Saturday 16 August 2008

Conway Twitty

I am a child of the sixties. It was a most wonderful time to be a teenager. Every Saturday evening I danced in our local Town Hall. I jived, I twisted , I did the hucklebuck and of course I smooched. I was very particular who I smooched with however. Looks did matter;I know very shallow, but how could you slow dance with someone you did not find attractive? I confess I was a little madam and that I did refuse to dance with anyone I didn't like the look of(unless he was a great dancer and then all the girls were hoping that he would take that long walk across the dance floor and ask that very important question,"do you want to dance."
They were very innocent days,no alcohol was available in the dance hall. If you really liked someone you were hoping that he would ask if you would like to go for a mineral. They sold soft drinks at the back of the hall and usually if things reached this stage it was assumed the next question would be "can I walk you home".
How things have changed;on a Friday evening the dance ended at two o'clock and I needed to be indoors by two thirty. If I was late my Mother always seemed to be awake, there was no way I could slip in without her knowing.
My father was very protective of his three daughters and there was always someone around to keep him informed as to who walked home with us. He did indeed ask the local policeman to "keep an eye out for us" I many nights tied to slip past him but he seemed to have 'eyes on the back of his head' and Father always knew exactly who I walked home with.
The 'Town Hall has been extensively renovated since those days but recently I did go into that hall. It is a little bigger than it was originally. The stage has been rebuilt on a different side but I could almost hear the dance band and imagine myself in the middle of that floor, 'twisting the night away.'

5 comments:

Janejill said...

Ah I can just feel the atmosphere - so exciting, smoky , noisy and with some great bands (Not the Snowdrifters) remember Engelbert in Dungannon ? xx

marymaryquitecontrary said...

Indeed I do. It was meant to be a secret. Do you remember us going to a dance in Coalisland;on a Sunday afternoon(major crime)?

Janejill said...

Yes I do! I wore deepest turquise slightly glittery eyeshadow (applied en route and removed two hours later on the way home )with a long floaty scarf to match. S and her friend too. Oops re engie

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

I loved Conway Twitty!

marymaryquitecontrary said...

Welchcakes,we are both romantics at heart!