Nights out in Blackpool 1967

Dave Sowerbutts, Chris Rossall, my brother Peter and I used to go for nights out in Blackpool. This was taken in a pub which had a small dance floor in one corner and a DJ. The pleasure beach was free to wander round in those days, so you could have a few drinks and then go on a few rides which helped with any necessary regurgitation. The dance floor in the building on the corner of the pleasure beach occasionally had live bands. There was also a steady stream of holidaymakers during the season to keep us amused.

Brian London the boxer had a place called the 007 club. He used to park his lotus Europa outside. It was fitted with a TV screen - in 1967!! One evening we walked past to find a car on its roof. Apparently a punter had annoyed the bouncers. They just calmly went up to the troublemakers car and turned it over, composure retained throughout. We never got into the club although many girls our age did.

These then were the fashions in Blackpool and Lytham. Note the hand position of the girl in white and the guy doing his best side close side dance steps.

In 1966 our parents sent Peter and I to the Ken and Pat Raynor School of dancing where we learnt Waltz, Quickstep and Cha-Cha-Cha. That is me on the right with a girl I think was my dancing partner. The advantage of ballroom was that you got to hold the girls, but more likely it was their mother or grandmother you held as you were expected to dance with anybody who asked! Also the only time you could ever get the chance of taking the lead was with a younger person. The old ones pushed you all over the place! At the tower ballroom they would alternate between a pop or rock group, perhaps a dance band and some guy on the Wurlitzer. There must have been two or three sections to the rotating stage and the follow on group would start playing as the previous one was being turned round out of sight.

It was impossible to reconcile the amazing variety and fullness of sound that came out of the Wurlitzer with a single guy at a keyboard. If you go up into the balcony near the stage you will find a folded note behind the fretwork that I put there in 1967.