The Browns Organisation

The Browns Organisation was originally set up by Tommy Brown and his first wife as dancing schools. They opened in Moston, Levenshulme and Stretford and they were known as Browns School of Dancing.

They were all in ex Coop halls, mainly I think because the rents were cheap and it suited the Coop to get these halls off their backs.

Having been reasonably successful as dancing schools the intrepid Tom Brown twigged that what the kids wanted were disco’s, so pretty quickly all the dancing schools were swapped over to disco’s and called various names.

When you consider how early in the disco scene this was maybe he wasn’t as mad as most people thought. In fact he most definitely wasn’t as he has only recently retired from the business having passed on his two establishments in Majorca to his children. He quickly rigged them all out as log cabins, which looked quite effective and was cheap as he had a deal going with the Forestry commission.

So out went the patent leather shoes and in came the twin decks operated by several different wannabe DJ’s and on the whole business was fairly good. He insisted to all his disc jockeys that several times a night they had to play the “Barn Dance and the Rich Rhythm”.

As can be imagined all the budding Jimmy Saville’s thought this was terribly uncool and tried to get out of it. But to no avail the word from Mr. Brown was play it or get out no negoition. In hindsight now I’ve got to say he was right because what it did was get the boys dancing and with constantly changing partners gave everybody a chance to pull.

People still talk to me 30/40 years later about the Rich Rhythm. When you consider what line dancing has done recently maybe he was 30 years before his time.

As time moved on things became a bit more sophisticated with the opening of discos in the city centre and it was time for the clubs to go licensed, and this was really the beginning of the end for both Moston and Levenshulme. Stretford managed to carry on for quite a while but really Mr. Brown had decided to move on with the jewel in his crown which was Uncle Toms Cabin in Little Hulton and later Uncle Toms Cabin in Darwin near Blackburn.

I have written separately about Uncle Toms Cabin as this is the place I know more about.

Kevin Lane - DJ

Browns included barn dancing amongst the pop music - it worked, but not for me.

Paul Mlynarz - webmaster /Phoenix City Smash

"Sometimes we used to venture into Manchester to clubs like Mr Smiths, Top of the Town, Takis, Spring Gardens and Sound, (how we ever got in I'll never know, my mother made me wear short ankle socks most of the time !!) but Browns remained a firm favourite. They used to have a lot of live acts on and we saw groups like the Showstoppers, various versions of the Drifters and lots of good local groups like the Fantastics and a particular favourite Sad Soul. The Phoenix City Smash Band also springs to mind but can't think what type of music they played."

"You mentioned the barn dancing at Browns not working for you ........it did for us as you got to move round the circle with the anticipation of ending up with that certain male you really fancied...more often than not though it was, disappointingly, another girl . We also did a really fast dance in a circle that I think was called the Ritz Rhythm not a clue why ?? Danced to one of my first Northern tracks doing that........ The Radiants - Hold On."

Browns Stretford (Moss Road) March 2004
picture courtesy Graham Pilkington

In more recent years it has been know as the "Stretford Banquetting Suite", but now sites idle. Even the car spares company down stairs have moved out.

Not sure what is happening with the building now :-(

Mike Williams

I also remember Browns School of ancing, but the one I went to was on Oldham Road, facing Monsall Road, I think it was over the top of a conservative club. Wow is it that long ago, about 1960.

I also remember going to Uncle Toms at Darwin to see an act called The Pickwicks, also I remember the resident drummer was a good skin basher called Fred Shawcross. Oh what memories, what would we do without them.

Keith Lock

I went to Uncle Toms at Little Hulton in the 60s. It was a great place to go. Me and my friend Barbara met our husbands there, my friends still married, but I divorced my husband after 17 years. I'll always have fond memories of Toms. I remember Jimmy Ruffin being on there but I missed him because I went on a date to Swinton. I also remember being in a competition who could eat the most cream crackers, I lost.

Jacqueline Carty

I started going to Brown's 1967 (only 15, don't know how I did it!)
It was a favorite hang out for a lot of my friends from school/Levenshulme High School.

We used to go there 3 and 4 times a week as I remember.  I loved the Rich (Ritz) Rhythm and met up with lots of cute guys ... I still remember how to do it especially when "Here Comes My Baby" is played on the radio. 

I can't remember any live bands there but we all enjoyed the music the DJ's played.   I can hear a song on the radio and be transported back to that club in a second! Those were the days!

Christine