They put on shows, went on pub crawls and raised loads of money for worthy causes.
They are the Jolly clubs of Sunderland and, whether it was boys or girls clubs, they made a great impression on Wearside.
From Pallion to the Round Robin and Thorney Close to Grangetown, here they are once more in a series of Echo archive photos.
5. Back to 1981
Around the World with the Jolly Girls. Here are Linda Summers, left, and Rona Marshall as two belly dancers with Hugh Forsyth as a Yankee Doodle Dandy, and some of the large cast dressed in costumes representing different countries around the world. | se
6. 80s festive fun
The Jolly Girls Christmas Party in 1982. See if you can spot someone you know. | se
7. All dressed up at Steels
Taking you back to October 1985 for this view of the Steels Jolly Club. | se
8. A charity push from 1987
Thorney Close Jolly Girls staged a sponsored bed push from Sunderland District General Hospital to the Donna Claire Venture holiday house in Seaburn. | se