A recent photo from Google Streets of Northside Square
My Personal Reflections
of Bradley's
by Tommy Towery
Class of '64
(From "A Million Tomorrows...Memories of the Class of '64")
Habitats of the Sixties Teenager
When a movie was not in order, dances were. In the early Sixties, dances on Friday and Saturday nights were almost required social events for high school students. Several places hosted teenage dances. Perhaps the most popular spot was Bradley's Cafeteria, located on the north side of the court square in downtown Huntsville. It had a lower level that was used for the dances after the cafeteria upstairs eating area closed. The National Guard Armory was another good site, but it did not host weekly events. A private club called The Aquatic Club was on the west end of Oakwood Avenue and sponsored a dance about once a month. The other favorite spot, but less frequent in sponsoring dances, was the new coliseum on Highway 72, and once or twice a year, a dance was held at the Big Spring Park Community Center.
Terrible decisions had to be made on nights when more than one place sponsored dances. The decision was most often based on popular vote by the group, using as a criteria which dance had the most popular band playing that night. Usual admission was $1.00 per person, and live bands were always playing. There were no record hops, no discos, just live bands. The favorite group of the time for the kids from Lee was "The Continentals", partially because the drummer went to Lee.
At ten o'clock or midnight depending on where it was being held, you usually walked out into the quite night air, ears ringing from standing dircetly in front of the speakers where the sound waves could move you without your having to exert any effort. It seemed that walking out of Bradley's downtown always had the most startling effect on the ears. Downtown was deathly quiet late at night and the ringing of the ears was obvious.
Thanks to some research by Thomas Hutchens, in the Heritage Room of the Huntsville Public Library, this is what I found about the buildings on Northside Square.
From the 1964 Huntsville City Directory:
North Side Square
101 Security Federal Savings and Loan
103 Sno-Wite Sandwich Shop
105 Arnold’s Clothing Company
107 Bradley’s Cafeteria
113 Hornbuckle’s Record Shop
I am not sure if the numbers have changed over the years or not, but if they have not, a web search shows the following located at 107 Northside Square today. Anyone else recognize 113 Northside Square?
Ben Peek Construction
Jefferson Thomas K
Kelly M McDonald Atty at Law
Mitchell Howie Huntsville Lawyer
Rocket City Reporting Unverified listing
Several years ago I got this request in an earlier edition of Lee's Traveller and it goes right along with the current topic of bands and dances.
Subject: The "TEMPEST"
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 10:07:07 -0700
From: George Lehman Williams
Special Request - I played drums in a Band called the "Tempest" in 1963 and 64. We played a lot at Bradley's Cafeteria, parties and just about anywhere.
If anyone has film or photos of us, any photo, any film, of us playing or not, please contact me. I have nothing that I can show my grandson and granddaughter of a very special time in my life. I will be glad to cover any cost of reproduction. Thanks in advance to any of you who will take the time to look and or ask others. Toot Snoddy(?) was lead guitar and Bobby Vanvakenberg (?) was bass guitar.
I look again at "A Million Tomorrows...Memories of the Class of '64" and find my final contact with Bradley's.
Friday, May 29, 1964
150th Day 216 days to follow
Cloudy/Rain
...The dance at Bradley's was the last one I would attend before I graduated. It also was the last one with my old group. I was not the only one who would not be at future Friday nights at Bradley's. There were others who would leave town for college, and there were those who would get married. Bradley's would become a part of their past just as it would become a part of mine.
The swan song of dances for me featured my favorite Huntsvillian group, "The Continentals." They played the songs that would echo in my mind for months and years to come. In the lonely days to follow, in my reflections, the music of the night would fill my mind. The memories all came back. Songs like "Talk To Me," "Sleepwalk," and others took me back into the arms of the girls and the times of Bradley's.
Now, for all my old dance partners reading this, let's travel back in time...let me take you in my arms...lay your head on my shoulder...put a big smile on your face and travel back in time with me for one brief moment after you click on the link below.
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