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'Owd uns' know how to have good fun

10/11/2007

WE’RE told you are never too old to be active or have a bit of fun, which is all to the good really, given that new statistics show that there are now more pensioners in Britain than there are young people.

Back in the early 1970s the effects of the post-war baby boom were beginning to show through, but even the ‘owd uns’ were still having a good time, as these photographs from the Observer archives of October 1970 clearly show.

Indeed Rochdale’s senior citizens in those days were members of clubs with evocative names such as the Cheerful Hour, Autumn Tints and Silver Circle.

And they were showing the town’s young people a thing or two about painting the town red, judging by their antics at a Town Hall dance.

The atmosphere at the capacity packed Great Hall had never been gayer (in the 60s and 70s that word did not have the connotation that it does now) as the old folk danced the night away in an annual get together.

Dancing was to the music of the Len Smith band who were, at that time, resident at Southport’s Floral Hall, the partygoers only paused to tuck into a buffet supper and enjoy an old time cabaret put on by Miss Sheila Daniels.

Lucky dancers won one of 50 spot prizes, many of which had been provided by children of Greenbank Primary School.

The Rotary Club ferried individuals to and from the venue and Mr Hubert Allen, manager of Yelloways Ltd, provided coaches to take people to and from their clubs.

One of the organisers, Mr George McLoughin, said he was overwhelmed with offers of help from numerous organisations to ensure that the evening was a resounding success.

The mayor and mayoress, Major and Mrs J F Fox, popped in to wish the dancers a happy evening.

In fact, all the ingredients were there for a successful night, as we think our readers of today will no doubt concur.

Meanwhile, perhaps the pictures on the facing page will be making another appearance in the Observer in 2037 ...