse with red buttons, a beige elastic belt and matching suede ballerina slippers with a 1" kitten heel ... I was 13 or 14 but I felt so very grown up"

I have b/w photo of myself wearing exactly the same, plus a little red corduroy bolero - walking along Blackpool Promenade - oh and and large white 'penny' clip on ear-rings - all ear-rings seemd to nip in those days - or they were so loose you always managed to lose one :-(
I'd made the skirt in sewing lessons at school - eventually I cut it up to make a dress for my little girl and made place mats and napkins with what was left of the material - I STILL have the napkins - that material must be about 50 years old and still going strong lol!

Originally posted by Alanbro
You seem to have lost the thread about the Locarno.
Won't be back; got better things to do.
Them were the days though!

Hope I didn't send you away Alanbro, Hope my warped sense of humour ddidn't upset you,
I didn't mean to.
Hazel

Originally posted by hazel
Hi Vera
Nice to hear from you again,
Didn't those earings nip you ears, Oh the relief of it when you took them off. your earings and your shoes. I didn't know which was worse the ache in the ears or the feet. I used to think it was toothache.
I was in my 40s when I plucked up courage to have my ears pierced, I remember my delight-- no more nipped ears.

hazel oh but when the earings pinched, what better than the boyfriend nibbling away:hihi:

Originally posted by Alanbro
You seem to have lost the thread about the Locarno.
Won't be back; got better things to do.
Them were the days though! oh mardy, mardy mardy :gag:

Hy Hazel Park yourself down!

Pin back your lugs, 'cause I'm back and looking for someone called April, 'April Fool'.
You thought I'd gone, but now I'm back just to prove that I can really shake it down.
We-ell hello babe, this is the Big Bopper speaking.
Will I what? Will I what?
Well baby you know what I like.
Chantilly lace and a pretty face
an' a pony tail hanging down.
The only mardy in me is Mardi Gras!
The Locarno may have gone, but they can't keep us old rockers down.
Wop, bop a loo bop a lam bam boom!
Keep in touch, I'll be back!

Alanbro has spoken
Who's the daddy?

Good post Alan - welcome back! :-)

Hi peterdo

The Lansdown Cinema was bomb damaged in 1940 apparently but at some time after that, Marks and Spencers did some repairs and moved in. There is a picture of the building as it was in 1953, still with M & S signs but closed down and a 'For Sale' board evident. (Sheffield since 1900 - a Star Publication).
According to other Sheffield Cinema history sites, the Locarno was refitted with 700 odd lights within the building in 1955. I honestly cannot see BHS moving in between say 1953 to 1955 as their new store on the Moor was certainly up and running by 1957 as I bought my first 78rpm record there in that year. (Puttin' on the Style by Lonnie Donegan no less!) Maybe you remember Saturday morning in the store crowded round the record counter which also brings to mind Wilson Pecks and other stores where you could listen to the records in an individual booth (and usually not buy anything of course). Back with the Locarno, I was a member of Holy Trinity Millhouses Youth Club and a notable memory is when we (as HTM Promotions) booked Joe Brown and the Bruvvers to play at the Locarno in 1962. Despite having a massive hit with 'A Picture of You' after the booking was made, he still came up from the smoke for the agreed fee of £20. The supporting band was a group of black lads from Chesterfield called 'The Newtones' I think, and it was a great night. A picture on the Sheffield Library site reveals that by the 1970's, the Locarno had become Tiffanys Night Club and looked very smart.

Hi oldrowley, must be going loopy in my old age.:loopy:
thanks for the info

peterdo:thumbsup:

Hi Drainpipe

Same as you I met my wife at the Locarno and this year would also have been our fortieth anniversary in August.
My wife would also have been sixty later this month, but I am filled with happy memories, which especially include the Locarno.

Regards from Alanbro.

Hi Alanbro -see my PM to you.

We are trying to find people who used to meet at coles corner and hear their stories. There is a sheffield singer called Richard Hawley www.richardhawley.co.uk who is releasing an album in September called Coles Corner. We would like to hear from anyone who has memories of meeting there - maybe meeting their future husband/wife etc or if anyone has pictures of themselves at Coles Corner they would be great to see. The album is a very romantic record and the song 'Coles Corner' is about going down town in the hope of meeting someone. There seems very little written about meeting there even though over the years hundreds of friendships and lovees must have begun there. Any help would be great. thanks

Some of the bands at the Locarno were good. Of course they all worked the Mecca circuit and got moved around the country. There was a good one, cant remember the name, but a bigger bunch of looners you would never meet. For some reason they all wore Hawiian shirts, and would play jazz whenever they could. The leader (so called ) played alto and used to have a bag of 'speed' under the nearest music desk, dolly mixtures he used to call them. Needless to say they didn't last five minutes. A great pity.
Another one was the George Sumner Orchestra, a very good band. The drummer was a guy named Colin Bailey, very profesional, went on to make a name for himself in the U.S. as a studio musician in Hollywood. One of the saxophone players lived in a greenhouse somewhere up Nether Edge, he stuck paper over the glass for privacy. Great days, great characters.

Re Texas' last post - my memories of the Locarno were in the days of the Eric Baxter Band around 1963 ther were some real characters in that band too -Phil Gaunt, Brian Suthill, Tommy Grombeck, Haydn Cook Brian Pendleton (now of Syd Lawrence fame), Tony Bagwell, Alan Whitehead, Barry Sutcliffe, etc.

Rony Robinson was talking about the Locarno/Lansdowne Picture Palace on his radio show this morning. he was inviting listeners to call in with their memories of it.

Apparently the news on it now is that it's scheduled to be demolished!

I remember going to it in the 70's and 80's, when it was called Tiffany's then changed to Vickers, and then back to the Locarno.

I remember the 14-18 yr olds nights there. they were so funny.

the last time i went, which would be about 1990/2 I got chewing gum on the lace of my best dress. nucky sods! (sometimes I think that Singapore has the best idea! Make chewing gum Illegal!)
edit to add another memory. I remember the decor was supposed to represent a desert island or something, with lots aod "palm trees" and the serving hatches etsc were made to look like wooden huts/ shacks.

there was a restaurant or something upstairs, which was called "Treetops", IIRC.
sorry, we now return you to your regularly scheduled viewing! (lol)
PT

Originally posted by roughy101
hazel, do you remember how at the locarno, everyone used to walk round and round all night until you saw someone you liked and then you started dancing,i met my ex husband at the locarno,wish i had kept walking,lol. you should have worn plimsoles (no trainers in those days ) instead of high heels,you could have out run him :banana:

Originally posted by depoix
you should have worn plimsoles (no trainers in those days ) instead of high heels,you could have out run him :banana:

Plimsoles, gosh , brings back memories again, white shoes were also a lot in fashion back then ,cardigans worn backwards,
lots of make-up, cobbler shops did a lot of buisness back then with mending those two in high heels, or were they 3 inch heels ?

Unfortunately they've not had to demolish the old Locarno building. The fire did it. I've not been down to that location for a while. Is the dome still standing or has everything gone?
My wife Sylvia and I had our photograph taken in the booth on the evening we met and I still have the photo strip. We must have had a photo taken another night because I have two strips of us in different gear. Happy days and happy memories.

This is circa 1962/63 when we met.

Used to go to the Locarno circa '59 when everybody used to form a circle around the best bopper, suck all the rain up in our brothel creepers and then parade in the talc that was strewn all over the sprung dance floor. Returned in '60-'61 in navy uniform (try that nowadays) the blue collar always pulled the birds, much to the anger of the "best boppers". Sammy Lowe springs to mind, he could bop with the best of 'em. Happy memories, can still bop with our lass but rheumatatics slow us down. Great reading the posts.

About 1950, before the Teddy Boy thing really took off, the really hip wore the full drape, fingertip length, gaberdine suit with 16" bottoms on the trousers. A modified 'zoot suit' really. The first guy I saw wearing this get up was known as Curly, and could HE jive. He had a load of hangers on, me included. Some others I remember were Ron Revell, Billy Fearn, Brian Davison, Alan Brookfield, a geezer known as 'Zebs', and others I cant remember. If you could get the bread together you got the suit, and the spearpoint shirts, the 'creeper' shoes, and if you possibly could a 3" brimmed Stetson from Dunns.
I went in the Army, when I came out, 'Teds' were in. The drainpipe trousers, knee length jackets, bootlace ties, the only thing I recognised were the shoes. The City wasn't the same.

My Mum managed the place as far as I can recall some time in the mid 60s. Maybe 64?? don`t recall as I was more into tearing around on my Leader. I remember though that the dance floor used to bounce in time to the rockers.(Don`t Be Cruel used to be the best tempo for it, I think??) Great feeling going with the floor and everybody else! Bloods up and mind is flying!
No freebies for me though, - strictly business the ol Mum.

Used to call herself Milli (after Millicent Martin) as she hated her real name. Blonde hair (strawberry is it ladies??) small and slim,
and also a muso (keyboards, but don`t think she did gigs at the Locarno. (was still playing in her own band up until about 10 years ago I gather) Bunch of Vincent riders used to hang around the Locarno sometimes too.
They turned it into a Bingo hall on some excuse, later on. Talk about blasphemy!
Lost track as I wandered off about 1967, and still not back yet!

Hi Texas
Saw a man in Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre yesterday, probablely as old as you, wearing full Teddy Boy gear. bright electric blue suit trimmed with velvet.
Swinging his car keys instead of his bicycle chain.

hazel

I was a teenager in the fifties and went to the City Hall or Lacarno.....usually on a Friday as I recall. Prior to that we would go to Alfred Golds...getting drunk on nothing more than the atmosphere and company and the music....lime and lemon for me although I can't stand it now. No alchohol there.
I was told "don't go bringing no Teddy Boys here" when I went out and "make sure you get that last bus" which was at 11.00pm sharp....
Teddy Boys? by todays standards they were Teddy Bears more like.:banana:

Hazel, did you check out the wheels? I bet it was a Robin 'Rialto'.

Saw his DA haircut , Just never saw his wheels, " Hope it wasn't a motorised scooter " but looked to fit for that.

Wished I had stopped and askd him about his image now.
He strode through the shoppiing centre like a ghost from the past.

hazel

Yes, those were the days. Always waited for the best looking boys to come into The City Hall or Locarno,and when they walked up and said"May I have this dance please ? Always stuffed nylons into my bra, as I had no bust.Was dancing with this really nice looking boy,and thought what hes staring at ?My nylons were slowly creeping up out of my bra,and on to my chest.Funny thing is,I hadnt washed them first. Poor lad couldnt wait to get off the dance floor.

I was a teenager in the fifties and went to the City Hall or Lacarno.....usually on a Friday as I recall. Prior to that we would go to Alfred Golds...getting drunk on nothing more than the atmosphere and company and the music....lime and lemon for me although I can't stand it now. No alchohol there.
I was told "don't go bringing no Teddy Boys here" when I went out and "make sure you get that last bus" which was at 11.00pm sharp....
Teddy Boys? by todays standards they were Teddy Bears more like.:banana:

I have happy memories of learning to dance at Alf Golds' place. My pal Ken met his wife there in around 1957-8, and they're still together. The names I remember from that time in terms of the girls we danced with include Ann Addy, Maureen Pearson (they were both from Southey), Jean Dickinson (from Essex Road). Wonder whatever happened to them?
But those were good days, happy innocent times, slipping across to Marsden's Milk Bar every Friday at the interval, savouring the last waltz when the record was either "Rock n Roll Waltz" by Kay Starr or "It's Almost Tomorrow" by the Dreamweavers. Then Saty night at the Cutlers, the City Hall or a place at Rotherham the name of which I can't recall off hand. Good memories!

I used to go to the Locarno in the mid 60's, in fact it's where I met my husband back in 1966, the boys used to walk around the edge. It was 2/6 to go in and we couldn't afford a drink of orange as well, I had to get the last bus home, no late night haunts then, although the night I met my husband it was what they call a cinderella ball and it was 12.00 till 4.00. I don't know how I managed to get permission to go.Mainly we used to Thursday and Subday nights.

I remember going to the Lacarno for my Hen Nite in 1968, but had to leave
at 10.30 as my father told me i had to be in for 11.00, and like a fool i did as he said. We use to meet for our dates outside Walshes and go to the Roman Room for coffee or the sidewalk. On a Saturday nite we would meet at Nether Edge dance hall, there was a live band and downstairs snacks. We often sit and think of the old times. Our 2 children are only thinking of going out at 11.00.

Reread this thread after quite a few years, brings back a lot of memories both of years gone by at the Locano and years gone by at the Forum.
Posts from forummers that no longer post are very evocative.
hazel

Re Texas' last post - my memories of the Locarno were in the days of the Eric Baxter Band around 1963 ther were some real characters in that band too -Phil Gaunt, Brian Suthill, Tommy Grombeck, Haydn Cook Brian Pendleton (now of Syd Lawrence fame), Tony Bagwell, Alan Whitehead, Barry Sutcliffe, etc.

drainpipe, I think that the Baxter band was the one with the Hawiian shirts. I can't remember Brian Pendleton being in there though. Can you remember if Eric Baxter played alto? I should've replied to your post ages ago but for some reason the name Eric Baxter didn't register at the time.

Loved reading this thread, it brought back such happy memories.
My abiding memory of the Lacarno was dancing to Gerry & The Pacemakers 'You'll never walk alone and Frank Sinatra's 'Strangers in the night'.
I used to love to 'bop' and yet it's those two slow numbers I remember most.

The dash down to Pond Street bus station to catch the last bus home to Hackenthorpe is also an abiding memory. It was a long walk home if I missed it.
Never gave a thought to being attacked in those days.
What a shame you couldn't say the same today.

I now live in a fairly safe (small compared to Sheffield) Essex town. Yet even here I would think twice before walking the one & half mile home late at night.
Not that I'd be out that late on my own now. OAP and all that. :P:D

As far as I recall, there was dance circuit in Sheffield in the early 1960's on Saturday nights . When you were 16 or 17 you went to the dance at the City Hall ( which was the best dance floor in Sheffield ) and then graduated to the Locarno when you were 18.
I remember being a bit overawed sometimes by the girls at the Locarno who would stand in a large circle round the room waiting to be asked to dance. A mate told me that if a girl turns you down say " What do you want for 5 Bob, Elvis?"
All you had to learn was the waltz and quickstep and you could then dance to virtually anything.
The bands and singers were great and I still have wonderful memories of all the songs - Moon River etc.
I think the Locarno dances finished at 12 in those days and we all rushed up the moor to get the last bus home which was at 12.30.
I also remember getting tickets for the Boxing Day night dance - you had to buy them ages before to get one. I think they went on until around 1 am unless Boxing Day was a Sunday in which case they had to finish earlier.
Anyone else with similar memories?
John

Finished up at the Locarno a few times in the early 60's. Can't remember if it closed at 11 or 12. The last bus to Fulwood would have dictated when I left. I was away from Sheffield 1965-1969 and when I went to the Locarno again it had changed into Tiffany's - I think.

As far as I recall, there was dance circuit in Sheffield in the early 1960's on Saturday nights . When you were 16 or 17 you went to the dance at the City Hall ( which was the best dance floor in Sheffield ) and then graduated to the Locarno when you were 18.
Oh what happy times.
I used to go to the Locarno on Thursdays before I was 18. I don't remember alcohol being on sale there either.
Then again, I don't drink, never could stand the taste. :gag:
I think the Locarno dances finished at 12 in those days and we all rushed up the moor to get the last bus home which was at 12.30.
I'm sure my last bus used to leave Pond Street at 11.15/30pm too.

Still, I am 64 this year, so maybe the old memory cells aren't what they were. :huh:
Oh hang on though, it's things that happened two minutes ago I seem to forget these days, rather than years ago.:roll:

Oh what happy times.
I used to go to the Locarno on Thursdays before I was 18. I don't remember alcohol being on sale there either.
Then again, I don't drink, never could stand the taste. :gag:

I'm sure my last bus used to leave Pond Street at 11.15/30pm too.

Still, I am 64 this year, so maybe the old memory cells aren't what they were. :huh:
Oh hang on though, it's things that happened two minutes ago I seem to forget these days, rather than years ago.:roll:
Yes my bus was 11.15 but I think there were the occasional night buses that went the long way round.....remember the long whistle that blew and all the buses revving up and shooting out of Pond Street.
If you were still dashing down and you heard that whistle go...remember the sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.....arghhhh:( trouble in store when you got home. (again)
Oh well, we survived it didn't we:hihi:

Yes my bus was 11.15 but I think there were the occasional night buses that went the long way round.....remember the long whistle that blew and all the buses revving up and shooting out of Pond Street.
If you were still dashing down and you heard that whistle go...remember the sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.....arghhhh:( trouble in store when you got home. (again)
Oh well, we survived it didn't we:hihi:
Oh yes, you've jogged my memory, I'd totally forgotten about the whistle. I remember now though.
Didn't you feel 'left out' with all the kissing couples standing there, if the bus wasn't in?
The boys took off like Olympic sprinters after the whistle, hoping to just make it to their last bus.

Can't believe I spelt 'OLYMPIC' as 'OLIMPIC' :blush::rolleyes:
Only just re-read my post and duly amended.

drainpipe, I think that the Baxter band was the one with the Hawiian shirts. I can't remember Brian Pendleton being in there though. Can you remember if Eric Baxter played alto? I should've replied to your post ages ago but for some reason the name Eric Baxter didn't register at the time.

Eric Baxter played trombone ,I was trainee manager at the Locarno the period Eric was there. He was the big Band Leader and Dudley Conn was the Trio.

Any of you ever go the Greystones in the 50's They had a red hot little dixieland group. The MC was Charlie Parkin and he always used to wear a rose on his collar and wore 'tail's. If you danced too close (heaven forbid) he came up and made you move aprt a bit. When we couldn't get into the City Hall, we sometimes went to the Cutlers. I remember a band there 'Walter Chappele' Those were really great times then - especially the Greystones. That's where I learned to Bop. Like Applegrim says, there was hardly ever any trouble in those days. A bit of pushing and shoving and posturing was about as far as it ever got. Anybody hot under the collar was quietly cooled down by his friends.

Remember the yellow socks craze the lads had in the 50's and the striped knitted ties - not forgetting the spearpointed collars on the shirts

Girls use to dance with each other going around the edge of the dances floor to see what boys were there :love: I was mad about a boy called Gus he was always with a girl, later on I found out it was his sister :)

My best memory of the Locarno was when an American Service Big Band played there and me and my mate went to see and hear them , and during the interval I went to the bar and the bloke standing next to me was the husband of a relative of mine, with another woman, oophs, he did not know what to do or say. I don't know if I should have said anything to his wife but I never did, but the result was he continued to have a happy marriage for the rest of his life, and I think he appreciated my silence and eventually he became a good mate.
Mention of the Cutlers Hall dances brought back another memory, me and my mates always went to the old Dove and Rainbow, not the new one, and during the interval of the dance as there was'nt a bar at the Cutlers all the dances male and female flocked in for their drinks, and the landlord who shall remain nameless made sure any bad beer he had was served to them. In those days sometimes beer was off.

Yeah, I was there. 6 pints in the Albion and then into the Mecca by 8pm. Couldn`t dance, just did a few laps walking around the outside of the dance floor.

Thursdays and Sundays at the Locarno, wonderful :bigsmile:. We were strictly Rock'n'Roll girls and there were only records played the years that we went. I once went to a 'ballroom' dance at the City Hall and really didn't enjoy it, so I never wanted to learn to waltz, foxtrot etc.

My parents met at the Locarno, he went to ask her to dance and fell flat on his face in front of her!!!! :hihi: :hihi: She still went out with him though!!!

They used to go dancing at City Hall as well...

I used to go to the Locarno in the 80s as well!!! Never met the Man of my Dreams there though!!!! :( :(

This thread evokes a ' Sheffield Forum of long ago' as well as memories of the past

hazel

This thread evokes a ' Sheffield Forum of long ago' and well as memories of the past

hazel

Yes today's forum is often not a nice place to be and pleasant 'conversation' is all but impossible but just sometimes there is a thread that makes you feel it's worth hanging around :)

Saturday morning junior disc session at locarno featuring Jonny Tempest

Ha ha ha ha my mum and dad especially are always telling me stories about the Lacarno in Sheffield and how it was a good night back in the day, half a crown whats that lol?? I was not born until 1984. :)

Ha ha ha ha my mum and dad especially are always telling me stories about the Lacarno in Sheffield and how it was a good night back in the day, half a crown whats that lol?? I was not born until 1984. :)

Born 1984 :mad: ? sorry we don't talk to people the likes of you on this here :D

Ha ha ha ha my mum and dad especially are always telling me stories about the Lacarno in Sheffield and how it was a good night back in the day, half a crown whats that lol?? I was not born until 1984. :)

Two and six :wink:

Or 2/6d :)

Actually, in today's money - 12½ pence.

This thread evokes a ' Sheffield Forum of long ago' as well as memories of the past

hazelyou are right hazel and you know why ,the PC brigade arnt interested in this thread,long gone are the old forumers like owdlad,viking ,donkey and kirky to name a fewbut the memories of the locarno will live a long time thanks to the forum....

Reread this thread after quite a few years, brings back a lot of memories both of years gone by at the Locano and years gone by at the Forum.
Posts from forummers that no longer post are very evocative.
hazel

Here I am in 2012 and doing the same thing Hazel - any of the old posters still around? I was looking for eccoray (Ray Hind) not emailed me for way too long, so getting anxious as he's not responded to mine. :-(

Yes, it's great taking a stroll down memory lane again - brings it all back so clearly. :-) And watching mods & rockers on TV's Yesterday.

I talked to vhopkinson a few days ago, another name from the past, I'm pleased to say she is well, she and oldlad were great friends.
hazel

I talked to vhopkinson a few days ago, another name from the past, I'm pleased to say she is well, she and oldlad were great friends.
hazel

Hazel I had an E mail from oldlad about one week before he passed away, so sad, we use to exchange arthritis remedies and have a good laught at some of the post,s on the forum that could only be said in E Mails :hihi:

hi Poppins

He was such a nice person, just to call him nice seems inadequate but he and viking, Kirky and don kiddick were great together. Viking knew he hadn't long to live and don kiddick was a nurse and oldlad was a samaritan-- where that leaves Kirky I'm not sure. I used to enjoy Kirky's war with the establishment ie Joe
It was such a shock when I read of his death it seemed as if a light had gone out,
hazel

hi Poppins

He was such a nice person, just to call him nice seems inadequate but he and viking, Kirky and don kiddick were great together. Viking knew he hadn't long to live and don kiddick was a nurse and oldlad was a samaritan-- where that leaves Kirky I'm not sure. I used to enjoy Kirky's war with the establishment ie Joe
It was such a shock when I read of his death it seemed as if a light had gone out,
hazel

Yes Kirky was a funny one, always a laugh with him, maybe he's calmed down a bit being a Grandad.:)

Sad to hear of the passing of these posters - unfortunately that's the downside of this memory thread. Those with memories going back to the fifties will most likely be in their 70s now - I shall be 71 this year, where did all the years go???? But would not swap my memories for youth. I feel sorry for those who did not experience the fifties first hand, the sixties were pretty good too, but I had moved to London then and a whole new way of life began! I hot footed it back to Sheffield regularly on a Friday afternoon and took the milk train back on Monday morning. Luckily, I worked in shifts and every other weekend I'd finish work at 3 or 4pm and not start again until 3 or 4pm the following Monday. I'd meet up with my best friend Lorna Wells, who I'd worked with at The Grand Hotel. She'd meet me off the bus in Pond Street Friday evening, she liived in Rotherham, and we'd go to the Locarno. Saturday, we'd meet up to go the City Hall, long lie in on Sunday, a proper Sunday lunch, would probably go to the evening service at St Mary's church, Ecclesfield (as I'd been a regular, singing in the choir, as a teenager) and hope to bump into some of me old mates. Mum & Dad saw very little of me, then off to get the train back to London for work on Monday. Sadly, Lorna died of cancer at the all too early age of 55. :-(
I lived a mad cap existence then, and just thinking about it makes me tired! Takes me all my time to get off the settee nowadays, and especially today - we have a white over! Hope you are all keeping warm as I expect it is much worse oop North! ;-)

Hi Freda. I'll be 70 this year so, like you, I remember the 50's and 60's well. Nice to look back on and it would be ok to be 25 again but we must maike the most of what we have left. As Peter Stringfellow once said 'I'm not stopping work till I'm 95'. So we still have some way to go.

Me too Freda & Mike , I'll be 71 this year and still working, part time thought at an easy job with good hours, yes those dances were good times, couldn't wait for Frday nights to come around. :)

There were a lot of info in the thread called 'memories of the past
I wonder if it's still around in archives.
hazél

It seems as though I've put Memories of the past back on the forum
hazel

I met my wife to be at the Lacarno in 1965 her name LYNN LEVICK

Met my wife at the Locarno in 1965, still together 47 years later, happy as ever. Eric Baxter was the orchestra, with Dudley Conn Trio on when Eric and his band took a break. The female singer in Eric's band was gorgous, a good singer also, can't rember her name. Had great times there with lots of nice memories.