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What makes youth clubs so uncool? What makes youth clubs so uncool?
(about 16 hours later)
Little Richard - definitely not youth club endorsed in the 1950s Why do youth clubs have an image problem? Because every aspiring young rebel knows that's exactly where their fretting parents want them to go, says Laurie Taylor in his weekly column for the Magazine.Little Richard - definitely not youth club endorsed in the 1950s Why do youth clubs have an image problem? Because every aspiring young rebel knows that's exactly where their fretting parents want them to go, says Laurie Taylor in his weekly column for the Magazine.
It must have only been a couple of years after my mother finally abandoned her attempts to make me attend mass at St Helen's on Sunday morning that she developed her obsession with youth clubs.It must have only been a couple of years after my mother finally abandoned her attempts to make me attend mass at St Helen's on Sunday morning that she developed her obsession with youth clubs.
Why was it, she wondered, that I chose to spend my evenings with Vinnie and Den hanging around the chippie in Endbutt Lane rather than following the example of other decent boys in the neighbourhood and enrolling for the twice a week get-togethers at the Brownmoor youth club?Why was it, she wondered, that I chose to spend my evenings with Vinnie and Den hanging around the chippie in Endbutt Lane rather than following the example of other decent boys in the neighbourhood and enrolling for the twice a week get-togethers at the Brownmoor youth club?
She had a point. Hanging around the chippie was not a stimulating way to spend an evening. There were occasional pleasures to be had: the minor thrill of persuading the man in the shop to add extra scraps to your sixpenny bag of chips, the comfort of finding a doorway which was deep enough to protect you from the wind and cold, the somewhat distant hope that this might be the night when you could catch a glimpse of some of the girls with short red skirts from Streatham House school. FIND OUT MORE Hear Laurie Taylor's Thinking Allowed on Radio 4 at 1600 on Wednesdays or 0030 on MondaysOr download the podcast hereShe had a point. Hanging around the chippie was not a stimulating way to spend an evening. There were occasional pleasures to be had: the minor thrill of persuading the man in the shop to add extra scraps to your sixpenny bag of chips, the comfort of finding a doorway which was deep enough to protect you from the wind and cold, the somewhat distant hope that this might be the night when you could catch a glimpse of some of the girls with short red skirts from Streatham House school. FIND OUT MORE Hear Laurie Taylor's Thinking Allowed on Radio 4 at 1600 on Wednesdays or 0030 on MondaysOr download the podcast here
But in truth, the real attraction was much simpler. The chippie was not Brownmoor Youth Club. Vinnie and Den and I were hardly radical teenagers. We wouldn't have known the meaning of the word. But we were bound together by the sense that there was something uncomfortable, even disturbing, about allowing ourselves to be categorised as youth, as suitable subjects for a youth club and a youth leader and youth activities.But in truth, the real attraction was much simpler. The chippie was not Brownmoor Youth Club. Vinnie and Den and I were hardly radical teenagers. We wouldn't have known the meaning of the word. But we were bound together by the sense that there was something uncomfortable, even disturbing, about allowing ourselves to be categorised as youth, as suitable subjects for a youth club and a youth leader and youth activities.
Each of us at one time or another had been to Brownmoor Youth Club. Each of us had joined in such youth activities as the table-tennis competition and the general knowledge quiz and the Friday night "youth dance" in which relations between boys and girls were carefully regulated by the youth leader whose periodic blasts on a whistle were a signal that existing foxtrot or quickstep partners should disentangle and choose a new partner from the nearest couple. (Den, who'd read about these things in a medical dictionary, called it the coitus interruptus dance) The sight of such unfettered free movement made me regret every second I spent earning my bronze medal for the quickstepEach of us at one time or another had been to Brownmoor Youth Club. Each of us had joined in such youth activities as the table-tennis competition and the general knowledge quiz and the Friday night "youth dance" in which relations between boys and girls were carefully regulated by the youth leader whose periodic blasts on a whistle were a signal that existing foxtrot or quickstep partners should disentangle and choose a new partner from the nearest couple. (Den, who'd read about these things in a medical dictionary, called it the coitus interruptus dance) The sight of such unfettered free movement made me regret every second I spent earning my bronze medal for the quickstep
There was, though, one youth club we all rushed to attend. When I was about 16, news came through that somewhere in Queens Drive, there was this place where the leader played all the latest records. There were no waltzes, or foxtrots or quicksteps. You could just stand there and listen or do the sort of crazy dancing that was banned in all the local dance-halls (I can still remember the large sign on the pillar nearest the stage in the New Brighton Ballroom which read "No Jitterbugging".)There was, though, one youth club we all rushed to attend. When I was about 16, news came through that somewhere in Queens Drive, there was this place where the leader played all the latest records. There were no waltzes, or foxtrots or quicksteps. You could just stand there and listen or do the sort of crazy dancing that was banned in all the local dance-halls (I can still remember the large sign on the pillar nearest the stage in the New Brighton Ballroom which read "No Jitterbugging".)
Everything we'd heard was true. Our 61 bus dropped us outside a pub and then an arrow led us to an upstairs room which was bursting with the sound of Little Richard. We soon learned that the club's leader only played Little Richard. He'd take Rip it Up off the turntable and replace it with Good Golly Miss Molly and then get Tutti Frutti ready for the next play. And how people danced! The sight of such wonderful unfettered free movement instantly made me regret every second I spent the year before earning my bronze medal for the quickstep.Everything we'd heard was true. Our 61 bus dropped us outside a pub and then an arrow led us to an upstairs room which was bursting with the sound of Little Richard. We soon learned that the club's leader only played Little Richard. He'd take Rip it Up off the turntable and replace it with Good Golly Miss Molly and then get Tutti Frutti ready for the next play. And how people danced! The sight of such wonderful unfettered free movement instantly made me regret every second I spent the year before earning my bronze medal for the quickstep.
The place never had a name but it soon became a regular haunt. One night, Den, who had the same sort of trouble with his mum as I did with mine, asked the man who put the records on if this was "a proper youth club". The man, who never revealed his name, came straight to the point.The place never had a name but it soon became a regular haunt. One night, Den, who had the same sort of trouble with his mum as I did with mine, asked the man who put the records on if this was "a proper youth club". The man, who never revealed his name, came straight to the point.
"If it was a youth club, mate, they wouldn't let someone like me inside.""If it was a youth club, mate, they wouldn't let someone like me inside."
And with that, he flipped Lucille off the turntable and replaced it with Long Tall Sally.And with that, he flipped Lucille off the turntable and replaced it with Long Tall Sally.
Add your comments on this story, using the form below.Add your comments on this story, using the form below.
The best way to fill the youth clubs is to inform all the kids that they are banned from them. Watch them flood in then!Tony Wood, Brandon Canada
I totally agree - But as someone who spends a lot of time working in Youth Clubs, the problem is often the quality of the provision. Most youth workers are poorly trained and often pretty lazy. Teenager that would never normally set foot in a youth club WILL do if you actually listen to them, take time to work with them and genuinely respect them. However, the big question is - do we really want them to?Martin Swan, London
Laurie obviously thinks youth clubs today are the same as the ones he went to (didn't go to!)50 years ago. Our youth club is run by volunteers and we have to turn kids away because it's so popular. Everything from online surfing to painting, snooker and football is on offer. And no, Laurie they aren't all middle-class, well-scrubbed teenagers !Fen Tyler, Telford, Shropshire
I am 17, and I've been a leader on Jewish youth events for many years (for which I have been trained and extensively criminal-records-checked), and have found them unfailingly popular, and tremendous fun. They help the community, provide great entertainment, and are generally demonised far too much!Josh, London
Here in New South Wales we have Police Citizen Youth Clubs, PCYCs for short, which provide a spot for youths to gather. Bruce, Sydney, Australia
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