Youth Club

13 The Southend

( This page is under construction more photos and memories coming soon. )

In the 1960's a Youth Club was held in the old Cookery School in the Southend.

Youth Leaders included Ken STAINER, John PADLEY, John RAWLINGS, Prad, Ann LOCKE & Jerry FOX

1968 - 1969

Youth Club Football Team - Malvern League Cup & Cartland Cup Winners- Photo taken at the Recreation Ground

Back Row - Gunther EHRLICH, Jimmy HALFORD, Ray GLADWIN, John TAYLOR, Michael BOUCHER, Ian COLWELL, Ken STAINER

Front Row - Roger EHRLICH, Brian HAINES, Morgan DAVIES, Phil HODGES, Gerald ROBERTS

( 2012 October )
Dee Ehrlich - great pic, i am married to gunther and roger is my brother-in-law. Ken was a great guy

Susan Jones - gunther and roger my uncles a good photo

Sheila Gladwin - Oh my god I did name them all, wonderful

Simon Haines- Ken still looked the same when I first went to youth club

Sheila Gladwin - Love it makes me smile x

Mary Philpotts - Brilliant photo and remembered them all

Jenny Moore - Wow that's a blast from the past!

1969

Youth Club Football Team - Winners of the H.F.A. Trophy

Back Row - R PONTI (substitute), B JONES, Jimmy HALFORD, G VERNALL, Gunther EHRLICH, M DAVIES (captain), Paul SMITH

Front Row - Ian COLWELL, R DAVIES, Phil HODGES, R WELCH, Steve EMERY

( 2012 October )
Dee Ehrlich - great pic, i am married to gunther and roger is my brother-in-law. Ken was a great guy

Susan Jones - gunther and roger my uncles a good photo

Sheila Gladwin - Oh my god I did name them all, wonderful

Simon Haines- Ken still looked the same when I first went to youth club

Sheila Gladwin - Love it makes me smile x

Mary Philpotts - Brilliant photo and remembered them all

Jenny Moore - Wow that's a blast from the past!

Memories

Pam WILDIG asked the group " Anyone got memories of Ledbury Youth Club in the Southend when it was run by Ken Stanier in the early 60s? I was banned from going there by my dad, Bert Drennen, who was Police Sergeant at the time as it was, apparently, a den of iniquity. But I went anyway! "

( 2013 June )
Pam Wildig - I don't know the exact dates it started/closed but it was running in 1962 when I used to go. It was held in the Elizabeth Hall at 13 The Southend.

Carolyn Gorin - Bobby Gorin says he went there but never came across any iniquity 🙂

Pam Wildig - Neither did I, but then I didn't really know what I was looking for at that age!

Jan Bettison - I used to go and when parents rang to see if I was there get whoever answered the phone to say I wasn't there!!!

Pam Wildig - Were any of us supposed to be there I wonder! Thank goodness we disobeyed our parents, otherwise it would have been deserted!

Clare Turner - Must have missed the iniquity as well ..sports matches against other clubs..social visits...disco,s...playing pool and playing music...Ah great times.

Sandra Gray - I used to go regularly at the end of the 60's. one memory is Gary Harper and the band playing there.

Pam Wildig - I can't remember the sports matches/social visits, but we used to try out our dance moves to records (I don't think discos had been invented then!). I remember drinking coke and eating Mars bars quite a bit!

Gary Harper - I used to go there most nights in the mid 60's. Played a lot of table tennis and ate an awful lot of marrs bars as I recall, Ken Stainer was a gem with a huge amount of patience as we used to play him up no end and generally run riot. John Padley was his 2nd in command. They had some great dances there often featuring the local bands. The place was always full. It shut around 10 pm,then everyone made their way down to the John Jones chippy for supper. Good times...!!!

Phil Manns - Hey Pam this is Sylvia (Gwynne) How could we forget the Youth Club! Our little gang had some great times there. Snooker room at the back I seem to remember, middle room for the record playing and upstairs was the TV Room. There was no where else to go in Ledbury in those days! I have just been back in contact with Barbara Hale. We should all meet up to catch up on old times

Pauline Preedy - I remember all the lads watching Pans people on Top of the pops in the telly room and getting a bit overheated. Ken was a Saint to put up with all us lot, i loved him, he was such a gent xx

Pauline Preedy - Taking my Monkey LPs and playing them on the old radio gram, at full volume. Very happy times, they had a lot of dark cubby holes where many a passionate kiss took place xx

Clare Turner - you are right pam...they wernt called disco,s till the early 70 s...

Raymond Mills - I went in the late 60s Pam. Ken was great what would us kids of done in Ledbury without his hard work and patience. Royal Oak was one of his favourite watering holes, I can remember waiting outside for him..too young to go in the Oak then, I may be too old to get up the steps now....lol.

Raymond Mills - Cannot remember it being a den of iniquity though Pam. Noisy yes but that's just kids enjoying themselves. Thank you Ken and John, it was great.

Pam Wildig - Yes Pauline, I think there were a couple of snogging corners! I won't even mention some of the boys I snogged on the grounds it may incriminate me!! For some reason, I remember Banker Webb walking me home (no snogging though1) - my parents would have had a heart attack if they'd known! Who was Banker's friend - had was quite short with blond scruffy hair - I had a bit of a crush on him but I think he was a couple of year's older than me?

Pam Wildig - I'd forgotten that John Padley was second-in-command. It's nice to remember the things I'd forgotten - if you know what I mean! Old age isn't much fun!

Pam Wildig - Hey Sylvie Gwynne - yes let's try to catch up with Barbara - we can reminisce about Hereford Secretarial College in 1965/66. Now that's another story.......!

Pam Wildig - Maybe we should have a Ledbury Youth Club reunion?? I see John Padley around sometimes. I bet he's got a few stories to tell too!

Carolyn Gorin - Hi Pam. Pat seems to think you had a crush on Rodney (Chester) Morris. Him & Banker were together all the time. Both, sadly, have left this world.

Phil Manns - Pam, Sylvia again. I have to hijack my husbands facebook page as I am not on it !! I think its all another story ha ha!! So many stories from those days.! I was privileged once to have to key to the cupboard where all the goodies were kept. Needless to say there were some freebies going around that night! Naughty. Will contact you when we can meet up with Barbara next time I get to Ledbury

Phil Manns - Forgot to mention. The other day I came across a photo of us both taken in the photo booth at Malvern Winter Gardens, I think late 60''s. I think it may have been when we went to see The Who and Keith Moon sent his drum kit crashing across the stage. (Sylv)

Pam Wildig - Hi Sylv - I'd love to see that pic! I had one of Keith Moon's drumsticks for years, then sold it for vast amounts of money (probably about £1!)

Pam Wildig - Carolyn, yes it was Rodney Chester Marsh! Oh my goodness - not sure who is present-day equivalent would be - he wouldn't have been my parents choice of a boyfriend for me!!!

Sue Rayner Jacobs - Pam Wildig i remember you & knew your dad as he & my dad (Terry Rayner) used to natter for hours outside your house. My parents still live in The Garth (but I haven't been back for about 7 years or so).

Pauline Preedy - Pam, Bankers friend was Rodney Morris, known as Chester. They were always together xx

Pam Wildig - Hi Sue, vaguely, I remember the Rayner name. I haven't moved out of Ledbury.

Pam Wildig - Hi Sue, my mum passed away in 2001 and my dad lasted until 2006 - bless, I miss them still so much. Those were the days in The Langland!

Jane Spink - your dad was a lovely man Pam

Sally Farr - yes l did we use to have a great time there ken was never there he was all ways up the pub

Sally Farr - when l went there fred west use to come there.

Pam Wildig - Goodness me, Sally, I can't remember Fred being there, but I guess he could have been there at the same time

Brian Haines - I can remember Banker & Chester coming into the club one night and they had had a few sherberts. Ken told them to leave but they decided they wanted to fight him & John Padley. Unfortunately, for them they both got a good pasting.

Sally Farr - Yes Fred was there l remember it well

Gary Harper - Bri. I remember that too,I was there on that night. I also recall a police sergeant named George Murray who also dished out a "good pasting" to them for being taunted. I would love to go back in that building for a look around. Looking through the windows when passing,it seems exactly the same as it used to be.

Raymond Mills - Worked with Fred in prison back in the day ....

Brian Haines - Gary, do you also remember Terry Downing being thrown out of the Hillside Ballroom in Hereford by some SAS guys who were working on the door. He was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and went head first through a plate glass door, bounced down the step… and landed in a heap outside.

Phil Manns - Ah Hillside Ballroom. Another iconic memory!! (Sylv) Saw the Small Faces there. I know we had to hitchhike there and back in those days. No late night buses or trains and taxis cost a fortune. Remember Pam!

Gary Harper - No Bri,don't remember that, sounds about right though ha ha, poor old Brizzie did go through the mill on many occasions. We saw some excellent top bands at the Hillside Ballroom. Just about every popular band played there on a Friday night,also the Malvern Winter gardens played host to the likes of Black Sabbath, Tull, The Who and all the rest. I saw the Alex Harvey band there and they were just phenomenal.

Brian Haines - Sensational !!!!

Pam Wildig - Don't let my Dad see that I used to hitchhike everywhere, Sylvie!!! Yes there were some good bands around. It used to cost 7/6d to see some amazing bands at the Winter Gardens. The Hillside 'Ballroom' was such a dive, but good fun at the time.

(2021 March )
Ian Colwell - I Remember table tennis in the cellar, then juke box in middle room , the counter where we bought Hubbly bubbly . Upstairs tv room and top of the pops and finally the snogging room . It never had a light in there good job really it sometimes helped if you didn’t know who you were kissing.

Richard Hamblin - Good days happy memories John padley was our roadie

Pat Lancett - Happy days 🤣

Derek Gladwin - Jerry fox was second in command to ken when me and mick kitchen used to go there big empty room down the bottom where we played footy ken kept disappearing to the royal oak great fun different days

Phil Manns - I remember boxing with jinx in the main hall, l always won 😜

Roy Ponti - Den of Inicquity 😂� �Ken was Youth leader, John Padley 2 and Prad and Gerry too. Had some great times in there especially getting locked in and carried on in the bottom room playing Table Tennis 😂 remember one night we hid in the attic and when we heard the door lock Reg Walker and i jumped down and Bloiser (Paul) put his foot through the ceiling 🤣🤣🤣. If kids say there aint much to do in Ledbury good job they wernt around in the 60s and 70s Great times and some great and laughable memories. Totps on a Thursday night now that telly room was a Den of allsorts 🤣🤣🤣🎸.

Paul Bunny Smith - Good days buddy.

Jenny Moore - I can own up to a few of us getting into the club on a Sunday sometimes and not by legal means! My Dad would have killed me if he'd known!😄

Dave Dixon - Good times

David Stokes - It was the place to be. Ken would always sell you a fag. lol. everybody knew each other. Like a big massive family. Ken then ann locke was there then Jerry fox. great memories

Judy Grinnell - Yes we had some good times there

Pat Lancett - Yes Jenny Moore happy days we weren't supposed to be there either l have memories but there best keep in me head xx but they were fun times 🤣🤣

Steve Lawrance - From my recollection Not much actually went on there

Jayne Parish - There was one man no idea what his name was . He used to blow smoke from his cigarette into the back of my neck and into my hair!!!!

Dee Ehrlich - Amazing memories of good times. Loved it

Roena Pallister

It never was....... it was a great place to go. My brother recardo walker was old enough to go think it was for age 13 up. I was only 12 but ken allowed me in. Remember the telly room as we didn't have one at home and you could buy sweets there too. I think john paddle think that was his name used to help ken run it. Great memories.

Carole Phillips - I wasn't allowed to go ,but my elder sister's went there.

Brian E Morris - Had a few jamming sessions down there with Gary Harper to name but one and a few others.

Catherine Hall -I used to go there often. Good times.

Peta Barnes- Great times there.

Sali Mustafic - Not naming any names but someone set my hair on fire once... not at the youth club though. I never went to the one in the Southend. Ismet and I went to the one above the vestry at the church and a good time was had by all 🙂 Ann Hemingway Richard Collins to name but two...

Jenny Moore - Pat Lancett great memories . You, Shirl and me had some good times together . Your Dad would have killed you too. Hope you and Shirl are keeping well.xxx

Erwin Marschall - yes i remember it well and i live next door to it now

Brian Haines - The two people who always seem to enjoy a good jive was, Cherry Vicarage and Wilf Lane.

Julian Davies - Ken also ran the Putley youth club which we attended in the late sixties. Great memories.

Ann Marsh - I had lots of fun in the Youth club there were 2 lots of stairs when Ken came for our subs we used to run up one flight of stairs & down the other one so we didn't have to pay it was naughty but we did spend the money on the tuck shop in there as well as Ken there was John Rawlings who helped out we were grateful to them for running the youth club.

Roger Baker - I went to the Club when it First opened in the Southend. Only went a few times because I was coming to the end of my far distant youth.

Ian Colwell - I also remember Hereford night club in my day it was called the Hostel. We saw status quo there.

Kate Hoare - Mary Rawlins Didn't John have something to do with the Youth Club? xx

Phil Manns - I think he used to help out at times

Myra Baker - I went to the youth club also did cookery lessons there when I was at school.

Related Links

Youth Clubs

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