Bradford's Teddy Boys had turned back the clock 20 years during the summer of 1977, by entertaining the crowds with an open-air concert outside Bradford’s Provincial House. The aim of the gig was to raise money for the Lord Mayor’s Silver Jubilee Appeal. Supplying the beat was local rock ‘n’ roll band 20 Flight Rock and performing in the foreground is William Bentley, then 56 and termed “the grandfather of the Teds.”
To the delight of shoppers who had stopped to watch they revived some of the favourite dances of the 1950s like the solo bop and the catwalk. During the interval the group passed round a hat to collect money for the appeal.
Emerging from the post-war gloom in the 1950s, Teddy Boys or Teds were considered as Britain's original teenage rebels. In November 1955, 20 policemen had to baton charge a crowd of up to 200 Teddy Boys after 17 of them were arrested following a punch-up at Bankfoot's ironically named Ideal Ballroom.
MORE NOSTALGIA STORIES:
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here