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Shropshire through the decades: 29 snapshots of clubs, laughter and good old-fashioned spirit

We’ve gone through the Shropshire Star archives to uncover charming snapshots of local club life from the ’50s to the ’90s.

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By Tania Taylor
Published

The fashions and hairstyles may have changed, but the friendly faces, laughter, and good old-fashioned community spirit remain just as heartwarming today.

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Highley Miners Football Club at the Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury, after winning the Shropshire Junior Cup. Dicky Rhodes is holding up the cup - he played for Highley Miners from 1960 to 1966 so it must be in that period - Highley Miners won this cup in that period 1960-61; 61-62; 63-64; 64-65. Richard Rhodes, known when playing as Dicky Rhodes, his childhood nickname was Tadger. He said they were playing Ludlow Town and Highley had to change colours to orange and white. 'We usually had black and white, similar to England colours - white top, black shorts. But they were in black and white too so we had to change.' This is a Wellington Journal & Shrewsbury News copyright picture.
Highley Miners Football Club at the Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury, after winning the Shropshire Junior Cup. Dicky Rhodes is holding up the cup - he played for Highley Miners from 1960 to 1966, we're not sure what the exact year is but Highley Miners won this cup in that period. Richard Rhodes, known when playing as Dicky Rhodes, said they were playing Ludlow Town and Highley had to change colours to orange and white. 'We usually had black and white, similar to England colours - white top, black shorts. But they were in black and white too so we had to change.'
Pop groups The Skylons and Bird 'n' B's or Fluff (name changed to Fluff) at the Webb Youth Club, Dawley (later spelt as the Web Youth Club). This is from the memorabilia of Mrs Dawn Rice, nee Dawn Cullis. Dawn is front, centre with a big smile. Date guesstimate late 1960s. The Skylons were a Dawley group. Dawn hails originally from Dawley and was a girl drummer in Shropshire groups in the 1960s and into the 1970s. The groups included The Greasers from Dawley, The Pacifics from Newport, and then mainly Bird 'n' Bees, and then Fluff, and ultimately Dollymixcha and then Duplicate. Her husband Derek Rice whom she married in 1971 was a singer and guitarist in Walsall group The Saddlers.
Pop groups The Skylons and Bird 'n' B's or Fluff (name changed to Fluff) at the Webb Youth Club, Dawley (later spelt as the Web Youth Club). This is from the memorabilia of Mrs Dawn Rice, nee Dawn Cullis. Dawn is front, centre with a big smile. Date guesstimate late 1960s. The Skylons were a Dawley group. Dawn hails originally from Dawley and was a girl drummer in Shropshire groups in the 1960s and into the 1970s. The groups included The Greasers from Dawley, The Pacifics from Newport, and then mainly Bird 'n' Bees, and then Fluff, and ultimately Dollymixcha and then Duplicate. Her husband Derek Rice whom she married in 1971 was a singer and guitarist in Walsall group The Saddlers.
Teenagers dancing, likely at Shrewsbury Youth Club as '...SBURY YO..' can be seen in the background. This is undated but possibly early 1960s. This print is totally blank on the back.
Teenagers dancing, likely at Shrewsbury Youth Club as '...SBURY YO..' can be seen in the background. This is undated but possibly early 1960s. This print is totally blank on the back.
March 11, 1971. BBC Radio One Club visited the Vine Club in Newport, hosted by top disc jockey Noel Edmonds. The caption read: 'On air after a technical fault had delayed for 20 minutes the start of Radio 1 Club from the Vine Club, Newport, yesterday is disc jockey Noel Edmonds.' the report said.
March 11, 1971. BBC Radio One Club visited the Vine Club in Newport, hosted by top disc jockey Noel Edmonds. The caption read: 'On air after a technical fault had delayed for 20 minutes the start of Radio 1 Club from the Vine Club, Newport, yesterday is disc jockey Noel Edmonds.' the report said.
Ludlow Youth Club, October 1975. The caption reads: 'Susan Adams (16), of Hamlet Road, Ludlow, looks all set to show the boys a thing or two about table skittles at the new youth club at Galdeford, Ludlow.'
Ludlow Youth Club, October 1975. The caption reads: 'Susan Adams (16), of Hamlet Road, Ludlow, looks all set to show the boys a thing or two about table skittles at the new youth club at Galdeford, Ludlow.'
This photo was taken at Severnside Lawn Tennis Club in Shrewsbury around 1950. From left are: Fred Perry (a tennis legend); former Shropshire County player Margaret Emberton, J.D. Davies, president of Shropshire County Lawn Tennis Association; unknown; and then Dan Maskell, a tennis player who became a famous commentator of Wimbledon. The picture was supplied by Graham Emberton. Margaret was his sister. She became on marriage Mrs Margaret Ankers.
This photo was taken at Severnside Lawn Tennis Club in Shrewsbury around 1950. From left are: Fred Perry (a tennis legend); former Shropshire County player Margaret Emberton, J.D. Davies, president of Shropshire County Lawn Tennis Association; unknown; and then Dan Maskell, a tennis player who became a famous commentator of Wimbledon. The picture was supplied by Graham Emberton. Margaret was his sister. She became on marriage Mrs Margaret Ankers.
May 1974, the caption reads: 'Clun Youth Club members clear rubble from the banks of the lake while a tractor stands by ready to tow away a dumped sewage pipe.' The accompanying story said: 'Clun Pool, near Craven Arms, is to live again. The lake and surrounding land which became a dumping ground for rubbish is to be 'revitalised' in an ambitious bid to provide an amenity for everyone. Behind the plan to stock the cleared lake with fish and plant trees and flowers is Clun Youth Club, led by Mr Harry Dickinson. Members, aged 12 to 20, have cleared rubbish from the lake basin, rebuilt the banks of the feed streams and will soon start replanting. The next major task is to make the sluice gates operational so the pool can start filling again. The project is Clun Youth Club's entry in the Better Britain competition...'
May 1974, the caption reads: 'Clun Youth Club members clear rubble from the banks of the lake while a tractor stands by ready to tow away a dumped sewage pipe.' The accompanying story said: 'Clun Pool, near Craven Arms, is to live again. The lake and surrounding land which became a dumping ground for rubbish is to be 'revitalised' in an ambitious bid to provide an amenity for everyone. Behind the plan to stock the cleared lake with fish and plant trees and flowers is Clun Youth Club, led by Mr Harry Dickinson. Members, aged 12 to 20, have cleared rubbish from the lake basin, rebuilt the banks of the feed streams and will soon start replanting. The next major task is to make the sluice gates operational so the pool can start filling again. The project is Clun Youth Club's entry in the Better Britain competition...'
This is a 1965 Harper Adams pram race, but the lads are unidentified. The image was supplied by Alan & Heather Cooke and shared by Linda Fletcher of Newport History Society. The society were scanning for their image archive.
This is a 1965 Harper Adams pram race, but the lads are unidentified. The image was supplied by Alan & Heather Cooke and shared by Linda Fletcher of Newport History Society. The society were scanning for their image archive.