Knowlemere Street dance
 

Can anyone tell me is the dance place on Knowlemere Street still there, or do I have pipe dreams and fond memories.
Littlepom

Re: Knowlemere Street dance
 

no its now a storage room for an electronics company but it could have been a lot worse

plans were put forward to turn it into a mosque but the nice lady who bought the rosette company attatched to it also purchased the dance hall putting an end to the plans for a mosque

used to live 30 feet away from the place

used to go there as a kid for the kids disco lol

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I went there for lessons in ballroom dancing on sunday afternoons.
The place always smelt strongly of cat pee.

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Don't remember the smell of cat pee in the mid/late '50s and I spent a lot of time there, on Saturday nights - as one lady on here will remember:-)

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Hiya so did i them were the good old days John Taylor had it when i used to go do you remember him .

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Come on Bondi, I was too interested in the girls too remember bloke's names :-):

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ADMIN HELP !!!!!!!!
The original poster - "littlepom" has received a PM on this thread from "Symbiosis" and the thread seems to have disappeared and the PM appeared to be a little strange. Pklease would you investigate.

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The cat pee smell was when a chap named Cliff (I think) ran it.

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John still teaches dance and is an examiner and travels all over the world judging and he`s a thoroughly nice chap!

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I used to try to go there, but my mother thought it was a den of iniquity, and threatened me with all kinds of disasters if it was found that I had visited.

All the 'bad' girls at my school used to go there on a Saturday Night....they made it sound very attractive.....but alas, I never made it there or to Joe Mort's either(another place mother warned me off).

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Wasn't urine waste Margaret ... 'twas that bloody awful 'pilot' deodorant (not antiperspirant) .. hek, can't remember its name, was in a lilac container and supposed to smell of lavender/parma violets, but did smell of cat pee.

Funny, in a dance hall you had your favourite spot to stand ... mine was on the left hand wall as you walked in at that little paying window. The boys always seemed to stand diagonally to this ... :D

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Great times Saturday nights late 50s. Don,t remember any bad smell though, probably because of the brilliantine?sp? Like a very smelly brylcreme.

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Don't think we were "BAD" maybe a bit adventurous. My dad was the same about Joe Morts but still I sneaked out and went there. Of course he did know. But loved Knowlemere St with all my friends. I wonder how many are still around. 1955/56/57/58
Come on where are you all.
Littlepom

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You know where some are - one in parrticular :-)

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wonder who that could be.

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Littlepom....I didn't designate the girls who went as 'bad'....that was Ma.......we younger girls thought they were 'cool'(they were 4th years.....we were first years).
I still didn't get to go even when I was a fourth year.
It was the church youth club dance for me and my best friend.......and her dad would come and escort us both home.......how uncool was that?

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Sounds about as uncool as the Saturday evening dance at Spring Hill on Richmond Road in the mid-50s. The lights were always quite well lit and a number of adults were strategically positioned around the perimeter of the dance floor. I suppose that this (music - skiffle and rock'n'roll) was quite new to those adults, and we kids were only 13 and 14-year olds trying to grow up. This is where the rest of my life began...

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Oh my goodness.......I used to go to Spring Hill.......and remember it just as you have portrayed it.......I suppose it would have been late fifties(or even early sixties) when I went there.
Yes and we were still escorted home!
Romance......not a chance.

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Blimey that makes three of us, I enjoyed spring hill dances in the late 50s, can,t remember how I got there or got home probably shank,s pony but had some good times.

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You're so right about the no romance, remember that chairs were situated around the perimeter of the floor and with the lights on you had to keep your hands on your own knees or you'd have been spotted in a flash! I had a schoolmate who invited me to the Saturday night hop at Christ Church at around the same time. 'Twas there where I saw my first real tea-chest and washboard in action. Weren't we just in awe? Anyway back to the thread and it's nice to know that the Arcs building is still standing. Sorry, Margaret (close your eyes here if you must), but I did make it to there and to Joe Morts too.

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I went to Christchurch dances a few times - I remember smooches with the lights dimmed.
Joe Morts and Knowlmere St (other than for Sunday aft dancing lessons) were off limits for me too:(

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dont know how old you are but i was on the staff at the arcadian with clifford and elanor but thats a long time ago.
rememneber lennie and the teenbeats started out as lennie arcaian combo a skiffle group from that dance club.

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remember Clifford and Elanor running the place??

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Yep also Alan the doorman, Top geezer, many happy memories of the "Arts" from 62 onward,:)

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Mid '50s for me :-))

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Two questions was it Lennie Herbert? n is that you?:);)

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I used to go to Knowlmere street 1960-63..and I also used to work next door at Schofields Bakery / Whitewell Caterers..I used to work in the office...Denis Brown was the owner..anybody remember Schofields Pies?

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Think the ad used to say "Schofields Pies @ Puddings"?:)

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Mercer Hall on Manchesterbeat - the group and music scene of Manchester in the '60s dunno if ya seen this before?

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yes, you're right....steak and kidney puddings....made in little tins......

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Well I'm nearly sure Lennie Herbert was Lennie and the Teen Beats cashy

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The Arcadium Ballroom, Accrington on Manchesterbeat - the group and music scene of Manchester in the '60s -just dug this up Lennie.:)

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great to see this picture...the other road is Malt Street..

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Never knew it was called the Arcadium Ballroom. Just knew it as Knowlemere St. I seem to have a memory of an Off-Licence on the diagonal corner, but looking at the street shots on GE I can't make out where it was. Is it just my imagination or does anyone else remember it, also a Telephone Box very close by?

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Yep the off licence was corner of Malt Street n Milnshaw lane Barrie facing Whalley Rd. we always called the ballroom the "Arts".:)

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Thanks Cashy, always thought it was nearer than that. I intend to walk from there to where the Haslingden Bus Stop used to be - a special trip down memory lane when I am over in May.

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Just thought was it not a "Mail Box"? not a Telephone, one of the big owd red uns.:)

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Hi Cashy, I have just uploaded a photo in the old Accrington photo's..titled Whalley Road...just near the turning for Knowlmere Street.... if I remember rightly the CLOCK Garage was on opposite corner....I remember the shop in the picture was a chemist in the early 60's....
hope this is of interest.....

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It would be if i could find it?:confused: were is it please?:)

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As I am new to this web site :o, I wasn't sure how to upload it here..so put it in the Gallery then recent photo's it is also in Old Accrington photo's in the Streets folder....:)

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Don't be embaressed ive bin on fer years n am still a complete numpty, no idea how to upload photos n such things.:rofl38::rofl38::rofl38:

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thanks Cashy.....by the way do you remember Accrington Palace Theatre Club on Blackburn Road, Church...some great acts on there early 60's...

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Was it the one just before the "Oak Tree"? was a place i never went, only went Empire ossy once.:)

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it used to be a cinema, but became a cabaret club....Frank Ifield, Craig Douglas and many stars from that era appeared there....I worked in the upstairs bar in the evenings, for a little while to earn extra money.......it was great cos I got to see the stars for free...I think the compare was called Mike Shaun..and he stayed in the area for a long time, singing in local pubs..but then went to Spain.....sorry I am going off the subject of Knowlemere St...sorry..:o

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A friend remembers buying Cherry Bs in the Offy and then she would stand in the phone box to drink them.

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We called it 'Th' Arc', which was short for Arcadian - the proper name.

The off-licence had been there for many years, having been bought by John Smith's from Bentley's Milnshaw brewery c1927. It stood at the bottom of Malt Street - so named because of the malt that was used there.

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yeh yer right mate, remember buying some of them fer a bird who did the same.:D

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Likewise cashy can do links (thanks mike) and vids from YouTube (thanks Mancie) but as for photos, it took me 3 hours one Saturday afternoon to upload my Avatar photo, and I still don't know how I did it:D

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Denis Brown was my uncle! I remember him operating the pastry machine and my grandmother washing the pudding tins.

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Just picked up your thread......I remember Denis so very well..I worked for him for 3 years...in the office at Schofirlds Bakery 1960 to 63...also helped out at several Whitewell Catering functions....he was engaged for quite a long time, but I don't think he ever married the lady...he was also involved with Whitewell dairies, Stanley Street and also a shop in Park Street and a cafe in Infant Street...Those where the days...:) Is Denis still around? xx

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When we were 16/17,four of us decided that to conquer the girls we needed to be expert dancers.So we all went to Knowlemere Street for lessons.After very few lessons,we could just about do the basic steps in the waltze and quickstep and decided the world was ours to take. We all rushed off to the Con Club,where we found most of the girls were old enough to be our very much older sisters and were very unimpressed by four boys who danced like string puppets.
I never did learn any more dances,rock and roll moved in.

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I tried that too Gordon but went to the Court School of Dancing above Burtons Tailors in Blackburn, only went the once and I still have two left feet when it comes to Ballroom dancing:D

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Was that by the Mirabelle?

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Not sure cashy think the Mirabelle was long gone then and I never ventured or yon in the sixties

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Memories. I went there too, my GF at the time was really into Ballroom Dancing, but Knowlemere St was far more of a turn on - especially the girl I met there - '56/'57:):):)

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Bet you were a real rascal in those days Barrie;):D

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Me, a rascal? I wouldn't know but you could ask littlepom as she used to go there at that time;):)

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I found this thread doing a search for the Arcadian ballroom. I “haunted” the place 1957-1962 and was on the staff for a year or two. I did the cloakroom and took learners on for the price of my admittance! Cliff and Elena Davidson ran it then. Jim Hacking used to be on the door and was resident DJ.
I was searching “Google” because I was trying to remember the Lennie and the Teenbeats line up! I remember Lennie,Dave Tomlinson,Pete Flately and Vinnie Shaw. Were there any more??
I went up there every day apart from Wednesdays and Saturdays when I went the Accy Con (occasionally branched out to King Georges Hall or Nelson Imp!)
Cliff was a keeper of the morals and a matchmaker in his own way! What a character! If he did not approve of the boy I was dating he would not give me a pass out to go to the pub up the road, I would have to pay again to come in!! He often gave me a lift home in that classic sports car of his. Occasionally I got a lift from Jim who had a motorbike. He lived opposite me on Chestnut Grove (Fern Gore estate) .. Cliff smoked those weird perfumed cigarettes, cant remember what they were called?? He went on to develop emphysema and they moved to Devon. I received Christmas cards from Elena for years. Cliff died not long after they moved. I last saw Elena in 2004,she was then a very old lady and her eyesight was failing. I would love to know what has happened to her.
Cliff used to give me money every week to buy the Top 10 ,heaven!! He also gave them back to me when they fell out of favour. I wish I had kept them. I would be interested to hear other memories. I moved to Blackpool in 1980 and now spend a lot of time in Spain. I often spend New years Eve at the Poplar Club with old friends and its like coming home. I met Lennie there two years ago after not seeing him since I was 19!! I thought he had worn well!

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Check 60s groups thread feather, will iterest you

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Thanks Jaysay. I have just realised how much stuff there is on here!! It will take me years to go through it!!

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No problem:alright:

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i had private lessons at a coat of 5 bob an hr with a bloke called donald knight a wonderfull dancer looked like he still had his coat hanger in his jacket clifford & elinor had it then no booze just nice coffee that was 1955 some wonderfull lads & lassies raymond halsall, rodney smith, barbara altham, jessie jennings, audrey her sister brian perry, after the lesson we got to stay if we danced with the 2left footed people wonderfull days great people a safe place to go as someone else said a while ago joe morts was not allowed for me went once it was dark & the floor was full of chewing gum couldnt do a whisk in the foxtrot

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:thankya:

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Is Violet a shrinking violet inasmuch as she has not the confidence to speak out loud? Or was she the sort of shrinkling violet who declined invitations to dance from ugly buggers like Cashy?

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I used to go the arts has it was called in the 60s met my first real girl friend there sad to say she died this year .......r.i.p. ......bridget ......and the long walk back to haslingden

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If that was B.V. crusader, her late brother was one of me best mates.;)

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I always thought it was called " The Arcs...". Short for Arcadium???
Have I been wrong all these years?? we used to say we were going up the Arcs!

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dunno we always called it the arts, but probably arcs would be the correct term.:)

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Always was th'arcs to me

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We were more formal in the mid '50s - always called it Knowlemere St, evry teen knew where you meant.

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Arts, Knowlemere St. never heard it called arc's

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Was both to me ... but always used Knowlemere Street myself, however, knew what was meant when it was referred to as th'Arcs. Haha .. time for a poll ? No ... don't think so.

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Seems to me a generation thing jaysay! us young uns called it the "Arts" n the owd gits called it the "Arcs" so theres no right or wrong.:hehetable

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That's probably more attributed to your deaf ear Cashy ... :D:D

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Hey watch it with that owd git thing

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Think I could qualify as an Old Git being there 1958 onwards??? Where would "Arts" come from?? Arcs I can understand? I used to be there practically every day!!One memory was Sunday afternoons when we used to come out of there at the end of the session blinking at the light! Clifford kept the lighting very subdued!! :-)
Wasn´t there a dancer there called Pauline Woods? I can remember being injured by her stiletto heel whilst she was doing a very energetic quickstep!! If you are still out there Pauline, you owe me one!!

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Paulines lived in Canada fer yonks, was oer last year.;)

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This Owd Git always called it Knowlemere St, & just had that confirmed by another attendee from that time :-)))

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Nout wrong wi my lugs Kate:D

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not really me lugs were fine back then.:tongueout

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Ya mean you just throw um a deaf un now the cashy:D

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Only just seen this, used to go yon early 60s, was a very good night no doubt.:) 60/61 it would be.:)

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I went there too cashy, was run by a woman and her husband who lived just up the road on the same side, think she was called Mrs Quipp

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once remember a ruck kicking off, just inside the entrance, the guy ended up hiding behind his wife.:rofl38::rofl38::rofl38:

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Me too, and I can remember the "give us a kiss for Christmas" time.
(we used to practice kissing a mirror before we went )

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If I recall correctly the cinmea used to be called "The Queens Hall" behind it was an area referred to as The Tanpits. Ah sweet memories

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If I recall correctly the cinema used to be called "The Queens Hall" behind it was an area called "The Tanpits". Ah sweet memories.

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I always thought that its other name to Knowlemere Street was the Arcadian Ballroom. I used to go there from time to time in 1959.

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I was there in 1959 too. We usually said ,we were going "up Knowlmere Street" more than "th´Arcs". But it was known as both. I have seen it spelt both Arcadian and Arcadium.
Whatever!! It was a great place to be and I loved it!! :-)

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Off Licence wasn't on Malt Street, it was on the corner of Knowlmere Street and Milnshaw Lane. Chemist was on the corner of Whalley Road and Knowlmere Street, became a wool shop, then Everett's fruit and veg/grocer's shop, which had been at the very bottom of Malt Street where it met Argyle Street. Out side off licence was both a phone box and a mail box. Think the place at the bottom of Malt Street on the left had been a beer bottling plant before the garage took it over

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Hi Les, last April I posted a picture in the gallery (old Accrington..Streets)of the shop on the corner of Whalley road and Knowlemere Street, It was taken before before it was a chemist, you can see a Tram in the picture.

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we were knowlmere st fans in 1954 a wonderfull place cliff & elinor my brother & i had private lessons 1 hr for 5 bob with donald knight wonderfull dancer a wonderfull time who else went at that time vi

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mr dobson who was cashy no doorman when i went to knowlmere st no need for one no shrinking violet

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I remember Lennies Combo at Knowlemere St. I sang with the group for a short time.Do you remember me ? I went to Lennies 21 bithday bash to Blackpool on the coach and met a great guy on the coach home who became my husband of 52 years.He played with the band whilst on of the guys was away. He played Giuitar Boogey. We are still both musicians. Im a drummer. Adrians a Piper.From Shirley nee Williams in Canada.

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Yes! Clifford was a great guy. I used to live in Clayton and when I was called up for National Service, we had our first weekend leave in the middle of square bashing, when it was time to return to camp on a Sunday night, I had just missed the bus to Manchester and was standing on the side of the road wondering what to do when alone came Clifford in his sports car and pulled over. After findinding out what had happened, he ran me all the way to Manchester an I easily caught my conection. I would have been in real truble but for him. RIP Clifford, Thanks a million.

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You are right Barrie there was an "off licence' nearby it was on Whalley Rd if my memory serves me correctly. I also went there (both the DanceHall and the Off Licence) in the 50's (except 1956 and 57 - in the Army), wasn't it open also during a weeknight?

And for all those girls whos mother said that only "Bad" girls went to it, how would they know unless they experienced it themselves, its like calling the kettle black.

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Still there Keith, still an offy. It's actually on the corner of Knowlmere street and Milnshaw Lane but you can see it from Whalley road.

Sadly the red phone box nearby where you could go to quaff your booze has been replaced by an open shelter with a phone in it.

I was a 60s girl at the Arcs, remember having a Twist dress when the dance craze was on - red with white spots and a full skirt from the hips. Simple pleasures!

PS I just love your signature.

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My memory isn't what it used to be , I thought the off licence was on Whalley Rd just up from the Bridge, still it was a long time ago.was o

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Well it is, sort of... Going up Whalley Road from the bridge, most of the area before the end of Milnshaw Lane is taken up with what used to be the Clock Garage, now Kwik Fit Tyres & Exhausts. Then there is a gap where the ends of Knowlmere Street and Milnshaw Lane meet before the buildings on Whalley Road continue northwards. The off licence is in that gap, on the corner, facing Whalley Road. If you look on Google maps for Accrington, it actually says Urban Retreat on that corner, which is a hairdresser and is actually on the corner of Whalley Road and Knowlmere Street going north. The offy is right underneath where the scissor and comb symbol is. It's easy to see if you switch to Google Streetview.

I know that offy well. I used to live on the other side of Whalley Road a bit higher up, opposite the Cong church. Even before I used to go to the dance hall I would be there on a Saturday night. My dad and I would stay in on a Saturday night and watch TV while my mum went out and he would send me down there for crisps, chocolate and fags (those were for him not me!). No booze, he was TT. A bag of crisps was a real treat in those days.

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How right you are, looked it up as suggested,it brought back many hppy memories, one more thing can you remember a Fish & Chip Shop in Whalley R on the RH side going towards The Hospital, it was before the bridge almost opposite a Church (Methodist I think). Best Fish/Chips/mushy peas for a long way.