Jane Barber, Memories of ‘The Gower’

I have read with interest about the wonderful work at The Gower and thought you may be interested as I used to live there.
For many years in the 60’s and 70’s I lived there with my parents, my mother Joyce Barber was Caretaker when it was a school and then changed to a Youth Club. We lived in the house attached to The Gower and our bedrooms were directly above the main entrance.
Most of my childhood I lived there and then in my teenage years I attended the Youth Club.
When I was a child I have memories of watching people climbing through the toilet windows to get into the sold-out dances and watching club members creating the many carnival floats for Oakengates Carnival, themes I remember were cave men, the float themed Watch Out There’s a Humphrey about from the milk advert. The members spent many hours creating sets from papier-mâché.
When I was 14 I was allowed to attend the youth club and remember it vividly. The coffee bar, with the magazine table and the record player. Then there was the table tennis table and the pinball table in the next room.
The end room was for a period used by the motor bike enthusiasts who repaired their bikes, BSA Triumph to name just a couple I remember.
The main hall was used for dances and we played shinty with a plastic puck on the highly polished wooden floor.
In later years I visited the Youth Club with my Disco Wet Wellie Roadshow.

Thank you to ‎Glenn Phillips for providing the picture of The Gower motorbike club dated 1976

Steven crofts – On the motorbike

Paul Luter – Far left

Glen Phillips – 2nd From Left

Kim Fitzpatrick – 3rd From Left

Steve Chesters – 4th From Left