The film was called 'Blackboard Jungle', and concerned an American school in which all the pupils seemed to be adults. There was a wide area between the front row of seats and the screen where previously the theatre organ had popped up and down, The soundtrack music was recorded by a gentleman named Bill Haley. Bill was certainly no youngster, but the music had an infectious rhythm, and several couples rose from their seats to dance in the aisle. On came the theatre lights and the film was stopped. The local newspaper later reported 'Teenage gang riot in City Centre'. Clearly, civilisation was under threat. The teenage culture had arrived. Society expressed displeasure, and proceeded to satisfy the material demands of this new market. Teenagers demanded recognition as individuals, and the right to conform rigidly with the fashions and mores of their chosen grouping. Our wild set attended a youth club on Friday evenings, where we played records lasting three minutes each, at 78 rpm. These came in plain brown paper jackets and did not survive if sat upon. Boys stood in groups, watching the girls dance together, and estimated who was wearing the most petticoats. In the back room we could indulge in table tennis or darts. What rebels we were. An early battleground was a parting in the hair. The desired style was a Crewe cut, which had little to do with a railway company but a badge of membership. Pupils were inspected on arrival at school and sent home unless a parting could be discerned in the hair. Sales of gel soared. Our musical knowledge was updated at weekends by listening to the Top Twenty records on Radio Luxembourg (That is spelled K, E, Y, N ...), assuming we could get reception. It seems strange now, but position in the pop chart was decided by sales of sheet music to pianists. The names of groups were innocent and quite wistful; Star Gazers, Dream Weavers. Elvis was approaching... We didn't realise it, but society had changed forever. Smokey Checked by Norton 2004 before transmission with Mozilla Thunderbird