Youth Cultures: “Teddy Boys”

“Teddy Boys”

(Fig 1.) A Best Dressed Teddy Boy Competition at Nottingham in 1956.

Interview – 13/09/2014 – Derek. J. Price (Grandad born 1945)

Being a “teddy boy” what did you wear?

“Oh I was a proper Teddy Boy alright; I had the drape jackets with velvet collars and big old lapels. Even had the “bootlace lace ties” and drain pipes! I did it proper. It didn’t too much matter about the shirt in the end with all the troubles us boys got in, never went back home in the same one!! Always covered in blood and me mum never knew the difference!”

There are lots of connotations with teddy boys and violence was it really like that?

“oh god yeah, mind you it didn’t happen always but when it kicked off it was proper, they say nowadays its bad but you wouldn’t walk around on your own dressed like a ted! Not that you care, you were a teddy boy you knew your boys weren’t far behind! I remember one time going down to ballroom down in Brighton because everyone was going (which travelling from Tredegar was quite the trek)… anyway was in this ballroom dancing with this lass, some guys comes up to me and says “Oi she’s mine” said sorry mate then went to walk away, as I turned my back my mate shouted me because the guy was gunna knife me, knife just missed my heart but was still in hospital for a while. So yeah the violence was bad when it was bad… few months later after the guy came out of hiding I showed him what’s what now were even. This was all before your Nan mind”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1421914688&feature=player_detailpage&v=uBdbwnfRmsM&x-yt-cl=84503534

What was it like to know you all had your boys no matter what?

“was all like a family even strangers who were teddies all acted like family it was amazing, just the rockers we didn’t get so well along with! But yeah this big community we all had was awesome.

Even with the horrendous stories you’ve told me about your days, you still say it all with a massive grin of happiness, is it really always a happy memory?

“yeah actually it was I mean we did get up to some mischief mind, some of it looking back pretty scary stuff, but we were Teddy Boys, we wore our suits with pride like armour! I mean we looked good, we all took so much pride in what we looked like, not like a punch of pansies more as a uniform with our boys beside us. So yeah wouldn’t change anything. Besides the ladies always did like a good suit that’s how I met your Nan!