The last time I visited my home town “The London borough of Enfield” was two years ago.  I could not believe the changes that has taken place to my old town, roads have been routed differently, a shopping mall has been knocked down and rebuilt.  The swimming pool was gone and next to the swimming pool was the night-club called “The Starlight rooms”.

The “Starlight rooms” was gone wiped out and a multiplex cinema is now in its place.  I bet every town in every part of the world (well almost) has a version of the Star-light rooms or as the ladies referred to it the “Meat Market”  The club earned this reputation as many people used the club as a place to meet the opposite sex.  I openly admit my friends and I would frequent the club maybe once a month.

I also frequented a lot of other night-clubs as well.  I was 32 and still recovering from my first failed marriage, luckily for me I had bumped into an old school friend who inturn introduced me to other old school pals and some people that I hadn’t met before but soon became good friends. There was normally six of us that were in similar social positions either divorced or coming out of a long-term relationship.

We relied on each other for moral support and friendship and at times we even holidayed together.  Looking back they were for me halcyon days we were all single and had “Batchelor pads”   I haven’t had close male friendships on that scale before or since.  We partied hard but we kept ourselves in good shape.  I went “weight training” three times a week with a friend, we also went swimming once a week.

Now the “Starlight Rooms” aka “The Meat Market” was strictly for over 25,s which in reality meant anyone between the ages of 21 to 60!  They operated a strict dress code for the men, a proper two or three piece suit with a tie and shoes (No trainers or jeans) from memory the women were not subject to this strict dress code, in-fact the women wore as little as was possible!