Web Page No 2574

20th April 2019

All these could be seen on a Saturday night in April 1962 in Portsmouth Guildhall.

 1st Picture. Brenda Lee

 2nd Picture. Nero and the Gladiators

3rd Picture. Sounds Incorporated

4^th Picture. Rory Blackwell

Six Years at Portsmouth Guildhall

For a six year period between 1959 and 1965 the Guildhall was the place to go for live music. Below I run through the artistes that appeared on a Saturday night, with thanks to the Pompey Pop web pages These top line acts we were able to see at reasonable prices. I have not included the classical and other concerts

1959

Jazz

June: Chris Barber and his Band with Ottilie Patterson, Humphrey Lyttleton and his Band

September: The Dave Brubeck Quartet, The Dizzy Gillespie Quintet and Buck Clayton's All-Stars

October: 18th Kid Ory and his New Orleans Jazz Band

November: Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Ottilee Patterson

December 6th The Modern Jazz Quartet

Pop

August Frankie Vaughn

October  Cliff Richard plays two performances.

1960

Jazz

January: Sarah Vaughan with the Johnny Dankworth Orchestra

March: Ella Fitzgerald two shows

April Chris Barber band with Ottillie Patterson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe

September: Miles Davis Quintet

October: Kenny Ball's Jazzmen

December: Jazz at the Philharmonic, Dizzy Gillespie, J J Johnson, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Benny Carter, Jo Jones. The Cannonball Adderley Quintet, Nat Adderley, Victor Feldman, Louis Hayes, Sam Jones.

Pop

January: The Platters

February: June Christie, The Four Freshmen, Bob Miller and the Millermen.

March: The Everly Brothers, the Dallas Boys

April : “Top Twenty Hit Parade” Craig Douglas, the Avons and Alan Freeman

April: an all-American show with Conway Twitty, Johnny Preston and Freddy Cannon was poorly received

April: Jerry Lordan, Kathy Kirby, Norman Vaughan

May: Conway Twitty, Johnny Preston & Freddy Cannon again “audiences poor”

May: Adam Faith, John Barry Seven, The  Honeys

October: Jimmy Jones, Mark Wynter, Kenny Lynch and the Brook Brothers

November: The Shadows and Frank Ifield, Ricky Valence and Johnny Kidd & the Pirates

December: Ricky Valence, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, Danny Storm & the Strollers

1961

Jazz

January: Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band

March:  Chris Barber Jazz Band  

March: Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson Trio.

December: Kenny Ball

Pop

January: Emile Ford & the Checkmates, Shirley Bassey

February: The Four Freshmen, Buddy Greco, June Christie, Ted Heath and his Orchestra.

February: The Shadows and Cliff Richard, Chas McDevitt and Shirley Douglas, the Hunters compere Norman Vaughan.

April: Summer Eurovision runners-up the Allisons, Ronnie Carroll, Mike Preston and the Hunters.

June: The Shadows with Chas McDevitt & Shirley Douglas, Dave Allen compere.

October: Adam Faith and the John Barry Seven

November: Shirley Bassey.

November: Russ Conway

November: Billy Fury, Eden Kane and Karl Denver

BBC Television live 2nd December 1961 18.00 JUKE BOX JURY the week panel was: Jill Browne Harry Fowler Pete Murray and June Thorburn plus David Jacobs and in the audience ME

1962

Jazz

January:  The Temperance Seven appeared at the Guildhall.

February: Acker Bilk

April:       Count Basie and Lambert, Hendricks and Ross

May:        Louis Armstrong

November:          Dave Brubeck Quartet

December  Chris Barber with Louis Jordan

Pop

January: Helen Shapiro, the Brook Brothers, Dave Allen compere

January: Frankie Vaughan.

February: Bobby Vee, Clarence Frogman Henry, the Springfields

March:     Cliff Richard and the Shadows

April:      Brenda Lee, Gene Vincent, Nero & Gladiators, Sounds Incorporated Rory Blackwell & the Blackjacks.

April Easter Monday: Johnny Burnette, Gary ‘US’ Bonds, Gene McDaniels and Mark Wynter

May:     Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, Vince Eagar, the Viscounts and the Bachelors

September:  Chubby Checker, Brook Brothers, Kestrels, Chas McDevitt & Shirley Douglas

September:  Dion and Del Shannon, Joe Brown, the Allisons, Buzz Clifford, Peppi & the New York Twisters

October:   Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Mike Sarne, Jimmy Justice, Mark Wynter, Joe Brown, Karl Denver and Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers

October:  Phil Everly appeared after Don returned to the USA unwell, plus Frank Ifield and Ketty Lester.

November:  Bobby Vee and the (new) Crickets with Frank Kelly & the Hunters.

November: Adam Faith & Gene Vincent

December:  Helen Shapiro, Eden Kane and the Vernons Girls

1963

Jazz

February:   Acker Bilk’s Paramount Jazz Band

March:       Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson

April:        Gerry Mulligan and Bob Brookmeyer

Pop

January:  Johnny & the Hurricanes, Brian Hyland, Little Eva, Brenda Lee compere Jimmy Saville (Tickets, 8/6d, 7/6d)

February:   Bryan Hyland, Little Eva, Brook Brothers, Johnny Temple,

March:      Cliff Richard & Shadows, Vernons Girls

March:     “Thank Your Lucky Stars” with Joe Brown, Susan Maughan, the Tornadoes, Jess Conrad, Rolf Harris, Shane Fenton, Peter Jay & Jaywalkers

March:     Shirley Bassey, Matt Monro and Woolf Phillips Orchestra

March:     Brenda Lee, Mike Berry & the Bachelors

March:     Chris Montez, Tommy Roe, the Beatles and the Viscounts

April:       Billy Fury, the Tornadoes, the Echoes, Mike Preston

May:       Jet Harris & Tony Meehan with John Leyton, Mike Sarne, Mike Berry and Billie Davis

May:       Del Shannon, Johnny Tillotson, the Springfields, Jimmy Rogers

June:      Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger

July:      Rolling Stones, Elkie Brooks, Steam Packet, Walker Brothers, Tommy Quickly.

September:  Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas, the Fourmost, the Dennisons and Tommy Quickly, Heinz & The Saints,

October:   Gerry & the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, Del Shannon, the Tony Meehan Group, the Bachelors, Duffy Power, the Blue Diamonds

November:  The Beatles’ appearance at the Guildhall cancelled (Paul McCartney unwell)

November:    Billy Fury, Joe Brown, the Tornadoes, and Marty Wilde

November:    Gene Pitney appeared at the Guildhall

December:    Beatles (arrived late, car broke down)

1964

Jazz

February: The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Frank Sinatra Junior

April:      Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar Peterson. Second house sells out first house cancelled with only 200 sold.

July:       Woody Herman’s Orchestra appeared at the Guildhall.

July:      The Ray Charles Orchestra and Raelets

Pop

February: John Leyton and Mike Sarne, the Merseybeats, the Swinging Blue Jeans, Jet Harris and the Rolling Stones

March:    Joe Brown and Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, the Crystals and Manfred Mann

April:     Cliff Richard & the Shadows, Daley & Wayne, Bob Miller & his Miller Men

April:     American Folk Blues and Gospel Caravan with Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Cousin Joe Pleasants, Rev. Gary Davis, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee

May:     Shirley Bassey, Matt Monro and John Barry

May:     Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas, Sounds Incorporated, Tommy Quickly, the Dennisons and the Remo Four

June:    The Dave Clark Five, the Applejacks, Millie and the Dennisons

October:   Manfred Mann, the Rockin’ Berries, the Nashville Teens, the Untamed Four plus Bill Haley & his Comets

November:   the Searchers, Dionne Warwick, the Isley Brothers and the Zombies.

November : Carl Perkins, the Animals, Tommy Tucker, Elkie Brooks and the Nashville Teens

November: the Honeycombs, Millie, Lulu, Gene Vincent, the Beat Merchants.

November: Dusty Springfield, Brian Poole & the Tremeloes, Herman’s Hermits and Dave Berry

1965

Jazz

May: Shirley Bassey & the Ted Heath Orchestra

Pop

March: Adam Faith Sandie Shaw, the Barron Knights and the Paramounts.

April:  Gerry & the Pacemakers

April:   Motown show with Supremes, Martha & Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, the Miracles, Earl Van Dyke Six Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames

April: Manfred Mann, Dave Berry and the Ivy League

April: The Kinks the Yardbirds

May:   Donovan, Pretty Things

May:   Julie Felix and the Spinners

July:   The Rolling Stones the Walker Brothers, the Steam Packet, Elkie Brooks and Tommy Quickly.

August: the Byrds, they only managed to sell 250 tickets

November: Gene Pitney, Lulu & the Luvvers, Peter & Gordon and the Rockin’ Berries

November:  Manfred Mann Yardbirds Paul & Barry Ryan, the Scaffold, Jimmy James & the Vagabonds.

What a selection!!!!!!
Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

Stay in touch

You Write:

News and Views:

On this day 20^th  April 1960-1965

On 20/04/1960 the number one single was My Old Man's a Dustman - Lonnie Donegan and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Armchair Theatre (ABC) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Brasilia becomes Brazil's new capital.

On 20/04/1961 the number one single was Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was The Budget (All Channels) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 20/04/1962 the number one single was Wonderful Land - The Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

 On 20/04/1963 the number one single was How Do You Do It? - Gerry & the Pacemakers and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 20/04/1964 the number one single was Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Liberal Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was BBC2 goes on air but is soon blacked out.

On 20/04/1965 the number one single was The Minute You're Gone - Cliff Richard and the number one album was Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. 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 Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page No 2572

13th April 2019

 1st Picture. Sid James

 2nd Picture. Sid and Barbara Windsor

3rd Picture. Blue Plaque to Sid James

4^th Picture. Audrey Jeans

Sid James

It comes as a shock to many people that Sid James was not a cockney but was born on May 8^th  1913 in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, South Africa and his real name was  Solomon Joel Cohen.

As a small boy he performed with his parents in a music hall act but didn't take it seriously until much later. Growing up he had a variety of jobs, hairdresser, dance instructor, stevedore, coal heaver, and diamond polisher and in later life he would regale friends with tales of being a middleweight boxer pointing to his craggy features as evidence but there's no proof of this.

During the war he served as a lieutenant in the South African Army in an anti-tank regiment in the Middle East and also in an entertainment unit which fired his enthusiasm to go into show business. After the war he spent his service gratuity on travelling to England to try his luck in show business . arriving in England in 1946, with his second wife in tow. After the usual round of working in repertory companies his Cockney voice and breezy personality got him his first screen role as an East End band leader in 'It Always Rains on Sunday made in 1947. Other films then followed while at the same time he was appearing in stage musicals such as Kiss Me Kate and Guys and Dolls, in which he played the lead in the West End.

He achieved nationwide fame in the radio programme 'Hancock's Half Hour', as foil to Tony Hancock, which ran for 5 years, from 1956, on the radio before being transferred to television for a further three before the partnership broke up. Sid then went on to his own tv series 'Citizen James' and 'Bless This House'. He used to say that the best things in his career were Tony Hancock and the 'Carry on's'.

His hard working and hard drinking lifestyle took it's toll with a massive heart attack in the mid-sixties. He still hadn't fully recovered when he was in Carry on Doctor so played all his part lying in bed. In the 70's he took part in a highly successful tour of 'The Mating Game' in Australia where it broke all box office records and he was voted 'Best Actor' by the critics. Back in England he started a British tour of the production but on the first night, April 26^th 1976 at the Sunderland Empire, he collapsed on stage and died on his way to the hospital of a heart attack.

Known in the trade as "one take James", he became a very talented and professional actor, constantly in demand for small parts in British post-war cinema. In 1960 James debuted in the fourth of the Carry On films, taking the lead role in Carry On Constable (1960) and went on to appear in a further 18 Carry On films as well as various stage and television spin-offs. Reputed not to have got on with Carry On co-star Kenneth Williams, the two often played adversaries on-screen, notably in the historical parodies Carry On Up the Khyber (1968) and Don't Lose Your Head (1967). James however was respected and revered by almost everyone he worked with and contrary to popular myth, a true gentleman. An addiction to gambling played a large part in James' workaholic schedule and subsequent heart attack in 1967. He was soon back in action however, playing a hospital patient in Carry on Doctor (1967), able to spend most of the film in bed. He suffered a second and fatal heart attack on stage in Sunderland, England on April 26 1976, leaving behind 3 children and his third wife Valerie who had stuck by him despite his affair with Carry On co-star Barbara Windsor, saying, "He always came home to me".

Sid James suffered a severe heart attack in 1967, prompting him to give up cigarettes, lose weight, eat more sensibly and cut down on his drinking, but on 26^th April 1976, while touring in The Mating Season, Sid James suffered a heart attack while performing on stage at the Sunderland Empire Theatre; During the show he suddenly stopped acting, although most of the audience didn’t realise. Co-star Audrey Jeans, the star from Portsmouth started fluffing her lines and ad-libbing. Sid collapsed on to a couch and Audrey shouted into the wings for the curtains to be closed. She held him but it was too late and he was pronounced dead in hospital an hour later.

Audrey Jeans’s own life was cruelly cut short when the hugely popular variety entertainer from Portsmouth died aged 48 in a hit-and-run incident with a car in France while she was on her second honeymoon in 1980.

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

Stay in touch

You Write:

News and Views:

On this day 13^th April 1960-1965

13/04/1960 the number one single was My Old Man's a Dustman - Lonnie Donegan and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Wagon Train (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/04/1961 the number one single was Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/04/1962 the number one single was Wonderful Land - The Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was The Budget (All Channels) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/04/1963 the number one single was How Do You Do It? - Gerry & the Pacemakers and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/04/1964 the number one single was Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was The Budget (All Channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Two footballers suspended over match fixing allegations.

On 13/04/1965 the number one single was Concrete & Clay - Unit 4 Plus 2 and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page No 2570

6th April 2019

1st Picture. Imperial Weights

2nd Picture. Metric Weights

3rd Picture. British Standard lengths

Pounds and Ounces

How many of these do you remember?

Pounds and ounces, or imperial measurements as they were known, were used until 2000 in UK shops. One pound was abbreviated to lb, from the Latin word libra. There were sixteen ounces in a pound and the abbreviation was oz.

The system was known as avoirdupois. It does not translate directly from modern French, as 'avoir du pois' literally means 'to have peas'. However, the term came from the old French expression 'aveir de peis' and meant 'goods of weight'.

Weight measurements under the avoirdupois system are:

• 16 drams = 1 ounce (1 oz)
• 16 ounces = 1 pound (1 lb)
• 14 pounds = 1 stone
• 112 pounds = 1 hundredweight (1 cwt)
• 20 hundredweight = 1 ton

There were also 7000 grains in a pound.

Some alternatives:

• 8 pounds = 1 butcher's stone (used in London meat markets)
• 100 pounds = 1 central or new hundredweight

Bushels

There was also a quantity known as a bushel.

A bushel was the volume of 80 lb of distilled water.  It had a volume of 2219.192 cubic inches                                                                                    Bushels of different comodities had different weights:

• A bushel of apples weighed 40 lb
• A bushel of potatoes weighed 56 lb
• A bushel of salt weighed 56 lb
• A bushel of peas weighed 63 lb
• A bushel of coal weighed 80 lb

A bushel was sub-divided into 4 pecks.

Troy weights

People used troy weights for measures of precious metals such as gold. They were not well understood by most people.

They have no connection with the ancient City of Troy, but instead the French town of Troyes, which was known in medieval times for its commercial fairs.

Troy weights are as follows:

• 3.17 grains = 1 carat
• 24 grains = 1 pennyweight (dwt)
• 20 pennyweights = 1 ounce (or 480 grains)
• 12 ounces = 1 pound (or 5,760 grains)
• 100 pounds = 1 hundredweight

Troy ounces, pounds and hundredweights are not the same as avoirdupois ounces, pounds and hundredweights. However, grains are. So 1 troy grain is equal to 1 avoirdupois grain.

You can see from the above that 1 troy pound is 12 x 20 pennyweights or 240 pennyweights. There are 240 old pennies in a pound.  Is there a connection?

The answer is, yes, the first money pound was 240 silver pennies. Each penny was supposed to weigh a pennyweight so a £ in money was also a pound in weight. However, the Mint used what was called the tower pound instead of the troy pound. The tower pound was so called because the Mint was in the Tower of London. A tower pound was 15 sixteenths of a troy pound and a tower pennyweight was in proportion.

Apothecaries' weights

Apothecaries' weights were used by chemists and doctors for medical preparations.

• 20 grains = 1 scruple
• 3 scruples = 1 drachm
• 8 drachms = 1 ounce (480 grains)
• 12 ounces = 1 pound

Apothecaries' ounces and pounds are the same as troy ounces and pounds.

Law's Grocery Manual noted that the apothecaries' weights were 'old'. They were discontinued in the UK by the Medical Act, 1858. From then onwards, avoirdupois weights were to be used in medicines

Volume measurements

20 fl.oz (fluid ounces) = 1 pint

8 pints = 1 gallon

Length measurements

Most people are familiar with feet and inches, and yards, but what about chains, rods and poles?

These are the imperial measures of length in use in the 1950s.

• 12 inches = 1 foot
• 3 feet = 1 yard
• 6 feet = 1 fathom
• 5½ yards = 1 pole, rod or perch
• 4 poles = 1 chain
• 40 rods = 1 furlong
• 220 yards = 1 furlong
• 8 furlongs = 1 mile (statute mile)
• 1.151 statute miles = 1 geographical mile, nautical mile or knot

I remember learning that 1760 yards made a mile as did 5280 feet and that a cricket pitch was 22 yards or one chain. All very confusing !!!!!

 You Write:

News and Views:

Stay in Touch

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

On this day 6^th April 1960-1965.

On 06/03/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was The Larkins (ATV) and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

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

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

On 06/03/1963 the number one single was The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was 2 journalists jailed in London for protecting sources.

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

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