Rock 'n' roll was here to stay except in Willenhall where the reaction to the musical frenzy sweeping the nation was to ban what it called its "weekly teddy boy hops" at the town's Civic Restaurant.

The ban was imposed at a private meeting of the town's urban district council - in stark contrast to the very public scenes that erupted at cinemas in neighbouring Wolverhampton where the Bill Haley film "Rock Around The Clock" was being shown in the early days of September.

The Gaumont Cinema was the scene of some of the worst violence to accompany the film as it made it way around Britain leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Quite why a balding musician soon to reach the age of 40 inspired such frenzy has never been explained.

But at the Gaumont on the night of September 2 rock 'n' roll - coyly described as the latest rhythmic jazz craze - caused a riot.

Cinema seats were ripped out, there was fighting in the aisles and fire extinguishers were let off.

"They were just crazed by the beat of the music," said the cinema's chief of staff George Hancox. "This film ought to be banned. It drives them mad."

In Walsall staff at the Gaumont Cinema hit on a novel solution to the problem of potential trouble when the film was shown there the following night.

At the first sign of over-enthusiasm by gaudily-dressed members of the audience staff simply turned down the soundtrack.

"The showing was quiet and orderly as a sedate tea party," reported our man on the spot who also reviewed the film.

Clearly disappointed, he wrote: "The dancing scenes are in fairly good taste and not nearly so suggestive as frequent Hollywood musical extravagances.

"For a square who does not "dig" rock 'n' roll the repetitive riffed lyrics and monotonous violent beat become boring well before the end."

Four surprised visitors got their first sight of British housing conditions - and expressed amazement that a four-bedroom council house at 194 Renton Road had been built for the use of just one family.

The delegation had earlier been the victims of one of those unexplained delays which charcterised dealings between the two countries in the 1950s.

Its leader Mr D N Smirnov had wired ahead to the mayor of Wolverhampton Alderman George Rastall to warn him of the delay and beginning the telegram "Dear Sir Mayor..."

Deadlock with the unions over the reorganisation of working practises were blamed for the redundancies.

Workers with between 10 and 15 years service would receive 1 for each completed year of service , those with between 15 and 20 years one guinea and those with more than 25 years 2 for each year.

My mind registered disgust after reading the report of a near riot at a local cinema.

Surely this rock 'n' roll film should be banned from British cinemas before more vandalism occurs.

Church workers and other responsible people must be appalled at this outrage and such a violation of the sabbath must inevitably leave a blemish on the town.

However, I must speak up for in defence of the decent-living youngsters for fear that they too will be drawn under the headings of "teddy boy" or "teddy girl" .

As for the music, I suppose the only solution is to let it die a natural death which is always the fate of these lower forms of orchestration.

Michael J White, Aged 21, Church Road, Penn Fields, Wolverhampton.