It’s time to go out and have fun.
Remember how it felt to be young, handsome, beautiful, 22 inch waist, Nylon stockings, Brylcreem, always a hat, often gloves and handbags. Remember going out to the Cinema, dancing, flirting, losing and gaining, the first kiss, the music you danced to…

We were divided for the first time into men and womens groups – it gave us a chance to let down our hair, giggle or exchange honestly these often excruciatingly embarrassing moments of encounter.

To warm up we mirrored our partner putting on lipstick or tying a tie, or shaving. Remember kipper ties and how to tie them? But I gather then men got stuck into the 1965 News of The World on the display table. The women exchanged their stories of dances where the boys at one side the girls at the other, nervously eyeing each other up, feeling so self conscious.

Who can forget the story of the  bodice bone in Virginia’s dress catapulting out,  at the school dance and landing in front of her friends?

Music invited us all to dance to our favorite music of the time: Walker Brothers, Rolling Stones, Beatles Love me do, Billy Fury, Roy Orbison, Chris Barber, Winifred Attwell, Elvis, Buddy Holly, George Formby. Ah to see Roy and Irene dance to the Beattles, or Jackie – what a mover! or Robin and Mary jiving.

Now in the mood we were invited to form an orderly queue, and with our 6 pence, purchase a Cinema ticket and enter the Gaumont Cinema.

Icecreams were served, along with pop corn, while the Pearl and Dean advertisements played

With Kevin on music and Candida and Rachel on enacting, here were a few of our favourite Films of 1960s

Easy Rider
Pink Panther
Dr No
You only live Twice
633 Squadron
Sound of Music
Psycho
Rosemary’s Baby
Laurence of Arabia
Dr Zhivago
Breakfast at Tiffanys
Mary Poppins

Pippa – the Usherette – gave out some famous lines which we enacted in our pairs:
After all, tomorrow is another day – Frankly, my dear , I don’t give a damn.
I’m a man – Well nobody’s perfect
I’m gonna make him an offer he cannot refuse – Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes
We’re not in Kansas anymore Toto – Follow the yellow brick road

The Headmistress and her assistant of 106 years visited, and saw for themselves what joy we had. For those three hours we were in a different space, our home lives – often so challenging – left behind, as we were flashed back to Abbey Road or Elvis. Those record booths, were you entered with head phones on to try out a 45 before buying it, and sometimes, the next booth contained a drop dead gorgeous boy or girl.