Web Page 924

First Picture: A 1960’ Perdio portable radio


Second Picture: One of the first portable record players an Oscar for the princely sum of 19 gns.





Music on the Move

It really is amazing to look back and see the development of the portable music especially the portable radio since we were youngsters. The whole thing has gone through an amazing revolution due in the main to the invention and development of the transistor and miniaturisation.

Nowadays most children from an early age have a radio or music player of some type, when we were kids if we wanted to play records out in the garden or away from a power supply we had to use an old wind up gramophone, probably acquired from a Jumble sale or elderly relative but these only took 78rpm’s and needed replaceable needles!

But I really want to concentrate on portable radios. My first one came second hand from somewhere, I really cannot remember where, and it was a grey and blue Philips valve radio and looked rather like a small attaché case and ran on an enormous PP3 Every Ready battery which took up over a third of the carrying case. Looking back that is something else, in the 1950’s and 60’s there only seemed to be two producers of batteries Ever Ready and Vidor now every supermarket has its own brand. This particular Philips radio travelled miles with me in my saddlebag but as there was no socket for earphones so I could only use it when I had stopped and it also travelled with me when we went away on holiday. Sometime in the early 1960’s managed to acquire, from a second hand shop I think, a reel-to-reel battery driven tape recorder. This was a marvellous bit of kit but only took 3” tapes. This was a great boon and I diligently recorded Pick of the Pops each week so I could listen again during the week. When this machine eventually died and it was too expensive to repair I dumped it along with the tapes. Oh! If only I still had those tapes today, they had some real classics on them.

From my Saturday earnings as a pump boy at Smiths Garage in Farlington I bought myself a smart grey and chrome Pye portable radio (it matched my new Pye record player that I had had for my birthday, no Dansette for me!) and joy of joys this came with an earphone socket and mono earphone. This lasted for years and I think it was still going when I moved to Worcester for a year in 1965.

I never did have a battery portable record player but my wife, Pam, did. This player was a strange thing. It was a Grundig and was bought in Germany when her family moved there for a couple of years. The player came in two halves, the deck in the bottom and the speaker (only one) in the top that was detachable and stood separately. Many an evening we spent closeted in her fathers front room in the dark listening to records on this when we were courting!

Actually the Pye record player was not my first record machine, I bought an old walnut bodied radiogram and my father and I removed the old 78rpm only record deck, rewired the amplifier and fitted a BSR multispeed record deck into it. It had no stereo but with a wooden cabinet it had great bass response.

But things have progressed so far since our teenage years when you could spot a schoolmate walking along with a Pifco, Bush or Perdio radio clamped to their ear. We have gone from mono to stereo, from enormous portables to pocket portables, then on to Ghetto Blasters and back in size to tiny scanners, I-players and MP3 players and most of us can even get radio stations on our mobile phones today.

We have also been through the era of mobile television sets from large 12” screen ones that ran off of the car battery, down to 3” screens and smaller which ran off normal AA batteries, this was a product I never invested in!

But what I really do regret is that when I was a kid I taught myself about radio receivers and could take a valve radio set apart repair it and reassemble it, I somehow got left behind with the transistor revolution and I never did comprehend what did what was in a transistor set. What a thing to say and me the son of a prewar radio engineer!!!

All of you must have some radio memories, most of us had a portable radio of some sort so come on, lets hear them.

Yours

Peter

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

You Write:

Willie Writes:-

It was good to be reminded of our school productions. I will never forget trying to sing in "Trial By Jury" with an immobile face glued to side whiskers. In our epic production of Handel's "Messiah" (happily without side whiskers), we were supported by semi professional singers. About ten years later I joined Sadlers Wells Opera Company ( now the English National Opera) as a scenic artist. In the rehearsal studio's canteen I recognized a vaguely familiar face. It was David Hillman , the tenor who had supported us in our production . He remembered it well . He was a quantity surveyor ,training to be a professional singer when he performed with us. During the late sixties, seventies and early eighties he became an important opera singer. But I like to think we gave him his first breakthrough role!

Jonathon Writes:

your latest got me remembering some of the old ads and jingles........

The faintly disgusting one...."You'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent"

Then "Tick a tick Timex"

Tom Thumb Cigars for Christmas Tom, Thumb in Tins of Ten, da dee dit da dee dit da da (never could remember that bit),,,,the Christmas gift for men!!!!!"

Do 'ave a Dubonnet

Sanatogen fortifies the over forties...........crikey we are over 60 now..........we were young at 40 and surely didn't need fortifying

The countless and now non PC adverts for cigarettes especially the Peter Stuyvessant one that extolled the "glamour of smoking cigarettes in New York, Melbourne or Johannesburg.

So thanks again for the memory of all those booze and fag ads that persuaded you to consume alcohol and smoke and then clean off the tar on your teeth with whitening paste.......


News and Views:

Marianne Faithfull was given the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters honour by the French government during her concert in Paris on April 22nd.

On this day 27th March1960-1965.
On 27/03/1960 the number one single was Running Bear - Johnny Preston and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Wagon Train (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.


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

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

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

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

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

Web Page 922

First Picture:

The Savoy Ballroom in Southsea, I cannot believe that there is no trace of that left any more, it is just a boarded up empty site. Compare this with the picture on the side bar!!!!!

Second Picture:

Another music venue in Portsmouth The Blue Lagoon at Hilsea. It is good to see that all these years later Chris Farlowe is still performing. In fact I met him in Portsmouth a couple of years ago.




Stop Press: Last week marked he most hits I have had in a week since I started counting!!!

THE ADVERTISING SLOGAN

We grew up in a world that had suddenly cottoned onto the power of the advertising poster and slogan. I know I have covered some of these before some time ago but I thought I would look at a few that I missed and that you may have well forgotten.
So lets start with Medicines: We all remember the ALKA SELTZER Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is! Slogan but how many of you remember the one liner from the American comedian, Shelley Berman (of Hello Mudder, Hello Fadder fame), when he is stumbling around with a massive hang over and drops two Alka Seltzers into a glass and while holding his head, looks into the glass and says “don’t be mean Alka Seltzer, don’t fizz!” I know that feeling! But there again we in the UK knew that ‘nothing acts faster than ANADIN’ and that your parents had to use ANDREWS LIVER SALTS for ‘Inner Cleanliness’ and that they were ‘Worth a guinea a box’. Whilst talking about physical things do you remember CHARLES ATLAS saying don’t let the bully kick sand in you eyes, take my body building course and then ‘You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine’. An advert most certainly not for females!

Now food is always a good hunting ground for slogans. BIRDS EYE PEAS were ‘Sweet as the moment when the pod went 'pop'’ and everyone said ‘Ahh BISTO! But not so many remember that you were supposed to Sleep sweeter with BOURNVITA or that it was supposed to be ‘the food drink of the night’. No night starvation here!
The BRITISH EGG MARKETING BOARD were past masters with the slogan, here are just three ‘Go to work on an egg’, ‘Happiness is egg shaped’ and ‘ You can rely on the lion’ which brings me on nicely to another big cat the tiger.

“They’re G-r-r-r-eat!” is one of the most recognised slogans in the world. Back in the 1950s, Tony the Tiger growled his way into consciousness with this memorable slogan for Frosted Flakes. In the UK the product was known as SUGAR FROSTIES. Tony’s catchphrase has become one of the longest running and most recognized slogans in TV advertising history. Tony the Tiger’s character has evolved over the years: he stands upright rather than on all fours now, has travelled to more than 42 countries, and now has a wife and a daughter. I wonder if he had a cousin who appeared in the ESSO petrol adverts when we were told to put a tiger in our tanks?
Customers have been ‘Take a Break, Take a KIT KAT” since 1957, Kit Kat’s slogan has also been “Have a break…Have a Kit Kat.” However the commercials really took off in the ‘80s. At this spot I have to mention that "The MILKY BARS are on me!" we all remember this advert first shown in 1961 to promote Nestlé Milky Bars featuring "The Milky Bar Kid", a blonde, spectacle-wearing lad dressed as a cowboy. And don’t forget that "OPAL FRUITS were ‘Made to make your mouth water’; and that "A MARS a day helps you work, rest and play."

But it does not end here because a couple of years ago a national daily paper did a survey of Britain’s favourite advertising slogans and "Beanz Meanz HEINZ" beat 84 rivals to win the top place. Of the top 10, eight were more than a quarter of a century old with just two coined in the last 25 years, the NIKE and the INDEPENDENT newspaper. No slogans from the last decade made it anywhere on to the list.

1. Beanz Meanz Heinz - Heinz baked beans (1967)
2. We try harder - Avis car rental (1962)
3. Don't be vague, ask for Haig - Haig whisky (1930s)
4. Heineken refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach - Heineken lager (1974)
5. It is. Are you? - the Independent newspaper (1987)
6. Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet - Hamlet cigars (1960s)
7. Think small - Volkswagen (1962)
8. Go to work on an egg - The Egg Marketing Board (1957)
9. Guinness is good for you - Guinness (1929)
10. Just do it - Nike sports equipment (1988)
But the list didn't include these old favourites, how could they miss any of these?
1. P-p-p-p-p-pick up a Penguin
2. A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play
3. Aaah...Bisto
4. Have a Break, have a Kit-kat
5. Hands that do dishes feel soft as your face with (all together now) Mild Green Fairy Liquid...
6. Only the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate tastes like chocolate never tasted before
7. That's why the lady loves Milk Tray
8. Papa... Nicole...
9. That's Martini
10. Mr Kipling makes exceedingly good cakes

Well another wander down the nostalgia lane of memories, maybe you can remember some I have forgotten, if so let me know.

So keep in touch

Peter

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

You Write:

Peter Writes:-

I hope you won't mind me correcting your latest blog but " SS Southsea" means Steam Ship Southsea. It was actually "TSMV Southsea" which means Twin Screw Motor Vessel. The Southsea and her sister ship Brading were launched within a few weeks of each other and fitted out alongside in the same basin at Denny's Dumbarton yard. Built in 1948 by W.DENNY & BROS of Dumbarton, she was 986 tons, L 181.6' X B 46' X 8.3'. They had Diesel 2 Stoke eight cylinder engines by SULZER. They had a Speed of 14.5 knots and could carry 1,331 Passengers. In 1951 Denny's built the 3rd ship "TSMV SHANKLIN".

Denny's of Dumbarton were a very highly rated shipbuilder and built several of the Solent Ferries over the years.

The " SOUTHSEA & BRADING " were both built to replace wartime losses from the old Paddle Steamers. They were modern good looking ships of their time and were much loved in the Solent.

Late in 1980, " SHANKLIN" was sold to a consortium of people, and amongst other things, was used for pleasure trips in the Bristol Channel. She was declared a total loss after running over hidden rocks off the Gower Coast. Fortunately there was no loss of life.

As the " SOUTHSEA & BRADING" got older they got towards the end of their working lives and were eventually replaced by the two Catamarans " OUR LADY PAMELA & OUR LADY PATRICIA" which were named after the daughters of Lord Mountbatten. The "BRADING" was taken out of service first as it had become uneconomical to maintain. It was eventually scrapped. When the "SOUTHSEA" was taken out of service in the mid 80's, she was initially used for pleasure trips in the Solent. She became uneconomic to run and was laid up in various places and fell into decay whilst various consortiums tried to buy her to restore her. Eventually in the early 2000's she was towed back into Portsmouth Harbour a really sorry state, where a group were going to try and restore her but they were unable to raise the necessary funds and sadly, she ended up in the Scrapyard.

This was the end of an excellent era in the Solent.

I hope you don't mind me sticking my oar in

News and Views:

Veteran rock ‘n’ roller Jet Harris who was the original bass guitarist with The Shadows has lost his battle against cancer in the early hours of 18th March, he was aged 71. .

Jet lived in Bembridge, Isle of Wight and tributes have started to pour in from Shadows fans around the world. He joined Cliff Richard’s backing group The Drifters in 1959. It was he who came up with the name The Shadows. After breaking away from the band he forged a partnership with the former Shadows’ drummer, the late Tony Meehan and they topped the singles charts in the 1960s with Diamonds. About a year ago he received an MBE from the Queen for his services to music. He was also the first musician to use an electric bass guitar.



On this day 20th March1960-1965.

On 20/03/1960

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

On 20/03/1961

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

On 20/03/1962

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

On 20/03/1963

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

On 20/03/1964

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

On 20/03/1965

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

Web Page 920

First Picture: A coin from the past, the Half Crown.

Second Picture: Cycle racing at Alexandra Park in the early 1950’s

Memories of Jean

Griff Writes:

Jean and I went out together for a short while in our 4th year at School. The one thing I do remember though is that Jean and I went swimming at the Lido one blustery June evening and the sky turned from a nice blue to dark grey and it started to honk it down with rain. We were the only 2 people in the Lido swimming,..... we had the place to ourselves..... not unsurprisingly.

Sad Songs

When we look back at the music of the 1960’s it is almost always through a pleasant rosy glow, stating the life was good. And I must admit that for me life did seem very good, the fashion was great, the teenager had just been invented (although it took some time for me to convince my parents of that) and the music was ground breaking. But hang on just a minute was it really like that? Don’t get me wrong I really enjoyed being a teenager and growing up in the ‘60’s and the new wave of music from groups and artistes such as the Beatles, Stones, Freddie and the Dreamers, Eden Kane, Joe Brown etc. etc. However our memory nearly always plays odd tricks on us and when we actually get down to look at a lot of the pop music of that period it was not all as happy and jovial as it might first seem, in fact if you really looked at the words a lot of it was down right miserable.

So, for example, let’s take a look at just a few of the songs of the day. Firstly we will completely discount all the doom, gloom and dying songs that seemed to flood the market at that time, songs like ‘Terry’, ‘Leader of the Pack’, ‘Tell Laura I Love her’, Honey and ‘Donna’, I have covered those before. I have decided that I will just look at those charting songs which seem to feature suffering, desertion and most of all unrequited love and there seemed to be a lot of that about in the 1960’s!.

I suppose I must really start off with ‘Crying in the Rain’ & ‘Cathy’s Clown’ by the Everly Brothers hastily followed by the heartfelt plea of ‘Why must I be a Teenager in Love’ by Dion and the Belmonts and the classic ‘Just Walking in the Rain’ by the crooner and heart throb Johnny Ray. Even one of the masters of the upbeat Rock and Roll song, Neil Sedaka entered the charts with ‘Oh! Carol’ and Don Gibson with ‘Oh! Lonesome me’. Then we cannot ignore Dusty Springfield with ‘You don’t have to say you love me’, Andy Williams with ‘I can’t get used to losing you’, and not forgetting Brenda Lee’s ‘I’m Sorry’!
I could carry on with ‘Make the World go away’, ‘ Love Letters in the Sand’, ‘Singing the Blues’, ‘All Alone’ and ‘Johnny Remember Me’. What a sad lot they were!!! Here I was thinking that 1960’s teenage love and romance was supposed to be a happy period for most of the time.

As far as I am concerned I never wandered around town whistling or singing these morbid tunes, neither did I ever hear anyone else do it, so I have started to wonder, who actually bought all these sad records? Or was it more the case of we listened to the music and not the words, which is far more likely? Another possibility is that some folks bought anything that certain singers recorded regardless of what it was, even if it was terrible to most peoples ears!

Surprising things started to happen when the pop revolution took hold and the more upbeat the record the more startling reactions it got. For example many local dance halls banned, or tried to ban, any form of stamping in time to the beat of the Dave Clark Five’s 'Glad all Over' but as you can imagine they had very, very little success.

But these were the days when half a crown, 2/6d, worth of petrol put into a motor scooter in Portsmouth would send its owner tearing off along the South Coast to Brighton or Bournemouth and back just to hear one particular band. At that time there was no obligation to wear a crash helmet and this meant riding along with your hair and your pillion passengers’ hair blowing free in the wind. As can be seen in the ongoing ‘On this Day’ section of this site the value of the £1 has changed greatly and for a lot of us if, at the end of the week, if we had a couple of shillings left it was usually enough to be spent on a Hot Dog or Burger in the new Wimpy Bar in Southsea or on a packet of ten Cadets or if we were really hard up a packet of five Players Weights or Woodbines and a box of matches!!! There were actually shop keepers who would sell you a single cigarette and one Swan Vestas match!

But to go back to the original subject at start of this page it is interesting to reflect that the 1960’s was the era when the old style light music of the 1940’s and 50’s, early Rock and Roll, skiffle and individual crooners and singers were replaced by an explosion of music and talent from Liverpool and Birmingham, a legacy which still continues today. It really is remarkable that not only my sons but my grandson actually like the music of the 1960’s, despite the doom and gloom, sadness and regret that music must have had some sort of magic. OF COURSE IT DID!!!

Keep in touch

Peter

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

You Write:

Geraldine Asks:

Who would like another get together? Maybe something very informal, ie we arrange to meet in a pub somewhere and those who can come do so. What do you think? Please let Peter know so we can start to arrange things if it is to go ahead.

Yours truly,
Geraldine

More on House Colours:

David Writes:

I think Fleming was Red.

Griff Writes:

Fleming House was Red. I was the House Captain for the year 1961/62 and I am still trying to find my House Captain badge which was an elongated oval type badge.

Melv Writes:

Fleming was Red not Green.

Another Occasional School Report from my site 9 years ago:

School Productions

Why was it that I seemed to get chosen to take part in most school productions and some people never did? The first I remember I was not involved in but from the programme I see that Griff was. This must have been in our first year in Court Lane under Bill Greer. The production was two short playlets the second being about Noah’s Ark, a play in which Melvyn G took a starring role as an elephant. Moving on, then came The Pirates of Penzance a production in which I was in the Pirate chorus. I seem to remember wearing an eye patch, red and white striped trousers which my mother borrowed from someone and waving a fake cutlass around a lot. Players wise I remember very little but I think Carl (Fred)Randell was one of the lead characters but the rest I forget. Then it was Trial by Jury, false whiskers held on with gum Arabic(Yuk), to play the part of a juror, ‘Hark the hour of ten is sounding, hearts with anxious fears are bounding etc, etc’. I have a far clearer memory of this, I don’t know why. Rodney Veal played the Defendant, Katherine Bone the Plaintiff (I think she went on to become a minor lead in the actual D’Oyle Carte Opera Company), and Alan Cox the judge. Loraine tells me that she was one of the bridesmaids in this production and on the most important night, the night when the Governors came, Oriana, who was the first bridesmaid tripped over a chair as they were going on stage and they all fell on rather than entering daintily. They then all got the giggles for the rest of the performance. Very unladylike. She also tells me that they kept their stage makeup on after the performance and paraded up and down Cosham High Street, I think her words in the E Mail were ‘like a couple of tarts’. Well! All the above productions as far as I can remember were in the hall/theatre of Court Lane Junior School, which actually make them before Manor Court. Then came the big one Handel’s Messiah a picture of the choir who sung it is on the side bar. I seem to remember hours of practice under the music master John Stephens. Somehow I was cast as a bass, parents and friends also being involved to make up maturity of sound. The production was in the school hall in Central Road and involved a semi professional orchestra to augment the school orchestra and there were invited soloists. The whole thing was very professional and was recorded on reel to reel tape, I wonder what happened to that recording. Hours and hours of practice, hundreds and hundreds of Hallelujah’s ,I still swear blind that we rehearsed the thing so often that if you gave me a score I could still sing the bass part most of the way through. Just a few memories from school production days there must be far more out there somewhere, do you have any and will you share them with us? If so E-Mail me and I will continue the story.

Peter

.
A

Star is Born --- By Melvyn Griffiths.

The year is 1958 and I had recently, at Christmas, been promoted from 1a2, Molly Butler's class at Cosham Park House to join the "swots" in 1a1 located in the Main School which to this day I could never fully understand why. The only logical explanation was that I had a"starring" role in the School Christmas play which was produced by Bill Greer (who was 1a1's form teacher ) and I to much acclaim as the principle character of the "Beast" (has anyone got that Xmas programme?) turned in a performance worthy of any Schoolboy Oscar Award or at least that was what I thought. Little did I know the fickles of the theatrical world, with the applause of the audience still ringing in my ears and the greasepaint hardly removed it was then I decided that this was were my future lay-- Acting! Why, Bill Greer himself had said that my performance and acting in the Xmas play had equalled the mighty James Dean and that he was considering a new production for this coming July which would be entered into the Portsmouth Schools Theatrical Competition which was held every year. He had indicated that my position in this new production was guaranteed and to stand by for the call to" tread the boards" once more which was certain to come.

I had an older Sister at the School, Suzanne, 3 years older in fact and she was in Mr. Greers class along with Beverley Hatch, John Samson, Shelia Gard all very good actors. In fact John Samson went onto star in BBC drama programmes and played Jesus Christ in a major production. Before long I was rubbing shoulders and giving limp-wristed handshakes with the Upper School " Luvvies". I digress this story is about me!

The great day arrived and Mr. Greer read out, in his posh Oxford English accent, (I was from Drayton don't forget, we ain't posh!) a list of names of people to stay behind after School to tell them what parts they had been awarded in the new production which was to be called "Noah" Scene 1, Act 1 "A Glade before the Mighty Flood".

Confident that the part of Noah was surely going to mine I sat back and listened as Mr. Greer read out the names. Alan Cox was to play Ham, Naomi was Patricia Eustace, Shem was David Murdoch, Sella was Lynn Palmer, Mrs Noah was Vivienne Thompson, Ada was Margaret Dodd and finally for the top part Mr. Greer announced the star part of Noah would be played by------Paula Lavington, Paula Lavington?---- but that's not me! that's a girl! how on Earth can a girl play a Man's part of Noah. Girls only play the part of Dandy the thigh slapping Prince in Pantomimes. This is not a Pantomime this is serious stuff, the Bible and all that, even Charlton Heston had to start at the bottom before becoming "El Cid"

Worse was to follow, Mr. Greer read out the minor walk on parts--- The Bear--- Norma Plumb, The Lion--- Elaine Adams, The Cow--- Anida Folland, The Tiger--- Philip Thomson, The Monkey---Pauline Day, The Elephant---- Melvyn Griffiths! me playing a Bloody Elephant!! What a comedown! How the mighty are fallen! Worse, what if everybody started calling me names, like "Trunky" or "Big Ears" Why couldn't I be the Lion? It's so unfair! It was a performance I never forgot!!! and no, we didn't win the Schools Drama Competition.

And this from Geraldine:-

I really don't have any publishable memories I can pass on but one thing that does come to mind, is in the 3rd Year, while still at Court Lane, we had a school concert - entertaining each other! I remember there was a fantastic girl group that sang 'Why Must I Be A Teenager In Love'. The group comprised Claudia (Dunthorne), Carol (Janczwa?), myself and two others. Does anyone remember who they were? We were definitely the 'Spice Girls' of the 50's

News and Views:

The Little Black Dress Exhibition at Portsmouth Museum. Celebrating the history of the LBD and showcasing some of the most amazing examples of this versatile and simple fashion style a multimedia exhibition that charts the history of this fashion icon from material to manufacture and moments from film and pop culture such as a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe. Of course the little black dress should be accompanied by matching underwear and Portsmouth had a very important corsetry industry which you can find out more about. You will also be able to see an example of a vintage little black corset. The exhibition is open until the beginning of June.

On this day 13th March 1960-1965.

On 13/03/1960

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

On 13/03/1961

the number one single was Walk Right Back/Ebony Eyes - Everly Brothers and the number one album was The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth 13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was The Dickie Henderson Show (AR).

On 13/03/1962

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

On 13/03/1963

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

On 13/03/1964

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

On 13/03/1965

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

Web Page 918

First Picture: The Lava Lamp

Second Picture: Typical 1950’s living room.

Firstly some sad news. I understand that Jean Green nee Bennett passed away on the 1st March. I think that this is the first time I have had to report the death of a school pal since I started this web site nearly 10 years ago.

The Mystique of the Lava Lamp

Lava Lamps, those oozy symbols of spaced-out kitsch from the 1960s, and they are making a comeback around the world. The original Lava Lamp is a defining and iconic image that is still regarded as a contemporary piece today. This is the history of the quirky little lamp with the uniquely hypnotic light.

Born in Singapore, Edward Craven-Walker, the inventor of the Lava Lamp flew Mosquito aircraft on reconnaissance missions for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He got the idea for the original lamp design after walking into a pub here in Hampshire and noticing a rather odd item sitting on the counter behind the bar. It was a glass cocktail shaker that contained some kind of mucus-like blob floating in liquid. Upon inquiry, the bartender told him it was an egg-timer. The 'blob' was actually a clump of solid wax in clear liquid. The bartender explained you put the shaker in the boiling water with your egg, and as the boiling water cooks the egg it also melts the wax turning it into an amorphous blob of goo. When the wax then floated to the top of the jar, your egg was done. Edward Craven-Walker saw a money-making opportunity in front of him - turn the egg-timer into a lamp with thicker oil that would form sculptural shapes and sell it to the public. He set about tracking down the inventor of the original design. The inventor, known only by his last name of Dunnet, was deceased, allowing for Edward Craven-Walker to patent the invention for himself.

He spent the next 15 years perfecting Dunnet's invention so that it could be mass-produced. In the meantime, he supported himself by making 'art-house' films about his other passion: nudity. Travelling Light, one of these so-called 'art-house' films, was the first naturalist film to receive public release in the UK. Described as an underwater ballet, this film was shot off Corsica and was released in 1960.
The Astro Lamp was launched in 1963, just ahead of the craze for all things psychedelic. Craven-Walker's factory was built in Poole, Dorset where it still is in production today. He sold rights to his creation to Mathmos, one of Britain's fastest-growing companies3, staying on as a consultant until his death at age 82 of cancer.

In 1965, Craven-Walker introduced his Astro Lamp at a novelty convention in Hamburg, West Germany. Two Americans named Adolph Wertheimer and Hy Spector, in awe with the lamp's beauty, asked to purchase the American rights to the lamp. The Astro Lamp was then taken to North America and renamed Lava Brand Motion Lamps and production took off in Chicago. Lava Brand Motion Lamp sales peaked in the late '60s when slow-swirling coloured wax happened to coincide perfectly with the undulating aesthetics of psychedelia. They were advertised as 'head trips that offered a motion for every emotion'4.

At their peak, more than seven million Lava Lamps were sold around the world each year, but by the early 1970s the fad had run its course and sales fell off dramatically. By 1976, sales were down to 200 lamps per week, a mere fraction of what they had been a few years before. By the late 1980s, however, sales began to rebound. As style makers began to ransack the sixties for inspiration, Lava Lamps came back. Formerly flea-market finds, original 1960s Lava Lamps (especially those with paisley, pop art motifs on their bases) became real collectibles in the late 1980s, selling in chic boutiques for more than a brand new one. And speaking of new ones, they weren't hurting for business either. By 1998 manufacturers in England and the United States were selling more than two million of the lamps per year.
Although the Lava Lamp was invented in 1963 by Edward Craven-Walker, and patented by his company in 1964, the US Patent dates to 16 March, 1971. There are conflicting records at the US Patent Office that also state that the Lava Lamp was submitted for patent by David George Smith on behalf of Craven-Walker's Crestworth Company in 1968 under the heading 'display devices'. Whichever the case, only the companies that make Lava Lamps know precisely what chemicals are in the lamp and in what combination, making the recipe a trade secret. There are, however, many websites and books offering 'poor man's' versions of the Lava Lamp that you can make at home. It is not recommended attempting any of these formulas, simply because many of the ingredients suggested are flammable and can cause personal injury.

Random Facts
• Employees take an oath of secrecy upon being hired so that the mystery of the Lava Lamp's inner workings are never revealed.

• Lava Lamps can be seen almost every night on prime time television.

• Haggerty Enterprises, Inc is the only official manufacturer of the Lava Brand Motion Lamp in the United States. Mathmos is the only official manufacturer of the Lava Lamp in the UK.

• More Lava Lamps were sold in the 1990s than in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s combined.

• There are over 100 different style and colour combinations of Lava lamps, including glitter motion lamps.

• The largest Lava Lamp on the market towers over four feet tall and holds ten gallons of the 'secret' formula.

• No two Lava Lamps are the same. They all have their own personality.
If you buy my lamp, you won't need drugs... I think it will always be popular. It's like the cycle of life. It grows, breaks up, falls down and then starts all over again.
- Craven-Walker

How right his words were!

Keep in touch

Peter

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

You Write:

John Writes:-

I was thinking about what went on in school all thoughts of years ago and it struck me, now that I'm a lot older the names of the Four House and what colours they were.

If I'm correct their were as follows

ELGAR was Yellow
SUTHERLAND was blue
FLEMING was Green
MASEFIELD was Red

I was in Sutherland House and the House's would compete against each other in Sports, Art, Music, and other comp's.

Ed writes:
I was in Masefield and that was Green can anyone else add to the list?

News and Views:

The BBC's The Sky At Night programme was first broadcast on 24th April 1957 - making Sir Patrick Moore the longest-running presenter of the same television show in the world. Today the programme celebrates its 700th episode, and Sir Patrick has fronted all but one of them.

On this day 6th March1960-1965.

On 06/03/1960

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

On 06/03/1961

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

On 06/03/1962

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

On 06/03/1963

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

On 06/03/1964

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

On 06/03/1965

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

Web Page 916

First Picture: Connie Francis and Dionne Warwick in Las Vegas last year



Second Picture: At the Goodwood Revival meeting in September Tesco (one of the major sponsors) built and opened a 1960’s Tesco store with loads of retro packets and boxes which were not for sale but other products were. They even re-wrapped Starburst in original Opal Fruits wrappers and these were on sale. No Green Shield Stamps though but they did give Tesco Club points!!!





Third Picture: Goodbye to the Cosham Essoldo (Carlon), this is all that is left.

Odd Girls Songs

The girl groups of the 60’s were a music genre all of their own and the range and subjects of their songs was to say the least very strange. Lets take a look at some of them. You will find some well-known names in the list and also some terrible songs and song titles, most I have never heard of and I think that I hope I never will!!

For a time there were a group of FOOD AND DRINK based songs.
Here are just a few:-

Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes) by Dee Dee Sharp,
Peanut Duck by Marsha Gee,
I Wish I Was the Bottle by Connie Hall,
I Love Onions by Susan Christie,
Buttered Popcorn by the Supremes,
Chicken Chicken Cranny Crow by the Jaynetts,
Bubblegummer by the Teardrops,
Chicken Back by Sally and the Roses,
Swamp Water by the Chantels

Then there was the perennial subject LOVE

Funnel Of Love by Wanda Jackson,
I'm in Love with the Ticket Taker at the Bijou Movie Theater by Donna Loren,
The Way I Love My Baby (Milk is Milk) by the Smith Girls.

Then of course there was the opposite HATRED

I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy by the What Fours,
Sticking Pins in a Dolly by Marlene Willis,

We all know that GIRLS were bound to sing about BOYS and visa versa so here are a few odd ones:-

The Naked Boy by Estelle (Bennett),
Wee Willie Water Dilly by the Keefer Sisters,
He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss) by the Crystals,
You Can't Take My Boyfriend's Woody by the Powder Puffs,
Frankie's Out on Parole by the La Dell Sisters,
Hey Mr. Scientist by Jennie Lee Lambert,
Wooden Head Willie by the Knight Sisters,
Snowman, Snowman, Sweet Potato Nose by the Jaynetts,
Special Agent 34-24-38 by Mamie Galore (Mamie Davis),
Big Honky Baby by Kellie Douglas,


FEELINGS were high on the list of song titles but I can only find one odd one:-

I'm Blue (the Gong Gong Song) by the Ikettes

Then of course there were the JUST PLAIN STRANGE

So, Do the Zonk by Donna Loren
When My Pimples Turned to Dimples by Jeanne Hayes
Iko Iko by Dixie Cups
The Hucklebuck '65 by the Birdies
The Car Hop with the Hard Top by Marcy Jo (with Eddie Rambeau)
Tar and Cement by Verdelle Smith
Shake Me, I Rattle by Marion Worth
Waddle Waddle by the Bracelets
The Sentence by Miriam Grate and the Dovers
I'm Gonna Pick Up My Toys by the Devonnes
Danceannett, Hawaiiannette, Italiannette by Annette!
Whoopee by Mimi Allen
Inside O' Me by Honey and the Bees
Funky Wunky Piano by the Castanets
Shoo Fly by Barbara English
Jerk It by the Gypsies
Winky Dinky by the Jaynetts
Hot Spot by the Bronzettes
Don't Dig Twiggy by Barbara Windsor ( I did not know she had made a record)
Two Way Poc-A-Way by the Dixie Cups
I'm Me by Priscilla Paris
The Screw by the Crystals
Walkin' Through a Cemetery by Claudine Clark
Condition Red by the Goodees
Please Hurt Me by Carole King
Dumbhead by Ginny Arnell
Slop Time by the Sherrys
That's What They Put Erasers on Pencils For by the Four Jewels
Makin' With the Magilla by Little Eva
Save a Little Monkey by Mary Sue Wellington

Well what a weird lot!!! Do you know any I have missed? If so please let me know

Stay in touch

Peter

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

You Write:

Mary Writes: Re Steve’s letter about Farlington Newsagent:-

I think the name of the newsagent was Budden. They were our newsagents. They were open for long hours and were most obliging. At Christmas time one of our treats was an ice cream cake but we didn’t have a fridge. Who did in those days/? Dad used to nip off to Buddens and come back with the cake, all wrapped in newspaper. It was put in an outhouse and when we finished our main course, there it was, just perfect. I`m sure this was on Boxing Day.

News and Views:

PJ Proby has appeared in court charged with cheating the benefits system out of more than £47,000. Magistrates in Worcester ruled he should be committed to stand trial at the city's crown court. He denies the charges. PJ Proby, who lives in Twyford, faces nine charges, which relate to claims for pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit. Among the charges are two counts of failing to declare savings and investments, and four of failing to inform the authorities of a change in circumstances. He was granted unconditional bail to reappear at Worcester Magistrates' Court for a formal committal hearing on March 30.

On this day 27th February 1960-1965

On 27/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was BBC asks for second TV channel

On 27/02/1961 the number one single was Sailor - Petula Clark. The top rated TV show was The Army Game (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada).

On 27/02/1962 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 27/02/1963 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 Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 27/02/1964 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 Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 27/02/1965 the number one single was I'll Never Find Another You - Seekers and the number one album was Beatles For Sale - 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 Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 913

First Picture: The EP shown was issued in 1962 as the third volume in a series that began in 1960, with his first EP release "Adam's Hit Parade"

Second Picture: Valentine cards from the 1960’s .





Adam Faith

Terence Nelhams, Adam Faith was born on 23rd June 1940 in Acton and died on 8th March 2003 in Stoke-on-Trent. During the British "coffee bar" pop music phenomenon of the late 1950s two artists reigned supreme one was Cliff Richard and Adam Faith was the other.

While Cliff has shown astonishing staying power the young Adam Faith had a run of hit records in a comparatively short time before he retired from singing. In the seven years between 1959 and 1966 he made the UK chart 24 times. Both his UK chart-toppers, "What Do You Want?" and "Poor Me" lasted only two minutes; both featured the strings of John Barry's orchestra, both were written by Les Vandyke (alias Johnny Worth) and both featured the unique delivery with the word, "baby" pronounced "bybeee" which became Adam Faith's early "gimmick"

"Poor Me" is also notable because the John Barry arrangement contains an early indication hidden in the background of the "James Bond Theme". For a time Adam Faiths’ continued success rivaled that of Cliff Richard and in a short period of time he appeared in three films, Beat Girl, Never Let Go and What A Whopper!, and made a surprisingly confident appearance on BBC TV in December 1960, being interviewed by John Freeman in the serious programme Face To Face. Many adults were shocked to find that, during this conversation, he admitted to having pre-marital sex and also owned up to listening to Sibelius and Dvorak. His career continued until the dawn of the Beatles and in the meantime songwriter Chris Andrews fed him with a second wave of infectious beat group hits, most notably "The First Time" and "We Are In Love". By the mid-60s the requests for him to appear became less and less and he eventually gave up singing and went into repertory theatre and in 1971 became an acting star in the UK television series Budgie.

He survived a near fatal car crash in 1973 and released ‘I Survive’ a year later. Additionally he had moved into record production and had produced records for Roger Daltrey and Lonnie Donegan and was also managing Leo Sayer.


He continued his acting career and his two supporting actor roles in Stardust and McVicar brought him critical success. For a number of years he was a successful financial consultant, although in the 1990s he was persuaded to return to the stage with ‘Budgie’ and ‘Alfie’ and to UK television as Frank Carver in ‘Love Hurts’ and the situation comedy ‘The House That Jack Built.’

He became a partner in the ill-fated satellite venture The Money Channel and was bankrupted in 2001. He also continued to work on the perimeter of the musical world and his final album was released in 1993. While he readily admitted that his vocal range was limited, his contribution to popular music was significant in so far as he was the first British teenager to confront a hostile world of respectable parents and adults, and demonstrate that pop singers were not all "layabouts and boneheads".

In a long and varied career during which he wrote two autobiographies, he died of a heart attack in March 2003 just after appearing in a play in Stoke-on-Trent. His funeral was on 19th March, with a host of celebrities paying their respects.

The chapel at Kent and Sussex Crematorium in Tunbridge Wells, saw more than 100 friends and family, including his wife Jackie and daughter Katya, gather for the cremation. Unusually, a wicker coffin, covered in flowers, was used for the service. Adam's agent, Alan Field, explained the unusual choice. He said "Jackie wanted something different and a bit special. She heard about a firm in Somerset which made them, and she thought they were beautiful".

Celebrities including Zoe Wanamaker, Michael Parkinson, Leo Sayer, Sandie Shaw, and Roger Daltrey were present, as well as Max Clifford and Terry Venables. After the ceremony Michael Parkinson said: "It was not jolly, that would be the wrong thing to say, but we had a few laughs. It was a service of remembrance. " Roger Daltrey said: "I will miss him. He was a one off. He was a good mate." Terry Venables - who wrote the 1970s TV drama ‘Hazell’ said: "I've known him so long. We go back many years. It's such a shock. I spoke to him a few days before and he was fine, his usual self. A small group of his fans also attended his funeral.

Stay in touch

Peter

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

You Write:

Steve Writes: Hi Peter, the lower age limit for a paper Boy/Girl was 13, possibly for insurance purposes? I worked from the newsagent on the Havant Road near the Sunshine Inn, the name of the shop eludes me now, was it Bryants?

My round could have been one of the longest, the opposite side of the Havant road going as far as Old Rectory road to the right. Then all along to the left to Farlington Ave, then right up to the lower part of the Naval Estate. I pushed my bike most of the way up delivering papers as I went. The ride down was great though, plus I had finished!
I delivered to Mr Jones our arts and craft Teacher, who also lived in Farlington Ave then.

Christmas was a treat as I had many good tips from some of the wealthier customers, all helped towards buying Christmas presents.
Regards to all, Steve

News and Views:

It may just be a rumour, but it's been reported that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will perform along with digitized big screen images of George Harrison and John Lennon at the Hollywood Bowl next August 27. The event would benefit breast cancer and world peace charities.

On this day 20th February 1960-1965

On 20/02/1960

the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was EMI's last coarse-groove 78 rpm record was issued

On 20/02/1961

the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 20/02/1962

the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Unknown Sean Connery cast as 007 in Dr No.

On 20/02/1963

the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan 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 Liz Taylor films Cleopatra.

On 20/02/1964

the number one single was Diane - Bachelors and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) 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 Malcolm X visits Cassius Clay's training camp.

On 20/02/1965

the number one single was Tired of Waiting For You - The Kinks 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 912

First Picture: The Green Shield Stamp Shop




Second Picture: Southsea Woolworths 1951

1950's - Going Shopping

Going to the Shops in the 1950's was an event. I never liked going to the shops especially when my father was abroad and I had to go to Drayton or Cosham with my mother. I could never understand why she took so long to make her mind up in shops. So there were two types of shopping; a walk down to the Village (Drayton) or a bus ride to Cosham for bigger thing's or to Portsmouth or North End for even bigger things like clothes etc.

However some things we did not have to go and buy it came to us by Van to the House. Milk, bread, fish, vegetables, ice cream and paraffin But there were things you would have to go out and buy toilet rolls, meat, medicines and the like, I also remember popping out to the local shop, Mrs Bannisters in Lealand Road, with the Ration Book (I still have mine you never know!!).

Going to 'the big shops' in Cosham was a really good treat because this meant a bus ride! Getting on a Southdown or Corporation bus at South Road and getting off at Spur Road at the top of Cosham High Street was very exciting for a small boy. The Cosham then was pretty much the same set up as it is today, the only exception being that there were no charity shops and no supermarkets until Fine Fare opened
One lasting memory was going into Mary’s Milk Bar at the bottom of the High Street next to the Essoldo; the place later changed its name to The Palm Court, her Mum would have a cup of coffee and me a glass of milk and a cake was always atreat of the day.

When we went to North End and into Melanie’s I was always fascinated by the cash system they used a system of vacuum money tubes. The Cashier Sales Assistant would place your cash in a little steel tube 'thingy' which was then fed into a vacuum pipe which was went around the store through the ceilings at great speed as well, once it reached the other end, a Cashier would write the receipt, sort out the change and whiz it back down to the shop floor. For a youngster this was fantastic to watch and if you were lucky enough to go to Will Browns’ shop you had even more fun as their system was similar but worked on a system of rails and wires and not vacuum.

Cosham had a Timothy Whites & Taylors also a Boots (big competition), a Woolworth where you could buy cheap cover versions of records. I used to like the old style Hardware Stores where they sold everything from a screw to a Kettle and they had draws upon draws of weird shaped 'things' which you didn't have a clue what they were for! The Assistants always wore Brown overalls and you'd NEVER find anyone without a shirt and tie. The same went for the seed merchants Dipman and Malpas.
Another 'smell' which lingers on is that of the Cold Meat counter in David Greigs at the top of the High Street. The combination of Ham, Tongue and Corned Beef all neatly laid out on the Counter with the swooshing noise of the manual slicing machine behind. the counter made your teeth go on edge with fear of the Chap taking off a finger! The same thing happened nearer home in Pinks in Drayton.

The thing about very young kids today saying, after watching some old 50's film', "was it all in black and white then?", couldn't be further from the truth. I remember it in full technicolor. Again, I think an effect of post-war times wanting to be 'new' and 'escape' was rife wherever you looked. Colour was 'in', especially in women’s clothing because it was about this time that they had just started to wear flower patterns.

Needless to say, everyone had a Milkman then, every morning you'd hear the Float pull up and "Milko" being called halfway up the drive. You got to know them very well and on Christmas morning they'd always get a 'wee dram' and a small monetary tip for their kindness through the year.Newspaper Boys were the same, although they were early birds and really were boys. I can't remember any age limit and they would do a good couple of hours biking around before school during sun and snow!
Shops and their Keepers were part of the Community as was the local policeman and the Postman. Everyone knew each other and everyone would say Hello as they past each other by.

Walking along the Shops could take ages because you stopped to chat with so many people.

Shops were then really a Trade and the people in them were often there the whole of their working life's - a far cry from today.

Stay in touch

Peter

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

You Write:

Jonathan Such Writes:
Hi Everyone,


I have made an enormous effort to get fit following the shocking death of my early mentor to marathon running and great friend Cavin Woodward. He was an enormous inspiration to me back in the 70's. I have decided to go over to the UK in September 2011 and run the Great North Run in memory of Cavin. I hope to raise money for the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) at the same time.

Please have a look at the attached web page and consider a contribution. http://www.justgiving.com/Jonathan-Such If you would be so kind as to pass this e-mail on to some folk you know who have an interest in running....please do.

Another Occasional School Report from my site 9 years ago:

Dancing

There must be very many amongst our number who still literally go quite cold with fear or maybe terror, when inadvertently they hear the far off the distant strains of ‘Wheels Cha Cha’. Me for one! What is even sadder, is that I still remember that it was performed by Max Harris and the Stringalongs, and was recorded on the Fontana label. In those far off days if you really wanted to put in extra dancing practice the record could be bought from RA Fraser Ltd on the Havant Road in Drayton for 3/4d. How do I all know this? I worked in the store part time after school, in the holidays and on Saturdays and I actually sold the record to some of our number, no names after all these years, who sheepishly came in to buy a copy. Steve Carter also worked there for a time and I am sure Steve will relate the same story. But what was the purpose of those dancing lessons? And who went? Was it an attempt to give us teenagers some form of social grace? Despite careful teaching there were some of our number whose feet seemed to have a mind of their own and one or other, and occasionally both partners, ended up on the floor in a very undignified scramble. Griff tells me this happened to him and Ros and it certainly happened to myself and Carol Page. Who were the instructors and where did they come from? I do not remember them being from among the normal school staff, and was there ever a School Dance when we could show off our newfound skills? Here my memory fails me but hopefully someone out there will remember and remind me of a prestigious school event that I have somehow forgotten. All this before the glamour days of the School Proms which are held now! Is it my imagination or during those lessons did we change partners for each different tempo of dance, I tend to think so, I remember tackling the Quickstep with Jenny Taylor but other dances I think I was partnered by other girls, but I cannot remember who they all were. How quickly one forgets events, but the steps that I learnt all those years ago are still emblazoned in the back of the mind, I can still ballroom dance when required, although I was never very happy with the Foxtrot and I would still rather not tackle that particular dance unless I was actually pushed. And the Cha Cha Cha, well the less said about that particular Latin American dance the better. What do you remember about those dancing lessons? Who went ? Would you care to share your memories with the rest of us? If so send me an E Mail so we can all relive your experiences, both good and bad. It was probably a very good thing that photographs were not so plentiful in the early 1960’s as they are now, otherwise I am sure we would have had some very interesting pictures to show.

Peter

News and Views:

Donovan was presented with a lifetime achievement distinction at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards on Monday February 7th.

On this day 13th February 1960-1965

On 13/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was French test first atomic bomb in Sahara desert

On 13/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 13/02/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & 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 13/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan 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 Liz Taylor films Cleopatra.

On 13/02/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 13/02/1965 the number one single was You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers 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.

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First Picture: The Beverly Hillbillies




Second Picture: The type of TV we watched it on!!

The Beverly Hillbillies

The Beverly Hillbillies was one of my favourite television shows. The show made its debut in 1962 and lasted almost the whole of the 60’s. and was one of the most popular and successful American television sitcoms in history. One of the reasons for this was its catchy, singable theme tune (“Come and let me tell you a story about a man called Jed ………..”The song was written by Paul Henning, the creator / producer of The Beverly Hillbillies and performed by bluegrass artists Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. It went to No 44 on the music charts in 1962, the first year of the original running of the series.

The Beverly Hillbillies depicted every person’s dream that one day they will hit it rich by a stroke of good fortune or luck. It was a story about a poor, struggling country family that hit it rich when the father, while hunting and found oil. The critics got it wrong. They expected the show to be a flop but the show quickly became a success soon after it started. The sitcom won a number of Emmys and was constantly in the Top Ten each week during most of the seasons it was shown. The show starred JD Clampett, played by Buddy Ebsen, who was the patriarch of the family.

Jed was an unassuming and mild-mannered man, who was not at all interested in living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. His family members, with the possibly exception of Jethro Clampett’s activities, preferred the hillbilly lifestyle and fought to keep it that way. Jed basically tried to manage the family’s sudden fortune and keep the family together by giving advice on a number of situations each member found themselves in. He had the most trouble controlling Granny and Jethro’s “wild” ways. Next was his mother-in-law, Granny, played by Irene Ryan. She was funniest character in the show. Granny, was a tough, scrappy grandmother that didn’t take any mess from the more “civilized” characters in the show. She fought long and hard to keep the family from becoming too civilized. She cooked up tasty country meals for the family and others who would often balk at the ingredients.

Every young mans delight was Elly Mae Clampett, played by Donna Douglas; she was Jed’s animal loving daughter, she was a pretty, pert blond with the most amazing short shorts. But this hid a character that was as tough as the beef Granny cooked. Elly Mae looked sweet and innocent but she could fight and often would win fights with several guys she came across, including her cousin, Jethro Clampett.

Jethro Clampett was played by Max Baer, Jr. Jethro was often getting into some sort of minor trouble with either girls or get-richer schemes. Unlike his cousin, Elly Mae, Jethro’s IQ was far from high.

The family had little in the way of modern inventions, although they did own a television, they had very little concern about materialistic values and would scoff at certain items and what they saw as excess. Although the family lived in a nice mansion, they kept most of their old possessions and grew their own food.

There were a couple of other main characters in the show. One was Mr. Milburn Drysdale, played by Raymond Bailey. Mr. Drysdale was a greedy banker who constantly tried to get Mr. Clampett to invest his money so he can make more money, not so much for himself, but for Mr. Drysdale. Granny would sometimes suggest to Mr. Clampett to remove their money from Drysdale’s bank, which was a threatening and devastating thought for Mr. Drysdale. The series also featured Mr Drysdales wife Margaret. The other character was Mrs. Jane Hathaway, played by Nancy Kulp, she was Mr. Drysdale’s level headed secretary who had the daunting task of calming down and reassuring Mr. Drysdale. She would often have to calm and reason with Granny as well and she definitely had an eye for Jethro. I always thought the show very funny and the very down to earth characters are what made it a success. In 1971 the show was cancelled because of resulted CBS' desire to erase its image as a "rural network and to become a major player within the American TV Networks.

With the show ending 40 years ago it is therefore unsurprisingly that there are only two of the original actors still alive, these are naturally, the youngest two Max Baer Jr (Jethro) who is planning to build a Beverly Hillbillies mansion and Casino in Douglas County complete with fake oil rig and a restaurant featuring Granny style cooking. The other is Donna Douglas (Elly May) who later went on to star with Elvis Presley in “Frankie and Johnny”.
A film version of the Beverley Hillbillies was made in 1993 with none of the original cast but could not pick up on the success of the original TV series.

Stay in touch

Peter

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

Helen Writes:-

Hi Peter
It's great to see the old picture of Hilsea Lido and more especially the rare photo of the Blue Lagoon on your Manor Court blog page.

Hilsea Lido Pool for the People are the community trust that has taken over Hilsea Lido and the Blue Lagoon from Portsmouth City Council on a 99 year lease.

One of the things that we are very keen to do is to create an historical archive of the site and photos are very useful. In addition we currently have a small exhibition at Portsmouth City Museum and have organised a couple of exhibitions on site, we are keen to continue doing this and would love to be able to use your photos in the future. Please let me know whether this would be possible. Any more photos you may have of Hilsea Lido, the Blue Lagoon or the immediate area would be of great interest to us.

In addition, I met Colin Woods yesterday, you may be aware that he is a member of The Renegades (big in Pompey in the 60s I believe). Colin is very keen to organise a fundraising event for HLPP featuring The Renegades and hopefully the Cadillacs at the Blue Lagoon. I will let you know should this develop !!

News and Views:

Did you know that the first woman to get a Commercial Pilots licence worked for Channel Airways when they flew out of Portsmouth. However they would only let her fly on the Isle of Wight route!

On this day 6th February 1960-1965

On 06/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 06/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.


On 06/02/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & 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 06/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan 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 Liz Taylor films Cleopatra.

On 06/02/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) 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 Plans agreed for Channel Tunnel.

On 06/02/1965 the number one single was You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers 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 908

First Picture: Dylan and Donovan



Second Picture: 1960’s poster

Donovan

Born Donovan Philips Leitch in Glasgow on May 10, 1946, Donovan was part of the British folk scene and the British Music Invasion in America. As a child, Donovan was vaccinated with the polio vaccine and contracted polio the disease and treatment left Donovan with a limp but the public never knew this. In 1956, his family moved to Little Berkhamsted and here influenced by his family's love for Scottish and English folk music he began playing guitar at 14. He enrolled in art school but dropped out soon afterwards, determined to live as a beatnik he went on the road. In 1963 after a trip to St Ives he spent several months playing in local clubs, learning the cross-picking guitar technique and writing his first songs.
In 1964, he spent the summer in Torquay where he took up busking. In late 1964, he was offered a contract by Pye Records, and recorded a 10-track demo tape which included the original recording of “Catch the Wind”. While recording the demo, Donovan befriended Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones who was recording in a nearby studio. He also met Brian Jones's ex-girlfriend Linda Lawrence and this on-off romantic relationship lasted for the next five years. She exerted a huge influence on Donovan's music but refused to marry him and moved to the US for several years in the late 1960s but eventually did marry him on 2nd Oct 1970 at Windsor registry office.

In the first week of May 1965, Donovan met Bob Dylan, then touring the UK, in Dylan's suite at the Savoy Hotel. The music press had made much of Donovan's alleged copying of Dylan and the supposed rivalry between the two of them. They actually liked each other and Dylan mentioned Donovan in his song “Talking World War Three Blues”. In an interview for the BBC in 2001 to mark Bob Dylan's 60th birthday, Donovan acknowledged Dylan as an important influence early in his career whilst distancing himself from the "Dylan clone" allegations.

In late 1965, Donovan signed with Brian Epstein. Mickie Most was the nominal producer of all Donovan's recordings in this period, although some of the recordings were self-produced.

By 1966, Donovan had shed the Dylan influences and become one of the first British musicians to adopt a flower power image. “Sunshine Superman” being one of the first psychedlic pop records, the arrangement included a harpsichord and sitar and also contained unmistakable references to LSD.

By late 1966, after American contractual problems had been resolved, Donovan signed a $100,000 deal with Epic Records and started recording in the CBS studios. Although folk elements were still prominent, the album showed the increasing influence of jazz and American psychedelia.

On 9 February 1967, Donovan was among the select group of guests invited by The Beatles to join them at Abbey Road Studios for the final orchestral overdub session for the Lennon-McCartney collaboration “ A Day in the Life “, the grand finale to “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

In mid-1966, Donovan became the first high-profile British pop star to be arrested for possession of marijuana and his use of LSD is referred to in many of his lyrics. Public attention was drawn to his marijuana use by the TV documentary, A Boy Called Donovan, broadcast in early 1966, which showed the singer and friends smoking cannabis at a party thrown by the film crew. However, it appears that the Drug Squad were already planning to target many British pop stars, and Donovan's arrest proved to be the first in a long series of busts. The arrest got a great deal of publicity, and in early 1967 he was the subject of an exposé by the News of the World. Although Donovan's was not as sensational as the later arrests of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, because of the charges he was refused entry to the US until late 1967.
Donovan developed a strong interest in eastern mysticism. In early 1968 he was part of the group that travelled to India to spend several weeks with the Maharishi Yogi. The visit gained worldwide attention thanks to the presence of the Beatles.
Donovan's next single, released in May 1968, was the psychedelic “Hurdy Gurdy Man”. Donovan actually tried to get Jimmy Hendrix to play on the recording, but he was on tour and unavailable.

After another US tour he again collaborated with Paul McCartney, who was producing Post Card, the debut LP by the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin who covered three Donovan songs. Paul McCartney returned the favour by playing tambourine and singing backing vocals on Donovan's next single, “Atlantis” which was released in late November that year.

After a split with Mickey Most Donovan disappeared, to Greece, re-emerging six months later to begin work on his next LP which came out in late 1970 and was a marked departure from his earlier work. Stripping the sound back to a rock trio format, he dubbed the sound, "Celtic rock".

The punk era (1977–1980) had provoked a backlash in Britain against the optimism of the hippie era, of which Donovan was considered a prime example and his fortunes with the public and the media suffered.

In November 2003, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters and in May 2004, he played "Sunshine Superman" at the pre-wedding concert for the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark. In 2005, his autobiography The Hurdy Gurdy Man was published and in the following year he played a series of British festivals and two dates at Camden's Jazz Café, London.

In January 2007, there were concerts in the US and here at home and a planned release of a new album. However, he subsequently announced that the tour had been cancelled and the album release delayed. He indicated that he is in good health but gave no reason for the cancellation but later in the year he opened a Transcendental Meditation University in Scotland.

Donovan and Linda have two children Astrella Celeste and Oriole Nebula and he had two children with his 1960s American girlfriend Enid Stulberger, and both have entered the acting profession: his son, Donovan Leitch Jnr and his daughter lone Skye.

Stay in touch

Peter

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

You Write:

I Write:

Some time ago, through some quirk of the Internet I managed to contact the 1960’s American star Bobby Rydell. We have corresponded for some time and he is now happy to pass on news about his activities.

Bobby has returned from a successful tour of Australia. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from UNICO (Unity, Neighbourliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity.) at the organization's national convention July 31 in Hershey, Pennsylvania

News and Views:

The Lubbock, Texas city council was informed that an estimated $155,000 has been raised to renovate the home of Crickets drummer Jerry Allison where the group's hit, "That'll Be the Day" was written. The home had been moved from its original location and there are now plans are to move it again to the car park of the Buddy Holly Centre. The idea, if approved, could begin early this year.

On this day 30th January 1960-1965

On 30/01/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was North by Northwest. 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 30/01/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Oral contraceptive made available in UK.

On 30/01/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & 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 30/01/1963 the number one single was Dance On - The Shadows and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. he top rated TV show was The Prime Minister (All channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Composer Poulenc dies.

On 30/01/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 30/01/1965 the number one single was Go Now! - Moody Blues and the number one album was Beatles For Sale - 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 Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Sir Winston Churchill's funeral.