London, Texas Dance Hall. (original) (raw)

Ivy�s have owned the Dance Hall for generations and also continue to run the London Grocery and Grill across the street. An article in Texas Monthly included the London, Tx Dance Hall in it�s March 1995 �Classic Country Dance Halls of Fame� edition. The proprietor, Ms Ivy, is a vibrant silver haired beauty 83 years young, a grand lady who even to this day in 2012 sits at the ticket booth, stately posture and attire, graciously greeting patrons as they enter the establishment. She stays there until closing time� after midnight� every Saturday night.

Ivy's London Dance Hall and the large Pecan tree

Live Music Every Saturday Night

London Grocery and Grill across the street

She�s up early the next morning making sure the London Grocery and Grill is ready to serve the local clientele and also the visiting hunters with their families. The Hall and Grille continues to be able to accommodate & cater community or family events including weddings and company Christmas Parties with advance notice and she�ll help you plan it. With Junction hotels only 15 minutes away�the Dance Hall is a great place for an event.

A group of local ranch women �cut up� at the Grill of a week day to play bunco and have some of Ms Ivy�s homemade country desserts. After their first morning rounds the local ranchers also meet there for coffee or to swap stories and the hunters come in to find out the local scoop. Conversations can get pretty lively and everybody is country friendly.

Behind closed doors Ms Ivy is painting up a storm�..the artwork can be viewed if you know to ask.. and some pieces can be purchased. Besides painting an old oak tree above the urinal in the Hall for the men who�.well� story has it that they used an old Oak Tree out behind the Hall years ago for�well�you know. And, since the old Oak tree isn�t there anymore, she painted them one in the men�s restroom at the Hall. There�s an old timey truck door on the stall entry. It�s real�not painted there. She�s a wonderful artist, Ms Ivy.

Dance Hall Old Oak Tree Urinal

Her paintings include an array of reflective country scenes. Illustrating the winding road of life, she blends a hillside of fresh vibrant wildflowers along an old country dirt road twisting it�s way between wistful ancient Oak trees. London was the CENTER where for miles and counties all around friends and neighbors congregated at the end of the week to visit and have lots of fun, joke around, laugh, dance. Generations of Country Fun.

Contribution by Kathern Hogan
"They shoe horses, don't they?"

December 21, 2012 Guest Column