Web Page 1100
1^st December 2012

Top Picture : Triumph Bonneville

Second Picture: DOT Trials Machine

 

 

The Triumph Bonneville - 50 Years Of A Modern Classic 

The Triumph Bonneville is an undisputed modern classic, synonymous with British motorcycling and a byword for simple, original style. It stands as the perfect blend of British heritage, design and glamour,  backed by modern technology. 

The Bonneville was named in recognition of Johnny Allen’s 1950’s record breaking feats on a Triumph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, the very first Bonneville, the T120, was showcased at the Earls Court Bike Show in 1958, with the bikes being available for sale to the general public the following year.  An instant hit in both the UK and America, essentially the T120 was a high performance, twin carburettor version of Triumph’s T110 Tiger model.  The combination of extra performance with a fine-handling, light weight chassis and attractive design proved a winning combination and the bike went on to become one of the most successful models of the era.

Today’s Bonneville is a roadster – perfect for getting around town in style or

Running round the back lanes - but back then it was a high performance sports bike and billed by Triumph in 1959 as offering “the highest performance from a standard production motorcycle”.   

Although the standard T120 could not quite manage the 120mph top speed that its name suggested, it was good for over 110mph and notched up plenty of victories on the racetrack.   Racing success spawned a special edition ‘Bonneville Thruxton’ (1964/65), which in turn inspired a generation of café racer machines.   

The making of an icon

 

Much more than a racer though, during the halcyon days of motorcycling in the 1950s and 60s, the Triumph Bonneville established itself as the iconic bike of the era – a status that it retains to this day.  Motorcycling was at the height of its popularity and the Bonneville achieved global cult status with many a charismatic screen legend associated with this evocative machine, both on and off screen.  These included Steve McQueen in The Grea tEscape, James Dean, in Rebel Without a Cause, and Marlon Brando in The Wild One - as well as the likes of Bob Dylan and Clint Eastwood.

 

In December 1967 Evel Knievel chose the Triumph Bonneville for his ill-fated attempt to jump the Caesar’s Palace fountain in Las Vegas. 

For many, 1969 was the Bonneville’s finest hour with a series of developments culminating in a model at the peak of its form.  The most significant of the changes was to the engine, which had notable trouble-free carburetion, a smooth power delivery and great tractability at low speeds.   The 1969 edition is also considered a design highlight for the Bonneville; the tank badge was changed to a more simple ‘picture-frame’ design, the dual seats were fitted with raised tops, and the rear units became mere exposed springs which most young riders wanted.  Even the colour scheme adopted was a fashionable Olympic Flame and white lined in silver.  

The Rock n’ Roll Years 

Especially in the UK in the 1960s, the Triumph Bonneville became closely associated with the Rock n’ Roll culture – with versions of the Bonneville being adopted by British Rockers as the ultimate motorcycle. London’s Rocker community found a home at the famous transport café, Ace Café, which became the heart of motorcycling and Rock n’ Roll culture – and Bonnevilles, or modified versions of them, would always be lined up outside.  The most popular machine of the Rocker period was the Triton – a custom built motorcycle made from a Norton Featherbed frame, and a Triumph Bonneville engine – combining what was considered the best handling frame of the era with the fastest racing engine. 

A Right Royal Occasion

The Bonneville continued to make its mark in the 1970s and 80s, when special, limited edition bikes were launched to mark significant Royal occasions.  In 1977, the T140J celebrated the Queen’s Silver Jubilee; and in 1981, 250 T140LE Royal Wedding Bonnevilles were produced to mark the Royal wedding between Prince Charles and Diana. 

The Bonneville into the 21st Century 

The seventies were a troubled time at Triumph, with discontent among the work force following a government-sponsored merge with Norton Villiers.  Workers took over the Meriden factory in 1973 amid rumours that it was to be closed and a strike ensued. Virtually no bikes were produced over the following year and in 1975 the Meridan Worker’s Cooperative was formed. Production resumed and Bonneville T140s continued to be built into the early 1980s and were the last bikes to be built by Triumph before the Meriden factory closed in 1983.  Even then the Bonneville refused to die. Small numbers were built under licence by LF Harris of Newton Abbot between 1985 and '88. 

The Bonneville looked as if it had been consigned to history, until in 2000 a modern version of the bike was unveiled. Blending authentic styling with modern materials and manufacturing techniques, the first of the new Bonnevilles was produced with a 790cc parallel-twin motor.  A centenary model followed the next year – the Bonneville T100 Centennial Edition - marking 100 years of the Triumph brand.

The early years of the 21^st Century have continued to witness the Bonneville’s evolution, including an increase in capacity to 865cc and the introduction of fuel injection (cleverly concealed to retain the bike’s original styling).  The Bonneville family has also grown to include the T100, Scrambler and Thruxton models. The Bonneville has found real relevance today as a simple, authentic roadster offering plenty of performance combined with easy-going road manners.  Clever design hides modern technology to retain the authentic retro silhouette, while the distinctive note of the twin cylinder engine is unmistakable. A low seat and low centre of gravity make it an agile, manageable motorcycle that all riders – ranging from those with little experience to those with lots – can appreciate.  It remains an indisputable icon - a symbol of rebellion and individuality – and still inspires a loyalty and emotion in everyone that rides it.

In fact there is a man who has a 1960’s Bonneville who lives near me but the illusion is shattered because he has attached a sidecar to it and he then goes off and fills it with timber and logs for his wood burning stove. What a waste!

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

You Write:

Mary Writes:-

With reference to Solent Rd I can remember Pop Wing. He was a great teacher. Mr White (Leslie) was a strict teacher but very good. Mr King was also strict and I enjoyed being in his class. I remember Miss Jefferies as a particularly strange old bat (dare I say that?) Mr Hawkins the headmaster was ok in my mind. The real scary one was Mrs Magee, closely followed by her dog. We had large classes but we seemed to cope. 

News and Views:

I have just come across a fantastic colour cine film of Southsea in the 1950's. It is 7-8 mins long and is naturally the quality you would expect from a 60 year old film. It shows, amongst other things, South parade Pier, the savoy,a Miss Marilyn contest, the sea front and the Rock Gardens, trolley buses and coach tours, the beaches , the floral clock and skating rink. Childrens corner with the boats, train and paddling pool. I can copy this onto a DVD for those who would like a copy. 

The downside is that to copy it will only cost me about 15p. but the postage and packing will come to around 80p. so I am afraid if you would like me to post you a copy I am going to have to ask for a cheque of £1. (delivery by hand is free!) E mail and let me know if you would like a copy.I really enjoyed it it brought back many memories.

On this day 1^st December 1960-1965

On 1/12/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) 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 1/121961 the number one single was Little Sister/His Latest Flame - Elvis Presley 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  £ 13.25.The big news story of the day was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV)".

On 1/12/1962 the number one single was Lovesick Blues - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. 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 1/12/1963 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 1/12/1964 the number one single was Baby Love - Supremes 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 1/12/1965 the number one single was The Carnival is Over - Seekers and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. 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 1100
29th November 2012

Top Picture : Portscreek looking towards Hilsea road bridge with Tudor Crescent on the right.

Second Picture: Jack Hargreaves

Fishing

Whilst driving into Portsmouth today I looked across the mud flats and down by the waters edge, it was a very low tide, were a couple of chaps in thigh waders, with a fork and bucket, bait digging. This took me back to the days when I was 14 years old or so and everyone went fishing. I had bought a rod, my one and only rod ever, in a shop on Guernsey when we were on holiday and so I could not wait to use it. Together with a couple of mates one morning we made our way down to Portscreek on our bikes and picked a spot between the railway bridge and the Eastern Road bridge and armed with the correct equipment proceeded to dig for ragworms and lugworms and this is really where my success as a fisherman comes to an abrupt end because throughout the whole of my teenage years I cannot remember ever catching a single fish, lots of crabs and sea weed yes, but no fish. My usual fishing venues were either in Steve, or Adrian, or Mervyns boats launched into Portsmouth Harbour, even though I do not remember ever catching a fish, I cannot remember anyone else catching one either. The other main location was off the road bridge on the Eastern Road and it was here that two or three of us had the biggest haul of our lives but that was nothing to do with fish.

One afternoon we were bait digging as usual just below the bridge when one of us found a new looking flick knife sticking in the mud, this was followed by several flick knives, several sheath knives, a couple of bicycle chains and several sets of knuckle dusters. A very strange haul you may think but easily explained. The previous night there was a stand off between two rival gangs on the bridge and before the fight really got going the police arrived. Naturally no one wanted to be caught with an offensive weapon on their person and so over the parapet all the ironmongery went and so when the tide ebbed the following day there they all were waiting to be found. I kept a couple of knives at home for years but somewhere they must have been lost, as I do not have them now. But I do know that there was quite an illegal trade going on around the school selling these spoils off.

For us lads the required viewing on a Friday at 7.00pm was Out of Town with Jack Hargreaves after all we might learn some useful fishing hints that would help us, we did not realise that he was not the simple countryman we all thought he was.

He was born, like his brothers, in north London and in his youth, was placed by his mother with old family friends at Burston Hill Farm north of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire where he was influenced by the farmer Victor Pargeter. Over half a century later he would acknowledge Pargeter as part of a composite of father, grandfathers, uncles and old farming friends in the formative character of 'The Old Man' at the start of his book Out of Town (1987). Over the years Jack Hargreaves was to live at a variety of addresses in central London between Soho,  Chelsea and Hampstead. In the late 40s he was moving between a London home and a caravan in a field on the bank of the River Kennet at Midgham, then a cottage in Bagnor in Berkshire by the Winterbourne running into the River Lambourn, then at Lower Pennington and Walhampton near Lymington as well as at Minstead and East Boldre in The New Forest, and, he spent his final years at Raven Cottage, near  Belchalwell in Dorset which he - an inveterate commuter to and from the places from where he worked.

His enduring interest was to comment without nostalgia or sentimentality on accelerating distortions in relations between the city and the countryside. He is remembered for appearing on How but was better known as the gentle-voiced presenter of the weekly magazine programme Out of Town, first broadcast in 1963, following the success of his 1959 television debut with the B&W series Gone Fishing. His country TV programmes continued in the 1980s with Old Country. Other programmes he created for local viewers were Farm Progress and a live afternoon series Houseparty. Most of his viewers were probably unaware that he took an active part in the setting up of ITV and was a member of Southern's board of directors. From early in his life he acquired a sophisticated grasp of city life and for the last 30 years of his life was employed by the National Farmers Union.

He died in 1994 at the Winterbourne Hospital in Dorchester, and was cremated at Salisbury, his ashes spread on Bulbarrow Hill above Raven Cottage.

Stay in Touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

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Keith Writes:- Liked your bit about discipline at school. Could have included me getting clouted round the head by Ray Dopson. How times have changed.

Melvyn Writes:- As Peter mentioned Solent Rd in his last piece by coincidence I was in the process of having a grand sort out of my storage cupboard and came across my school reports from that far off time of the early to middle 50's. One teacher Peter didn't mention was my form teacher Mr Reginald Wing know as "Pop" Wing to us all in the classroom. Why that should be I have no idea because he couldn't have been that old!  Looking at the report I had it was pretty good ( for me! )  actually but I did notice that there were 48 pupils in the class. Other teacher's I have on old school reports from Solent Rd. were Miss. E. R Geoffrey and  Miss (?) Leslie White. I too ended up in Mr. King's class for the final year at Solent Rd. and I still remember it was not the best of times for me. Teaching by fear!  lol   Can't remember who else was in the Mr. King's class with me other than Steve Carter and Roger Dawkins.

News and Views:

A British court has ruled that Gerry Rafferty’s girlfriend of two years before his death was not entitled to keep three valuable guitars, a Steinway piano, 13 Matisse lithographs and 22 Russian icons that she said had been promised to her. The court pointed to Gerry’s will, which excluded her. The possessions will now be given to his granddaughter and the girlfriend is left with the legal bill.

On this day 29th November 1960-1965

On 29/11/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) 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 29/11/1961 the number one single was Little Sister/His Latest Flame - Elvis Presley 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 £not very interesting and 13.25 were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV)".

On 29/11/1962 the number one single was Lovesick Blues - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. 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 29/11/1963 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. The big news story of the day was Cape Canaveral renamed Cape Kennedy.

On 29/11/1964 the number one single was Baby Love - Supremes 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 29/11/1965 the number one single was The Carnival is Over - Seekers and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Take Your Pick (AR) 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 1098
22nd November 2012

Top Picture : Pupils at Solent Road School in 1955.I am front left!

Second Picture: Left of this picture is Court Lane Junior School, Beaconsfield Avenuethen Lonsdale Avenue.

Discipline at School

Over the years during our school lives the forms of discipline and the fear of being punished varied with our ages. Looking back now I can realise just how incredibly difficult it was, and still is to keep control in the classroom. Punishments varied depending upon the not only the area of the City you lived in but also from which part of the country you lived in.

Lets start with infant school, I never remember behaviour being a problem in those tender years as we were more likely to burst into tears and want our Mums than anything else so to keep control the infant teacher had to have, and I suspect still has to have, a delicate touch. But by the time we went to Junior School we were becoming individuals and consequently we needed control. Like a lot of you my junior school was Solent Road in Drayton and it was here that we first encountered male schoolteachers because up until then all the infant teachers has been female. The masters seemed to acquire a firm reputation and there were a couple that were liberal with the use of the cane whereas the lady teachers seemed to exert control by sheer personality, i.e. they scared us. Miss Waters is one I remember I was terrified of and was very grateful when she was promoted to be the head of Court Lane Infants and left us. The masters at Solent Road were an unusual bunch, some to us seemed very elderly, one was very strange and the Headmaster, Mr Hawkins, was a distant and remote figure.

One of the worst punishments, apart from standing in the corner was being kept in at playtime, we hated this as we missed out on the games all our mates played but likewise I am sure the teachers hated it as well as they had to stay with us and supervise and so miss the chat in the classroom. Then there was being sent to the Headmaster but this was very rare in junior school. But the ultimate deterrent was the cane for us lads; I don’t know what it was for you girls. The best-known cane swinger at Solent Road was Mr. King, a strong disciplinarian but for some reason most of us liked him. I can only remember receiving the cane off him on one occasion and that was one stroke across the hand. Mr White was also a stern disciplinarian and had three thick canes which he kept in a cardboard tube on top of his cupboard. Here we come to the difference as to areas of the country. My wife went to junior school in my hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne and things were very different there she says. In the North East the cane was rarer but the strap ruled and was often used and the girls did not get away with anything either they were punished, by a female member of staff, with the slipper!  

When we moved onto manor Court the forms of discipline changed the cane was used less frequently and only by the headmaster, lines, being sent for a dressing down by the headmaster and detention were the major forms of punishment. 

Lets take these one at a time. Firstly being sent to the headmaster, first it was Wally Dunstan, he was a kind gentle man and I really cannot see him ever loosing his temper or doling out strokes of the cane, he maintained control by his personality; later, of course it was Reg Davis. It must have been difficult for him to maintain control because after about the second year most of the boys were taller than him and by the third year we towered over him. He was known to use the cane on a fairly regular basis but only on the boys, the girls were dealt with by Miss Joyce Pipe. We all know of Miss Pipe so maybe one of you girls would like to write about her form of discipline for the girls in the school, you would be far more qualified that I am.

The handing out of lines and detention were the usual punishments, lines were handed into the teacher but detention mare and more became the province of the Prefects. As Prefects we were given a fair amount of power but were expected to work for it. We could hand out detentions for school misdemeanours, lateness and bad behaviour. The down side was that we were expected to run the detention classes so we had to stay behind as well, a double-edged sword!!!  Although we did always have the backing of the teachers. It would be interesting to look at a record (if one existed) of who we put into detention it would make interesting reading. For example Melv Bridger and I normally did late duty in the morning and lunchtime (it got us out of assembly) and we still thing that we could compile a list of those who were always late.

Now who is the auburn haired lad with the red jumper coming down Scholars Walk, oh yes him again John …………………………… 

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Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

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News and Views:

Mick Jagger is producing a film on the life of James Brown. There's no word on casting and even distribution hasn't been arranged Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth will be writing the film and Tate Taylor is in talks to direct. Said Mick, "I have been hoping to make the James Brown biopic because he was one of the most electric, exciting stage performers of all time. It's a great honour to be involved with a project as rich as the story of the legendary James Brown. He was a mesmerizing performer with a fascinating life."

On this day 22nd November 1960-1965

On 22/11/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) 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 22/11/1961 the number one single was Little Sister/His Latest Flame - Elvis Presley 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 Dalmations. 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 22/11/1962 the number one single was Lovesick Blues - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. 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 22/11/1963 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. The big news story of the day was 119 killed in Montreal jet crash.

On 22/11/1964 the number one single was Baby Love - Supremes 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 22/11/1965 the number one single was The Carnival is Over - Seekers 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. The big news of the day Mrs Mary Whitehouse formed the National Viewers Association

Web Page 1094
8th November 2012

 Top Picture : Fairy Snow

Second Picture: You are never alone with a Strand

Third Picture: 4 bedroom pub for sale £17,500  

TV Adverts the First Years

With the coming of Commercial Television in 1955 the whole ethos of watching television changed completely, the adverts and the commercial break had arrived. Now most of us know that the first TV advert to be seen was for Gibbs SR Toothpaste. It was transmitted at 8.12pm on the 22^nd September and featured a block of ice with a tube of toothpaste stuck in it and this was followed by a shot of Meg Smith cleaning her teeth. However, what is less well known is that this advert was chosen from twenty three other opening night adverts to be the first shown simply by drawing lots.  Some of the other adverts seen that night were also to become household names and these included Guinness, Surf, National Benzole petrol, Brown & Poulson custard, Lux soap powder, Summer County margarine, Batchelor’s Peas and Brillo Pads. But one of the best remembered for years to come was the advert featuring the animated Guardsmen in Bearskins advertising “Murray Mints, Murray Mints the too good to hurry mints”.

The following year saw the arrival of the now World famous Brooke Bond tea Chimps promoting PG Tips. The very first advert was set in a stately home with a smartly dressed Chimp as the Lord of the Manor. Peter Sellers who was paid the princely sun of £100 for the job did the voice over! Later that year Sooty promoted Omo and elsewhere we were told not to “say brown say Hovis” and everyone wondered where "the yellow went when they brushed their teeth with Pepsodent” toothpaste. 

In 1957 we were told for the first time that the “ESSO sign meant happy motoring”, that Fairy Snow gave you “washday white without washday red hands!” and we were told by someone with a very wheezy voice that “Woodbines were a great little cigarette”

Moving on yet another year we were all introduced to the “ESSO Blee Dooler” and were told that Mackeson “Looked good, tasted good and, by golly, did you good”. This year was 1958 and it produced at least two very memorable adverts. Who can forget “Fry’s Turkish Delight?” with the girl wrapped in the carpet, the jingle being written by Cliff Adams of  “Sing something Simple” fame on the radio. This was also the year that we first met Katie and Phillip whose married life seemed to revolve solely around her gravy which was made with Oxo. As you all know these adverts continued on for many years, in fact until 1976 when they were dropped, as Oxo wanted a fresher image only to be resurrected again in the early part of the 1980’s and again in this present decade.

1959 saw a remarkable show of patriotism when the Managing Director of Sutherlands Paste withdrew £4,600 worth of advertising because ITV did not play the National Anthem at the end of the evening’s programmes. It was in this year that the soap powder wars really took hold with the advent of the White Tide Man in his snow-white suit claiming that you could “Hold it up to the light, not a stain in sight”. Fairy Snow “ forced grey out and forced white in” and Persil began the “someone’s Mum isn’t using Persil” campaign by comparing two little girls white dresses and Daz claimed that it washed cleaner than Brand X and in fact an enterprising shopkeeper in Lancashire actually attempted to put Brand X on the market.

Domestos was busy killing all known germs in an hour and ladies you were urged to wear the Silhouette U bra. A “Double Diamond worked wonders” and you were made “a little lovelier each day with mild pink Camay”. Bernard Miles urged us “to go to work on an egg” and Smarties told us to “buy some for Lulu”. But the burning question of the day was “Can you tell Stork from Butter?”

With the start of the 60’s came an advert, which was expertly made and well received but really had the reverse effect that the manufacturer wanted. I refer, of course to the infamous “Strand” advert. It was based on a Frank Sinatra film and showed Terrance Brook as a mysterious man lighting a cigarette on a street corner with the legend “You are never alone with a Strand”. It was hugely popular and the actor became an overnight celebrity and the theme “The Lonely Man” reached number 39 in the charts. However much as people loved the advert, and still remember it, the product did not sell and the campaign was soon discontinued. The theory being that viewers thought that if they smoked Strand they would end up being as lonely as the chap in the commercial. Just for the record a packet of 20 Strand cigarettes in 1960 cost £3s 2p (16p). 

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News and Views:

Neil Sedaka staged his first-ever piano concerto Wednesday (October 17), with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall. The Julliard-trained pianist performed his composition, “Manhattan Intermezzo.”

I understand that Clive Dunn has died aged 92. Which only leaves two of the major stars from Dads Army left. Ian Lavender who is now 66 and Bill Pertwee who is now 86 and has moved into a nursing home in Cornwall to be near his son. I will talk to Bill when I can and see how he is. Below Ian, Clive and Bill. 

On this day 8th November 1960-1965

On 08/11/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley 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 £ and 13.68 were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels).

On 08/11/1961 the number one single was Walkin' Back to Happiness - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was Twenty One Today - Cliff Richard. The top rated TV show was The Royal Variety Performance (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.

On 08/11/1962 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 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 08/11/1963 the number one single was You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry & the Pacemakers and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was The Royal Variety Performance (ATV) 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.The big news story of the day was US recognises new regime in Saigon.

On 08/11/1964 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 (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 08/11/1965 the number one single was Get Off Of My Cloud - Rolling Stones and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. 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.