Memories of the Rio Youth Club 2

Memories of the Rio Youth Club from Mo Beat and Sheonagh Beat.

I was also involved in starting up the youth club. We used to meet in the West Hall in Wormit and the leaders, a husband and wife (cannot remember names), were instrumental in getting the Rio as a venue. I donated many of my 45s to the record collection for the discos. My brother Bob and his pals formed a band and practised in the Rio. Happy memories. (Mo Beat)

A good number of adults, maybe in their late twenties, helped to form the Rio . We used to have discos at the West Hall in Wormit, and go to married couples’ houses for youth club get-togethers. Thank goodness for them. I remember Mr. & Mrs Symon, from Bay Road in Wormit, there was also a couple that lived in Kilnburn that helped us youth attain a youth club. When we got the premises, it was great. Bobby Easton the DJ, Great memories. People I knew – Pamela Young, Sheena Campbell, Robert Downie, John Latto, John Leslie, and lots more. We were the beginners. Long live the Rio.

It was a great place for teenagers to go to meet their peers. Every community should have had a place like the RIO. What will we wear tonight, will so and so ask me to dance, all the teenage angst, dancing to latest songs, heavy music, pop music. All included. Newport had a rock band: John Dowie, Bobby Easton, John Latto, John Leslie, Alex Duncan . Great friends made there. (Sheonagh Beat)

Ian Sloan leader, then Billy Dowie, Madge Martin, and myself (at the time Jane Reid), employees of Fife council, were the first youth leaders at the new youth club. We had a café, a TV room, another room for art and cooking classes, and the main hall was used for lots of activities. The discos were started on Saturday night by brothers Gordon and Colin Hogg and they continued, even hiring themselves out for years with others. The original people who thought of opening a youth club were a crowd that frequented the cafe in the chipper owned by the Janetta family on Boat Brae – mostly the Newport bikers at the time, David Davidson if I can remember started the ball rolling. Lots of great fun had by all. Loads of stories and lots of people involved over the years. (Jane Feeney Lawson)

Read more Rio youth club memories.