Theatre Club still invokes memories
A post from almost 2 years ago is hot again, thanks to memories from Pete Goss and Alan Hills. Enjoy!
Pete Goss // April 22, 2009 at 7:47 am | Reply (edit)
I must have known Lew, because I was in the play that won the Services Drama Festival. It was called “JB” and was directed by my mum, Julie Goss. I have very fond memories of the club which was very successful while we were there from 1960 to 1963. I still have some of the old programmes in the attic.
Alan Hills // December 8, 2009 at 4:29 am | Reply (edit)
I was the station photographer at RAF Seletar 1962 -64. Just after JB I was asked to take photos of productions at the theatre club – I think the first was Alladin? Xmas ‘62 – and I continued until repat in Aug 1964. I still have many photos from that time, plus old programmes, of the productions, the fire, etc.. I remember Julie Goss very well. I am still in touch with John Baker (lighting) who went on to work with Joan Littlewood at Stratford (East), then Chichester, now in South Africa. Also Joyce Dobbie.
I did 12 years in the RAF, my best postings were Butzweilerhof and Seletar – great memories!Re location of Theatre Club. Just been looking at Google Maps – entered ‘Seletar’ and up it came. Sat pix a bit bit dark and cloudy – but could make out the SHQ, the station cinema and post office – still there.
From memory, the Theatre club was in Oxford Street, which branched at a sharp angle from Piccadilly (where did they get these names!). On the corner was the Anglican Church, and I think the Club was the next building along – but again from memory there was also the families NAAFI shop in that row.
The schools were in the Crescent on the right hand side of Picadilly going toward the main camp entrance.
Unfortunately the pix are quite dark and it is difficult to be sure, but there does seem to be quite a lot of the old buildings standing.
Worth a chufti, though!
All best.
I did 2 stints at Seletar with my family (Dad was in Com Cen or Signals – Dan McNally). First stint was 1958 – 1961, second 1966 – 1969. Have many, many fond memories and photos of both times. Was in Theatre Club 66 – 69 where I met Pay Ayres who went on to greater things. Spent Sunday afternoons drinking Tiger tops and listening to the Goons on radio. Britannia club holds fantastic memories, also China S
Hi, I spent 5 yrs at RAF Seleter – 1958 to 61 and 1966 to 69. Have many, many happy memories. Dad was in Signals, ComCen – Dan McNally. 2 sisters Poppy and Brenda. Spent a lot of time at Theatre Club doing programmes and posters etc. mainly socialising – met Pan Ayres who was only about 20 then. Anyone remember a gorgeous bloke called Andy at the Club? The Brittania club was great – spent loads of time there. Anyone who was there can contact me anytime – I would love to chat about Seletar. I’ve got lots of snaps if anyone wants to see them. Thanks!
Hi Julie, we were at Seletar at the same time as you – my dad, Chris Levy produced some of the plays and actually gave Pam Ayres her first role in “Wanted, One Body”. I used to prompt for a lot of the plays. Do you remember Tony Miles? I had my 18th birthday party on Club Night (Friday nights) March 1968. Mum laid on a good spread for everyone and an impromptu review was put on by the members. I appeared in one with Pam Ayres. Dad ended up as Vice President and life member of the Club. We practically lived there! Do you remember Andy’s surname (did he also get called Fred) – was involved in the lighting of some shows. We were at Seletar from November 66 – May 69 – lived in Serangoon for about six months then moved onto the camp – Oxford Street (opposite the NAAFI) and then Regent Street. Perhaps I might hear back from you. Regards Margaret
Hi Julie and anybody of Seletar and/or Pam Ayres vintage. If you can email me any relevant material or post to: 60 HIGHFIELD ROAD
PETERSFIELD
HAMPSHIRE
GU32 2HN
I will copy and return if necessary. I am sure that the Seletar magazine “Searchlight” would love to do an article on the Theatre Club.
David Lloyd
I am the Archivist for RAF Seletar Association and have just received a request for any info on Pam Ayres. I would be grateful for any response – thanks
Hi David, I was at Seletar 1966 to 1969 and spent a lot of time at the Theatre Club – am trying to keep in contact with Margaret Timms. I have a great photo of Pam Ayres and a lad called Andy cleaning out the fish tank that was in the lounge/bar dressed in shorts at the back of the club near the loos. I also have a great after show party photo – thing it was ‘Boeing, Boeing’. Can you tell me how to get these snaps on the site please? I will try now but it might not work. Thanks – I have lots of good photos of my time in Singaport and would love to share them. Hope I can find a way! Regards, Julie.
Hi Julie,
I dont know how you can send photos to this website but I can get them on to the RAF Seletar Association Website – where I am sure you will find a lot of people who would appreciate them. If you wish to send me any material then I can do that – especially the Pam Ayres stuff – photos, programmes etc. I received a message from Rex Plowman via Facebook, but no photos – I hope he reads this and can get in touch.
I was at Seletar 1960/62 but was not a member of the Theatre Club – however, when I was seconded to the Zambian Air Force – 1968/69 – I was a member of the Lusaka Theatre Club and played Ken Scudamore in the “Brides of March” – Is there anybody out there from those days?
Anything would be gratefully received – by post or email. ( I can supply my address if needed.
Regards,
David
Hi – I am feeling a bit frustrated as I have sent emails and uploaded a photo of the cast aftershow party at the Theatre club and have other photos to put on but I am not getting any replies from anyone. Am I doing something wrong? Can someone reply to me and tell me if anyone is reading this site or if I need to do anything differently PLEASE!!!!!! Thanks, Julie
Hi Julie, would love to see your photos. I was the prompt for Boeing Boeing, Tony Miles produced it if I remember rightly. If you save your photos and then email them to me as an attachment, that may the easiest way.
Thanks
Margaret
Hello Julie McNally. I always wondered what happened to you after our encounter back in the UK. That sounds a bit naughty doesn’t it, but we both know it wasn’t!! How wonderful to come across you again after all this time. I came across the site purely by accident the other day and it really cheered me up. Time has passed me by now, as I have been married twice and now retired and a grandfather three times over, and very happy with my lot. Hope all is well with you. I shall have to check out my photo albums, because I have loads of photos of the club, and some of you too. Take care Julie. xxx
Thought you might like to know that I hold 2 large albums of Seletar Theatre Club material as I am RAF Seletar Archivist.
Hi to Dave Lloyd from another member of the Zambia Air Force. I remember putting on variety shows and pantomines in the hangar at Lusaka using old crates for the stage. On one occasion we had to call intervals because the cable supplying the lighting would get hot. (we could only ‘acquire’ thin core cable!)
Hi Will – bit of a bolt from the blue. The last time I saw you was 73/74 at Scampton. I went to Oman from there – my last overseas tour – and finished up at Odiham. Never did get to a Zambia reunion but have had contact with Ben Casey, Nick Glenton, “Granny Marr, Bob Perkins and Frank Dixon over the years – but not recently. Ben was living in Cyprus and I have a place in Paphos, so we met up and had a drink or three. Alice and I agreed to split up in 1981 but remain good friends – we have two girls – Gwyneth and Olwyn. I married a Chinese Indonesian in 84 and we still get on! Bit of a culture change I finished with aircraft in 2003 and went on to work for Compassion in World Farming – retiring last year, but kept very busy. I hope Sylvia and the family are well?
Best Wishes – Dave Lloyd
Hi Dave, sorry I haven’t got back sooner. I still keep in touch(Xmas card) with Denis Smith but haven’t met anyone else from ZAF. I left the RAF in ’81 to work for Racal-Decca Survey but took early retirement in ’96. Now a man of leisure. Sylvia and the boys are all OK.
All the very best, Will. (kscarlett@talktalk.net)
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Hello everyone, A mere strippling here. I was at Seletar schools from 1967 to 71 and saw the change over to SAF! I lived with my family just ouside Seletar camp at Poulden Court which sadly has been demolished now! I remember some of the guys i was at school with particularily Steve Ingram, Glen Hendy and Skippy Duncan I was in Gibson House and if by a fluke there is anyone who was at Seletar Secondary i would love to get in touch again!
All the best
Dave Smith (mrbluesman1@btinternet.com)
Hi Dave – Roger Peach forwarded your message to me. I found him after looking at the Theatre Club site ages ago as I was always trying to find people I knew during my time in Seletar. I was with my Dad (WO Dan McNally) and family from 1966 to 1969 firstly at Jalan Kayu village and then in our house on Mornington Crescent right opposite Seletar Secondary school. We arrived when I was 15 and left when I was nearly 18 years old. A lot of the time was spent at the Theatre Club where I met Pam Ayres and many others whose names I can’t really remember except Dino and Andy? My memories of Singapore are really happy ones – sun, swimming, dancing, trips into the city and all the usual tourist places. Also trips into Malaya were great fun too. Were you there with your family? I would love to compare notes with you if you want. My name now is Julie Nixon but then I was Julie McNally. It would be great to hear from you.
Hi Julie, Sorry for the wait for a reply from me! My Email is mrbluesman1@btinternet.com if you’d care to chat that way! Incidently i have a trip to Singers, Malaysia and Thailand planned sometime in the next 12 months or so!
Hello everyone
I have posted comments on a different Postcards site before.There is now a Facebook page for Seletar Theatre Club,and i see Julie Nixon has contributed a picture of Boeing Boeing. So thanks Julie.I must have met you Julie,but I can’t exactly place you I’m sorry to say .I do remember a Wendy Barrie though,we were in a one act play together Henry Hereafter .She played either Jane Seymour or Catherine Howard,I played Anne Boleyn.George Watkins played King Henry 8th.
RAF Seletar website now includes RAF Seletar Theatre Club – A lot of material is held by the Archivist
Have only just found this site as I didn’t ever thinkthat such a thing as the Seletar Theatre Club existed, I was doing my national service in Seletar in 1956-7 and was part of the crew that put on the first production,’Night Must Fall’ which opened on 27th February, 1956. I was the bloke who had to make sure Danny got on stage at the right time. It was a very well coriographed entrance done to a Bach cantatta and fuge. I don’t know how we did it but there were four productions within 12 months. After ‘Night Must Fall’ we did ‘Flare Path’ in which I played the Polish Flying Officer. The Officer in charge of the flying boat squadron was Flt. Lt. Warhaftig who loaned me his WWll badge from the battle of Britain. It was handy having him there as I could get the accent right! The other plays done were ‘While The Sun Shines’,another Rattigan play and a farse, ‘Happy Landings’
I don’t know if there will be any of the boys from thay era still around, I’m 78, but it would be great top hear from them. Sorry, I wouldn’t be able to get to any rfeunions as I live in Tasmania, Australia.
Looking forward th some feed back and I do have some photos of the early days. I don’t know if the semi circular bar was there in the corner in later years, but I designed and helped to build it!
It’s great to read these new comments,during my time the bar was situated in the right hand corner as you came through the side entranc
e, manned by CHEW of course.
Any info on “Mackaces” dance band early 50s ?