Dancers at Hopkins Dance Hall c1930

Hopkins Hall was built in the late 1920s on North Beach Road, next to Muller's Butcher shop, opposite Henderson's store. This hall became the centre of social life at North Beach being used for Saturday night dances, amateur theatre and picture shows right through to the early 1960s. Vera Schultz recalled that dances were also held at nearby Shell House on New Years Eve and Saturday nights at the North Beach Surf Club. Maud Thomas recalled that open air pictures at the Castle Hotel (that later became a beer garden on Castle Street) were popular in summer from the 1930s, moving indoors to Hopkins Hall during the winter months. Until its demolition Hopkins Hall was used by the North Beach Primary School for end of year concerts, fancy dress shows, and amateur theatre performances.

Dancing, theatre and movies were the main entertainment for people between the war periods and afterwards, until the arrival of television and rock and roll music. New cinemas opened up from the late 1950s and local entertainment venues faded. Kool Korner, Scarborough became an epicentre for new dancing styles for the next generation.