Tuesday, June 23, 2009

DANCING AT THE PAV IN THE 60S

Click on image to enlarge

This was the sign that greeted patrons of sock hops at The Pav. Pictures of the live rock and roll bands were placed under coming attractions. This was the place where young Cobourgers came to court each other to the rhythms of Rompin' Ronnie (the Hawk) Hawkins, Chubby Checker Let's Twist Again, etc.

If a live band was unavailable, then Louis Stover DJ'd with the latest music, bringing in flashing lights, strobe lights, and getting the place heated up. The beach was a moment away for a good midnight jump-in, especially for the guys to cool their disppointed amours.

Jane Moore was kind enough to have set up two posters on the Cobourg Facebook site. The posters use the logo of Sat Nite Dance, Toronto Telegram advertising A Stitch 'N' Tyme and The Ugling Ducklings. Click here to see

2 comments:

Deb Haynes said...

The Pav dances were the highlight of my last summer as a kid in Cobourg, 1966. Forbidden by my parents to go there, I never missed a dance all that summer.

Loud loud rock & roll, crazy musicians from the City and wild uninhibited dancing; it was just the best!

All of us owe a huge debt to Louie for running those dances and making our summers shine with delight!

I'd like to hear a shout out from anybody who was there at the beach on the Labour Day weekend in '66 when there was a huge thunder storm late at night. Many of us were swimming in the gigantic waves before we got scared enough to come out of the water and seek shelter.

Naturally we headed for Hoo Lee Gardens, who stayed open very late in those days. Us sophisticates had traded in our fries and coke for egg rolls and coffee by then, and I'm sure that night was no exception.

What was different was the power outage that hit, and Gam ran around lighting candles at every table so we could carry on with the party. It was the last night before school started I think, but nobody wanted to go home. It was magical, I think we were singing together and glorying in the joy of that moment.

Does anyone else remember that night?

Wally said...

Northumberland News published a touching story last Feb.13/09 about the 60 year marriage of Jean and Clarence Anderson (http://www.northumberlandnews.com/articlePrint/119566)

Clarence had just returned from the war and went to The Pav in 1945. "He went to a dance at The Pavilion, the former teen magnet in Victoria Park, Cobourg, and there he met Jean Harnden, 16, of Grafton. They married three years later..."