The club started in Gloster Road (on the corner of Priors Croft) in 1960, in the Community Hut, and existed until ’64. Run by Sam Hoadley and his sax playing son, Tony Hoadley; this long building, once you’d entered through the doors and passed the bathrooms on the left, featured music and dancing in the large “hall” room; with records Monday through Thursday and a live band on Fridays.
The bands often played in the smaller room through the door at the end. It was the venue for The Pink Bears debut gig in ’63, when they were known as The Senders. Ray Lewis, T. Hoddley’s cousin, and Terry Crowe used to play there in a Skiffle group called The Gravediggers, who later moved into Rock n Roll as Terry Crowe & The Counts. The Nashville Teens also appeared at the venue; as did The Stormville Shakers on 10 December ’62 and 7 January ’63, and The Temperance Seven. The Tony Hoadley Band was also a regular booking and often featured Bill Leru Quintet members Bill Leru and Peter Cauldwell.
On many a night you’d find Ralph and his friends dancing in their wellies with turned over tops; one of whom wore a tailed suit jacket. It’s location near the Queen’s Head made it rather popular. On Sunday’s the Community Hut was used as a Catholic church and reportedly service always smelled of beer (although none was served there) and cigarette smoke. On a couple of occasions Hoadley, the younger, organized coach trips from the club to the Newbury Jazz Club to see the likes of Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen and Nat Gonella.
Tony Hoadley, also performed comedy under the stage name Tony Gerrard, Britain’s best ‘sit down’ comedian, starting out in in ’68 alongside the likes of Bernard Manning, Frank Carson and Mike Reid in the working men’s clubs, with appearances on Celebrity Squares, The Comedians, EastEnders and The Bill. Tony died on 24 May 2012.
There is a public record (ED 149/229/3) titled Butaca Club, Woking; dated 1960-1964, held at The National Archives, Kew. that we need to investigate.
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