Memories of Box Gay Nineties Bill Cooper January 2019
I have just had a long and lovely telephone conversation about yesterday in Box with a very close family friend and the years (and tears) took us both way back. It was Yesterday Once More. The Gay Nineties crept into the discussion and the article and photos by Margaret Wakefield of the Annual Balls brought back many memories. Somewhere I am in those pictures but don’t know exactly where. There are two photos which bring back memories of the 1950 and 1951 Ball and the happenings in those years.
1950-51 Father Time
In the 1950-51 Ball (headline picture), somewhere around 5 minutes to midnight, the lights went out and there was heavy funeral-type music. In came Cecil Fildes, dressed in a long grey flowing gown complete with scythe, depicting Father Time. He marched down the middle of the room in time with the music. A clock began to chime, the lights went out again and, in a spotlight, came a young Ann Hayward, dressed as a fairy, dancing around the room waving her wand spreading the New Year around everywhere. By this time the circle of all the dancers had linked hands with all singing Auld Lang Syne.
1950-51 Father Time
In the 1950-51 Ball (headline picture), somewhere around 5 minutes to midnight, the lights went out and there was heavy funeral-type music. In came Cecil Fildes, dressed in a long grey flowing gown complete with scythe, depicting Father Time. He marched down the middle of the room in time with the music. A clock began to chime, the lights went out again and, in a spotlight, came a young Ann Hayward, dressed as a fairy, dancing around the room waving her wand spreading the New Year around everywhere. By this time the circle of all the dancers had linked hands with all singing Auld Lang Syne.
1951-52 Predicting the Future
The following year in the 1951-52 Ball, I spending the crucial ten minutes before midnight shivering in the back porch. Alec Burningham was the organiser and his idea was a pageant to depict the future coming to Box in 1952. First in line was Brian Fuller, dressed as a happy bachelor boy, unaware that 1952 was a Leap Year when ladies could propose marriage. Brian tripped around the room before being swamped by a group of Sunnyside nurses, all wearing bridal bonnets!! Wow!!
I was on next, having changed from evening dress into Box Rovers strip, all well ironed and boots cleaned, and carrying a large cardboard cut-out FA Cup scrounged from the Sports Shop in Argyle Street. Yes, the cup could come to Box in 1952.
Then came Blewey Weeks dressed as a Postman with Santa Clause trimmings and a heavy sack over his shoulder. This sack was full of blank Ration Books! It was still austerity Britain but we had been advised that rationing would end after Easter. Blewey ripped up several of the Ration Books and threw more books everywhere so that everyone could join in! All to many cheers, of course, as there had been rationing since 1940. Somehow a massive gold horse-shoe appeared on the scene, seemingly to portray Good Luck to all. Then Auld Lang Syne. Ah, I was there.
Postscript
Brian Fuller did not marry until 1956. Box Rovers did not win the FA Cup. Rationing did end but austerity reigned for several more years.
The following year in the 1951-52 Ball, I spending the crucial ten minutes before midnight shivering in the back porch. Alec Burningham was the organiser and his idea was a pageant to depict the future coming to Box in 1952. First in line was Brian Fuller, dressed as a happy bachelor boy, unaware that 1952 was a Leap Year when ladies could propose marriage. Brian tripped around the room before being swamped by a group of Sunnyside nurses, all wearing bridal bonnets!! Wow!!
I was on next, having changed from evening dress into Box Rovers strip, all well ironed and boots cleaned, and carrying a large cardboard cut-out FA Cup scrounged from the Sports Shop in Argyle Street. Yes, the cup could come to Box in 1952.
Then came Blewey Weeks dressed as a Postman with Santa Clause trimmings and a heavy sack over his shoulder. This sack was full of blank Ration Books! It was still austerity Britain but we had been advised that rationing would end after Easter. Blewey ripped up several of the Ration Books and threw more books everywhere so that everyone could join in! All to many cheers, of course, as there had been rationing since 1940. Somehow a massive gold horse-shoe appeared on the scene, seemingly to portray Good Luck to all. Then Auld Lang Syne. Ah, I was there.
Postscript
Brian Fuller did not marry until 1956. Box Rovers did not win the FA Cup. Rationing did end but austerity reigned for several more years.
We welcome names of participants and any more photos of the event.