Sheffielder remembers her girlhood dancing years

Yvonnne Lowe on the left of the front row at St Matthias School, Sheffield

A Retro reader has shared a photograph of her teenage dancing years and one from her old school.

Bernice Upton and twin sister Yvonne Lowe (then Lines) were known as the ‘twinnies’ when they performed in shows for Sheila Tyer’s dance school on Cemetery Road.

Bernice, who now lives in Killamarsh, remembers performing in pantomime at a theatre in Attercliffe.

She said: “I’d be 13 or 14 in that picture, which was taken in 1949-50, when we were in Aladdin. We were allowed to start school at 10am when we were in a show.

Twin sisters Bernice Upton, left, and Yvonne Lowe as girls in a Sheffield dance school line-up

“We used to go to Newcastle, Castleton and Gateshead in pantomime. I remember that very well.

“I enjoyed the panto and dancing. It was good.”

However, illness struck around the same time as the picture was taken.

“I remember getting scarlet fever and I was in an isolation hospital in Newcastle for a long, long time. I was in a room with glass windows and visitors had to stay outside.”