Description:This article was originally published in the "Brew 'Us Bugle" about the Palais De Danse in Ladywood.
On 20th December 1923 the Palais De Danse issued a souvenir of the third anniversary of the building. It was described as "the sensation of the Midlands- a building that is twice daily the scene of the best dancing at the lowest imaginable rates of admission".
Arthur Unitt writes: "I was born in Icknield Square in 1922 not far from Ingleby Street/ Monument Road where the Palais stood. It had a revolving bandstand and I used to stand outside collecting balloons and other trinkets from the revelers, all in their tuxedos and ladies in their ball gowns".
Audrey Spettigue adds: "Outside it looked nothing. It was like a tin shed but it was a really nice beautiful place inside. In the centre of the room there was a water fountain. The Lord Mayor used to have lots of do's there. I used to stand outside and watch all the ladies and gentlemen in their beautiful clothes going in and there were numerous popular bands that played there. Roy Fox used to come to Birmingham a lot and he may have played there. Jimmy Spettigue, my brother-in-law, once got in during one of the Lord Mayor's do's and his hat ended up in the fountain! My husband was called from home to help get him out of there. He visited it when on leave during the War. He was on a submarine and unfortunately he went down. He was only about 28 years old".
In fact he was 29 years old, James Henry Spettigue was killed on 21st June 1940. He was a Royal Navy signalman on board a Dutch submarine 0.13. His parents were James and Lucy Spettigue and he was married to L.M.H. Spettigue of Devonport. The fate of 0.13 is the subject of some mystery. the first report was that it was accidentally rammed by a Polish submarine but later evidence suggested it was lost in a German minefield.