The Youth of Yesterday

Back when evenings down the pub weren’t an option, especially for those cursed with a youthful appearance, the Mayfair Youth Club emerged as the go-to spot for forging friendships, playing table tennis, experiencing the pangs of first love, and navigating the tumultuous terrain of first heartbreaks. The 1960s youth club, rather than being organised by the local church or school,  was started by a group of young Colners looking for a place to meet.

“We used to have cricket matches at Holt House,” Geoff, one of the founding members, explains. These keenly fought matches brought together the founders of the Mayfair Youth Club, including Geoff Crambie, Mel Hartley, Dave Horsfall, and Ken Oldfield. Co-founder Mel Hartley found suitable premises – an unassuming building down the ancient alleyway known as Ivegate that was on the market for a meagre 15 shillings a week from an antique dealer named Fred Smith.

Mel had the idea to rent it out and transform the old Blacksmith’s into a place where young people could meet. “At the time, there were three coffee bars in Colne. They were all really good and had a jukebox, but you had to spend quite a bit of money on it. If you had one coffee, you made it last an hour or two,” Geoff laughs. “We wanted our own canteen to sell cheap drinks and snacks ourselves.” Luckily, the youth club had a young businesswoman, Sheila Morgan, at the helm, who had experience in her family business and could teach the young lads the ways of buying and selling. And they needed it! “We had to buy snooker tables, dart boards and a record player from the money we made at jumble sales. Fred Smith still kept a lot of antiques in the building, and I’ll tell you a secret – we sold quite a few to make money for the club. He never noticed!” Geoff whispers with a grin. Once they had all the equipment, it was time to get the club up and running. “It was like going back in time,” Geoff said. “In the corner, you could see the wall had burned away where the anvil had been.”

“In the corner, you could see the wall had burned away where the anvil had been.”

After decorating, the club looked marvellous, and it was time for opening night. “We opened in September 1960 and had 22 fully paid-up members.” Geoff beams. The club offered table tennis, a library (which included renting the most controversial book of the year – Lady Chatterley’s Lover – for a mere 3d a week), and a record player. “Mel was the music man,” Geoff says. “He had a brilliant collection of records. He worked at Colne railway station as a booking clerk, so he had a lot of money to spend on them. Everybody used to sing along and vote on whether the single was a hit or miss.”

The teenagers created plenty of other activities to keep themselves occupied. Like the beloved television show ‘Would I Lie to You?’, Geoff and his friends would each tell a tall tale. “The most believable won, and you got a free chocolate bar from the canteen.” The youth club was the centre of the community. “We were like a family,” Geoff says. “The oldest was Mick Leonard, Mick ‘Mountain Man’ Leonard. We needed him one night when the Barlick Teddy boys came over from Barnoldswick. Suddenly, a stone came through the window – smash – and these Barlick Teds were coming up the steps and trying to force their way in.”

Despite Mick’s size, co-founder Mel protected the club, punching the leader on the nose and ruining his Burton’s teddy boy jacket.

From teenage fights to first loves. It was at the 1960’s youth club that Geoff met his first girlfriend, Sue. “I thought, I have to ask her out!” He worked up the courage, and Sue, unable to resist Geoff’s charm, agreed on the condition that he took her out somewhere nice.

“We went to the pictures. I wasn’t going to risk not getting served in a pub! We saw ‘The Vikings’ with Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas.”

For about a month, Geoff and Sue were a couple. “Then she dumped me. I was heartbroken!”

Luckily for Geoff, he met his wife Ruth shortly after, so the heartbreak was short-lived.

The club continued for two years after, but as the founders grew up, memberships dwindled. “It was a throwback from the 50s! In those days, there were no mobile phones. You had to make your own entertainment, but the club struck a chord and became part of people’s lives.”

In its heyday, the 1960s youth club boasted 35 members, offering a sense of belonging to Colne’s youth and creating friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

ColneLife March/April 24