Lulu, Helen Shapiro and Adam Faith… the Embassy had it all!

The phrase “Walkin’ Back to Happiness”… The audience at The Embassy is blown away by Helen Shapiro, who had five successes that made it into the top ten in the early 1960s.
Sean McLaughlin takes a look back at the carefree dance hall days of the 1960s and the international performers who came to Derry during that time period.
Once upon a time, the Embassy Ballroom, which is located on Strand Road in Derry, was considered to be one of the most exclusive dance halls in Ireland. It was also known for hosting some of the most famous names in the entertainment industry.This Embassy, on the other hand, always seemed to pull out all the stops when it came to luring the most prominent figures in the world.

Willie Deery, a local author who has written a book that has received a lot of praise and is about Derry’s dance halls, claims that the city was a great place to live in the 1950s and 1960s.

According to his recollection, “Families were just beginning to emerge from the post-war poverty.” People were able to put a few shillings in their pockets for the very first time in a period of time that God knows how long. For the very first time, some individuals were going to feel the ease of wearing a brand-new suit, blouse, or dress on their back or shoulders.

Following a demanding week spent working in factories, construction sites, shops, or offices, Willie claims that the dance halls became the focus point for the expectations of young people.

Whether it was Irish rockers Thin Lizzy in the 1970s or performers from the 1960s like Lulu or Helen Shapiro, the Derry venue was at the vanguard of a musical revolution the entire time.

The North West was home to a number of renowned dance halls in the past, including the Corinthian, Memorial Hall, Criterion, Cameo/Stardust, Borderland, Plaza, and Fiesta. These establishments were situated in the North West.He claims that on a Friday, the entertainments pages of the “Derry Journal” were combed through from one corner to the other in order to find out which bands were scheduled to perform on that particular Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night. Young people in Derry were mostly entertained by dance halls and picture houses during that time period. This was the primary form of entertainment available to them.

According to Willie, the Embassy Ballroom was most likely the most luxurious of all the dancing halls in Derry for decades.

Additionally, the dance floor itself was always perfectly polished, and the entire place was covered in soft carpeting. A contemporary set of seats and tables were provided on the balcony, and the restrooms were always pristine.

It was possible for patrons to relax and enjoy a mineral while watching the dancers below, or they could simply listen to the band in a comfortable environment.