Web Page 824

Top Picture: The 148a outside Hilsea bus garage.






Bottom Picture: A 1950’s Hopalong Cassidy Comic











Happy Easter to you all

Good Old 1957

Some weeks back I was given three copies of the Daily Sketch from April 1957 and one copy of the Evening News of the same time. They make fascinating reading! So I have decided to note down some of the stories in the hopes that you will find them interesting as well. What was happening in April 1957, the Queen was crowned four years earlier, I was 11 d one a bit months old and still at Solent Road Junior School and just about to take my 11+; so life was about to change. So now on to the papers and on this page the Evening News of 3rd April 1957.

Actually there was very little local news in this edition (who said it is still like that?). The headline on the front page was the murder trial Dr John Bodkin Adams at the Old Bailey, a case which was centred in and around Eastbourne. There was a petition by the residents of Leigh Park against the increase in Council Rents, a photo article about a US General arriving in England and another showing Frankie Vaughan with the fish bone he had had removed from his throat in the London Clinic. The Queen Mary passengers had eventually arrived in London by train after having to run the gauntlet of striking dockers in Southampton and Cherbourg, a local MP asked in the House of Commons if the Prime Minister was aware that the present Hire Purchase restrictions were causing firms to closedown and Sir Anthony Eden the PM had seen a doctor before his trip to the US.
There was an article about Socialists being split over H Bomb tests an advert for the LDB who were selling quilt covers for £2/17/6d and lastly on the front page an article which I wished I knew the end of. HMS Protector had just returned from an Antarctic commission and had brought back six king penguins with it to be take to London Zoo. I wonder if they all arrived? And all this was on the front page.

Inside we are told that thousands of Portsmouth families were delighted to learn that the dockers strike was coming to an end. Portsmouth had a new General Registrar Mr HJ Kent, four members of the City Council had been appointed to the Hampshire Rivers Board and a Mr WW Keat (wrongly spelt Keats) left the Portsmouth Corporation Tramways Service after 38 years service and was going to work on a farm with his son at Soberton. He was actually a distant cousin of mine; hence I picked up the spelling mistake.

Some of the trees in Widley Road were in danger of being felled for safety reasons and the residents were objecting and the Admiralty Constabulary had a new Chief in the person of Mr JJE Fry.

The small ads make fascinating reading, I will not go through them now but if any one would like a scan of the page just let me know and I will send you one. Another thing that I had forgotten about The Evening News was the cartoon strip ‘Uncle Charlie’ drawn by Laing, mind you it was not very funny.

On the back page of the paper is an article about a Royal Naval Captain and his wife being accused on drink charges. This happened in Gosport when the Captain, who lived in Hambledon, drove his car along Palmerston Way, over a front lawn, through a hedge, onto a rockery and stopped very near to the edge of the moat. There was no result in the paper as the case was adjourned.

The residents of Southampton had published a plea to retain the Southampton to Le Harve steamship service but to no avail, as the plea fell on deaf ears and the service was withdrawn. HMS Kenya had been recommisssioned and Tom Finney had been selected as footballer of the year.

The weather forecast was rather cloudy with some coastal fog at times and the outlook was mainly dry and rather warm!!!

Now in the Stop Press section we learn that the police had seized 200 pounds of Indian Hemp on the freighter Worcestershire in Tilbury Docks. It was announced that HMS Ark Royal might visit the United States and 80 Portsmouth doctors had voted to withdraw from the National Health Service, I wonder what happened there? I suppose I will never find the follow up article to this one.

As I said there was not a vast amount of local news in the Portsmouth paper but all very interesting. In a later article I will take a look at copies of the Daily Sketch but from a quick look there are several photographs of Sophia Loren and an article I must go and read now, it is by Joan Collins and is entitled ‘ Let’s get back to honest sex’ the mind boggles and all this before she married Anthony Newley, I will let you know what it is all about on a later page.

Take Care and keep in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com


You Write:

Peter G Writes:-

I am not sure our paths ever crossed at Manor Court but having read your pages re the teachers we had, I felt I must congratulate you, shivers ran down my spine literally well done


News and Views:

Now can you wait for this?

A long-awaited side of the Beatles saga will be coming to print in the near future. John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono has confirmed she plans to write a memoir "in the next five years...I just have to find the time." She has said in the past that she wouldn't write a book for fear of hurting those close to the group, including families, friends and surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. She is expected to address not only her life with John Lennon but also rumours and myths about her role in breaking up the Beatles. When it's published, she will become the third Beatle wife to write their memoirs. John Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Lennon, has written two -- 1978's "A Twist of Lennon" and 2005's "John" -- and George Harrison's first wife, Pattie Boyd, published "Wonderful Tonight: George



On this day 3rd April 1960-1965


On 03/04/1960 the number one single was My Old Man's a Dustman - Lonnie Donegan and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Wagon Train (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 03/04/1961 the number one single was Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 03/04/1962 the number one single was Wonderful Land - The Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was First military satellite TV broadcast.

On 03/04/1963 the number one single was Foot Tapper - The Shadows and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was The Budget (All Channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 03/04/1964 the number one single was Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was British troops in Cyprus fist fights.
On 03/04/1965 the number one single was The Last Time - Rolling Stones and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 822

Top Picture: The pub sign for The Portsbridge











Bottom Picture: A typical 1950’s kitchen

THE DUSTBIN MEN AND THE WINTER.

When we were kids the old refuse or bin wagons used to come around and collect our rubbish every week. This was well before the days of wheelie bins and different collections on alternate weeks as an economy measure. The dustbin men would lift the metal bins, made heavy with the daily ashes from the grates of all the coal fires, onto their shoulders, carry them down to the lorry and then empty them into the wagon through a hatch which had a sliding top. These men must have had a lot of upper body strength.

If Mum or Dad wanted anything got rid of it only cost them a shilling into the dustman’s palm and provided that the item would fit into the lorry, they would take it.

I also remember that we had a separate small bin outside the back door for pig swill, this was a galvanised bucket with a lid attached. I do not remember who collected it or even when it stopped but I think this was a post war measure to provide the population with pork from cheaply fed pigs.

On snowy or icy days the householders would scatter the ashes onto the paths, drives and pavements to give a good foothold, After a period of snow which had turned into ice on the pavements, council workmen would break up the ice with shovels and throw it into lorries to be taken away. Kids would often make snowmen with lumps of coal for eyes and mouth and create giant snowballs by rolling an ordinary size snowball downhill in the snow until it got bigger and bigger. Snowball fights were common, specially in the mornings while waiting for school to start and when the overnight fall of snow was still fresh. Sledging took place and lying face down on the sledge and steering with your feet was known as going belly-flappers. With all the dirt of industry, smoky chimneys, steam locomotives etc. the snow did not stay pure and white for long. But one of the best things was to make ice slides along the pavement or in the playground. These were far from popular with the teaching staff or our parents who would instruct the caretaker to go out before school and after playtime to sprinkle, ashes, salt or sand around so as to ruin the slides we had painstakingly made

Something else that we do not see very often these days is a street cleaner. When we were kids there always seemed to be a guy with a two wheeled bin on a trolley and he carried a selection of brooms and shovels for keeping the gutters clean and free from litter and leaves and the pavements clear of papers and dog mess. In fact all these cleaners seemed to have a regular route for which they were responsible. Today all we see is a large, left handed driven mechanical vehicle that sprays a minimal amount of water around and slowly moves down our streets with fast rotating round brushes on the front and a vacuum tube behind. These might be modern but they do not sweep under parked cars or other obstacles like the old road sweeper used to and so today we tend to get only partly swept streets. Another thing that seems to have disappeared from the road scene completely is the tanker lorry with the long snorkel attachment that was used to suck the muck up out of drains and keep them clear. Long gone now, but I suppose that is why we see so many blocked drains in the autumn now!

All these are now things of the past as are Police cars, ambulances and fire engines with bells, fire engines with extension ladders with large wheels attached, rag and bone men, police boxes and the Corona man. I really must be getting old !!!!!!




Take Care and keep in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com


You Write:

From Griff:

Peter mentioned on the School Blog that I was researching behind the scenes to see what I can uncover by way of newspaper reports and photographs about the building of Manor Court School in 1959/60. Well, your News Hound Hack has uncovered a a few details which will come to light over the next few months and as Peter has mentioned it is a slow process.
My first point of contact was the Portsmouth Evening News offices at Hilsea and I have to say they were very prompt and helpful but unfortunately their records prior to 1970 are virtually non exist ant and I was passed to the Portsmouth Central Library where I was informed that microfiche records do exist of Manor Court. So armed with this information I contacted the Central Library and requested any information they may have on record.

Needless to say there was a long wait for a reply but reply they did about 6 weeks after contacting them and I have struck up a good relationship with my contact person in the library. It is now a question of actually getting there and seeing what is on record which, for me, is going to be difficult as I no longer live in the Portsmouth area so it is going to have to be when I am visiting Portsmouth again to obtain this information. The good news is there are articles on the building of the school and some photographs on the microfiche which can be printed off.

I will of course update everyone as and when I get any news and progress on this research.
If anyone has any suitable school type photo's at all could they please get in touch with Peter.

Regards to Everyone.... Griff.




News and Views:

A fire last month caused extensive damage to the Philadelphia studios used by Parkway Records to record Chubby Checker's "The Twist" as well as Cameo Records artists like Bobby Rydel.

On this day 27th March 1960-1965

On 27/03/1960 the number one single was Running Bear - Johnny Preston and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Wagon Train (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 27/03/1961 the number one single was Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was The Dickie Henderson Show (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 27/03/1962 the number one single was Wonderful Land - The Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 27/03/1963 the number one single was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 27/03/1964 the number one single was Little Children - Billy J Kramer and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Earthquake hits Alaska.

On 27/03/1965 the number one single was The Last Time - Rolling Stones and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page No 820

Top Picture: The Dakotas in 1960












Bottom Picture: Old Spice for old men!!!!!

Firstly a message from Griff:

Would Patrick John Wilson please contact Griff asap on 01793770927

The Dakotas

The Dakotas were formed in the Manchester 1960, the name being suggested by a local promoter who wanted the band to dress up as American Indians! The very first line-up comprised Bryn Jones (guitar), Tony Bookbinder (drums), Robin MacDonald (guitar), and Ian Fraser (bass). The band's first gig was in Lees, Oldham, They teamed up with local singer Pete Maclaine and played the club venues the band becoming well known as Manchester's top group, being regarded as being more sophisticated than the Liverpool bands.
By the early 60s the band had turned professional, Bryn Jones was replaced by Mike Maxfield on guitar and Ian Fraser by Ray Jones on bass. A regular gig was the now the Cavern, where the band were virtually the only Manchester band frequently booked. They often shared the bill with the fledgling Beatles. Meanwhile, future Beatles manager Brian Epstein wanted to add local boy Billy J Kramer to his ever-increasing stable of stars. Billy's backing band the Coasters didn't want to go full-time, so Brian approached the Dakotas. and when he asked them to back Billy J Kramer, it was an offer too good to refuse. Sadly, original singer Pete Maclaine was the first casualty of this arrangement.
By the early 1963 the Dakotas were signed to Brian Epstein and, thanks to the success of the Beatles, signed up to EMI records subsidiary label, Parlophone. Billy J Kramer had been friends with John Lennon for some time and John gave the group a demo of a new song, "Do You Want to Know a Secret", which they perfected whilst working in Hamburg. On returning to Britain, the song was recorded at Abbey Road studios, with producer George Martin. It reached No.2 in the spring of 1963. Strangely the Dakotas and Billy each had separate recording contracts with Parlophone, and that they were billed as "Billy J Kramer WITH the Dakotas". To maintain the group's identity, the guitar instrumental "The Cruel Sea" was released as a single, and it reached the Top 20 around the same time as "Secret". Whilst the first two singles were still in the UK charts, another single, "Bad To Me" made it three in the Top 30 at the same time. This Lennon-McCartney song went to No.1 that summer. Yet another Beatles song was given to the group for the next single, "I'll Keep You Satisfied" which reached No.4 late in 1963.
The first Billy J Kramer with the Dakotas album, "Listen...", was released at the end of 1963, and reached No.11. Early in 1964, the group felt they needed to release a single that wasn't written by the Beatles and chose "Little Children” and this went to No.1 in the spring of 1964. Later that year, both "Bad To Me" and "Little Children" made the American Top 10, and the group visited the 'states. "From A Window", however, reached only No.10 in the UK charts and the group had turned down Paul McCartney's "Yesterday"!. In 1965, the band recorded "When You Walk in the Room", but lost out to the Searchers, who took their version to No.1. The Dakotas and Billy J Kramer's last Top 20 chart entry was "Trains and Boats and Planes" in the spring of 1965. By this time, bassist Ray Jones left the group and in 1966, to be replaced by Mick Green from Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. As the Beatles own career went into overdrive, Brian Epstein became an increasingly remote figure. Following his death in 1967 the Dakotas forged ahead, Drummer Tony Bookbinder left and another ex-Pirate Frank Farley took over in 1966. March '67 saw their next single, "I'm 'n 'Ardworkin' Barra Boy" released on the Page One label while a year later saw their last recording, "Can't Break The News" on the Philips label. By 1968, Billy had gone solo and the band soldiered on as backing band for Billy Fury until Robin MacDonald and Mick Green joined Engelbert Humperdinck and the Dakotas disbanded. It would be twenty years before they took to the stage again.
During the 70's Billy J Kramer turned to cabaret and it was not until a chance meeting that the Dakotas were reborn in 1989. Original drummer Tony Bookbinder was introduced to Manchester musician Eddie Mooney. Eddie had been in various 70s bands including the Glitter Band, as well as releasing solo records. They discussed reforming the Dakotas as early as 1986, rehearsing with original guitarist Robin MacDonald but this project never got off the ground. By the late 80s, it was decided to get the Dakotas back on the road, in order to join the popular revival of 60s music. In April 1992 the Dakotas did a three week tour of Sweden with fellow Manchester act, Herman's Hermits. Between 1992 and 1994 the band appeared all over the UK, as well as Germany. However, the rigours of touring were taking their toll on Pete MacDonald and following a health scare before a show in Lubeck, he was replaced in 1994 by session keyboard player Toni Baker. During 1994 and into 1995 the band toured Britain, Germany and Ireland and appeared with Herman's Hermits, the Searchers, the Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, the Animals, the Yardbirds and many others. The next Dakotas album "The Beat Goes On", a mix of live and studio recordings was released in September 1995., Also in 1995, the Dakotas appeared with The Animals, Yardbirds on the UK "Rock Roots '95 British Tour"
In 1996, the Dakotas rejoined Billy J Kramer, after almost thirty years, to appear at the Chelmsford Festival. In the summer of 1998, the band appeared in America and were approached to appear in Fayetteville, North Carolina, doing arena shows with Billy J Kramer, and other US acts. In the spring of 1999, they again teamed up with Billy J Kramer for the first of several "Solid Silver 60s" theatre package tours. By this time, drummer Tony Bookbinder had decided to leave to concentrate on his business interests. Replacing him was Pete Hilton, formerly drummer with Freddie and the Dreamers. During the summer of 1999 the Dakotas made a third trip to America, appearing with the Miracles. In 2000 the Dakotas teamed up to do concerts backing Wayne Fontana and ended 2000 by playing a New Year's Eve show at the President's Ball, Krakow, Poland. The show took place at the Opera House and was attended by senior Polish officials!
In February the band undertook a 56 date UK tour with Peter Noone, Wayne Fontana, Dave Berry and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch. In May 2001 they appeared on the "Oriana" cruise ship. There was a UK reunion with Peter Noone in June 2002 and gigs with Wayne Fontana. In August the Dakotas returned again to America.
The band released their fourth, and biggest selling, studio album, "Everlasting", since the band reformed in the late 80's, to co-incide with a 70-date "Solid Silver 60's" tour of the UK and Ireland. The tour also featured the Searchers, Wayne Fontana, Dave Dee and Barry Ryan. Later that year, the band's keyboard player, Toni Baker wrote the music, and the Dakotas recorded for the British TV comedy series "Phoenix Nights", starring Peter Kay.
In spring 2004 the Dakotas undertook another major 50 date UK theatre tour, teaming up again with Peter Noone and Wayne Fontana, plus Bryan Hyland and John Walker. During the early summer the Dakotas were filmed to appear in an episode of Peter Kay's "Max and Paddy", which was eventually broadcast in October 2004.Dressed as various 80s characters, the band performed to their recordings, including "Love Train", "Baby Now That I've Found You" and also backed Peter Kay on "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues".
In August 2004 that tragedy struck, when guitarist Mike Maxfield suffered a stroke and had to stop performing. His replacement was Richard Benson, former guitarist with the Dooleys. Richard had guested with the band briefly in 1999 and had worked on the Peter Kay TV series with Toni Baker, and was the obvious choice. Richard became a permanent member though Mike is still involved with the Dakotas behind the scenes. During the latter part of 2004 the Dakotas continued touring the UK, During 2006 the band has continued touring. and were booked to do another UK tour in the spring of 2007 with the Searchers, Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana and John Walker of the Walker Brothers. In December 2006, Richard Benson left the band to concentrate on his guitar teaching and solo work and was replaced by Alan Clare formerly of Freddie and the Dreamers
The Dakotas kicked off 2007 including gigs with the Merseybeats and Union Gap, and a notorious date in Berkshire with Wayne Fontana, where the latter left the stage following a dispute with an audience member. Prior to the 54 date UK Solid Silver 60s tour, the Dakotas made a one off appearance at the Freddie Garrity Tribute Concert in February with Brian Poole, the Tremeloes, Dave Berry, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, the Fortunes, Hermans Hermits, the Merseybeats, Mike Pender's Searchers, Mike Sweeney, and the Swinging Blue Jeans.
The 2007 UK tour commenced in February finishing at the London Palladium in April, their last date of 2007 was a New Year's Eve show at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldham, along with Mike Sweeney & the Thunderbirds. Further tours followed in 2008 and 2009 and the same goes for 2010 as they continue touring with John Walker.
Take Care and keep in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com


You Write:

Mary Writes:-

I did enjoy reading this weeks blog. I used to love the good old westerns. If my brother and I were at the Odeon in Cosham High Street, it was great fun to watch them all. They do not seem to have films like that now. We enjoyed the TV ones too. Wagon train was a great favourite, also Rawhide. I was madly in love with Dale Robertson of Wells Fargo and always hoped he would appear at my front gate. Alas, he never did! When we moved out in to the country I thought I stood a better chance- more room for the horse! But no luck!




News and Views:

At the end of January Connie Francis returned to Fort Lauderdale Beach to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film "Where The Boys Are," which she filmed there.

On this day 20th March 1960-1965
On 20/03/1960 the number one single was Running Bear - Johnny Preston and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was The Larkins (ATV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 20/03/1961 the number one single was Walk Right Back/Ebony Eyes - Everly Brothers and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 20/03/1962 the number one single was Rock-a-Hula Baby/Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 20/03/1963 the number one single was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 20/03/1964 the number one single was Little Children - Billy J Kramer and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 20/03/1965 the number one single was The Last Time - Rolling Stones and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 818

Cowboys and Indians


Top Picture: Roy Rogers















Bottom Picture: Hopalong Cassidy








Firstly welcome to a new Manorcourtonian, Stephen Lockwood.



We are in the Odeon on a Saturday morning and we hear "Whoopee" shouted through the darkness and suddenly, there he was on the screen, our hero. White Stetson, flashing teeth, who else but Gene Autry with his faithful horse Champion. Gene is going to sing, as he always did "I'm riding, on my pony, heading for the old Bar-X".

Are we all burst out of the picture house and into the bright daylight. Cosham High Street does not have the same genre as the main street in Deadwood Springs, but nevertheless this does not stop the lads from leaping into doorways or diving behind dustbins, pointing their loaded fingers at each other and making shooting noises.

Those days are now in the distant past. Never more will we see the like of those celluloid heroes who appeared to make more films before lunchtime, than Clint Eastwood does in a year! They turned out hundreds of these sagebrush sagas, and still we never tired of them.

But who were they? Strangely enough, they all appeared to use the same formula the clean-cut quick-on-the-draw always smiling cowboy hero was generally accompanied by an old gent who greatest asset apppeared to be that he could spit tobacco juice into a bucket with deadly accuracy from 20 yards! In reply to his partners "Howdy, Old-timer", he would go into a lengthy dialogue about the Winter of '83, or how he had personally given 100 Commanches a short back and sides single handed! Another constant companion of the cowboy is, of course, his horse, and all these faithful steeds appeared to have the knack of understanding their master's whistle language, galloping onto any scene from out of the blue. Another attribute was that they were able to untie rope knots with their great teeth.

Another vital ingredient to any cowboy film is the baddie, and these villains were sure to produce boos and hisses from most audiences. It is interesting to remember that many of the great stars began their film careers by playing Western baddies. A young Clark Gable was brought to justice by Hopalong Cassidy in Painted Desert (1931) and another one was an equally young Robert Mitchum who was in several of the early epics.
Our cowboy heroes very seldom had much time for members of the other sex, and normally showered more affection on their four-legged friends. But if a western gal did happen to attract his attention, she was nearly always the local school teacher in the town, never the good-hearted tart in the Golden Nugget.

Let us have a brief reminder of some of those gun-twirling greats who swept across the prairie.

The name associated with Hopalong Cassidy is of course William Boyd, and with his premature white hair and his horse Topper he struck fear into many a baddie's heart, although one does have to stretch the imagination with the sight of him throwing hefty Robert Mitchum all over the place. Off screen he also collected wives like most we collected stamps, but on the screen he was a clean living guy, never swore, smoked, or drank, and rarely gave kisses, except to Topper of course. He was more often than not aided in his films by two human pals, Andy Clyde as the "Old Un", and Jimmy Ellison as the "Young Un". Because of the showing of his old films on television he was a hero to a new generation of youngsters, and I am sure Hopalong Cassidy will ride the range in our minds for many years to come.

Although Gene Autry was not the first singing cowboy, he is the one we remember. Because of his singing prowess, Gene was as popular on the radio as he was on the screen. His old sidekick was generally Smiley Burnette, and Gene's famous mount was Champion. In later years when he formed a television production company, "Champion the Wonder Horse" was one of his many shows. Up to the war Gene Autry was the King of the Cowboys, but in 1942 he joined the American Air Force but he paid dearly for this for when he returned from the war a new "King" was on the cowboy throne; Roy Rogers. Roy Rogers, like Gene Autry, was liable to burst into song at a moments notice. His old-timer pal was George "Gabby" Hayes, the be-whiskered rascal who died in 1969 at the age of 84.

Apart from his nine children the two great loves in Roy Rogers's life were his wife Dale Evans and his horse Trigger. Such were his feelings, that when Trigger eventually died Roy had him stuffed and had him mounted in the corner of his living room. Just one little thought; It is lucck therefore that Roy died three years before Dale!!!

It was great if you were one of the cowboy stars, but not everybody could be a headliner but some of those who played supporting parts were just as essential. Where would the 'Cisco Kid" played by Duncan Renaldo have been without Pancho, played by Leo Carrillo,.where would the Lone Ranger have been without Tonto; by the way Jay Silverheels.

One we have not mentioned is Gary Cooper who was one of the few who could roll a cigarette with one hand while riding a horse. The film cowboy story cannot be completed without mention of John Wayne; he was big in every sense of the word. Born in 1907 and named Marion Michael Morrison he became a legend in his lifetime. Although he had to wait until 1969, 10 years before his death, to get an Academy Award for True Grit.

All the cowboy heroes have now left this world to join that Great Ranch up in the Sky but it does set me wondering, if there is a special corral up there for the likes of Champion, Topper and Trigger.

Ah well, its time for me to mosey along pardners. As Pancho would have said; "Adios Amigos, see you soon, Ha".

Take Care and keep in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com


You Write:

Carl Writes:-

Interesting to note that you work on Whale Island. When I was a young erk I was in the naval cadets at H.M.S. Excellent & went twice a week of an evening. No 19 corporation bus from Cosham trolley bus terminus to Twyford Avenue & what seemed like a mile walk the full length of Stanley Road. Show your pass to the guard at the barrier & you were in. I was exposed to some great experiences there. Rifle shooting, archery, all manner of sport, both sailing & rowing one of the many whalers kept there & I was in the establishments junior field gun crew. I was on the barrel with Peter King ( he subsequently married Suzanne Hamilton) & I bumped into them both at an athletics meeting some years ago. It was all a great introduction to a disciplined service & paved the way to even more ‘fun & games’ in the A.T.C.

News and Views:

Malcolm Vaughan, singer who fell foul of the BBC but sold half a million records as a result has died aged 81. In October 1956, Malcolm Vaughan was due to appear on BBC TV's Off The Record to promote his new release, "St. Therese Of The Roses". The invitation was withdrawn a few days later after a BBC committee had determined that the record was unsuitable for broadcast because "the lyric is contrary both to Roman Catholic doctrine and to Protestant sentiment." The resulting controversy helped to sell records, and with airplay on Radio Luxembourg the song climbed to No 3, stayed on the charts for five months and sold half a million copies. Early in his career Malcolm Vaughan appeared, using his real name Malcolm Thomas, as the voice of Dennis the Dachshund in a television production of Larry The Lamb.


On this day 13th March 1960-1965

On 13/03/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was The Explosive Freddy Cannon - Freddy Cannon. The top rated TV show was The Larkins (ATV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/03/1961 the number one single was Walk Right Back/Ebony Eyes - Everly Brothers and the number one album was Tottenham Hotspur. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25.The big news story of the day was The Dickie Henderson Show (AR).

On 13/03/1962 the number one single was Rock-a-Hula Baby/Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/03/1963 the number one single was The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

13/03/1964 the number one single was Anyone Who Had a Heart -Cilla Black and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/03/1965 the number one single was It's Not Unusual - Tom Jones and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 816

Top Picture: A class from Court Lane Secondary School Circa 1959-60

Bottom Picture: The day HMS Vanguard got stuck On 4 August 1960, when she was to be towed from Portsmouth to the breakers yard at Faslane the whole of Southsea sea front was packed with people to see her off. As she was being towed towards the harbour entrance, she slewed across the harbour towards the Still & West and went aground. She was eventually pulled off by tugs five days later she arrived at Faslane and by the spring of 1962 Vanguard was no more.
















I have to thank Gloria for this weeks page

Older than Dirt

Someone asked me the other day, 'What was your favourite fast food when you were growing up?'
'We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him. All the food was slow.'
'C'mon, seriously. Where did you eat?'
'It was a place called 'at home,'' I explained. !
'Mum cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.'

By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table.

But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it :

Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore jeans , set foot on a golf course, holidayed out of the country or had a credit card.

My parents never drove me to school. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow).

I remember we had a television, which was really a piece of polished furniture; the screen seemed about 6” square (that is 150mm in new money).

It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at midnight, after playing the national anthem and a poem about God; it came back on the air at about 6 a.m. and there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local people...

I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.

Pizzas were not delivered to our home... But milk was.

All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers --my brother delivered a newspaper, six days a week. He had to get up at 6AM every morning.

Film stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the movies. There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity or violence or most anything offensive.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing.

My first burger was a “Wimpey”, however, you had to sit down on a chair, at a table. Then a waitress asked you politely, ”what would you like”. Your food was brought to you on a plate and you were also provided with a “knife and fork”. But the strange thing is……you paid for it after you had eaten it!!!!


Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?

How many do you remember?


Headlight dimmer switches on the floor.
Ignition switches were on the dashboard and there was a magazine shelf underneath.
Using hand signals for cars without indicators.
You had to pull the “choke” out to start the engine
MOT’s hadn’t been invented.
One license covered everything on wheels.
Bicycle clips for bicycles without chain guards.
Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.

Older Than Dirt Quiz :
Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about. Ratings at the bottom.

1.Sweet cigarettes
2.Coffee bars with juke boxes
3.Home milk delivery in glass bottles
4.Party lines on the telephone
5.Newsreels before the main feature film
6.TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (there were only 3 channels [if you were fortunate])
7. Peashooters
8. Andy Pandy
9. 78 RPM records
10. Hi-fi's
11. Tin Baths
12. Blue flashbulb
13. Cork popguns
14. Wolsey, Riley, Austin, Morris, Triumph and Vanden plas, made Motor Cars
15.. Sweets actually filled the wrappers
16. Washing machines with wringers


If you remembered 0-3 = You're still young
If you remembered 3-6 = You are getting older
If you remembered 7-10 = Don't tell your age,
If you remembered 11-15 =You're older than dirt!

I might be older than dirt but those memories are some of the best parts of my life.

Don't forget to pass this along!!
Especially to all your really OLD friends

Take Care and keep in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com


You Write:

From Jonathan

I was trawling through some old papers my mother gave me when I was over in Portsmouth recently. I know you are interested in historical things................here is a copy of a letter written to my Grandfather Ernest on April 11th 1904 .............well over a hundred years ago. This was when football was very much an amateur sport played by gentlemen. The secretary of Aston Villa, winners of the Football League Championship 1894, 1896, 1897, 1899 and 1900 at that time, was inviting my Grandfather to play for them the following Saturday. I know that he did and played subsequently many times for them in goal prior to the First World War. My father once told me he practised with his dad in goal and when his dad kicked the ball at him it hurt his hands to stop it. I note that the secretary was a George Ramsay............I wonder if he was an ancestor of Sir Alf?????? must try and check it out.




News and Views:

NO TOUR FOR THE STONES IN 2010
The Rolling Stones have issued a statement saying that, "Following recent UK media speculation, the Rolling Stones would like to make it clear there are no plans at the moment for the band to tour in 2010." Thet did however, reveal that the expanded version of 1972's "Exile on Main Street," which is being co-produced by Detroiter Don Was, will come out in May and feature "a host of unreleased songs," including "Sophia Loren," "Plunder My Soul" and "Following the River."



On this day 6th March 1960-1965


On 06/03/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 06/03/1961 the number one single was Walk Right Back/Ebony Eyes - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Minicabs introduced.

On 06/03/1962 the number one single was Rock-a-Hula Baby/Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was RCP London publishes 'Smoking & Health'

On 06/03/1963 the number one single was The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was World In Action documentary on defence banned

On 06/03/1964 the number one single was Anyone Who Had a Heart -Cilla Black and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Cassius Clay changes name to Cassius X Clay.

On 06/03/1965 the number one single was I'll Never Find Another You - Seekers and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was US pledges to send 3500 troops to Vietnam.