DANCING SLIPPER (VENUE)

A venue situated at 14 Central Avenue in West Bridgford town centre, it became synonymous with Bill Kinnell’s Jazz Club from the late fifties through to the mid sixties. Originally, just known as “The Ballroom” and briefly the “Locarno” it took on it’s familiar name in early 1957 and it also became the West Bridgford home for Ballroom dances and lessons which were led by Ivy Brooks. Pop, rock and soul acts also appeared in the 1960’s.

IVY BROOKS and ballroom dancing

Ivy Brooks was the professional name of Mrs Giggins and she was a ballroom dancing instructor, examiner, member of many dancing institutions and qualified beautician. She worked at the Dancing Slipper for 30 years starting at the Ballroom, West Bridgford (as it was known then) around 1956.

She married N. W. Giggins and was the manager and part owner of the Slipper. Living on Musters Road, West Bridgford her husband started serving seven course meals for private functions although Ivy had started providing Beef sandwiches at Saturday night dances years before. In contrast to the “Flying Chef” formed in 1960, a mobile kitchen catering for parties and barbecues, the husband and wife team provided a quality range of food in keeping with their professional values.

Ivy Brooks had started working as an examiner at Jessop’s School in Hockley and alongside Roy Knight in the late 1940’s at the Victoria Ballroom in Nottingham which was the venue she first used. Ivy and Roy relocated to The Ballroom in West Bridgford. In the late fifties at the Dancing Slipper one of the resident dance bands Ivy would use was Gordon Walker and his Band. It was also a venue for weddings and private functions. There are two articles mentioning Ivy Brooks and her husband at the bottom of the page.

Although Ivy was from the traditions of Ballroom dancing and Dance Bands she embraced the latest dance crazes holding Rock and Roll and Jive classes. Her readiness to entertain different genres must have been a factor in her finding no problem with Bill Kinnell’s noisy Jazz Club nights. An unusual but successful alliance.

INTRODUCTION to the jazz club and 60’s pop.

Bill Kinnell moved the location of his jazz club from the Test Match Hotel to the Dancing Slipper in December 1956 after a few months inbetween at the Boat & Horses in Beeston Rylands. Bill was a significant jazz promoter and character. Ken Allsop ran the Rhythm Club in friendley rivalry to Bill’s Jazz Club. They had both been the founder members of the Nottingham Rhythm Club in 1941 but had parted ways in 1949. Coincidently Ken Allsop also relocated his Rhythm club during the fifties and sixties to West Bridgford using the Trent Bridge Hotel (Trent Bridge Inn).

With and without Bill Kinnell’s Jazz club, the Dancing Slipper carried on having gigs throughout the sixties and seventies. A few seriously important blues artists like Big Bill Broonzy, Jesse Fuller and Champion Jack Dupree made visits in the 50’s and 60’s, although it was predominantly a trad jazz venue, Monty Sunshine, Chris Barber, George Melly, Alex Welsh, Kenny Ball, Aker Bilk and the like.

The Dancing Slipper did have plenty of pop, rock and soul groups too. Local 60’s acts like The Jaybirds (featuring Alvin Lee and Leo Lyons later of Ten Years After), Sons and Lovers, The Hoodoos, Our Young, Tiny Davis and many more used it as a regular haunt and bigger national groups like The Pretty Things, Zoot Money, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, Herman’s Hermits, Geno Washington, Graham Bond and The Downliners Sect were booked for “Beat/RnB” nights plus artists like Rod Stewart making their way in the music business who would later become household names.

Contrary to the 21st Century, and as unbelievable as it sounds, The Dancing Slipper was one of many venues that made West Bridgford a rock and jazz hot spot for 25 years from the late fifties to mid eighties.

THE EARLY YEARS

1955

1956

Some of the gigs of 1956. Thursday night was Bill Kinnell’s Jazz Club night and the opening night at the new venue was very possibly Thursday 6th December 1956.

1956 Dec Thur 06 – Mick Mulligan’s Jazz Band with George Melly, Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group (Adm 4/6 with Bar)
1956 Dec Thur 13 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band
1956 Dec Thur 20 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group, Terry Lightfoot’s Jazzmen (Xmas Party)
1956 Dec Thur 27 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group

1957

Some of the gigs of 1957. Thursday night was Bill Kinnell’s Jazz Club night.

1957 Jan Thur 03 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group
1957 Jan Thur 10 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band
1957 Jan Thur 17 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band, Johnny Hobbs Stompers
1957 Jan Thur 24 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band, Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen
1957 Jan Thur 31 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band, Johnny Hobbs Stompers

1957 Feb Thur 07 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group
1957 Feb Thur 14 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group
1957 Feb Thur 21 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Party (One night only at the Rose Of England, Mansfield Road)
1957 Feb Thur 28 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group

1957 Mar Wed 06 – Ken Colyers Jazzmen, Skiffle Group and Bob Kelly (Co-op Ballroom, Parliament Street. A Nottm Jazz Club event)
1957 Mar Thur 07 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group
1957 Mar Thur 14 – Big Bill Broonzy, Mick Gill’s Jazz Band (The Big Bill Broonzy performance was recorded and later released in the 1980’s)
1957 Mar Thur 21 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band, Johnny Hobbs Stompers
1957 Mar Thur 28 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group

1957 April Wed 03 – Nottingham Jazz Festival (Organised by Bill Kinnell’s Nottm Jazz Club) at the Astoria Ballroom to celebrate Mick Gill’s ten years in jazz. Chris Barber’s Jazz Band with Ottilie Patterson, Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen, Johnny Hobbs Stompers. Over a 1,000 in attendance. First Jazz festival outside of London.
1957 April Thur 04 – Unknown if it happened
1957 April Thur 11 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group
1957 April Thur 18 – Mick Gill’s Jazz band, Pete Riman’s Skiffle
1957 April Thur 25 – Terry Lightfoots Jazzmen, Mick Gill’s Jazz Band (Called The Ballroom)

1957 May Thur 02 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band + Skiffle Group
1957 May Thur 09 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band
1957 May Thur 16 – Brian Woolley’s Jazz Band
1957 May Thur 23 – Johnny Hobbs Stompers
1957 May Thur 30 – Cy Laurie Jazz Band

1957 June Thur 06 – Dick Bishops Skiffle Group, Mick Gill’s Jazz Band
1957 June Thur 13 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band
1957 June Thur 20 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band
1957 June Thur 27 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band

1957 July Thur 04 – Unknown if it happened
1957 July Thur 11 – Mick Gill’s Jazz Band
1957 July Thur 18 – Mick Gill’s Jazz band, The Climax Jazz Band
1957 July Thur 25 – Brian Woolley’s Amazing Jazzmen

1957 Aug Thur 01 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen (The Rave of London and the Midlands)
1957 Aug Thur 08 – Announced late: Either Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen or Mick Gill’s Jazz band
1957 Aug Thur 15 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen
1957 Aug Thur 22 – Mick Gill’s Jazz band
1957 Aug Thur 29 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen

1957 Sept Thur 05 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen
1957 Sept Thur 12 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen
1957 Sept Thur 19 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen
1957 Sept Thur 26 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen

1957 Oct Thur 03 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen
1957 Oct Thur 10 – The Climax Jazz Band
1957 Oct Thur 17 – The Late Baron Wooley’s Jazzmen
1957 Oct Thur 24 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen, Johnny Hobbs Stompers
1957 Oct Thur 31 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen (At Chislehurst Caves They’re the Fantabulous Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen)

1957 Nov Thur 07 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen
1957 Nov Wed 13 – Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen, Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen, The Climax Jazz Band (5/6 adm)
1957 Nov Thur 21 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen, Mick Gill’s Jazz Band
1957 Nov Thur 28 – Mick Mulligan Band with George Melly

1957 Dec Thur 05 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen
1957 Dec Thur 12 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen. (Members 2/- Visitors 3/-. 7pm to 10.30)
1957 Dec Thur 19 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen, Mick Gill’s Jazz Band
1957 Dec Mon 23 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen, Mick Gill’s Jazz Band, The Climax Jazz band, Tommy Saville’s Swinging Piano
1957 Dec Tue 24 – Christmas Eve Party
1957 Dec Sat 28 – Children’s Party

1958

Some of the gigs of 1957. Thursday night was Bill Kinnell’s Jazz Club night.

1958 Jan Thur 02 – Unknown
1958 Jan Thur 09 – Johnny Hobbs Stompers, Mick Gill’s Jazz Band (Fabulous Jazz Stars of Esquire Records and The Finest Jazz Group Resident in Europe)
1958 Jan Thur 16 – Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen
1958 Jan Thur 23 – Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen, Brian Woolley’s Jazzmen

More to come ……

More to come ……

1959

1960

MUCH MORE COMING LATER …..
MUCH MORE COMING LATER …..

Ivy Brooks newspaper cuttings

1969