Further to my pseudo-potted-history of the Levenshulme Palais de Danse, I'm afraid I have a major error to own up for:
When I wrote '... You can follow Eric's big-band career ...', I meant Tony's career. [Tony Fisher's]. Maybe I can be excused, if I pull age on you all, I'll be 78 this August.
Curiously enough, it was Tony's brother-in-law John [Booth?], also a musician, who sold me my first "REF" tenor saxophone, just after I signed on for my National Service in the Royal Air Force. After demob. at the end of 1957, I got into Traditional Jazz in Manchester, and went on to play with most of our local Jazz bands around here, but also at the Cavern, Liverpool, before "you know who" took over from Jazz. By 1962-63, my band was "Joe Silmon's Dixielanders", we're on the "Wall-of-Fame" bricks. I saw it recently for the first time. However, I did two stints (talent contests) on clarinet, on my own, backed by Bill Edge's band at the Levvy Palais, one wearing full Best Blue uniform (but being a bit of a rebel, wearing psychedelic "yellow socks" and ox-blood shoes). Had the RAF Police been about, I'd have been on a "fizzer".
For those of you interested in Jazz in the region, and quite a lot about Manchester, may I recommend Fred Burnett's jazznorthwest.co.uk website. There's a current "What's On" menu. Under "Jazz Extras", there is a multitude of menus you can consult, about many bands, many musicians, living and dead, from the area. I write most of the obituaries, and the occasional happy thing that goes on Fred's site. When I've finished some non-fiction projects , I'll be resuming work on "THE MANCHESTER JAZZ SCENE (1919-1990s)". There's already a great book out on the Manchester Jazz scene --- but it only covers the Modern Jazz scene and only for a limited time-scale (1946-72), by ex-bassist Bill Birch, called "THE KEEPER OF THE FLAME". It's available via Amazon.co.uk, where you'll see a review by me --- who else would bother??? --- maybe you can see yourselves or your Auntie Flo' or Uncle Bill, in it. It's a spanking good read, and very well illustrated. My book will cover all periods, and I already have thousands of Jazz musicians/vocalists/dancers, promoters, agents, etc., listed, so they won't be forgotten. Meanwhile, I'm about to publish something else, for the second time. The first effort (728 pages long, with 300+ graphics and about the size of an old 'phone book, and which took 3 decades to put together), was unsuccessful, thanks to a scamming POD (print-on-demand) "publisher" in the USA, who was not interested in anything but 'money-up-front'. So I was scammed, as they didn't actually 'print on demand'. They only sold to authors!!! Sweet revenge came last year, though, when I found out that they were sued for US$ 5 Million + in a New York court because of 'Deceptive Practices' and 'Only selling books and expensive services that didn't work, to authors...'.
I do remember that bouncing floor at the Palais. Forces night was Wednesdays; we got in for nowt, or for a ridiculously low admission fee! Happy days! Mind you, at 28 shillings a week pay, you didn't have much to throw about!
Best wishes, everybody.
Joe S-M