BFP reunites 1950s Cadena dance partners

We put former rock’n’roll dance partners Stuart Brion and Wendy Garrido back in touch after a flood of letters about former High Wycombe nightspot the Cadena.

Mr Brion, 70, had written to us about his experiences of the hall and mentioned his former girlfriend – prompting her to get in touch.

Now 68 and living in Los Angeles, Miss Garrido was visiting cousin Robert Williams when she was shown the letter.

Mr Williams phoned The Bucks Free Press – and we last week arranged a meeting between the pair, who have not seen each other since 1962.

The delighted music fans, who still dance, swapped memories in Mr William’s garden before Miss Garrido jetted back to LA.

Mr Brion, of Buckingham Way, Flackwell Heath, told her: “It is strange. You have reminded me about a lot of things I had forgotten about.

“I can remember The Bucks Free Press photographing me and you. I had my suit on and everything.

“I still see some of the lads and girls – we all still love rock’n’roll.”

The two met at Desborough Road Youth Club aged 14 and 16 and won a dance competition at the Cadena when they were 15 and 17, in 1958.

Miss Garrido kept a 1958 BFP cutting which hailed the new 'Rock'n'Roll King and Queen' of the town. She circled the pair in our photograph.

Miss Garrido, who travelled the world with her forces husband on leaving the UK in 1962, said: “It is weird. I have tried to look him up before but not been able to find him.

“We were the best dancers – we really were. We haven’t changed have we!

“A friend said she saw I was in the paper, that Stuart had written a letter. I said ‘oh my God, I’d love to see him’.”

Mr Brion married Patricia in 1964 and has two daughters and four grand-children. Miss Garrido has three daughters and four grand-children.

The former dance partners promised to exchange letters – and keep rockin’.

Click the link at the bottom of this story for more Cadena memories.