Come and enjoy yourself at the Blackshirts' Flannel Dance at the Queen's Hall, Cuckfield, Wednesday, July 18th. Dancing 9-1. Regal Band. Tickets 1s. 9d., at door 28.--ADVT.

A week later they held another dance at the same venue.

Who would have believed that a fascist organisation would be holding dances in sleepy Cuckfield?

NOTES: What's a flannel dance? After work/play you don't need to go home and change to your dancing attire. The English men wore their 'flannels' from tennis or rowing straight to the dance and women their 'day' clothes.

The Blackshirts was an organisation inspired by National Fascist Party members in Italy, under Benito Mussolini. Oswald Mosley was the leader of the British Union of Fascists. The name came from the all-black, long-sleeved and high necked uniform supporters used to wear. At its height, the BUF claimed to have 50,000 members and had its flag which was red, white and blue and had a bolt symbol. There was also a strong anti-BUF feeling amount the Jewish community, Labour supports and communist sympathisers. The Blackshirts would hold rallies, mainly marching through London’s East End.

Photo: Oswald Mosley with his wfe Diana Mitford in London’s East End. Wikimedia public domain image.

Mid Sussex Times - Tuesday 10 July 1934

Contributed by Malcolm Davison.