Burtons

Burtons Dance hall was open on Tuesdays and Fridays when only records were played ansd Saturdays when there were live groups. We used to have a night out on Friday for 2 shillings. A shilling to get in and a shilling for a light ale in the nearby Queens Head at Half Time. We would not pay more than a shilling just to hear records, especially when there was no DJ's in those days! The Saturday Night Groups included Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, and the Yardbirds who I believe went on to form Led Zeppelin. There was always a long queue down to the bottom of the stairs to get in if you did not get there early. We always did.

I remember the Queens Head. Also the trolleybuses that turned just down from the Regal cinema. Brian Poole came from Hayes and worked in a butchers I think. I remember that down the stairs, I admit I had forgotten about them though until I read your comments.

I remember the Queens Head. Also the trolleybuses that turned just down from the Regal cinema. Brian Poole came from Hayes and worked in a butchers I think. I remember that down the stairs, I admit I had forgotten about them though until I read your comments.

Funny looking back to that period we all seemed so happy. Music clothes jobs why shouldnt we have been I suppose.

In the mid to late 60s my friends and I were there every Saturday. I remember the Coloured Raisins and Dave Amboy at the moment although we saw dozens more. Gino Washington. Alan Bown. Desmond Dekker. We had a great time there. We'd get a pass-out at the interval and go down to a pub at the Odeon end of the High Street and have a couple of pints and then go back in to Burton's. We were usually tanked up already on King's Head British sherry. We decorated part of Fray's college that let our school have a section of their property and used to hold parties there on Fridays and weekends.

Other times we'd go to the Byron, a real pain to get to and back as we lived in North Hillingdon. And I remember seeing the Move at Bourne School, of all places. The Starlite Ballroom in Greenford was a hoot too but even more difficult to get back from.

We'd see Steve Maxted sometimes on a Friday and (I think) a Tuesday. Those were pretty weird nights.

Burton's became the Acid Palace in 1969, I think, and I rarely went - we'd all left school by the middle of the year and went our separate ways, me on a trip round Africa and Europe as a gap year before anyone had thought of the concept. By the time I got back, I had different priorities but I'll never forget those crazy nights at Burton's.