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Discoteque Narrows the Generation Gap

February 1970

South Yorkshire Times February 28th 1970

This Discoteque Narrows the Generation Gap

Four years ago, ‘The Who’ belted out “My Generation” and put on record youth’s view of the generation gap…” hope I die before I get old.”

In Mexborough the gap yawned open when the Civic Hall discotheque was closed down by the Council after allegations – first of sexual misconduct and then of drug taking. The adults felt moral standards were being abused, the teenagers felt they were not being given a fair hearing in the matter.

Now a complete about-face has given the two parties the chance to come together…for Mexborough Urban Council have re-opened the discotheque and put the running of it in the hands of a committee of teenagers.

The result? A relative out-sider 20-years-old Bob Evison, of Doncaster has forthright views. “This is a beautiful place” he says. “I go all over the place, but the atmosphere here is unique, it is so relaxed.”

Bob and a couple of friends hire their mobile discotheque equipment to the committee, “but we make absolutely nothing out of it,” he says.  “Too many adults are in this game for the money, no wonder the kids become disillusioned.  All we want is to enjoy ourselves and to see everyone else happy.  This place gives us a night out and that’s all we want.”

Last Monday there were over 200 there, dancing to records played by Swinton disc-jockey Garry Cooper, himself a teenager.

Said Bob “It’s a quiet night. When I first came here the kids didn’t seem to be enjoying it, they looked miserable.”

“The trouble was they weren’t getting quite what they wanted.  Now they run it themselves and the system is perfect. If ever anyone has a grouse they go straight to the committee and it is seen to straight away.”

“The committee know what is needed. Of course, there’s no trouble at all because they wouldn’t be fighting an organisation as in the past. they’d be fighting themselves.”

“Over at Gainsborough we opened a discotheque and had to close it after a month because of the trouble.  Here, nothing.  Everyone just comes and has a good time.”

The Civic Hall discotheque is a tremendous success, and the people who come here are from all over the place – Conisbrough, Swinton, Kilnhurst, Dearne, Warmsworth and Mexborough.  It is a tribute to the younger generation who have shown they can accept responsibility and to the Council, who have had the courage to give it to them. The generation gap in Mexborough is diminishing a little as a result.  ‘The Who’ were never very popular here anyway.