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.

Web Page 910

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.

Web Page 906

First Picture:

A typical Laundrette shop sign

Second Picture:

That Levis advert!!!!!




Yet another school friend to join us, a big welcome to Robert Webster.

My Wonderful Laundrette

One innovation which came our way during our youth, before the days of the automatic washing machine, was the introduction and rapid spread of the laundrette. These new fangled washing places seemed to pop up all over the place. The nearest one to my childhood home was the one in Cosham High Street, although I do believe that one did open a little nearer but Mum had got used to the Cosham one, she said she knew the machines, so we always used that one. My parents never owned a washing machine in their lives although my mother did submit to having a Hoover Spinarinse to help with the home wash. She preferred to hand wash in the sink and boil the whites in a large container on the cooker. After my father had managed to persuade her that actually taking your washing to the laundrette was not like washing your dirty linen in public, it was then a scout round the house to find as much washing as possible to get the best value for money from the machine. Having found enough large bags to pack it all in we then took the car, a grey Truimph Herald 948cc 186 COU, on a family excursion into Cosham, but Mother always insisted that this trip was to be in the early evening when there would be fewer people about.

Having arrived at the place we loaded the top loading machine with our washing and bought the little packet of washing powder (there was a sign hung above the machines which said that you were not allowed to bring your own washing powder as it was not compatible with the washing machines, I suspect that was just a rouse to get you to buy their expensive powder), it was a case of just sitting there watching the washing go round. Actually as the years rolled by the little packets of washing powder disappeared to be replaced by bulk machines which dispensed the powder into little paper cups.

Of course whenever we went, there was always a barrage of advise from those already in the place, “Don’t put that shirt in with those sheets”, “That will need a hot wash not a cool one” and “If I was you I would not put anything like that into a washing machine”. After the wash there was the scramble to get a dryer ( have you got a 2/- piece for the machine please?) and then again we sat down to more watching. When the dryer had completed its job it was time for the emptying and folding. Now this had to be done with your back to the other washers so that you could hid your smalls or badly worn sheets from prying eyes, my mother used to go to great lengths to preserve her privacy in the place. What was the lingering memory of these washing evenings? Mainly the warm soapy smell and the utter boredom of watching the clothes tumble round and round and.

The very first UK laundrette was in opened in Queensway, West London in 1949, if they had been introduced in the 1980’s I suppose we would have had to put up with names like Suds-You-Like !!!!!

But in the last 25 years, the number of launderettes in the UK has fallen by three-quarters. In fact mention launderettes to a lot of people and their first reaction is often one of surprise that they still exist, actually there are two within a half a mile of where I live today. According to NALI, the National Association of the Launderette Industry (yes, there is an association for everything these days), numbers in the UK peaked at 12,500 in the early 80s but have since have dwindled to just 3,000. In the mid-1980s, a Levi's jeans television advert generated hopes of an altogether different kind of liaison in a laundrette. In the ad, a handsome young man enters a 1950s-style American launderette and in front of the other customers, calmly strips down to his boxer shorts and puts his jeans in the machine. The ad helped sales of jeans to rocket and made a star of its leading man, Nick Kamen. The opening bars of Marvin Gaye's hit I Heard It Through the Grapevine are among the most evocative in television advertising history. For a whole generation, it brings one image to mind but did you know that Nick Kamen only got the part on condition that he lost weight!

But back to our washing. Once all the processes had been completed and all the clothes neatly folded without anyone seeing what they were, they were all carefully placed back in the bags they came in and then it was back to the car and home. Once indoors all that was left to do was to sort the washing out into piles and Mum to do the ironing.

Such strange pleasures we had in the 1950’s!!!



Stay in touch

Peter

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

You Write:

Chris asks:-

I had a friend who lived at No. 4 Lonsdale Avenue in the 1950’s, Richard Coppin. I wonder if anyone knows what happened to him? I am also keen to trace Michael Harrison from the same period, he lived in Hilltop Crescent on the top of Portsdown Hill.

News and Views:

Reg Presley Update. Reg is recovering well and at present a tour with the Animals during this year is a possibility and he has been told that he does not need to see the doctor again.

Pat Boone, who normally lives in Beverly Hills, has bought a second home on a floating condominium ocean liner named the Utopia. The ship, due to sail in 2013, will take its tenants around the world to events like the Grand Prix in Monaco and the Cannes Film Festival in France. Pat is estimated to have spent $4 million on his onboard "home."

More ‘home’ news:-

Ringo Starr and his wife, actress Barbara Bach, have put their three-bedroom Aspen, Colorado cabin on 16 acres of wooded land on the market for sale. The price? A mere $4.5 million. They have owned the property on the Roaring Fork River for 20 years.

On this day 23rd January 1960-1965

On 23/01/1960

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. The big news story of the day was bomb attempt on Harold McMillan in Africa.

On 23/01/1961

the number one single was Poetry in Motion - Johnny Tillotson and the number one album was Tottenham Hotspur. The top rated TV show was The Russ Conway Show (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £ 13.25. The big news story of the day was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada).

On 23/01/1962

the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard. 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 23/01/1963

the number one single was The Next Time/Bachelor Boy - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was 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 23/01/1964

the number one single was Glad All Over - Dave Clark Five 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 23/01/1965

the number one single was Yeh Yeh - Georgie Fame 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 904

First Picture: Mickey Dolenz as Circus Boy Corky





Second Picture: Mickey with the Monkees.



Firstly lets welcome two new school friends, a big hello to Christine Budd and Carol Page.
Secondly look for the new Section School Report

Mickey Dolnez

Many of us will remember Micky Dolenz as the drum playing lead singer from the late sixties American answer to the Beatles, the Monkees. During the peak years of the Monkees his voice was featured on such hits as “Last Train to Clarksville”, “I’m a Believer”, “Stepping Stone” “Words” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday”. But what may be a lesser known or even totally forgotten is that Mickey Dolnez first gained fame some ten years before the Monkees project ever got off the ground, as a child actor on the television show, Circus Boy.

Born to actor George Dolenz and his wife Janelle in 1945, Micky Dolenz made a very early decision to follow in his father’s footsteps. George Dolenz had made it as an actor with RKO Studios and during the 1950's played the Count of Monte Cristo for the ITV television series. To avoid the stereotype of being another actor’s son, it was decided, early on, that young Micky would not use his father’s last name; instead, Micky Dolenz began his acting career as Micky Braddock but by the time of Circus Boy this plan appears to have been dropped. In early 1955, the production company, Norbert Productions, were looking for a way to generate some form of income from a bankrupt South Carolina circus that, for some reason, they had bought. The idea of developing a television show that would make good use of props, animals and infrastructure of the circus occurred to the Director Herbert B. Leonard. As a Director had had a previous success when he had developed another childrens favourite, Rin Tin Tin and was now looking for another prospective television success. By the end of the year, he had a script for the pilot prepared and began to hold casting sessions for the various roles of what was now being called the Circus Boy project.

Micky Dolnez auditioned for, and won, the role of Corky, the central character in the pilot. The plot that was developed had the twelve-year-old orphan being adopted by the boss Big Bill Champion and performers of the near bankrupt Burke and Walsh circus. Corky had become an orphan after his trapeze artist parents were killed during a high wire act that went wrong. In the story Corky was now looked after by the clown Uncle Joey and his friend Pete. There had to be animals in the programme of course and Corky's pet chimpanzee was called Bobo, other featured animals were Sultan, the tiger and Nuba the Lion. Each episode Corky was seen riding the baby elephant Bimbo, and each storyline had him dealing with his adolescent problems, whilst the financial problems of the circus were always in the background and as the story developed it was clear that the Circus Boy actually helped the adults keep the circus in the black as the show moved from town to town each week.

NBC picked up the series for the September 1956 line-up and ordered a season of episodes. “Circus Boy” made its debut in the US on Sunday, September 23, 1956. While the show did not establish itself as a runaway success, there was enough interest from young people to establish some Circus Boy merchandise and that soon became a mini-boom. Goodies such as Circus Boy puzzles, board games and colouring sets, a lunch box, Halloween costumes, and action figures and puppets. That year Circus Boy promotional toys were found under quite a few American Christmas trees.

Still, the ratings were not quite what NBC had hoped. In the spring of 1957, it was announced that the show would be cancelled, although all the 36 episodes that had been filmed would be run. However, the show was not over yet. ABC announced it would be picking up “Circus Boy” for a second season. While ABC did a fair amount of promotion for the series, it appeared that the show was not going to perform any better for ABC than it had done for NBC the previous year. ABC had made a second season commitment of thirteen episodes and aired all of them by the end of the year.

While the production of “Circus Boy” had ceased, re-runs of the 48 filmed episodes found a home on Saturday morning television much to the delight of the small but loyal fan base and even developing a rather strong fan base in Australia in the late 1960’s, actually during the heyday of the Monkees’.

The series was picked up in 1956 by the BBC who screened it on and off for the next two years. “Circus Boy” might well have been lost to posterity if not for the success that Micky Dolenz had with the Monkees a decade later, and his continuing success as a director and performer in the United States, here in Great Britain and Australia.

At the very least, the show occasional appears on Cable TV helps a few of us to recapture some of the innocence we knew as kids.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

You Write:

Anida Writes:-

The name of the grocers on the corner of Roseberry Ave and Lonsdale Ave was Kinch's, Mr Kinch had two daughters and they ran it together. When Mr Kinch died it was taken over and became Chusan Stores because the man who bought it had worked on the liner 'SS Chusan'!!!!

Martin Writes:-

Miss Burdens christian name was Barbara.............She was gorgeous...........Bob Coulthard and she would met for lunch and smooches in her classroom (one of the old hut room beside scholars walk...........Molly Butler..........the photo does not do her justice........remember her blue hair.............the 58 trip to London was a great trip.......we all had a great time.............Where was Cosham House located....???? on Havant Road close to Drayton..........????............I think it was Andy.....not Danny Williams who recorded and hit number one with Moon River............Cheers for now

School Report.

Web Page from 9 years ago.
Homework

There was a strange period during my 4th year when most homework for some subjects actually ceased and we returned to school for two hours between 17.00 and 19.00 for extra lessons. These lessons had to be at these times so those kids with paper rounds could get their evening deliveries done. This was a very strange system although it was helpful, it was also very frustrating especially when it was a glorious summer evening outside and we were still stuck in school. The reason being that the school had changed examination boards from Oxford to Southern Counties and there were things in the Southern curriculum that we had not covered. So to catch up we had to return in the evenings. We were not told the reason why we just went. In fact it was not until about 6 years ago that Norman Folland told me the reason and that the teachers and the cleaning staff were paid overtime to take the classes. As a concession those of us who attended were allowed to wear non uniform clothes and to eat during these evening classes. I remember diving into the shop on Central Road to buy a cold Steak and Kidney Pie and a cake so I could munch them during those lessons. I don’t really remember having evening classes in all lessons, I remember David Gee taking Religious Education and Bob Coulthard Geography but I don’t remember English or French and Keith Conlon reminded me recently that the was also General Science lessons with Bert Ray. Maybe you remember other lessons in the evenings. Did these classes help? Who knows? But maybe it assisted me passing my 0 levels but it certainly was a very strange system. Although I do know that most of us could not wait for 19.00 so that we could descend on the Chip Shop in Drayton. Peter

News and Views:

Announced on TV recently by Gerry Anderson himself is the news that he is going to make a further ‘Thunderbirds’ film!

On this day 16th January 1960-1965

On 16/01/1960 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.The big news story of the day was US screenwriters plan pay strike.

On 16/01/1961 the number one single was Poetry in Motion - Johnny Tillotson and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions

On 16/01/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard. 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 16/01/1963 the number one single was The Next Time/Bachelor Boy - Cliff Richard & the Shadows 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 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 16/01/1964 the number one single was Glad All Over - Dave Clark Five 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 16/01/1965 the number one single was Yeh Yeh - Georgie Fame 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 902

First Picture:

Out on the trail

Second Picture:

Major Seth Adams, Ward Bond.

Wagon Train

One of the most popular programmes of our youth was ‘Wagon Train’ and no self respecting early teenager in the late 1950’s would miss an episode. To us it represented all that was good, happy, exciting and adventurous. The program went out on BBC between 8.00p.m. and 9.00p.m. on a Monday evening, which meant I was allowed to stay up late to watch it with my parents. We sat in total absorption, immersed in the stories of those brave, ordinary and extraordinary people who dared to load a wagon and strike out for the Wild West as they travelled from St. Joseph to Sacramento during the 1860’s.

Wagon Master, Major Seth Adams, was played by Ward Bond. Scout Flint McCullough was Robert Horton and I knew that no matter what terrors, wickedness or evil deeds occurred, these two, together with Frank McGrath as Charlie Wooster, the cook, would ensure that righteousness would triumph and the Wagon Train would get through. Basically, the ‘goodies’ would defeat the ‘baddies’ and the moral message was that good could often redeem evil, or at least, the wicked would get their just desserts!

The events, scenery, characters and heroism, all combined to capture the essence of the West. Though ‘Wagon Train’ was filmed in black and white from 1958 to 1962, when it was extended in length from an hour to an hour and a half for the seventh series it was shot in colour, but for some unknown reason the production company decided to film the eighth series, which was actually the very last series, in black and white. But as we only had a black and white television I only ever saw it in monochrome. The stories, the acting and the realism of the locations was enough for me, colour was not needed!


Like all good drama, this TV Western drew it sources from real life, plays, history and books, which possibly explains its appeal for so long. It ran from 1957 to 1965, with changes in casts, sadly, the death of Ward Bond, in the saddle, on location in Texas, in 1960, which put the production team in a quandary and after much casting around they put Chris Hale (John McIntire) as Wagon Master, most viewers took some persuading but they soon accepted him. The series still told the stories of pioneers travelling through the unsettled territories to reach California. Along the way they still encountered "wild" Indians, cattle rustlers, con men, blizzards in the mountains, shortage of water in the desert and every other hazard you can possibly imagine. The series also often explored the motivations that caused average people to leave civilization for the unknown lives they would find in the Western United States!

For a lot of households in the UK these central characters were like family and friends but by 1965 the wagons had rolled across our screens for the last time and we had moved on to other great TV Westerns, ‘Bonanza’, ‘Rawhide’ and ‘The Virginian’. On hearing the theme music of any of these programmes I am still instantly transported back to those days of the old West. However so many earth-changing events had happened during the heyday of the TV Western that the simplicity of the world of the Wild West was no longer a means of escape.

So, for many reasons, the Western disappeared from TV in the 1970s, but not before it had delivered thousands of hours of entertainment and created millions of fans. Of them all, ‘Wagon Train’ still stands out as the best and most authentic, never mind the fact that certain aspects of history might have undergone imaginative amendment.

Let’s take a look at some of the facts about Wagon Train.

Ward Bond started his acting career when one of his fellow football players at USC got him some work as an "extra". That team mate was John Wayne! Ward Bond's first job was in the 1929 musical "Words and Music". That was also the first movie where John Wayne got listed in the opening credits!
The TV show was not only popular with audiences. Actors and actresses were very easy to get as guest stars. Here are just a few that appeared:- Dan Blocker, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Van Cleef, Chuck Connors, Lou Costello, Bette Davis, Lee Marvin, Agnes Moorehead, Leonard Nimoy, Leslie Nielsen, Ryan O'Neal, Cliff Robertson, Cesar Romero, Mickey Rooney, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Vaughn and Shelley Winters. One reason why big stars were willing to appear on Wagon Train was that the storylines very often made them the main character. The regular cast members were often given supporting roles while the guest-star became the main focus of the show.

If only life was quite so simple now as it was then! But one scene clearly stays within the memory is Ward Bond standing in the saddle, looking back at the wagon train, raising his arm in the air and calling

“Wagons…….Roll!”


Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Willie Writes:-

You are right,without refrigerators food shopping was a daily chore ;
but we did have our corner shop. Does anyone remember Mr. and Mrs. Shaw's tiny shop opposite Solent Road School? It was packed with children at lunchtimes and after school, exchanging their pocket money for halfpenny chews, sherbert dabs and fizzy pop etc. Mr. Shaw bottled the drinks himself, using a strange apparatus that Bert Ray would have been proud of. On Saturday mornings I often did odd jobs for Mr. Shaw. It is difficult to believe now, but I sometimes used to collect his weekly small change for the shop. In the bank in Drayton I would give the man a list of monies and receive small bags bursting with everything from farthings to half crowns. I was no more than ten years old! It was obvious it never occured to Mr Shaw that anything could go wrong........People did things differently then!

News and Views:

Ringo Starr and his wife, actress Barbara Bach, have put their three-bedroom Aspen, Colorado cabin on 16 acres of wooded land on the market for sale. The price? A mere $4.5 million. They have owned the property on the Roaring Fork River for 20 years.

On this day 9th January 1960-1965

On 09/01/1960 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 09/01/1961 the number one single was I Love You - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was. The top rated TV show was Emergency Ward 10 (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 Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV).

On 09/01/1962 the number one single was Moon River - Danny Williams 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 09/01/1963 the number one single was The Next Time/Bachelor Boy - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 09/01/1964 the number one single was I Want to Hold Your hand - The Beatles 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 Anti-US demonstrations over the Panama Canal.
On 09/01/1965 the number one single was I Feel Fine - The Beatles 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.