JANET WOOLF’S DANCE BAND

Janet Woolf started playing at local dances in the Wairau Valley in the 1950s and she’s still playing with her band today.

Tickets ( bought by the men ) covered the hall cost, with ladies bringing a plate for a shared supper. And while dances were officially alcohol free, Janet remembers differently.

“Every now and then you’d see some of the men sprint outside to have a wee noggin in the car – or else they’d be late to the dance, having been delayed at the Wairau Park Hotel.”

Photo courtesy of Graham Brooks