The Odeon

The Pond on The High Street c1955
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I was a member of the Odeon choir and it was around this time that we were taken to I think it was the Festival Hall, to compete against choirs across England and I got a bronze medal, I think it was the Star Festival.  Unfortunately my medal has been mislaid over the years but I remember that we were later taken to a recording studio in London - Tothill Street - where we recorded for an early television programme. Unfortunately, not having a TV I never got to hear the recording. The Odeon was part of our childhood with 6d seats downstairs and 9d seats upstairs. Opposite the Odeon was the Three Kays coffee bar where two or three years later we would meet and pool our money to get into the Jazz Club at halftime if the bouncer was willing to sell us interval tickets.  We met Johnny Duncan and his Blue Grass Boys, Acker Bilk, Ken Colyer. We would then walk home with bare feet as we had jived our feet raw.