Web Page 976

Top Picture: The Kilner Jar





Second Picture: The Rock Gardens in 1960.

A new school chum today we welcome Malcolm Merritt.


Preservation

This is a much used word today, transport preservation, preservation of the past, the preservation of our good looks and many other forms of preservation that are around today. But the preservation I am thinking of is the form of preservation that our Mothers, Grandmothers and Aunties did in the 1950’s and 60’s. That is Food Preservation and legacy from the dark days of wartime.

I can still remember coming home from school and waking into the kitchen and into a wall of heavy onion aroma almost like a gas attack as my mother and grandmother busied themselves around the sink and cooker peeling and preparing such things as pickled shallots and onions in glass Kilner Jars (did you realise that Jeremy Clarkson is directly related to the Kilner family?) These specially made jars had purpose made rubber sealing rings, a flat glass top and a screw to hold the lot together and make it airtight. Once bottled all these products were safely stored away on a shelf in the larder ready for use. I really do not know why they pickled so many as it was only my grandmother that ate them, but I suppose that kept her going all year. I myself hated the things almost as much as the pickled eggs they also prepared and preserved eggs in Isinglass. These two home made products were alays kept in large salt glazed jars with screw lids. Why did they preserve the eggs you may ask? The only explanation I can come up with is that the man next door had a very large chicken run so there was always a ready supply of eggs.

Living in a house with a large if a little unkempt garden meant that we had many sorts of well established trees, apple, pear, cherry, plum, damson and also a lot of soft fruit, gooseberries, black currants and white currants as well as blackberries. Yes you’ve got it all these were either chopped, sliced or preserved whole and bottled again in Kilner Jars. The rest of the produce was consigned to the preserving pan and jars and jars of different flavoured jams were produced. I was eternally grateful that no one in the family ever thought of making relish, chutney or piccalilli! The other sort of trees we had were hazel nut trees but as far as I am aware neither of the two ladies in the house ever attempted to preserved them. Luckily we never spent any time combing the hill for sloes to make Sloe Gin as I can never remember us having any alcohol in the house, only at Christmas!!!

The one bit of our larder that I took complete charge of was the back right hand corner and this is where I stored and made my Ginger beer. How many of you had a Ginger Beer plant at home? I know to get them started was difficult but once underway and fed with sugar and water these plants grew and grew. So much so that every three weeks the ginger beer had to be decanted, the plant split in half and the whole process started again. Now was the problem, you did not want to throw the spare half of the plant away and very some all your friends had one and they were in the same boat. There must have been hundreds of little ginger beer plans flushed away in the 1950’s!

My father never got involved in this orgy of preservation apart from helping to pick the fruit. His contribution was the carrots and potatoes from his vegetable plot. Most of the vegetables he grew we ate fresh from the garden but I do remember that he had an area at the back of the shed which was covered over with old sacks . This is where he kept his lifted potatoes and carrots and the sacking was to stop the light getting at the vegetables and ruining them.

What a difference to where most things come from the supermarket and the only thing most people grow thee days are tomatoes in pots!


Stay in touch,

Yours,

Peter

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

You Write:

Mary Writes:-

Re Midwifes fees I have an idea that the fees for a midwife was 7 or 8 guineas. It`s a vague recollection of what mother said. I did hear on breakfast TV last week that a mother wanted a private midwife and it cost her £4000.

News and Views:

Henry Winkler is called the Nicest Man in Hollywood, but now he’s also known as Henry Winkler OBE as he was awarded the honor in recognition of his services to children with dyslexia and special educational needs. He has spent much of the last two years touring the U.K. to educate about dyslexia and other learning difficulties. Henry Winkler, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as an adult, is also the author of 17 children’s books centered on Hank Zipzer, a boy with dyslexia who overcomes his struggles at school and with bullies. It is easy to just think of him as the man who played ‘The Fonz’ in the TV series ‘Happy Days’ which played from 1974 -1984 there is obviously far more to him than most of us realized!


On this day 30th September 1960-1965.

On 30/09/1960

the number one single was Tell Laura I Love Her - Ricky Valance and the number one album was Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane - A Hundred and One Strings. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place and the box office smash was Psycho. Brigitte Bardot leaves hospital in Nice after recovering from a suicide attempt. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 30/09/1961

the number one single was Johnny Remember Me - John Leyton and the number one album was Ipswich Town. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmatians.A pound of today's money was worth £ 13.25.The big news story of the day was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV)".

On 30/09/1962

the number one single was She's Not You - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Best of Ball Barber & Bilk. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 30/09/1963

the number one single was She Loves You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 30/09/1964

the number one single was I'm Into Something Good - Herman's Hermits and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 30/09/1965

the number one single was Tears - Ken Dodd and the number one album was Help - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was yet again Coronation Street and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 974

Top Picture: Paul and Paula in the 1960’s




Second Picture: The icon of the 1960’s the Ford Zodiac.

Paul and Paula

As far as most of us remember this duo only ever made the big time with the record ‘Hey Paula’, but what was their history?

In the Autumn of 1962, a radio station in Brownwood, Texas, announced a special broadcast to benefit the American Cancer Society. Volunteer performers were invited to come and donate their services in front of the open mike. At nearby Howard Payne College, two students thought it would be fun to appear on the program. These students were Ray Hildebrand and Jill Jackson.

On the show, the team sang an original tune that had been written a few days earlier by Ray. It went over so well that it was suggested that they make a professional recording of the song. Encouraged by this Ray and Jill drove to Fort Worth in November, 1962, hoping for an audition with Major Bill Smith, the owner of the LeCam Record Company.

At the studio, the two were told that Major Bill was about to record someone else and could not see them that day. Determined to get a hearing, they decided to hang around just in case something happened; and something did.
Major Bill was waiting for singer Amos Milburn Jr. who failed to show up, and that meant he had five musicians standing around (at the rate of $5 apiece). Finally, someone said that there were a couple of kids hanging around the office that would like the Major to hear some of their songs. With nothing to lose, Ray and Jill were granted an interview right then and there.

Major Bill said, "let's hear what ya got, son" and Ray began to strum the guitar and sing "Hey Hey Paula". "Ok boy, let's stop Heyin' and start recordin'", said the Major.

When the session was over, the Major asked "What do you call yourselves"? "Jill and Ray" came the answer and that's what was printed on the record label.
Major Bill Smith knew he had something good and began to pitch the record to Ewart Abner, of Vee Jay Records, who turned it down in favour of another artist's tune that Smith had with him. Not one to be discouraged easily, Major Bill decided to release the record himself and pressed it on American Election Day, 1962. Radio station KFJZ was the first to add it to their play list.

"Hey Paula" sold sixteen thousand records in one day and it didn't take long for Shelby Singleton of Mercury Records to call the Major, wanting to buy the master tape. "One other thing", said Singleton. "This is 'Hey Paula', by Jill and Ray...that doesn't make any sense at all. We're gonna change it to Paul and Paula". At first, Jill and Ray didn't like that idea, because everyone in Texas knew them by their real names, but they got used to it.

Mercury Records released it on their subsidiary label, Phillips. It reached the charts nationally just after Christmas, 1962 and spent nearly three weeks in February at number one in the USA. Incredibly, it also hit number one on the R&B charts too. In all, "Hey Paula" spent fifteen weeks on the best seller list, closing in on two million copies.

Soon after, Jill and Ray got married...but not to each other. Jill married the duo's manager. The pair toured the country with Dick Clark's Caravan Of Stars and reached No 4 in the spring of 1963 with "Young Lovers". A third release, "First Quarrel" made it to No 27 later the same year. By 1965 however, Ray had grown tired of life on the road and decided he'd had enough. Paul and Paula officially split up.
Ray found work as a song writer and record producer. Jill continued as a solo performer in and around Texas for many years and later married an attorney from California. Jill and Ray met up with each other again in Brownwood, Texas in the early '80s and sang together once more, at a town party.
In early 1983, Ray Hildebrand teamed up with singer/guitarist Paul Land for a night of music and fun at a local Christian coffeehouse. Their performance as a duo that night made them both aware of their musical strength and versatility together. The pair teamed up as Land & Hildebrand to perform and record a series of gospel music albums through the 80s 90s and into the new millennium.
Ray and Jill also got back together occasionally to record and perform as Paul and Paula.

Stay in touch,

Yours,

Peter

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

You Write:

Not a You Write more of a You Ask

Those of us who were born before the 5th July 1948 were born before the introduction of the NHS which means that our parents had to pay for our mothers confinement either in hospital or for the midwife at home. This is something that had not occurred to me the question is:- How much did the confinement cost, in other words how much did it cost our parents for us to be born? Over to you!

News and Views:

Wedding banns were posted Wednesday September 14th for Paul McCartney and his fiancé, Nancy Shevell, at the Westminster Register Office in Marylebone, London, where he married first wife Linda in 1969. The couple can be married 16 days later if they wish, so September 30 would be the earliest date. An actual date has not been announced.

On this day 23rd September 1960-1965

.

On

23/09/1960

the number one single was Apache - The Shadows and the number one album was Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane - A Hundred and One Strings. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On

23/09/1961

the number one single was Reach for the Stars / Climb Ev'ry Mountain - Shirley Bassey and the number one album was Ipswich Town. The top rated TV show was "Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £Argentinian swims English Channel both ways non-stop and 13.25 were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Take Your Pick (AR)".

On

23/09/1962

the number one single was She's Not You - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Best of Ball Barber & Bilk. 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On

23/09/1963

the number one single was She Loves You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On

23/09/1964

the number one single was You Really Got Me - Kinks and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - 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 Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On

23/09/1965

the number one single was Make It Easy On Yourself - Walker Brothers and the number one album was Help - The Beatles. 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 970

Top Picture: Dixon of Dock Green. Jack Warner, Arthur Rigby, Moira Mannion (as Sergeant Grace Millard), Peter Byrne and Jeannette Hutchinson as Mary this part was originally played by Billie Whitelaw.





Second Picture: The opening radiator shot of the series Fabian of the Yard

Law and Order

Today lets take a look at how law and order was portrayed on the TV when we were kids, this is before the gritty true to life series such as Z Cars came along.

I will briefly look at the three most popular programmes then have a look at one or two you might well have forgotten!

Dixon of Dock Green:

We all know the words “Evening All!" spoken by PC George Dixon played by Jack Warner but did you know that he was the first British TV policeman and the series ran for twenty-one years even promoting PC Dixon to Sergeant towards the end of the 367 episodes. The series was cosy and on a small scale dealing with things that were within most peoples experiences, no sensationalism. The series was developed from an idea by Ted Willis, Dixon still ranks as the longest running police series on British Television having notched up some 367 episodes. The theme tune "An Ordinary Copper" played on the harmonica by Tommy Riley one of the many harmonica soloists of the period and wafter having a vocal added was actually recorded by Jack Warner.

Maigret

We all knew of the pipe smoking Frenchman played by Rupert Davis. Maigret was originally part of the BBC’s Sunday-Night Theatre presentations the first one being 'Maigret and the Lost Life' in December 1959, Maigret was then played by Basil Sydney. The actual series began in October 1960, The casting of Rupert Davies as Maigret pleased his creator Georges Simenon immensely

No Hiding Place (1959-67)

Back to the UK and No Hiding Place, which was preceded by Murder Bag and Crime Sheet that dealt with true-life cases from the Scotland Yard archives. Detective Chief Superintendent Lockhart was played by Raymond Francis and this was ITV's best known early police drama series Launched in 1959, it was one of television's most successful series and a former Scotland Yard detective, Glyn Davies, was appointed consultant and the theme music "Mailed Fist" was composed by Cecil Milner

Right now let’s start on the more obscure, Who remembers

Garry Halliday (1959-1962)?

He was a pilot for a commercial airline company, "The Halliday Charter Company", his character was rather like Biggles as he flew from one aeronautical adventure to another. There were three series: Garry Halliday, Garry Halliday and the Gun-Runners, Garry Halliday and the Secret of Omar Khayyam. Terence Longdon played Garry Halliday and Terence Alexander was his co-pilot Bill Dodds and Elwyn Brook-Jones played the arch-villain, 'The Voice'. In real-life Silver City Airways assisted in the production, transforming part of their Ferryfield Airport at Lydd in Kent, into suitable location settings and providing a Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The stories were based on the books by Justin Blake.

Dial 999

This starred Robert Beatty as Inspector Mike Maguire who was sent to London by the Canadian Mounted Police to study advanced crime detection techniques. The stories were rugged and the plots suggested that it took a fist of a Canadian copper to clean up London's underworld. The series was made in conjunction with Scotland Yard and involved much location filming around London and at Elstree Studios.

Fabian of the Yard

This was one of my own favourites, however this Fabian was not to be confused with the pop singer who appeared on the scene several years later. Fabian was one of TV's first police heroes. Inspector Fabian of Scotland Yard would rush around the streets of London in a heavy, almost unmanageable, Humber Hawk tracking down criminals. The series was based on the career of the former Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Robert Fabian who, in the series, was played by Bruce Seton. The series lasted 39 episodes and was shot on film and was re-edited into films for the cinema.

Interpol Calling (1959-60)

I have no recollection of this programme at all but it was a crime series based on the files of the International Criminal Police Organisation, which was involved, largely in European murder, robbery, forgery, and narcotics busting. Signalling the action to come, the series always opened with a speeding driver crashing through a checkpoint and being fired upon by border guards.

M Squad

This was US police series in which Lee Marvin played a Chicago plainclothes policeman assigned to M-Squad. The most memorable part of the series was the Count Basie theme music.

Highway Patrol

I cannot have a page on cops without featuring Highway Patrol. Featuring Broderick Crawford in powerful patrol cars with superheterodyne two-way radios the police department sought to fight crime on the rural highways of America's wide open spaces. The California Highway Patrol strongly supported the program in its first two seasons, and the production company was able to rent actual CHP squad cars. "Highway Patrol" logos were placed over the real CHP emblems and studio license plates were taped over the genuine plates. The 1955 Buick Century two-door sedans seen were built especially for the CHP and were never offered for sale to the public. Two-door sedans were adequate because the real CHP rarely arrested anyone at that time, being involved more with accident investigations, enforcement and car thefts. . The show's uniforms were copies of the khakis worn by the CHP including the state seal and the slogan "Eureka", except that the word "California" was removed. Authenticity was a major goal, and Dan Matthews' call sign - 21-50 - was the actual unit number of then-CHP Commissioner Bernard Caldwell. In mid-1956 the CHP dropped its support of the program over differences in story lines and presentation, and refused to supply any more squad cars. The producers quickly acquired an incorrect Buick Super four-door hardtop to complete that season. Accurate squad replicas were ordered for the 1957 season, but the 1958-season cars differed from reality.

No one remembers the opening words to the episodes, “Whenever the laws of any state are broken, a duly authorized organization swings into action. It may be called the State Police, State Troopers, Militia, the Rangers... or the Highway Patrol. These are the stories of the men whose training, skill and courage have enforced and preserved our state laws.

But we all remember Broderick Crawford’s end quote “Remember leave you blood at the blood bank and not on the highway.

Stay in touch,

Yours,

Peter

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

You Write:

A message from the USA

The city of Los Angeles declared Wednesday September 7th "Buddy Holly Day" on what would have been his 75th birthday.

News and Views:

Lieutenant-Commander Peter Twiss died on August 31 aged 90, he was one of Britain's foremost postwar test pilots and the first man to fly faster than 1,000mph.



On this day 16th September 1960-1965.

On

16/09/1960

the number one single was Apache - The Shadows and the number one album was Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane - A Hundred and One Strings. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On

16/09/1961

the number one single was Johnny Remember Me - John Leyton and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was First Mothercare shop opens in Surrey.

On

16/09/1962

the number one single was She's Not You - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Pot Luck - 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On

16/09/1963

the number one single was She Loves You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On

16/09/1964

the number one single was You Really Got Me - Kinks and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - 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 Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On

16/09/1965

the number one single was (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones and the number one album was Help - The Beatles. 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 970

Top Picture: Jackie Pallo
Second Picture: Billy Two Rivers as he is today



Television Wrestling
In the 1960’s Saturday afternoon would
not have been the same without the voice of Kent Walton introducing the Professional Wrestling and great numbers of people of all ages tuned in to watch. I must admit that these were the only occasions when my grandmother would shout phrases such as ‘hit him’ o ‘pull his head off’.
But who were the stars of the mat in those days? Here are five of them.


Jackie "Mr T.V." Pallo
One of the biggest names ever created by televised wrestling was born into Islington's Gutteridge boxing family and had scaled no heights as a 1950s professional wrestler when he made his television début against Cliff Beaumont. In this bout, a failed posting resulted in Jackie Pallo spreadeagling the corner and seemingly hurting his private parts. The switchboards were jammed with viewers wanting to know how he was, his name became known, and he needed little more encouragement to establish the persona of the pigtailed bombastic middleweight with an outrageous hair ribbon and striped trunks. His wife Trixie and young son were often to be seen at ringside and were worked into his bouts if at all possible, with kisses from Jack - and once, memorably, from his opponent. His feud with Mick McManus from 1962 to 1973 was the greatest in wrestling history, but what remains rather unclear to this day is just how deep the rivalry went; Jackie Pallo beat Mick McManus once only during this feud (though he had done so in the fifties). His Mr TV tag came after an appearance on Sunday Night at the London Palladium, and for 6 or 8 years from 1958 he was seldom out of the limelight. He used his fame for the benefit of wrestling as a whole, typically getting his Avengers co-star, Honor Blackman, to a 1964 Royal Albert Hall show when she was at the height of her Goldfinger fame, and having her presented in the ring.
By way of illustration of how times have changed and what big names our sixties heroes were, when he was billed to appear at Bishops Stortford in 1964 all tickets were sold out within three hours of the box office opening.
Never underestimate his wrestling skill and the highpoint of his "competitive" career was when on 12th April 1969 he defeated Bert Royal to become only the third holder of the British Heavy Middleweight Championship.
In the ring he was a risk-taking athlete on the one hand but pushed believability to the limits at other times owing to his over-the-top cockiness. A great traveller, he took the game reliably nationwide and made numerous television and stage appearances. He died in 2006 from cancer, aged 80,

Mick McManus

He was born Michael Matthews on 11 January 1928 in New Cross of Anglo-Irish decent. He was the cornerstone from his forties début right through to July 2007 and his appearance on an ITV nostalgia show alongside Dickie Davies as the face of wrestling. He was the most featured wrestler of all time in television bouts. A carefully crafted ring persona was effective in arousing fans’ hatred over several decades. No one equalled Mick McManus. Here was a man who was just as comfortable in the company of the great and the good, or mixing with the Beatles and other entertainment celebrities, as he was mixing it in our local wrestling halls. Few weeks would pass by without Mick popping up on television, radio and the national press. He even had his own weekly column in the Sun newspaper.


Les Kellett

Every fan has a favourite memory of Les Kellett, whether it be his spectacular spin through the ropes (falling backwards through the ropes and then propelling himself back into the ring), or making his opponent look foolish by feigning semi-consciousness and then sidestepping a blow at the last minute. It was this abilty to humiliate his opponent that gave Les Kellet his unique flair for pleasing the fans. Having turned professional in 1938, the outbreak of war soon curtailed Les's wrestling career. Returning to Britain after the war, and living in Manchester, it was a chance encounter with wrestler Joe Hill which resulted in Les moving back to Bradford and devoting his energies to a full time professional wrestling career. By 1946 he was travelling the country and attracting new fans wherever he wrestled. Outside the ring Les Kellet had the reputation of being a very hard man with a high pain threshold. Stories abound of his no-nonsense approach to life, which he publicly admitted led to him being disliked by some in the profession. Personal contentment came from running a small holding and café with his wife, Margaret. There was tragedy for Margaret and Les in 2000, with the untimely death of one of their two sons, David, who wrestled as Dave Barrie. Although Les's career continued until he was well into his sixties he remained a crowd pleaser until the very end. He died peacefully in his sleep, in Ilkley, two years after he moved to a nursing home, at the age of 86, leaving a widow, Margaret, son Christopher and two grandchildren.

Billy Two Rivers

One of the most colourful characters in British wrestling history. Undoubtedly a huge name by virtue of the tremendous impact of his headdress and haircut in his initial 1960 appearances at a time when Cowboy and Indian films were still popular, this Mohawk chief Two Rivers from Quebec had already started to disappoint by the time he returned to Britain in 1964. The routine was well rehearsed and eagerly anticipated by fans. He performed a little wardance before polishing off evil-doing opponents with his famed tomahawk chop finisher. Returned to do the rounds again in 1973: those who remembered the original version were disappointed. He is the father of British fashion designer Wayne Hemingway. I actually remember seeing him wrestle at the Theatre Royal in Portsmouth when it was known as the Royal Arena.
Bruno Elrington
Cannot miss out the local lad, Big Bruno Elrington he might well have been a big package, but it had all the necessary ingredients to be a top rated wrestler. Just the name Bruno on the bills, no need for the surname, was enough for fans who knew exactly what to expect. Whilst some loved to jeer him as a rule bender others loved him because he could, and did, wrestle. His height and weight, around 20 stones, caused an interest, but so did his speed and agility that was surprising for a man of his size. His strength and power moves were admired by many, but so was his wrestling skill. Bruno had an enormous ring presence and he made a fearsome site as he climbed into the ring. But fans always realised that here was a generous, warm hearted man, and had a special affection for him even in his most villainous of days. He entered the professional ring following six years service in the Royal Marines. Mind you, he could have been lost to the world of boxing, having four fights as a pro boxer before turning his sights to wrestling. He mellowed later in his career and was rewarded with winning the Royal Albert Hall Trophy in 1969, and succeeding Al Hayes as Southern England Champion. He owned and trained in a gym in Southsea.
Well grapple fans it is time for me to go.
Stay in touch,

Yours,

Peter

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

You Write:

Remember the 5th Year coffee table we Boysl made with Mr. Wells our Metalwork Master in the workshops at Court Lane? Mine is still in use all these years later and still looks as good today after a quick re-spray and refurbishment. Hard to believe we made these coffee tables nearly 50 years ago! Take a look at the side bar

Regards to Everyone. Melvyn ( Griff ) Griffiths..





News and Views:

Lyricist Jerry Leiber, who-- along with his partner Mike Stoller-- gave us such legendary tunes as "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Kansas City," "Charlie Brown" and "Love Potion #9," died on Monday August 22 in a Los Angeles hospital from cardiopulmonary failure. He was 78. A list of all the tunes written or produced by the duo could fill an encyclopedia, but they include "There Goes My Baby," "Young Blood," "Searchin'" "Spanish Harlem," "Ruby Baby," "Yakety Yak," "Black Denim Trousers," "Hard Headed Woman," "On Broadway," "Only In America" and "Is That All There Is."


On this day 9th September 1960-1965.

On 09/09/1960

the number one single was Apache - The Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 09/09/1961

the number one single was Johnny Remember Me - John Leyton and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Charles de Gaulle escapes assasination attempt

On 09/09/1962

the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Pot Luck - 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 09/09/1963

the number one single was Bad to Me - Billy J Kramer and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 09/09/1963

the number one single was Bad to Me - Billy J Kramer and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 09/09/1965

the number one single was (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones and the number one album was Help - The Beatles. 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.