Going to a Dance

On 6 February, 1942, two young people were at home on leave in Grimethorpe, a coal mining village in what is now South Yorkshire (at the time it was part of the great West Riding of Yorkshire).

Stan was 22 years old, a Corporal in the Royal Signals.  He had been in the Army for two years, having been just the right age to be conscripted in 1939.

Grace was just 21 years old - her birthday was 2 February and she may have arranged her leave so she could be at home for her 21st birthday.  Grace was training to be a State Registered Nurse at the City General Hospital in Nottingham.

Both their fathers: George Bristow and William Skuse, were involved with the Nursing Association in Grimethorpe and were part of the organising committee for a dance being held at the Welfare Hall.  Neither Stan nor Grace were particularly bothered about going to the dance, but both were persuaded by their fathers to turn out on a cold February night.

 As the evening progressed a fight broke out on the dance floor.  George and Stan broke up the fight and took a young man, whose nose was bleeding profusely, into the kitchen.  William went to find Grace so that she could tend to the young man's injuries.  This was how Stan and Grace met.

Later in the evening they danced together and Stan walked Grace home.  "I will write" he said.  Grace was not particularly impressed and, many years later, she told me this story and said "... and I thought, you needn't bother!"