Mystery Island

Mystery Island

I call it mystery island because I don't know it's proper name and I refer to it here because it evokes powerful memories of my late teens and early twenties

It's the island that I usually feature when compiling the short video clips for 'Beat the Intro'  it has a special place in my memory box because I do associate it with the Crystal and one time in particular - see previous post for the story

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You might have noticed I've added a car to the picture recently and if you are knowledgeable about cars from the sixties you might have recognised it as an Austin Westminster. The picture I used is not my car but it is the same model and colour scheme - I do have one photo of me in the car but sadly it's the only one left of many that were taken

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My photo collection' such as it was, suffered somewhat when my mother moved home and a lot of stuff was thrown away or lost in the process

The Westminster was a fast and powerful car with lots of extras and leather seats to add that touch of class, or so I thought. It even had a radio that worked, not very well but never mind - remember this is in the days before stereo radio's were made for cars

Why am I going on about a car on the 'Crystal Blog'? Simple really, it used to get me there and back and if I'd had too much to drink, in my opinion, then me and my mates could have a few hours sleep in relative comfort before setting off for home - those really were the days

Yours truly, posing as usual

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Submitted by Malcolm Smith

New Years Eve

A Night To Remember

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I remember it well, not quite true because it was either 1968 or 69 I can't be certain which, the night began in the usual style with a few drinks in the pub opposite the Crystal and then to the queue to get in - once inside the atmosphere was terrific, as always, then midnight came and went and everyone was having a good time - next thing I remember, me and my mates were on this traffic island singing our heads off - we were then joined by others and in no time at all the island was covered with people all singing, badly but not caring - the event ended when the local police came along and politely suggested we all bugger off, which we did - every time I see that roundabout I think back and realise how fortunate I was to be there that night - a great memory indeed

Were you there on that epic occasion? - If so please leave a comment in the box below

I eventually discovered the island was at the westerly junction of George Street and is still a feature there - Not sure if the fountains work these days though

Here's the island in the present day

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Submitted by Malcolm Smith

How it began

The Crystal Ballroom

The Crystal Ballroom is located in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire. It became the place to go in the sixties and was renowned for a fantastic night out with a terrific mix of live and disco music in a superb social environment

The atmosphere was always electric - It was one of the friendliest places in the United Kingdom - It was well run, well organised and well liked

There are stories to tell of this remarkable place

This 'Blog' has been created so that any interested parties can read, and perhaps contribute to, some of the stories from some of the people that have an interest in the 'Crystal' (we have to populate the site first, so please be patient)

The building still exists, although now empty and perhaps wondering what the future holds

There are those out there with a genuine interest in resurrecting the site and bringing the building back to life with the 'sounds of music'

Will it happen - The truth is we don't know - What we do know is the people concerned are dedicated and will do everything in their power to regenerate this place for the benefit of music lovers

Please watch as the site grows and feel free to add your comments on any aspect - we hope you will enjoy and maybe add to the experience