What are you watching tonight?

[jonnycooper]

Here you go jonny. At the Macron... (My partner's son is a season ticket holder and she'd just spotted him in the Lofthouse Lower.)

A real treat of a programme,just hope I get to see that beautiful Palais building frontage uncovered in Thursday's episode! Btw Tango if my guessing of your age is about right,taken from snippets of your posts.Keep it up whatever it is you do! You look very well..

[TANGODANCER]

Bit of a sigh of relief from me after the programme. These things are edited out of sight and certainly not shown in sequence of filming. I wasn't at the initial meeting and indeed knew nothing at all about the programme till I was contacted at home by a B.B.C lass to do a home off-camera interview. I then got a phone call asking could I turn up next day at Bolton school for rehearsals. The others had been together for a fortnight by then so I was a late comer. You'll have gathered by now that the show is centred around three or four key couples, but at least I got a bit of on camera to keep the family happy. My seven year old grandaughter would never have forgiven me if I hadn't.

The whole thing started for me on July 27th and stretched over four months and it was hard work at times. I'll tell you something though, when we all stood in a line arms raised after dancing at the Macron and the crowd stood and applauded, it was worth every single ounce of effort and minute of time. Phenomenal. .

[Bruce Rioja]

I've imposed an office moratorium on any talk of last night's Silent Witness.

Brilliant, Tango. Bravo. Loved it. Very well done. (Pissed off that the landlords won't take down that fecking hideous frontage though)

[General Mannerheim]

ah i saw a few minutes of this, thought it was a Peter Kay sketch at first!

[TANGODANCER]

I've imposed an office moratorium on any talk of last night's Silent Witness.

Brilliant, Tango. Bravo. Loved it. Very well done. (Pissed off that the landlords won't take down that fecking hideous frontage though)

Cheers Bruce. Typical landlords because the B.B.C must have spent a fortune on restoring the Palais. I thought about you last night and the question you asked me about the guy that walked out on the programme. I recognised him immediately when it happened (I had forgotten the incident and there were a few bits of friction-the "you lot won't know much about fine wines" remark etc) but he never came back. Love to hear you views after part II on Thursday.

[Bruce Rioja]

I've imposed an office moratorium on any talk of last night's Silent Witness.

Brilliant, Tango. Bravo. Loved it. Very well done. (Pissed off that the landlords won't take down that fecking hideous frontage though)

Cheers Bruce. Typical landlords because the B.B.C must have spent a fortune on restoring the Palais. I thought about you last night and the question you asked me about the guy that walked out on the programme. I recognised him immediately when it happened (I had forgotten the incident and there were a few bits of friction-the "you lot won't know much about fine wines" remark etc) but he never came back. Love to hear you views after part II on Thursday.

Ah, thanks for letting me know that Part II's tomorrow. Yeah, I thought the "fine wine" comment was unbelievably condescending, especially coming from someone who was trying to build up spirit amongst the group. Joe's walk-off wasn't really as embarrassing as everyone had feared, he clearly thought that he was getting nowhere and had simply had enough. Looking forward to tomorrow night's show now.

[TANGODANCER]

Not everybody was impressed by Bolton or the show, it seems.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvan ... inful.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Not everybody was impressed by Bolton or the show, it seems.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvan ... inful.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh dear "... a bunch of creaking pensioners". Sue the bastard Tango.

[jonnycooper]

Not everybody was impressed by Bolton or the show, it seems.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvan ... inful.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bah! Humbug..

[Bruce Rioja]

Not everybody was impressed by Bolton or the show, it seems.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvan ... inful.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I remember getting quite annoyed at a shitty review of WtW's (quite brilliant) Early One Morning. When I mentioned it to him he simply shrugged and said "People are paid to write this stuff. Ignore it - I do". I think the same applies here. That said, I do find it contradictory that the reviewer should, quite rightly, slam the guy for his patronising "fine wine" comment whilst being happy enough to describe you as 'creaking pensioners'.

[TANGODANCER]

Not everybody was impressed by Bolton or the show, it seems.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvan ... inful.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh dear "... a bunch of creaking pensioners". Sue the bastard Tango.

We are creaking pensioners,Spots, so no complaint there (so are his parents probably, with no disrespect meant) and his views on the presenter and programme are his own and expected as a critic. What miffed me was the reporter's obviously pro London type comments about "Why Bolton?" If he knew anything at all about our town or had done his research he'd know that Bolton Palais was the envy of far larger town around in the late forties, (when all the Yanks from Burtonwood air base would come here in truckloads to dance rather than Manchester or Liverpool) the fifties and sixties and onwards and that was the reason it was chosen.Typical armchair critic. Probably a Peter Kay type "Uncle Knobhead in his cream loafers" when it comes to dance.

[Bruce Rioja]

If he knew anything at all about our town or had done his research he'd know that Bolton Palais was the envy of far larger town around in the late forties, (when all the Yanks from Burtonwood air base would come here in truckloads to dance rather than Manchester or Liverpool) the fifties and sixties and onwards and that was the reason it was chosen.

See, I didn't know this until last night. I rang my mum last night and during the conversation told her about the programme - turns out she knew about it and was waiting for it to come on. She then proceeded to tell me how her and my Dad used to travel over from Ashton in Makerfield to go to The Palais, something she's never mentioned before. So, of course, I said "What - you used to get the bus all the way to Bolton (and back) just to go to The Palais?" to which she then went on to tell me how the Palais was THE place to go and how people traveled from miles around specifically to go there. It must have been like The Hacienda of its day. Taught me summat I didn't know there!

[TANGODANCER]

^^
Well done your mum and dad Bruce. The Palais was indeed the place to go, and when rock and roll arrived here via the Bill Haley film and era in 1956 Mecca moved in on the trend and ran their ballrooms to cater for both it and ballroom. Lots of us did both and loved it.We weren't Fred and Gingers, but most of us could scuffle round a waltz, quickstep or foxtrot in addition to jive. I was just priveleged enough to be sweet seventeen in 1956 and this show was like re-living the dream all over again, whatever the Telegraph guy thinks. Hurts all the more to see the likes of Councilor No Brains and his Bolton crew let a magnificent fascade like the Palais rot away in favour of a giant bean can. Bring on Part Two...

[TANGODANCER]

Much more positive on the home front (and outside too, it seems):

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/141 ... miniscing/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bruce Rioja]

A couple of questions if I may, Tango.

What exactly does a 'jive' involve and why was it so frowned upon? I believe it was even banned in some places.

And is tomorrow's episode the final one or can we look forward to more?

[TANGODANCER]

A couple of questions if I may, Tango.
What exactly does a 'jive' involve and why was it so frowned upon? I believe it was even banned in some places.

It was a dance that evolved from Jitterbug, bee-bop,Lindy hop etc, all American based dances where you could do almost anything to the beat of the music. It was hectic, very physical and unrestrained and thus had massive appeal with the younger dancers who threw their partners around, did splits, cartwheels and all sorts of antics.. Church and state were very finicky about moral issues till that time and when the film " Rock around the Clock" arrived over here we had to go to Farnworth to see it as Bolton council banned it, afraid of rioting in the cinemas (take dancing in the aisles as rioting and a few scraps happening as staff tried to control the gaeity) Rock and Roll changed a previously sedate way of life in the dancehalls to a free and easy do as you please thing where women's drawers were on view like never before outside of Hollywood.
You still asked girls to dance mind, well at least at the start.

The jive taught in dance schools was/is very well behaved towards what we did in the halls and clubs. It bears little or no relation to it in fact.

[/i]

And is tomorrow's episode the final one or can we look forward to more?

Three parts were planned originally, then condensed into two, so unfortunately, the adventure ends tomorrrow. Shame, it's been big fun and great to promote our beloved home town a little. .

[Bruce Rioja]

Cheers - and very well done.

[Burnden Paddock]

Just watched TD's programme. Excellent entertainment. The look on Tango's face when he first heard the piece of music that they were due to dance to. Really enjoyed the programme, in spite of the rather irritable Margo! Looking forward to Thursday's instalment.

One thing I really don't get is the owners reluctance to remove the dreadful 'Ikon' façade. Fair enough, they'd have to spend some money on removing it and shoring up the original façade, but surely they'd have a damn sight better chance of selling/renting it looking like that, than how it currently looks!

Tango. were you joined by Alain Job for the second part? I'm sure that I spotted him at the start of the programme. That bloke gets bloody everywhere!

[TANGODANCER]

Just watched TD's programme. Excellent entertainment. The look on Tango's face when he first heard the piece of music that they were due to dance to. Really enjoyed the programme, in spite of the rather irritable Margo! Looking forward to Thursday's instalment.

One thing I really don't get is the owners reluctance to remove the dreadful 'Ikon' façade. Fair enough, they'd have to spend some money on removing it and shoring up the original façade, but surely they'd have a damn sight better chance of selling/renting it looking like that, than how it currently looks!

Tango. were you joined by Alain Job for the second part? I'm sure that I spotted him at the start of the programme. That bloke gets bloody everywhere!

Don't know him B.P, but if hes' got the full African regalia on, then there is one bloke like that in Part Two. The said
"music" was a cover of something called Crazy in Love by The Baseballs. My face at that xxxxing music said it all.

[Burnden Paddock]

Just watched TD's programme. Excellent entertainment. The look on Tango's face when he first heard the piece of music that they were due to dance to. Really enjoyed the programme, in spite of the rather irritable Margo! Looking forward to Thursday's instalment.

One thing I really don't get is the owners reluctance to remove the dreadful 'Ikon' façade. Fair enough, they'd have to spend some money on removing it and shoring up the original façade, but surely they'd have a damn sight better chance of selling/renting it looking like that, than how it currently looks!

Tango. were you joined by Alain Job for the second part? I'm sure that I spotted him at the start of the programme. That bloke gets bloody everywhere!

Don't know him B.P, but if hes' got the full African regalia on, then there is one bloke like that in Part Two. The said
"music" was a cover of something called Crazy in Love by The Baseballs. My face at that xxxxing music said it all.

That's the one Tango. Believe it or not, he is the brother of ex-Boro player Joseph-Desire Job and owns a Cameroonian takeaway on Bolton Market called Nkono! I took Bruce and LE there on a lunch 'date' last summer. The two of them seemed to hit it off!

Btw it's Beyoncé, rather than 'The Baseballs'!