General Chat

Dear All

Hello

The Twist dance is 50 years old.

Chubby Checker has a number 1 record with The Twist which launched a worldwide dance craze.

How many remember doing the dance and can you still twist today?!

Take gentle care
Very best wishes
xx

Gentle nudge please

Thank you
xx

I remember it well, together with huge net petticoats. I remember being jealous of my friend who had two petticoats, where I only had one, and her skirt was much fuller than mine.

Happy days of my youth! Where did it go?

Love,
Elisabeth xx

PS Don't think my bones would stand the twist these days!

I could twist down but not so sure about going back up again.

I remember doing it and can still do it now, except the old knees creak a bit!

I've just given it a try Elizabeth, and yes - I can still do it.

A bit painful on the knees though!!

I remember it and I went to see Chubby Checker when he toured N.Z. as well.
You had to 'towel yourself vigorously with an imaginery towel and at the same time stub out a cigarette with one foot 'was one description of it I saw in a magazine.
Chubby Checker was quite plump so he only did it for a few seconds on stage when he sang the song.

Dear All

Hello

Hope you are all okay.

Thank you for you replies.

Its good to see what memories and thoughts people have on different subjects.

I can just about do the twist but then need two days to recover!
So that doesn't count really!

Take gentle care all
Very best wishes
xx

Good grief, is it really 50 years old?! :-)

Yes, I remember it well

Just tried it - yes, still can do it :-)

Hi there

Suzanne here. I just got an 'update' telling me Wendy had posted messages, had a peep and found you and your Twist chat. I am not stopping. Up to my eyes today but I could not resist when I read 'net petticoat'.

My mother was fashion-crazy and a tailoress. Petticoats were out for the Twist - she said. She made me a bronze shimmery skirt with a cha-cha frill around the bottom. It was so tight all I could do was 'hobble about', knees jammed together, teetering on my stilettos when I walked. But it was amazing to stand and twist in! I thought I was the best thing since sliced bread!

I caught the gaze of a 'bad boy' I was nuts about and he asked to walk me home. But I had two male cousins at the same 'hop' who decided he wasn't going near me again after the first 'slow dance'..

All evening they were whispering warnings in my ear and at the end of the night, outside in the carpark, I told them to mind their own business. 'I'll do what I like' was my answer. 'Oh Yeah' they said 'Let's see how well you can walk home now!'. And they picked me up between them by my elbows and stood me in a oil drum that was being used for a litter bin.

They rolled about laughing on the floor watching me trying to get out of it in my tight skirt and stilettos - knees in a vice-like grip and tottering on the edge of dignity doom.

I had a choice. I could pull my skirt up and climb out or tip the bin and crawl out. I tipped the bin. The 'bad boy' had disappeared and I was left to endure those two taking me home, poking fun at me all the way.

Yep! I am well aware it is 50 years since ChubbyChecker's Twist. I have had 50 years of them telling the oil drum tale at 'family do's'. And they still roll about laughing on the floor, every time they tell it.

Bye for now
Suzanne

I feel old - the net petticoats and stilettos, also the backcombed hair stiff with lacquer
Liz

I remember twisting the night away at The Locarno in Streatham, think it might have been called The Cat's Whiskers at that time.

We had some old cine films that my sister took which we've had put onto CD. The first clip on it is of me doing the twist in my sister's back garden when I was about 14 years old.

We watched it just the other day and I was commenting on the fact that I wish I could still do it now - two knee replacements put paid to that I'm afraid. :-(

Where did all those years go. My eldest son is 38 today and it seems like only yesterday!

Kath. x

Then it had a comeback circa 1976 - recall daughter and friend practising in our lounge. I then showed them how to do the real twist. Daughter's mouth fell open! However I did forgive them for thinking I was decrepit and taught them so they could impress their friends! And no I could not do it now - am lucky I can walk a bit!!!!!

Oh gosh the twist ..yes i remember it lol
My OH was twisting the night away back in 1961 christmas time
at the Mecca in Stevenage Herts ..and he and his dance partner won first prize ..
Hazelx

lol Hazel..was just about to type that me and OH won first prize in a Twist competition 1961.....our prize? a large box of Senior Service untipped cigarettes

My husband smoked then,but can you imagine those being a prize for anything now?!

Maux

Yes - I used to "Twist" at the pub in Wool, Dorset when I was stationed at Bovington Camp. Remember "The Creep"?

And the locomotive!

The locomotion - Little Eva.

Dear All

Hello

Hope you are all well.

Its great to see so many replies and read about your memories of the dance craze.

Thank you for contributing.

Take gentle care
Very best wishes
xx