Web Page 984

Top Picture: The Boyfriend


Second Picture: The NME






The Pop Magazine Explosion 1960-65


Dozens of magazines sprang up in the early 60s to cover the growth of pop music. By the early 1960s, there were already several weeklies catering to the teenage female market - long established as being in the forefront of youth consumerism: Marilyn, Mirabelle, Romeo, Roxy and Valentine. Boyfriend was launched in 1959, with Marty - based on the popularity of Marty Wilde - following in 1960.

In February 1963 The Beatles were No 2 in the charts with Please Please Me and an anonymous reporter from Boyfriend goes to interview them for "an exclusive scoop" and her impressions are revealing. "They are almost frightening-looking young men," she said, "but when they smile, which is not often, they look wholesome and nice. But the rest of the time they look wicked and dreadful and evil, you almost expect them to leap up and chant magic spells." The Boyfriend article ("Pop A La Mod") was one of the first in-depth articles about the group. It was well-written and made it clear just how weird the Beatles were when they first arrived. The magazine was aimed at young women, with colour pin-ups, ads for cosmetics and hair lacquer and picture stories. Boyfriend picked up on the hysteria surrounding the Beatles and invested heavily in the British pop boom that they helped to create.


In summer 1963 the magazine produced "Big New Beat", the first of several pop supplements "about the Northern Raves". The Beatles were on the cover, standing amid the rubble of Euston Road. Inside were group shots and close-ups with large type comments. One shot from the session was used by EMI for the front cover of the Beatles' Twist and Shout EP released in July 1963. It showed the group leaping into the air and it remains one of the key 60s images to this day.

Between 1963 and 1965, Britain had a vigorous pop and teen press, with at least a dozen weeklies and/or monthlies all bringing their readers the latest pop news. Selling between 70,000 copies up to 200,000 a week The Record Mirror and The New Musical Express reported the unprecedented rise in singles sales in the years after the Beatles' breakthrough: reaching a peak of more than 70million in 1964. These magazines created an all-inclusive, environment of pop. Reading them today, they are historical documents yet retain the fervour of the moment.

The newer titles were more pop-heavy: as well as "love scene" picture stories and problem pages, there were innovative layouts and colour photos. The star staples were Elvis, Cliff Richard, Adam Faith, John Leyton, Eden Kane: the manufactured dream teen pop idols of the early 60s were perfect for the girls' mags, leaving the weekly music papers somewhat becalmed.

Of these, there were several. Launched in 1926, Melody Maker was the longest-running: with its commitment to jazz, folk and blues, it was not pure pop. That was taken up by the New Musical Express (est 1952), Record and Show Mirror (est 1953 as Record Mirror) and Disc (est 1958). All were black and white with weekly charts and plenty of news: aimed at young men as well as women.

Basically you paid your money and you made your choice. Melody Maker was serious about music and jazz and it made headway during the early 60s trad boom. The New Musical Express was hamstrung by its prominent front cover ad, but it had great insider gossip: "Tail-Pieces by the Alley Cat". Disc was poppier, with prominent charts and front-page news stories.

The Beatles' revolutionised pop publishing. Boyfriend's Big Beat No 2 (autumn '63) promised "12 colour pages and all the mod pop that's popping". Inside were Cliff and Elvis but coming up fast were the Searchers, Freddie and the Dreamers and the Rolling Stones.

Two important new weeklies were launched in January 1964. Jackie ("for go-ahead teens") was published as a girls' "comic", a streamlined version of Boyfriend: all the same elements but with larger pages and unusual, candid shots of the stars. It was a winning mixture: by the late 60s, its circulation was up to half a million.
Fabulous was a completely new tabloid pop paper it contained at least one pin-up of the Beatles in every issue for two years. Several issues were almost totally devoted to the group, with quirky features, 11 colour pages, and a central double-page poster (now hard to find, as they were usually stuck on the wall). Selling for one shilling, Fabulous was pricier than the competition but it had more pages, better quality paper, and a regular team of photographers. It also introduced a more direct rapport between the stars and their audience. In the all-Beatles 15 February 1964 edition, there were articles about "famous escapes" (how the Beatles got away from the fans after a show), Brian Epstein speaking in his own words, and a forensic breakdown of Paul, Ringo, George and John's height, weight, eye colour, inside leg etc. Features showing stars in their own homes were interspersed with old school photos and pop stars' musings on ideal girls.

Fabulous saw pop not just as a teen process but as part of something wider. Fashion was given prominent space, not only in the adverts, but in spreads directly related to star "gear". A double page spread on "bee-oootiful beat babes" showed the Beatles in their corduroy jackets and then told you where to buy them - cut for the young female shape of course.

After the Beatles cracked America Britain became Pop Island and the bombsite-ridden capital a youth mecca. On 3 October 1964, Fabulous published its "Shaking London Town" issue, with a spread about the best TV programme of the day, Ready Steady Go!
At 2s 6d, Rave was five times as expensive as the weekly music papers, but in return you got an 80-page A4-size monthly, with excellent quality paper, meaty content and great photographs. The first issue showed the cross-media spread of British pop culture with a front cover shot of the Beatles with 007 badges. Paul McCartney has a spy camera, while Ringo's gun shoots. Inside are Dusty's fashion tips, a feature on star holidays and a regular monthly event, DJ Alan Freeman's "Heart to Heart": this month, Billy Fury - '"The Billy No One Knows".

Rave went further and deeper with articles about Stuart Sutcliffe, the lost Beatle, a fashion round table with John Stephen and the Pretty Things, and notices about up-and-coming groups such as the Yardbirds. Like Fabulous, Rave prominently featured young women writers. Cathy McGowan was a regular. However, if the ads for guitars were anything to go by, Rave also appealed to young men and it acquired a circulation of 125,000 by 1965.

The music weeklies responded to this challenge by hiring new writers. Disc sharpened up its act with bang-up-to-the-minute news stories on the front page, race-track-style chart rundowns, a contentious readers' postbag and incisive singles reviews by Penny Valentine.

Melody Maker developed a good line in eye-catching headlines and increased its circulation to nearly 100,000. Record Mirror also had colour and was well-regarded for its thorough charts page.

1966 was the year of change. Singles' sales dropped by 10million. The papers began to feature stories about star exhaustion and unavailability: the surliness of the Kinks, the Who and the Rolling Stones. A new micro-generation of more cheerful groups appeared, apparently unburdened by significance: the Troggs, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, the Monkees. Sentimental ballads returned, Soul engaged the hardcore mods, while the drug culture began to take an effect. Rave was particularly hostile to the last development and vainly predicted, in its January 1967 issue, that "psychedelic music and psychedelic happenings won't happen".
Stay in touch,

Yours,

Peter

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

You Write:

Griff Writes:


The fire lighting saga made me chuckle Pete. The lack of heating in our houses in those far off days would not be tolerated today and that's a fact isn't it. Surprising when you consider that loft insulation to keep the heat actually in the home was not even thought about or considered years ago and I can remember in my bedroom in Station Rd. the build up of ice on the inside bedroom window in Winter on a frosty morning and the rush down stairs to stand next to the newly lit fire to thaw out holding a cup of hot tea.
When my Mum moved to a modern 1950's bungalow in Waterlooville the very large roof void was not insulated and the place use to freeze inside even with electric storage heating. I eventually insulated the loft in 1973 for her.
Now you would think that the vast majority of houses would have had their roof attic spaces insulated by now wouldn't you? but it is not always the case even today with all the publicity that is given out about home insulation and being "Green".

My Daughter has just moved into a fully renovated 1840's Stable in our village which comprises of a large converted stable and an attached Stable Cottage. We have just discovered that the Stable Cottage roof has no roof insulation at all! The reason for this is there is no ceiling attic hatch to actually get in there to do the job. The loft hatch is about to be installed for access and you may all wish to know that B&Q are selling 8" thick rolls of roof insulation for £1 a roll. Bargain.

John Writes:


There was a very interesting article from a number of us old Manor Court Oiks regarding good manners and discipline,
As a young man growing up on the Highbury Estate I was no angel but then I was not a thug,bully or a criminal, I put a lot of my up being down to my late Grandfather who's moral standards were second to none, he was not a religious zealot but a kind and respectful person to whom you could look up to and emulate.

Many years later I now find myself working as a PCSO for the Derbyshire Police here in Chesterfield policing the area around the famous crooked Spire. Through my job I meet all members of the public who's attitudes and behaviour are so varied that its difficult so say who's normal and who's not.

I also meet a lot of younger folk who are on both sides of the spectrum ranging from the Arrogant rude belligerents to Lads and Lasses who have a goal in life to do something positive.

Mary Writes:-

I meant to write this earlier but have just read Chris and Toms` comments on manners. Yes, we certainly lived under very strict conditions, and I vowed that if I was ever lucky enough to have children some things would be different. My mother had been a wartime teacher and my father was ex-army so I didn’t argue with them. You never answered back. You accepted what you were told and got on with it. I can remember when I left Court Lane School and went to Cowplain Girls that there was a careers day to which parents were invited. A gentleman came from the employment services to give advice. When my mother came in with me it didn’t take her long to tell him that my parents would be giving me all the advice I needed, thank you very much! It was a bit like Chris’s experience. Actually I had to find a job myself with no help from anyone but I was really happy working in St Mary’s Hospital. My parents wanted me to work in a bank. Later on I was a dispenser for Boots the Chemists and met up with 2 friends from Court Lane. On the subject of clothes, parents picked them no say there! Then there was the love life, parents had a lot to say then. My mother sent my boyfriend off one morning and he was told never to return. His only crime was that my mother said he was interfering with my school homework. We were both heartbroken but we accepted it. We didn’t argue with parents. I do not feel in any way resentful when I remember the past as those were also days when people were very polite. You never heard bad language or witnessed revolting behaviour. Once when visiting my parents grave I said "I’m sure I disappointed you when I didn’t get a bank job but I did get a banker,(my kind, loving boyfriend of the past 15 yrs)" My children were given the family allowance when teenagers and chose their own clothes. I never interfered with their love life and I always encouraged them. As for the old boyfriend he found me after 48yrs and told me that he still loved me and had never forgotten me (I had never forgotten him) so perhaps things didn’t turn out too badly after all!

News and Views:

Lulu was given the Woman of the Year Lifetime Achievement award in ceremonies in London on 18th October 18.

On this Day 30th October 1960-1965

On

30/10/1960

the number one single was Only the Lonely - Roy Orbison and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge 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

30/10/1961

the number one single was Walkin' Back to Happiness - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was The Shadows - Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street 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 Stalin removed from Lenin's tomb.

On

30

/10/1962

the number one single was Telstar - The Tornadoes and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. The top rated TV show was The Royal Variety Performance 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

30/10/1963

the number one single was Do You Love Me? - Brian Poole & the Tremoloes 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

/10/1964

the number one single was (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me - Sandy Shaw 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

30/10/1965

the number one single was Tears - Ken Dodd and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was 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 982

Top Picture: Doc Martens.





Second Picture: The 1960’s mini skirt.

Icons of the Sixties

I thought I would look at some of the things that are associated with the early to mid 1960’s

Doc Martens. When the German doctor, Dr Maertens, injured his foot in a ski-ing holiday in Bavaria, he could not have imagined that the orthopaedic shoe he designed for himself would still be going today, let alone become a boot of rebellion. In 1958, the Grigg family acquired rights to the air cushioned sole and started making boots at their factory in Wollaston. The first boot was produced on the 1st April 1960, and so was christened the 1460. The 1460, in black and later cherry red, was popular with postmen and policemen and then the 'mods' began to adopt them in the mid-60s. They became notorious when the steel-toecapped variety was used to inflict grievous bodily harm on football fans and rival gangs, but now Doc M’s are now almost compulsory kit in the music industry - worn by rockers and boy bands alike. There are 70,000 possible varieties of Doc Martens, starting at 3-eye and rising to a 20-eye boot. Elton John wore an enormous pair in The Who's rock opera movie 'Tommy'.

Mothercare. This is thought of by many as the first major fashion outlet for tiny tots. Mothercare stores opened in 1961 to great public interest. Although not from the babies themselves. Mothercare became popular with mothers for pioneering easily laundered fabrics and bringing a bit of style to kids clothes at reasonable prices. Mothercare UK now supplies goods through their stores and mail order to customers from 130 countries.

Teddy Boy Suit. The original teen rebels, Teddy Boys originated in early 50’s London. Though their days were numbered in the Sixties, the young mods were taking a leaf out of the Teds fashion book. Teds dressed in a blend of romantic Edwardian clothes including slim coats with velvet trim. Hair was cut into an outlandish DA (Duck's Ass), long jackets were worn with thin, bootlace ties, stovepipe trousers which were cut short to show off patterned socks - and the look was completed with suede brothel creepers or winkle-pickers. But behind the dapper facade Teddy Boys were hard as nails - carrying flick knives bicycle chains and razors. The look was synonymous with coldhearted violence and was used as a basis for the costumes of the thugs in A Clockwork Orange. Though the Teddy Boy style was decidedly macho, there were girls who wore velvet-collared jackets and black stockings and cut their hair into a DA.

Mop Top Hair. The description came from the similarity to a dish mop, and led to comments such as: 'Did you see that boy? His hair touched his ears!' Much was done to stamp out the Mop Top cut made popular by The Beatles, but nothing was going to stop the trend going into fashion history. When the boys from Liverpool turned up with their dodgy bowl cuts, people were shocked. The older generation in particular hated it - seeing men with long hair was just 'not on'. Although very tame by today's standards the mop top was shaggy - even daring to touch the shoulder in days when men were expected to show military precision and have the hair neatly cut above the ears. Mop top hairdos took off across the country, despite some schools banning the style - and Middle England calling on the government to reinstate National Service and 'stop the rot'.

Wigs. Once it was discovered that The Supremes used them on stage the wig went right to the top of the fashion class. And it wasn't only women, led by Pop artist Andy Warhol who sported a selection of silver, blue and white wigs, chaps got in on the fad too. Of course, the Beatles got in on the act. Their famous Beatle wigs were one of the best selling pieces of pop merchandise ever, although the band made very little from them after one of Brian Epstein's less successful business deals. A range of 'groovy' wigs were also created by John Stephen and found popularity with trendy blokes across the land. Later in the decade 'afro' wigs became popular with both men and women, although the people sitting behind them at the cinema weren't too impressed.

Twiggy Look and False Eyelashes. In the 1960s there was only one model anyone was bothered about - Twiggy. Girls dieted and slaved over a hot pair of eye-brow curlers to perfect her look and designers clamoured to have her wear their clothes. Woman's Mirror magazine had been on the look-out for models who were young and very thin. They found her in Lesley Hornby who was only six and a half stone and a size 6. Designer John Bates described her, rather coldly as 'Narrow body, perfect square shoulders, long legs, small bust'; in other words the opposite of the pin-ups of the fifties in the Marilyn Monroe mould. Twiggy's distinctive look was typified by two elements - her elfin haircut and panda eyes. The first time her hair was cut into the trademark pixie style it reputedly took eight hours. Almost as long as it took women across the land to master the art of applying three sets of false eyelashes to each eye in order to gain the right amount of doe-eyed appeal. In 1967 a range of Twiggy clothing was launched, presumably to a rather restricted market but the fact that Twiggy's still a star today proves that there was more to her than big eyes and a fancy haircut.

Mini Skirts. If one fashion item could sum up the 60’s it would be the mini-skirt. Opinion is split on who came up with the idea - the wise money would probably go on a Frenchman, Jean Courreges, but Mary Quant is widely accepted as having dreamt up the ever more daring hemline. Within a year anybody who had the body to pull it off was wearing a mini. In New York the norm was 4-5 inches above the knee but in Swinging London anything other than 7-8 inches above the knee was considered positively decent! The usual look was to pair what little was left of the skirt with matching sweater and tights for a uniform look. When, in 1968, Jackie Kennedy wore a white Valentino miniskirt for her wedding to Aristotle Onassis its place at the pinnacle of fashion was confirmed.

Just a few more items from the Diddy box of memories.

Stay in touch,

Yours,

Peter

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

You Write:

Anida Writes:-

I am an avid allotmenteer and have been safely gathering in my harvest - this of course means much chopping, stirring and filling the house with vinegary smells as I make chutney from this years huge crop of beetroot. Inevitably there is always a surfeit of runner beans and gardenless friends have been known to receive parcels of them in the post! I also have plenty of vegetables to take me through the winter, nothing like going to pick your own Brussel sprouts and parsnips for Christmas dinner.

This led me to think about Harvest Festivals at school and church. We were encouraged to take along something from the garden but I inevitably took a tin of something from the larder. At church on Harvest Festival Sunday the church was filled with a beautiful smell of all the flowers and vegetables, at the back there was the loaf of bread in the shape of a sheaf of corn. As children we had to come to the front and give our contribution to the Minister, the following night there was Harvest Supper when some of the food was used and some was auctioned off for church funds - all very simple but memorable.

I was born in St Mary's Hospital, where a payment had been made to the doctor and hospital. This was done by most people belonging to a Mutual Aid Society to cover any doctor's bills. Another small payment was made for the hospital stay, this was based on what you could afford, my Mum's friend had to pay less than her because her husband had a smaller military pension. Apparently St Mary's was very popular and Mum didn't know anyone who had their baby at home which must have been quite a social change. I suppose there aren't many of us who still have their Mum's around to fill in the information!

Tom Writes:-

Your article on children's manners then and now was excellent. I, like so many of us, were children of those parents served their country and suffered the hell of WW2 for our basic freedoms, am revolted by the horrible, spoilt, rude brats of today's society. I add quickly that they aren't all like that thank God but sadly too many are. Even here in Thailand which tells the World how polite they are, has serious problems with its youth.

Chris Writes:-

I quite agree with what you say about manners and discipline. My father was very strict and if I uttered a word sometimes he would say "Little boys should be seen and not heard". I remember once when holiday plans were under discussion, I just managed to get out "I think.." and was promptly told "We do not wish to know what you think".

On one occasion I brought home a form from school about careers, what sort of thing I was hoping to do etc. I had already filled it in, but when father saw it I was told to destroy it, get a new form from school the next day and redo it with HIS answers!

Actually I reckon much of this just made me dislike my parents, which continued into adulthood. However, things seem to have gone way too far in the other direction these days. But I would like to think and hope that my experiences made me a kinder and more considerate person towards others, whatever their age, as I've got older.


News and Views:

Clear Lake, Iowa, near where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a 1959 plane crash, dedicated the Three Stars Plaza in their honour on October 13th. In addition, the city will dedicate Ritchie Valens Drive and J.P. Richardson Avenue, along with the existing Buddy Holly Place. Together they will triangulate the Surf Ballroom, where the trio played their last concert.

On this day 21st October 1960-1965.

On

21/10/1960

the number one single was Only the Lonely - Roy Orbison and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place 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.The big news story of the day was Britain launches first nuclear submarine.

On

21/10/1961

the number one single was Walkin' Back to Happiness - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. The top rated TV show was Sunday Night at the London Palladium 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

On 21/10/1962 the number one single was Telstar - The Tornadoes 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

21/10/1963

the number one single was Do You Love Me? - Brian Poole & the Tremoloes 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.

On

21/10/1964

the number one single was Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison 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

21/10/1965

the number one single was Tears - Ken Dodd and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was 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 980

Top Picture: Clarence Parade 1960
Second Picture: Bilbow and Clibbery in Cosham

Behaviour

Many people, especially those under the age of around 45 will often hear 'us oldens' say "If I'd have spoken to my parents like that, I'd have got a clip round the ear". If you gave a child a clip round the ear nowadays, they'd probably sue you and put you up in front of the European Equal Rights Committee or something very similar!
But in most cases it's true what we say, you would never answer back to your parents or any older person, you would do as you were told because that's how it worked. Possibly part of the reason was that for the last 100 years, the vast majority of us were children of those who fought in the Services during the two Wars and this brought about a discipline. There again, discipline goes back centuries before that even.

It is best write how things were back in the 1950's by just giving examples and the 'rules' which existed, most of which are long forgotten I'm afraid.

1. When any adult, excepting your Parents, entered the Room, you would stand up. If you didn't you'd get ticked off for sure.

2. You would always vacate a Bus or Train seat for a Woman or someone of senior years. You would also offer them your place in a Queue when alighting from a Bus or train.

3. You would never leave the Table without seeking permission first. In fact, you would usually not even bother asking, in the 50's most would eat as a family and then everyone would leave the Table together.

4. "Please" and "Thank you" were compulsory and unlike nowadays, if you didn't say it, it wasn't a case of the Adult saying what an impolite young child you were after you'd left, they would tell you face to face. Also you never said ‘I want’, it was always ‘I would like’.

5. At School, every Teacher was referred to as 'Sir' or 'Madam' and upon entry into the Classroom, everyone would stand up and unanimously say "Good morning Sir or Miss" and if the Headmaster walked in during a lesson you all stood then.

6. If you wore a hat, you would never wear it indoors, home or shop. You would take it off if you met or you were talking to a Lady.

7. "I want" were two 'no no' words, it was always "I would like" or "may I have" (followed by the mandatory Please and Thank you of course.

8. You would always open a door for someone, a woman or adult and allow them entry or exit before you.

9. 'Speak when you're spoken to', another expression us oldens often say. You would not normally make the first comment other than to ask how a person was, you would sit politely when you had guests and wait for the question - and that was usually based around your Schooling!

10. Going back to Buses and Trains and even walking down the Street, if you saw a Lady struggling with her Shopping, you would offer to help, even if that meant going out of your way to take them to he home.

I'm sure there are many more you'd be able to find, but ten is a round number.
Much of the above would remain for some years to follow, but the main change in 'youth' came about in the mid 1960's. Manners and etiquette was just a part of the 1950's lifestyle, it was more disciplined, you wouldn't see so much rubbish in the street, you would find it hard to find untidy front gardens, people wanted to show others that they had things sorted, they were leading a decent life, did the right thing and the children's manners were one way of showing this.
Or am looking through rose tinted spec?
Stay in touch,

Yours,

Peter

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

You Write:

I'm Tom West in the photo of the 1961 woodwork class. Also went on the trip to Hochsolden, Austria but I'm not in the photo. I have been living abroad for the past 12 years and any photos I may still have are at my sisters home. Found your wonderful collection of memories today, thanks for your efforts. It was a real treat to see them.


News and Views:

The original Beatles drummer, Pete Best, is getting a street named after him in his native Liverpool. In addition to "Pete Best Drive," another street in a new development there will be called "Casbah Close" to honour the Casbah Club, which Pete's mother owned and where the Beatles got their start.



On this day 15th October 1960-1965.

On 15/10/1960 the number one single was Tell Laura I Love Her - Ricky Valance and the number one album was Tottenham Hotspur. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £not very interesting and 13.68 were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was No Hiding Place (AR).

On 15/10/1961 the number one single was Kon-Tiki - The Shadows and the number one album was The Shadows - Shadows. 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 Heller's Catch-22 published.

On 15/10/1962 the number one single was Telstar - The Tornadoes 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 15/10/1963 the number one single was Do You Love Me? - Brian Poole & the Tremoloes 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 15/10/1964 the number one single was Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison 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.The big news story of the day was XVIIIth Olympics in Tokyo were under way.

On 15/10/1965 the number one single was Tears - Ken Dodd 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 978

Top Picture: Mile End Chapel in Old Commercial Road



Second Picture: Car Ferry to the Isle of Wight







Wow I have been married 44 years this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another new school pal this week Tom West



Warm memories of childhood firesides

The childhood winters were always freezing when we settled by the fireside in the evenings in the 1960s. And this reminds me of Bonanza. What is the connection between Bonanza, the hit cowboy series of the 1960s, and your old coal fire at home? Read on!

Bereft of any form of central heating, we at home resorted to our open coal fires and electric radiators. Most of our houses were essentially Arctic wastelands in winter, except for the semi-circle in front of the coal fire. There was a strict pecking order for pride of place. The cat was usually first on the scene. Behind him would be the clothes horse with the washing or, alternatively, the bed linen “being aired” before it went on the bed. Finally, grouped around the fire like a well placed team fielding at a Test match, would be our family, dimly aware that somewhere behind the washing and the cat was a source of heat.

The fireplace was a place of great activity, with its gleaming companion set comprising poker, shovel, dustpan and brush (often slightly singed). There would also be a coal scuttle and possibly a toasting fork. This led to one of the fireside rituals toasting bread or crumpets. Father would sit, with the toasting fork getting ever-hotter in his hand, while lesser mortals (like me) would shriek with pain at the heat and drop fork and bread into the open fire. There’s something about toast or crumpets cooked on an open fire that is infinitely better than a toaster or grill. Then in the season there was always roasted chestnuts!

So, where does the reference to Bonanza come in? Well if you remember the opening credits, these used to show a map of Nevada and “The Ponderosa” being devoured by a flame that would start at the centre of the page. Igniting a coal fire at home could lead to something very similar. The process would start with a few sticks wrapped in paper or, with a commercial firelighter, Zip normally. Setting light to these fire starters was usually quite easy but the whole process could fall apart if, like me, you were over-enthusiastic and buried the flames to soon in half a ton of coal dust. However all was not lost if you could always “draw the fire” by blocking off the fireplace and causing air to rush through the grate and then up chimney. The blocking mechanism of choice was always a piece of newspaper, the bigger the better. I quite enjoyed this job, watching the paper being partially sucked into the hearth and seeing the flames begin to work their way up through the dust. However, if I lost concentration I would miss the telltale charring in the middle of the sheet and would suddenly find myself clutching the headlines as the rest of the paper vanished in flames. Then came the worry that you had set the chimney alight.

I never had this experience but my father did once and when it happened he shoveled as much of the fire he could into a metal bucket and then he dashed to the shed, grabbed an old potato sack, soaked it in water and stuffed it up the chimney in the hopes that it would stifle the flames and put the fire out. Luckily this worked. But what a mess was left behind. Firstly the bucket of fire had to be moved, this was not easy as the handle was now red hot and it could not be put down on the carpet or lino as it would burn a hole. Then, when the fire was totally out it was a case of clearing up the water and slurry left behind from the damp sack. But one of the worst things of all was the smell. Nothing else quite smelt the same it was a horrible cloying smell that seemed to linger for days. In fact it was very easy to tell if there was a chimney fire in your area, you did not look for the billowing smoke, you just sniffed.

Sometimes the fire brigade would be summoned but this was to be avoided whatever happened because if the Brigade turned out the householder could get charged for their attendance.

However there was one person who never minded chimney fires and that was the chimney sweep because it was almost guaranteed that a soon as someone had experienced a chimney fire, the sweep was called to clear the rest of the soot. I would have thought that was rather like closing the sable door……
Mind you the visit of the sweep with his brushes and vacuum machine is yet another story.

Stay in touch,

Yours,

Peter

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

You Write:

Malcolm Writes:-

Memory is a funny thing, when I see a picture of a Ford Zephyr I immediately think of the bench seat and column change, leaving the rest of the front clear for courting!! And when I drive down Hilary Avenue I can still imagine Bert Ray (science), June Blitz (english), Norman Folland (maths), Mr Fentiman (art), Mr Ord (PE), and of course she who must be obeyed!! Miss Pipe.

News and Views:

A copy of the Beatles hit single Please Please Me signed on both sides by all four members of the band has fetched £9,000 at auction in Liverpool. The 1963 record was sold by a Liverpool woman who asked the group to sign it after listening to them at the city's Cavern venue as a youngster.The "very, very rare" item was among 322 lots at the annual Beatles memorabilia auction. Among other highlights was a cap owned by John Lennon which sold for £3,200. There were bids made from around the world.Other items at the sale, held in the Paul McCartney Auditorium at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, included the door of number 38, Kensington, which went for £2,300.

On this day 8th October 1960-1965.

On

8/10/1960

the number one single was Tell Laura I Love Her - Ricky Valance. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68. Tottenham Hotspurs were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was No Hiding Place (AR).

On

8/10/1961

the number one single was Kon-Tiki - The Shadows and the number one album was The Shadows - Shadows. 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 Heller's Catch-22 was published.

On

8/10/1962

the number one single was Telstar - The Tornadoes 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

8/10/1963

the number one single was Do You Love Me? - Brian Poole & the Tremoloes 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

8/10/1964

the number one single was Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison 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. The big news story of the day was XVIIIth Olympics in Tokyo

On

8/10/1965

the number one single was Tears - Ken Dodd 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.