I have been enjoying my evening reading my father’s letters sent home to the States about his good times in London in the late 1920′s and early 1930′s. From his letters, the times must have been a magical moment, totally unaware of the abyss before them. My father loved to dance, and he adored jazz; he was certainly part of the Jazz Age. Letter after letter tells about how he and his mates went to the fancy dance clubs in Mayfair, but they had their best laughs at the HAMMERSMITH PALAIS DE DANCE which he refers to as the HAMMERSMITH PALACE. He describes the dance bands, the tunes he hummed, and the girls who loved to dance. It must have been a fascinating time when it was all about ballroom dancing, kicking up your heals, and smoking a cigarette and having a glass of champagne. I found a few shots on BRITISH PATHE of the HAMMERSMITH PALAIS DE DANCE; I think the fuzzy images capture the essence of the dance halls. I also learned that during World War II, tanks were manufactured in the building in total security; now the building is gone. I guess the fun times can’t last forever.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
