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They have been dancing the night away at Wolverhampton Civic Hall for 70 years – and the twinkle toes taking to the floor say they don’t plan to give it up just yet.
Last night marked seven decades to the day since the popular venue, on North Street, first opened its doors. And to mark the anniversary staff rolled back the years by holding a celebratory dance with music provided by the original organ used to entertain the crowds all those years ago.
The Mighty Compton Organ, which has 6,421 pipes and weighs 28 tonnes, wasn’t the only fixture there from all those years ago.
The hall still boasts the same dance floor while at least two of those in attendance could remember the opening night.
One of them, Vic Hands, aged 88, from Claremont Road in Penn, said: “I was about 18 and I thought it would be a good place to come dancing.
“Before it opened we used to have to go to Central Baths were they would put down a dance floor over the pool.”
Retired aircraft engineer worker Ron Smith, aged 81, from Tynedale Crescent in Ettingshall Park, performed in the opening concert with fellow pupils of the now closed Long Green Junior School.
He said: “I can remember it was all the schools and we were all in different uniforms, the girls in green dresses and the boys in shirts and green ties.
“I have been coming here my life and at one point it had the best dance floor in England.”
Also rolling back the years was Margaret Evans, 74, from Rowlands Drive in Wolverhampton.
She has been dancing for 30 years, 15 of those at the Civic, and said: “I think the Civic is a great venue. I used to come before they had all the shows they do now. I would like to think this kind of dancing is still going strong in another 70 years, it’s popular because you can meet people – at the discos young ones go to you can’t have a proper conversation.”
Retired Harry and Barbara Kimberley, aged 79 and 78 from Goldthorn Hill in Penn, dance at clubs around Wolverhampton and say they also like the social side of things.
Barbara said: “I think it is great that they have marked the anniversary by holding another dance.
“It is quite a social thing for a lot of people.
“It is amazing how many come and don’t go onto the dance floor – they just like to listen to the music.”
As part of the celebrations Civic front-of- house staff member Angela Flint baked a cake recreating the front of the building,
The All Stars Big Band entertained the dancers and city organist Steve Tovey was also in attendance.
Since it has opened the Civic Hall venue has played host to an array of big names from Nat King Cole to the Rolling Stones and still hosts a weekly tea dance on Friday afternoons.
2 Comments
Excellent review, pity the video is not a wee bit longer ans maybe a few still camera shots added to the page would have been nice.
And also may I add where were all the hundreds of patrons that claimed to have danced at the Civic for many years not supported such an important venue.
I think it great to see the old fadioned dances still going on, wonderfull band also with a great organist joining them.
Living up here in the North of England we don’t get to see much of the middlands, so it was a treat for me to have a freind send the video to me as i spent a lot of time with the RAF down there and had a good time in the black country.