Web Page  No 2278

8^th July 2016

Top Picture: A steering wheel just like daddys

Second Picture: Hopalong Cassidy Watch

Third Picture: The first of the Japanese Plastic Dolls

Forth Picture: The favourite a Meccano Set

1950's - Our home entertainment. No console Ganes, No PC and hardly any TV. entertainment                                                                       

Take away Computers, Consol Gaming, DVD's and the 100+ TV channels on 24 hours a day and you have the 1950's!

We had toys, but ours would fit under the bed or on top of the wardrobe and not need a separate room to put them in as today.

Our biggest toys were of a natural kind; trees, woods, the hill, the marshes and mostly our own imagination. Then we had dreams of being a Roy Rogers, Davy Crockett or Robin Hood, now it's celebrity!
But not so much of the now and then!

INDOORS
Toys were something you got at Christmas, Birthday's, possibly when you were ill or when a relation came to stay and that was it. They were often treasured items which you would carefully look after as if life itself depended on it! At a very early age, my entertainment was playing with toy soldiers or cowboys. I'd get a Corn Flakes Box and make a few turrets out of them, stacking cushions around them for hills etc. and play for hours.

Around the mid 50s I got my first Meccano Set, No.4 I think, but it was a large enough kit to make a bridge of sorts. I had a clockwork Hornby Train Set which always seemed to go so fast it kept coming off the tracks on every bend.

In a friends house there was a Bay Window to play in. There was space enough for it to be a Captain's Bridge and I'd sail the seas to all the parts of the World. It was a watch tower, a pirates lookout and all sorts of things.

When I first saw the story of Sir Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tensing reaching the summit of Everest. I saw the pictures in a daily newspaper and it was the talk of grown-ups around me.
Instantly, my knees were suitably placed to look like the mountain itself and two of my toy cowboys became the first to climb the peak at least five times a day! We simply didn't have the distraction of other things, fewer toys but a lot of imagination !

OUTDOORS
An endless list of playtime items. The tree's in our garden were about the best thing for me. They could easily become houses, mountains, castle's and hideouts. The other, most important, thing they became were simply tree's! I soon found myself with twigs the shape of a Colt 45 or a bow to fight off the nasty Sheriff of Nottingham's men. If you were really lucky your Dad would make you a swing! Then of course you could eat the fruit, apples, pears, nuts and plums.

Normal things became something else; the wheelbarrow was the 31 bus or a Locomotive speeding its way from London to Dover for the Boat Train. Yes, the wheelbarrow then transformed itself into a cross channel ferry!

As the 50's progressed I got a few of the 'larger presents'. My first bicycle substituted the Wheelbarrow and before long the imaginary journey's of the garden were transferred to the driveway and pavement.

I was then lucky enough to get a Triang 'OO' gauge, three rail London Underground train set which ran off batteries. I'd find bits of wood and draw houses on them, make hills and tunnels out of a green tablecloth. Every Christmas and Birthday wish for quite some time was for something new to do with the Train Set.

All this carries on through your life. I'm sure that people in my age group are happier that something works than if it looks right or not.
Also an in-built desire to make your own and be proud of it, even if we can afford it.

The 1950's were hard years for many. People of my parents age had come out of a War in which they lost some of the most important years of their life and it couldn't have been easy for them.

But, if you couldn't find happiness in reality, you could in your imagination

Keep in touch

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

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News and Views:

On this day 8^th July 1960-1965

On 08/06/1960 the number one single was Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV) and the box office smash was 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 Bing Crosby presented with a platinum disc by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for estimated sales of 200 million records.

On 08/07/1961 the number one single was Runaway - Del Shannon and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was 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 08/07/1962 the number one single was Come Outside - Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. 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.

08/06/1963 the number one single was From Me To You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Martin Luther King denounces JFK's civil rights policies.

On 08/07/1964 the number one single was House of the Rising Sun - Animals and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Room at the Top (ITV) 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 One champions

 On 08/07/1965 the number one single was I'm Alive - Hollies and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page  No 2276

1^st July 2016

Top Picture: An original three wheeled version

Second Picture: Inside the cockpit note the aircraft style steering wheel!

Third Picture: A rare four wheeler

Messerschmitt –that’s an aeroplane isn’t it?

Just after the war the Messerschmitt aircraft company was banned from producing aircraft so they set their expirees onto make a very strange three (of four) wheeled cars.

In 1952, Fritz Fend approached Messerschmitt with the idea of manufacturing small motor vehicles. based on his Fend Flitzer invalid carriage. The first of Fend's vehicles to enter production at Messerschmitt's Regensburg factory was the KR175 under the title of Kabinenroller which means "scooter with cabin". While the Messerschmitt name and insignia were used on the car, a separate companywas created to manufacture and market the vehicle.

The KR200 replaced the KR175 in 1955. While using the same basic frame as the KR175 with changes to the bodywork (notably including wheel cutouts in the front) and an improved canopy design, the KR200 was otherwise an almost total redesign. The rear suspension and engine mounting were reworked, and hydraulic shock absorbers were installed at all three wheels and the tyre sizes were enlarged.

Selling for around DM 2,500, the KR200 was considered an instant success with almost 12,000 built during its first year, which was the highest annual production for Kabinenroller models. A maximum speed in excess of 90 km/h (56 mph) despite a claimed power output of only 9.9 hp reflected the vehicle's light weight and low aerodynamic drag.^[ An "Export" package included a two-tone paint scheme, painted hubcaps, a fully trimmed interior, a heater, a clock, and a sunshade for the canopy.

In 1956, Messerschmitt was allowed to manufacture aircraft again and lost interest in the microcars. Messerschmitt sold the Regensburg works to Fritz Fend who continued production. In 1957, the KR200 Kabrio model was released, featuring a cloth convertible top and fixed side window frames. This was followed by the KR201 Roadster without window frames, using a folding cloth top, a windscreen, and removable side curtains. A Sport Roadster was later offered with no top and with the canopy fixed into place so that the driver would have to climb in and out at the top of the car. Production of the KR200 was heavily reduced in 1962 and ceased in 1964 as sales had been dropping for a few years sales were particularly affected by the increasing popularity of the Mini.

In 1955, in order to prove the KR200's durability, Messerschmitt prepared a KR200 to break the 24-hour speed record for three-wheeled vehicles under 250 cc. The record car had a special single-seat low-drag body and a highly modified engine, but the suspension, steering, and braking components were stock. Throttle, brake, and clutch cables were duplicated. The record car was run on 29-30 August 1955 at the Hockenheimring for 24 hours and broke 22 international speed records in its class, including the 24-hour speed record, which it set at 64 mph.

The narrow body, and corresponding low frontal area, was achieved with tandem seating, which also allowed the body to taper like an aircraft fuselage. The claimed fuel consumption of the car was 87 mpg_- The tandem seating also centralized the mass of the car which, combined with the low center of gravity, low weight, and wheel placement at the vehicle's extremes, gave the KR200 good handling characteristics. 

Over the years over 40,000 of the cars were built but today they are rare. One story about the cars is that they were so unstable that they were banned from using the motorways, but this problem was soon solved when the company added a fourth wheel so stabilizing the car.

There are many tales told about these cars, one chap tells that in the early 1960s he would take his three children to school in his, two children sitting down and the youngest standing up with his head out of the canvas roof. The police did not seem to mind too much in those days as he never got stopped.

Another Messerschmitt enthusiast replaced the original engine with a 600cc NSU unit and managed to top 100mph with it! Rather him than me.

And bearing in mind that the Messerschmitt ME 109 was the arch enemy of the Spitfire one owner on Guernsey has managed to aquire the registration plate 109 for his rare four wheeled example.

Keep in touch

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

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Griff Writes:-

Re The Messiah

               That's me top row, 4th in from the left standing next to John Mortimer to my right as you view the picture.  I was a trumpet player in the school orchestra at the time of the proposed Messiah production.

                I was asked to play trumpet in the Messiah  but I had only been playing trumpet for about a year and there is no easy way of saying this, I was not good enough for this production...lol.

               Playing hymns at school assembly was a far different matter to playing a  trumpet music score from the Messiah and it was eventually decided to bring in a professional trumpet player which, all things considered, was a very wise decision.

Take Care Everyone.

Melvyn ( Griff )  Griffiths.

News and Views:

On this day 1^st July 1960-1965

On 01/07/1960 the number one single was Three Steps to Heaven - Eddie Cochran 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 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 Neale Fraser wins Wimbledon men's singles.

On 01/07/1961 the number one single was Runaway - Del Shannon and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Harpers West One (ATV) 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 Author Hemingway commits suicide.

On 01/07/1962 the number one single was Come Outside - Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. 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 01/07/1963 the number one single was I Like It - Gerry & the Pacemakers and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/09/1964 the number one single was Have I the Right? - Honeycombs and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/09/1965 the number one single was I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher and the number one album was Help - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page  No 2274

24^th   June 2016

Top Picture: Sunspan from the Portsdown Hill Road

 Second Picture: Wells Wintemute Coates

 Third Picture: Drive view of house

Forth Picture: Looking up from the garden

Sunspan

I am sure that we have all seen the modernist Sunspan House which sits on the Bedhampton end of Portsdown Hill overlooking Langstone Harbour, but what do we know about it?

It was built in 1936 and was designed by Wells Coates and David Pleydell-Bouverie.

Wells Wintemute Coates was born in 1895 in Tokyo of Canadian parentage. His father was the Rev. Harper Havelock Coates, Missionary and Professor of Comparative Religions and Philosophy at the Aoyam Theological College in Tokyo. His mother was Sarah Agnes Wintemute Coates who was the first woman to train and to practise as an architect. She had studied under Louis Sullivan in Chicago between 1880 and 1886. She also founded, designed and was the principal of the first School for Girls to be built in Japan in the 1890's. She had six children, two boys Wells and Willson and four girls, Mary, Lila, Bertha and Carol.

The "Sunspan" house was designed with the assistance of his partner D. Pleydell Bouverie and it was exhibited in 1934 at the British Empire Exhibition. Several houses of this style were built around the country but I understand that the Bedhampton one was built for a Mrs. H.M. Hill.

It is a stunning building with its white-painted rendered brickwork and flat asphalt roofs strangely it is diagonally-set on a north-south axis with curved north and south corners; the south is the garden front and has a broad flowing terrace over a projecting basement and is flanked by the kitchen and garage wings. The symmetrical north front has a curved corner at the centre and the central recessed porch has a curved door and a flat integral canopy.

The entrance is on the north corner of the house facing Portsdown Hill Road and is at a higher level because of the sloping nature of the site. The whole building actually consists of two storeys and a basement.

The first floor is set back and has three windows, the centre of the building, as with the rest of the house is curved. Set back on the roof is a block which contains the water tank with an integral chimney.

The south garden front is also symmetrical with a curved central corner; the basement projects and has curved window bands and a central doorway. There is also a terrace and the house has typical all metal-flame casements windows with curved glass on the corners.

The interior and most of the original details still remain intact I am informed. The drawing room has the original brick fireplace and plywood folding doors into the dining room and study, which have cast moulded plaster electric fires set in walls. There are also similar fires in bedrooms. The staircase is built at an angle behind the central chimney stack and has a solid balustrade with chromium-plated tube handrail.

One of the unusual features is the curved door to the master bedroom. The design of the house with its variants was intended for speculative builders as an alternative to the usual traditional design of house and that the architects would receive royalties on the copyright. Despite its large appearance the house only has two bedrooms, one bathroom and two reception rooms. The two sets of double gates even have sun bursts moulded into the ironwork.

There is a local rumour that the house was once owned by Gracie Fields, she might well have done but there is no evidence that she ever lived there. But there is evidence that the building was used after the Second World War as a home for the District 2 Income Tax Office. This was not a site popular with the office employees as it was a long walk to and from the bottom of Rectory Avenue to get to the bus stop.

Keep in touch

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

Steve writes about The Messiah,

I sang the Messiah in the late 60s when Mr Wray was the music teacher

Does that mean there was a second version I did not know about?

Maureen writes:-

I was there, amongst the unsung hero's of any production that Manor Court produced, but then and as with my future career I was behind the scenes - In the Kitchen.
 
I recall that Carol Osborne was the master of the Victoria Sponges which rose on every occasion whilst mine still struggle  to raise its head. My 'Piece de resistance' was Brandy Snaps; 5 to a tray, as that was all you could roll before they got too cold to roll, and I had to churn them out by the dozen, no wonder I have cast iron hands and no one can stand the heat of  my washing up water. It was nice to be wanted.

On this day 24th June 1960-1965

On 24/06/1960 the number one single was Three Steps to Heaven - Eddie Cochran 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 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 24/06/1961 the number one single was Surrender - 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 24/06/1962 the number one single was Good Luck Charm - Elvis Presley and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. 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 24/06/1963 the number one single was I Like It - Gerry & the Pacemakers and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 24/06/1964 the number one single was You're My World - Cilla Black and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. 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.

Web Page  No 2272

17^th  June 2016

Top Picture: John Stephens with David (John) Wyatt at orchestra rehearsal with Ray Dopson in the background

Second Picture: Messiah programme signed by John Stephens

 Third Picture: The School Choral Society

Forth Picture: David Hillman one of our soloists.

What were you doing at 7.30 on Saturday 25^th March 1961?

What were you doing at 7.30 on Saturday 25^th March 1961? If you were like me you were singing or playing in the schools production of The Messiah!

What an event that was, we were rehearsed so often that I think that I could still sing the bass part if required.

Under the leadership of John Stephens we practiced and rehearsed to get this right. About the Society, in the programme for the evening John Stevens wrote: -

“the aim of the School Choral Society was to sing for joy of making music together. Handel’s Messiah may have seemed at first an unusual choice for a school but the enthusiasm of the members of the Society is an indication that they can appreciate a great work of art when the opportunity arises.

We accept the limitations of our young inexperienced voices, most of them far from full maturity; and are pleased to have the assistance of mature voices for this occasion. With a work of the length and difficulty of the Messiah it is necessary for us to make a selection, to preserve the continuity, however, a narrator will read the parts that are not sung. This performance marks the climax of our project; we will enjoy singing and listening to our soloists and we thank you for joining us in our music making”.

Many parents and friends were involved, both my father and my godmother sung with us and many of the pupils helped form the orchestra, whose leader was John Watkins, unfortunately I have no list of them; the only two I can remember are David (John) Wyatt on the violin as was the English teacher Ray Dopson.

The soloists were, at that time, professional or semi-professional and were Lois Sutton (Soprano), Pamela Walker (Contralto), David Hillman (Tenor), Richard Wood (Bass). (In fact many years later Peter Westcott met David Hillman in the staff cafeteria of Saddlers  Wells and he actually remembered the performance with some affection. David Hillman died in 2009 aged 74. The pianist was Ena Magee, the trumpet soloist Roy Morgan and the narrator was our own Colin Bell

 I do remember that a reel to reel recording was made of the entire concert which was done in three parts with 53 sections and conducted by John Stephens, I wonder what happened to that recording?

Below are the names of the members of the Choral Society, I have highlighted those that are either with us in the Manor  Court Group or those that I have knowledge of a total of 44 out of 120. I wonder where the rest are?

SCHOOL CHORAL SOCIETY

Sopranos

Mary Abbott  Kattisha Forbes  Ann Piper  Rosemary Bailey  Gillian Gale  Hazel Pratt  Sharon Ball Janice Garland  Barbara Quinnell  Jill Budd  Jean Griffiths  Susan Richards  Heather Butt  Christine Guymer  Margaret Roberts  Linda Capp  Christine Hall  Jaqueline Stone  Deborah Coates  Madeline Hallman  Susan Sutton  Rosamund Coates  Valerie Hampton  June Thorn  Lynda Collins  Oriana Henwood  Anne Turtle  Susan Collins  Susan Jones  Jill Wakdy  Kathryn Cooke  Michele Laviers Jennifer Went  Ann Davies  Anthony Lyne  Catherine Whiteman  Gillian Davis  Linda McIntyre  Susan Whitwell  Joyce Dodd  Marilyn Mercer  Lyn Willows  Graham Elderfield  Janet Munford  Sheila Wilton

Contraltos

Maureen Albertolli  Angela Ellis Pat Keers  Janice Austin  Roberta English  Carole Langford  Christine Bailey  Anne Fido Diane Ledger  Jean Bennett  Hazel Flowers  Sandra Mack  Christine Biddlecombe  Pauline Flowers  Carole Osborne  Geraldine Buckeridge  Marilyn Flux  Susan Perry  Christine Budd  Geraldine Foley  Berenice Pert  Christine Butterfield  Carole Gill  Norma Plumb  Lesley Chapman Yvonne Glasby  Kay Ponsford  Ann Denly  Janet Huggins  Diane Thomas  Claudia Dunthorn  Carol Janczur  Irene Thorrowgood  Laraine Durow  Lorna Judson  Ann Williams

Tenors

Keith Andrews  Christopher Farmer  Leslie Smith  David Bartlett  John Halford  Christopher Talbot Howard Bradshaw  Frank Howells  Keith Taylor  Peter Bridger  Richard James  Stuart Turtle  Nigel Bridges John Pearce  Philip Ward  David Cookson  John Quarterly  Philip Wheaton  Anthony Duncan Carl Randall  Michael Willenbnich  Frederick Dyson  Alan Sawyer  John Wilson  Philip Woods

Basses

Colin Blake  Stephen Carter  Robert Cooke  Alan Cox  Adrian Gee  Melvyn Griffiths Barry Jackman Peter Keat  Peter Mereckel  John Mortimer  Peter Odell  Brian Palmer  Peter Westcott  David Wyatt

Keep in touch

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

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News and Views:

On this day 17th June 1960-1965

On 17/06/1960 the number one single was Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV) and the box office smash was 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 week was Arnold Palmer wins US Golf Open.

On 17/06/1961 the number one single was Surrender - 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 17/06/1962 the number one single was Good Luck Charm - 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 17/06/1963 the number one single was From Me To You - The Beatles and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. 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.The big news story of the week was Cassius Clay defeats Henry Cooper in London

On 17/06/1964 the number one single was You're My World - Cilla Black and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. 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 17/06/1965 the number one single was Crying in the Chapel - Elvis Presley and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was UK drink-drive alcohol limit to be introduced