This is one of those posts that was lost when we moved to the new site.
It shows Kingsway House and the La Ronde nightclub, Billingham. Can anyone guess a date?
We have tried to recreate as many of the original comments as possible…
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
I dj’d at La Ronde in 1972, anyone remember Colin? I devised the punching out of paper bag game along with others, including one which involved a chicken called Irving.
It was Baileys can’t remember the date but Brian Lonsdale was manager. He then went to the Kavendish, Newcastle then to the Sombrero in Chester le Street, Val Turner hair dresser from Stanley went there
La Ronde was a symbol of a time when councils were able to do things for their community, even when it meant pushing the boat out just that little bit further. Back in the 1960s, we had excellent parks, Kennedy Gardens heated by the boiler on Marsh House Avenue, birds in cages and fishes in brick ponds, heated pavements and The Forum. Of course it was also an era when local businesses paid their rates to their local councils, and none of this would have been possible without ICI funding. Can you see any local authority doing this much today?
My friends and I started going to La Ronde when we were 16, around 1972. We loved it. Got to know the bouncers so were never questioned about our age. Sometimes even got a lift home at the end of the night with the djs in their sports car with the music blaring at 2.30 in the morning. Loved the downstairs with the strobe lights, circular dance floor and lots of little cubby holes with cumfy seats. There was also a small cafe/restaurant where we often bought chips. Upstairs there was an elevated square dance floor with lights underneath. There was a lot of seating and tables around this. All the girls wore either full length skirts or mid calf gypsy type skirts. We had our own way of dancing too. Never seen anything the same, even on top of the pops. I remember we used to get up on the stage upstairs where they had arranged games where we could win prizes. I was the first to fight my way out of a huge paper bag and I won a turkey on Xmas Eve. lol
I was one of the DJ’s at La Ronde around 1970/71. We used to alternate between the disco downstairs, and the cabaret room upstairs. The place used to get a really good crowd. The only downside to the place was the manager, he would have been ideal for Pheonix Nights.
I used to do the Strippers night on a Wednesday – it best seat in the house, I still have flashbacks and the occasional nightmare.
I was there when one of the punters ran out of the front door after some sort of fracas, and vaulted over the wall – it was a long way down. He was on crutches for quite a while. Happy days.
i was at the time singer with – the blue caps … then – gypo , played it a lot , stooky was manager then .. himself a great singer – i went out with a girl used to dep on the dj thing , worked also in the precinct chemist ( anne ) would love to meet up n see where the paths lead , do you recall such a person …
As an 18-21 year-old, the La Ronde was THE place to go on Friday and Saturday nights after a few drinks in the Astronaut (also very modern like the inside of a spaceship and a big crowd of us would take up a whole area). Loved the fact that there were two choices of dancefloors – I liked the downstairs one with the strobe lights and circular floor, remember dancing to Hawkwind “Silver Machine” and “Crocodile Rock” in platform boots and midi-length gypsy skirts. Think at one time there were afternoon “cabarets” with Bob Monkhouse…? Sad to see the state of the Astronaut now… and the lounge is now a restaurant serving great roast dinners!
I also used to go to La Ronde after a few drinks in the Astronaut around 1970. Happy days growing up !!
After bardo’s, it became Lambert and Ross big night out
Also Baileys night spot, K2, The Big Night Out, Penny Lane and Eleanor Rigbys,
Billingham Town Centre doesn’t look quite the same without La Ronde. I know the modernist style of architecture isn’t amazing but at one time it must have seemed cool and futuristic… then I was always a little bit one for retro-futurism.
I agree with Chris. The estate car is F reg 1/8/67 to 31/7/68. Only the mk2 cortina has reflective number plates which I think came out in1968. Although not compulsary on new cars until sep 72, were very popular in the early 70’s and a lot of people changed the old black and white plates anyway. The estate car doesn’t look new, so I would put the picture some years after 1968, possibly 1970/71.
Via ‘super-zoom’, I think I can just make out an ‘F’registration plate on an estate-car in the carpark. This, if I recall correctly, was a 1968 registration, with the other vehicles certainly looking contemporary to around that date, especially the MkII Ford Cortina saloon and the Vauxhall Velox estate car.
This photograph must have been taken around the latter part of the 1960s or the early 1970s. The area in front of the West Precinct entrance was at that time still accessible to motor vehicles and the La Ronde still looks in its original condition.
Stan Hilton
I went to a lot of the night-clubs in the Stockton area. The La Ronda is one I never got to. From outside it looks small but told it’s quite big once inside. Judging by the sign on the post it must have been part of the Bailey Organization. Can’t remember what the symbol looked like. From my memory it looked like a lady holding a cane a sort of Bunnygirl type…
Martin Spires
In the late 70’s early 80’s the La Ronda became a restaurant called Bardo’s. The cuisine was mainly French. My wife and I had some great meals there during our courting days. I can remember it well because they served frogs legs as a starter and I could not get enough of them.
Barry Alexander