Web Page No 764 29th August 2009

First Picture: A PACK OF INDOOR FIREWORKS FROM THE 1950’S.











Second Picture: BOYS TOYS FROM THE 1950’S & 1960's










COME TO A PARTY

How often did we hear these words as kids? And the heartache if all of your friends were invited to some child’s birthday party and you weren’t. Conversely in one case for me being invited to a party and being the only boy there. This was when I was 6 and the girl in question who invited me was my first girlfriend, Pauline House, and it was not until I arrived at her house in Station Road that I realised that I was going to be the only lad there. Very embarrassing!!!

But parties then were so different to the ones of today. We went, took along a present, played a few games, ate a birthday tea and went home. We never left with full Goodie Bags to take home and little going home gifts; no we just said ‘Goodbye and thank you for having me’ and walked home with a parent for supper.

I really do have a very clear memory of Pauline’s 6th birthday party. On the tea table was the usual fare of sandwiches, jelly in the shape of a rabbit, blancmange, chocolate teacakes and tinned fruit and later on, of course, a birthday cake. But the highlight of the tea for me was an imposing ice cream cake, I had never seen one before and this marvel was in the shape of a crinoline lady whose body came off and was a toy doll and the skirt was made up of layers of ice cream and cake, delicious! I suppose I must have settled down and enjoyed the tea and the games afterwards I do not really remember much, I tend to think that one of the games was Postman’s Knock with me being the postman, such was life then. Other games of the period Pass the Parcel, Statues, Musical Chairs and Musical Bumps I am sure would all have featured during the festivities.

But the big thing that I do remember was that just before going home we were treated to and indoor firework display. This was again something I had never seen before but I do remember that they were a real eye opener to a 6 year old but they gave off an acrid and rather cloying smell. Mother came and collected me, I said my thanks and we walked home after a very educational party. If you read this Pauline are was my memories correct? Or can’t you remember?

Party clothes were different too. The little girls were always dressed pretty fluffy party dresses with special shoes to match and sparklingly white ankle socks. Whereas us lads were turned out in our best short trousers, clean tidy shirt and our best Start Rite shoes or sandals, knee length grey socks held up with elastic garters that mother had made. We never had jeans and trainers, smart clothes were what you wore when you went out!

These types of parties lasted right through our Junior School days and on into the first year or so in Senior School, for us Court Lane. It was in about the second year that you suddenly started to feel that these types of parties were far too babyish for you now. This is where the era that most parents had dreaded came to fruition. The teenage party.

This was a completely different animal, who should you ask, would she come and who would she bring, who else should you invite, what drinks would my parents allow in the house and most important of all would your parents go out for the evening? Well I can answer all those questions, most times the guests did come including the young lady I wanted to be with, and no my parents would not go out and they were very mean on the drink scene, beer was out but cider and soft drinks were in and as they stayed sat in the dining room every time which, if any of you ever came to a party at my place, you will remember rather inhibited things! Luckily the answer was very simple my friend had parents with a caravan and they went away most weekends and during the school holidays leaving the house in charge of their 16 year old son. So the answer was simple all parties were then transferred from my house to his, no parents, no rules, no curfew, just and evening of enjoyment. I can remember those evenings now, but on that note I think I had better close.

Wonderful memories



Take Care

Peter

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



YOU WRITE:
Melv writes:-

Oh To Be 12 Again...


A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, observing his wife, looking at herself in the mirror. Since her birthday was not far off he asked what she'd like to have for her Birthday. 'I'd like to be twelve again', she replied, still looking in the mirror.


On the morning of her Birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of Coco Pops, and then took her to Alton Towers theme park. What a day!

He put her on every ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Corkscrew, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster Roller Coaster, everything there was. Five hours later they staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down. He then took her to a Mc Donald's where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake.Then it was off to the cinema with popcorn, a huge Cola, and her favourite sweets........... M&M's.

What a fabulous adventure!

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted.
He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, 'Well Dear, what was it like being twelve again?' Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed. 'I meant my dress size, you retard!!!!'

The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he is gonna get it wrong.



ON THIS DAY 29TH AUGUST 1960-1965

On 29/08/1960 the number one single was Apache - The Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/08/1961 the number one single was You Don't Know - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Blackpool Tower Circus (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Actress Rebecca De Mornay born.

On 29/08/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Pot Luck - 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/08/1963 the number one single was Bad to Me - Billy J Kramer and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/08/1964 the number one single was Have I the Right? - Honeycombs and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was 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 Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/08/1965 the number one single was I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher and the number one album was Help - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page No 762

FIRST PICTURE: AUNTY BBC IN PORTLAND SQUARE



SECOND PICTURE: NERO AND THE GLADIATORS






RECORDS BANNED BY THE BBC

Offically speaking the BBC has never admitted having an official 'banned' list, so probably a more accurate title would be 'Records the B.B.C. Didn't Play Their Own Reasons'! And those reasons were often many and varied. Looking back over the 60’s there were so many protest movements and groups it is really amazing that not one record was 'banned' for 'political content' during these years although many have been before and since. Some records were not totally banned some had restricted playtime and, in most cases, the bans been lifted over the years. The way the BBC is and was set it, regional radio started to hold sway in the 60’s and some of these local stations also had their own hit list!

Lets start in 1960.
Adam Faith released a record called ‘Made You’. The BBC banned this because of its lewdness and sexual content. The first of the doom songs came out that year. This was ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’ by Ricky Valance and the BBC refused to play it because of its Explicit death lyrics

The following year (1961) ‘Night Of The Vampire’ was released by The Moontrekkers, the backing group to Rod Stewart, but despite being produced by Joe Meek, this was too morbid and scary for the BBC. Morbid was also the word they used for ‘Tribute To Buddy Holly’ by Mike Berry and The Outlaws. However the record based on the music of Edvard Greig ‘In the Hall Of The Mountain King’ by Nero and The Gladiators was accused of having Some dubious words in the spoken intro. Well, I had that record, it was on the Decca label and I don’t remember any words at all on the record. I still have it in the loft so I will have to retrieve it and has a listen and let you all know.

In 1962 the record industry seemed to please the BBC as no records were banned but by 1963 ‘My Little Ukelele’ by Joe Brown and The Bruvvers were accused that the lyrics to this George Formby re-make were considered 'far too risqué.' Strange as the original version had spent many years in general circulation via the music halls and 78 rpm records.

Things progressed quietly for another three years when ‘I Can't Control Myself’ was released by The Troggs. The BBC claimed that it contained lewdly suggestive sounds made by Reg Presley. ‘They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Haaaa’ by Napoleon XIV hit the charts in the same year and the BBC stated that this was Making fun of mental illness.

‘Jackie’ by Scott Walker was released in 1967 and according to the BBC had References to 'authentic queers' and ‘Let's Spend The Night Together ‘by The Rolling Stones was alleged to promote promiscuity.

Pink Floyds’ ‘It Would Be So Nice’ which was released in 1968 was banned for advertising ('Evening Standard was eventually changed to 'Daily Standard').

The one we all remember is ‘Je T'Aime (Moi Non Plus)’ by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg in 1969 and again in 1974. But the first time round the BBC objected to the suggestive sounds and dubious colloquial expressions (although in French!) This song was actually played on Top of The Pops, but only an instrumental version by 'Sounds Nice'.


But Lonnie Donegans’ ‘Digging my Potatoes’ of 1956 has generated more discussion than any other banned recording. It was banned in the UK and US on its release in 1956 for lyrical references to sex. The reason was that it included the line, "Thought you were my friend till I caught you in my bed". The "bed" in the song is another word for "garden". Also the verse, "Love you in the winter/ Love you in the fall/ But in between them blankets, baby/ I love you best of all". It was to be issued as a single that year, but after the ban it wasn't. Many mothers broke the EP's when the children bought them and very few still survive. Given this it is amazing that Decca chose to release it as a follow up to the transatlantic hit "Rock Island Line"!

It is also worth noting that many song lyrics were either 'bleeped' or slightly modified over the years to gain airtime.



Take Care

Peter

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

YOU WRITE:

Chris Writes:-


Boy, if this doesn't hit the nail on the head, I don't know what does!

Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement.

The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.

The SECOND sees his family doctor after waiting 3 weeks for an appointment, then waits 8 weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another week and finally has his surgery scheduled for 6 months from then.

Why the different treatment for the two patients?

The FIRST is a Golden Retriever.
The SECOND is a Senior Citizen.

Next time take me to a vet!

NEWS AND VIEWS:

Organist Matthew Fischer has once again been awarded part of the song writing royalties from Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade Of Pale." The House of Lords-- the nation's highest court-- overturned a lower court ruling in 2008 that Matthew had waited too long to assert his authorship over the organ part of the song. The group's Gary Brooker will share credit with Matthew in future royalties.

On this day 22th August 1960-1965

On 22/08/1960 the number one single was Please Don't Tease - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was First Beyond the Fringe festival opens in Edinburgh.


On 22/08/1961 the number one single was You Don't Know - Helen Shapiro 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 One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.


On 22/08/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was De Gaulle escapes assassin.


On 22/08/1963 the number one single was Bad to Me - Billy J Kramer and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.


On 22/08/1964 the number one single was Do Wah Diddy Diddy - Manfred Mann and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - 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 Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 22/08/1965 the number one single was Help - The Beatles and the number one album was Help - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Riviera Police (AR).

Web Page No 760 15th August 2009

FIRST PICTURE: St Andrews Church 1900



SECOND PICTURE: Sunday School book from the 1950’s



SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

Starting at infant school way back in the early 1950’s meant that our education was firmly rooted in all those pre-war values and virtues that our parents were brought up with. This not only included the three R’s but also a smattering of old fashioned religion. Having started infant school in the rear annex to the Drayton Methodist church in Station Road, where every morning began with a form of assembly taken by Mrs Paton our teacher. This assembly was essentially a short period of suitable simple hymn singing and a couple of easy prayers (hands together and eyes closed) followed by any school or class notices. With the passing years we all progressed on into Junior School, in my case this was Solent Road, where the assembly took a more structured form with the hymns being printed on large paper hymn sheets which were suspended from the ceiling at one end of the hall (which also doubled as two classrooms when a sliding partion was drawn across). The music provided by one of the members of staff who could play the piano and sometimes this was augmented by the school recorder group. That really was an assault on those tender juvenile eardrums especially on the occasions when I was playing in it.

Some of the children of our age also attended one or the other church based Sunday school in one of the many local churches; and I, for a very short period of time, attended St Andrew’s church Sunday School in Farlington on a Sunday afternoon. All I can remember of this particular Sunday school is sitting in a group in the back left hand corner of the church and receiving sticky coloured pictures of Jesus and other Bible stories these we then stuck into our own special collector’s book. As far as I can recall I only lasted a Sunday school for a couple of terms at the most. My father must have lasted longer than me because at home I have a book with a bookplate inside it stating that it was a Sunday School prize presented to him for good attendance by the Revd Basil Daniel, Rector of Farlington in 1924 .

Having left Solent Road Junior School and moved onto Court Lane Secondary School, later to become Manor Court Secondary Modern School, we discovered that these school assemblies were yet another different animal with the Headmaster, Wally Dunstan at Court Lane and then Reg Davis at Manor Court, propping up the lectern (or was it the other way round?) every morning as we sang hymns listened to prayers and school notices. But I have spoken of all this before so I will leave that there.

However, now with a grandchild and another on the way I realise that the songs and hymns that we brightly and innocently sang as little children are no longer in the modern child’s repertoire. What has happened to the simple hymns such as ‘Jesus wants me for a sunbeam’, Jesus’ hands are kind hands’ and ‘There’s a place for little children above the bright blue sky’, the modern child does not know them and has never heard them! Most of these cloyingly sweet hymns we remember were written by a lady called Mrs Cecil Alexander who at one time was the wife of the Archbishop of Ireland in the early 1900’s; ‘There is a green hill far away’ is one of hers as is ‘All things bright and beautiful’ and probably the only perennial favourite to come through to modern times, ‘Once in Royal David’s city’.

As children we happily accepted all this collecting together first thing in the morning, singing hymns, saying or listening to prayers as this was how the school day always started and had doneever since school began. Christian worship at school was not even questioned (although the members of the Roman Catholic church had their own assembly), thoughts of other non Christian religions did not enter our minds when we were small.

To most of us when we were very young the daily Assembly was the bit after Class Registration and before the lessons of the school day (the real work) really started. This, I understand does not apply any more because, firstly the modern schools are far too large to get all the children into one hall at the same time and secondly, even though we are living in a declared Christian country, it seems that we are not allowed to show it.

So much has changed since those innocent days of our youth and I am sure you all must have experienced some if not most of the things I have mentioned. But I am really not sure if the modern way is really progress.


Take Care and stay in touch.

Peter

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

YOU WRITE:

MARY WRITES:-
Well, more than a few remembered Molly Butler. I am speechless to think that she became a head teacher. She must have left Cowplain girls after me. It became a junior school and a new school was built in that area. A bit like Court Lane and Springfield. Does anyone remember us girls having to dress up as east Europeans and sing at a school concert? It as in either Polish or Hungarian. I have often laughed at the memory but no more, as my daughter married a Swede and every year dresses up in similar gear, dances around a type of floral maypole singing to welcome the summer sun!

MELV ASKS:
Does anyone know anything about the Drayton Engineering Company that was sited behind Nappers the Ironmongers? And was it run by a gentleman named Mr Bannock? If you have any details please email me.

NEWS AND VIEWS:

Tom Jones has now cancelled six shows in four cities after suffering from "vocal chord stress related to the effects of severe viral bronchitis." His doctors have ordered complete vocal rest.

ON THIS DAY 15TH AUGUST 1960-1965

On 15/08/1960 the number one single was Please Don't Tease - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was First UK motorway service station opens.

On 15/08/1961 the number one single was You Don't Know - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. The top rated TV show was Harpers West One (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.


On 15/08/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 15/08/1963 the number one single was Sweets For My Sweet - Searchers and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 15/08/1964 the number one single was Do Wah Diddy Diddy - Manfred Mann and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 15/08/1965 the number one single was Help - The Beatles and the number one album was Help - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Riviera Police (AR) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Beatles play Shea Stadium in New York.

Web Page 758

First Picture League of Ovaltineys Poster





SECOND PICTURE: Hilsea Lido 1965





A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN


Do You Remember the 60s Slang?

The 1960s era had a language all of its own. Some of these words and phrases are still used by our kids and grandchildren today . Do you remember some of these 60s slang? Nd can you add to them?
1. A Gas - Having a lot of fun.
2. Ape: Used with verbs gone or went. (i.e. "When I came home an hour late my parents went ape.)
3. Blast - Had a great time like "I had a blast at the dance."
4. Bread - Money
5. Burn Rubber - Squeal out with your tires spinning and leaving rubber on the asphalt.
6. Chick - girl or woman
7. Cool - Nice
8. D.A. - Guy hair style. Combed like a duck's ass.
9. Decked Out - All Dressed Up
10. Dig - Do you understand?
11. Don't Flip Your Wig - In other words don't go ape.
12. Don't Sweat - Don't let it bother you.
13. Fab - Fantastic
14. Flower Child - A Hippie
15. Fuzz - The Police
16. Going Steady - Dating only one person
17. Groovy - Nice or neat
18. Hang Loose - Take it easy
19. Hip - Very Cool
20. Shades - Sunglasses
21. Split - leave the scene or area
22. Solid - I got it or I'm with you
23. Square - Somebody not cool
24. Threads - clothes


QUOTES OF THE 60’S GENERATION


Words and expressions used during the 60s mean so much more now as we look back, here are some of the well known ones.
We stand today on the edge of a new frontier -- the frontier of the 1960s, a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats. The new frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises -- it is a set of challenges. John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
We were all on this ship in the sixties, our generation, a ship going to discover the New World. And the Beatles were in the crow's nest of that ship.
And
The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility. John Lennon (1940-1980)
"I don't think Jimi committed suicide in the conventional way. He just decided to exit when he wanted to."
-- Eric Burdon

"Behind every successful man stands a surprised mother-in-law." Hubert Humphrey
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Muhammad Ali
What do I wear in bed? Why, Chanel No.5, of course. Marilyn Monroe
I'm not kidding myself. My voice alone is just an ordinary voice. What people come to see is how I use it. If I stand still while I'm singing, I'm dead, man. I might as well go back to driving a truck.
And
Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do 'em all together, I guess. Elvis Presley
I believe the key to happiness is: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. Elvis Presley
I ain't no saint, but I've tried never to do anything that would hurt my family or offend God. I figure all any kid needs is hope and the feeling he or she belongs. If I could do or say anything that would give some kid that feeling, I would believe I had contributed something to the world. Elvis Presley
Hippies are so phoney and fake. George Harrison
The hippies wanted peace and love. We wanted Ferraris, blondes and switchblades. Alice Cooper
"In the future everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Andy Warhol
"We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out." - Decca executive, 1962, after turning down the Beatles.
"And for the tourist who really wants to get away from it all, safaris in Vietnam." - Newsweek magazine, predicting popular holidays for the late 1960s.
The message may not move me, or mean a great deal to me,
But hey! it feels so groovy to say...-- Peter, Paul & Mary, "I Did Rock & Roll Music" (1967)
" We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King Speech in St. Louis March 22, 1964
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King
The more bombers, the less room for doves of peace. Nikita Khrushchev
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. ~Jimi Hendrix,
You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom. ~Malcolm X~
Love is the only force capable of turning an enemy into a friend. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.~
I would say that I'm a nonviolent soldier. In place of weapons of violence, you have to use your mind, your heart, your sense of humour, every faculty available to you...because no one has the right to take the life of another human being. ~Joan Baez~
Take Care

Peter

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

YOU WRITE:
My, My Molly Butler certainly stirred up a few memories, see below:-

GRIFF WRITES:

Molly Butler went on to Paulsgrove Secondary Modern School for Girls circa. 1970 and eventually became Head Teacher of that School.

Molly Butler ( sorry... Mrs Butler! ) was my 1st year form teacher at the East Cosham Annexe to Court lane after leaving Solent Rd.Juniors. I was only in her class for 6 months (1a2) until Christmas before going up to 1a1 with Mr Greer in the main Court Lane School building. I think nepotism must have ruled because Molly knew I had an older Sister in 4a1 (Miss Blitz) ..lol

Molly Butler did have an uncanny knack of remembering us all because I did bump into her once in Cosham High St. and she knew exactly who I was and I must have been about 19 then.

FRAN WRITES:

I have a memory of Molly Butler. One history lesson she asked the whole class to write on a slip of paper what we thought of her class and her as a teacher. It was to be unsigned and no recriminations! I remember trying to disguise my writing and a male student decided to write truthfully and none to kindly. The following week we all copped it, and was she mad and if my memory serves me correctly she said she had this particular truthful opinion examined by a hand writing expert and the writer was exposed !!!. I can remember thinking what a great injustice and what little respect I had, completely gone. I think I was in first or second form so not very old.

Keith asks:-

Talking of school and my lousy memory, which we weren't, can anyone recall going back to Court Lane for any lessons once we had moved to Manor Court. I took RSA Technical Drawing in 1961, that must be a year or more after we moved. I can't remember going back to George Pledger for lessons during that year and we didn't do Tech Drawing at Manor Court did we?


NEWS AND VIEWS:
The creator of Captain Pugwash, John Ryan, dies aged 88.y
The cartoonist and animator invented the hapless pirate in 1950 and the character first appeared as a strip in the comic The Eagle. He went on to be the star of two animated television series which Mr Ryan produced using a live animation technique, moving the characters and sets by hidden levers. His other characters included Harris Tweed, Special Agent, Sir Prancelot and Mary Mungo & Midge.
John Ryan used his talent for caricatures to supplement his teaching income and created his famous pirate and his ship The Black Pig. Captain Pugwash strips were published in several magazines and the first Pugwash book came out in 1957. In that year Mr Ryan was commissioned by the BBC to create the first animated series. The characters and sets for each scene of the five-minute episodes were created using cardboard cut outs and filmed moving in real time, with Mr Ryan and his wife Priscilla pulling the levers. The voice-over by the actor Peter Hawkins was recorded at the same time as the animation. The series was revived in 1974 for a colour edition, still keeping its distinctive look. Other programmes by John Ryan Studios filmed using the same animation technique were Mary Mungo & Midge (1969) and The Adventures of Sir Prancelot (1971-72) and he also made Ark Stories for ITV in 1981. He drew for numerous newspapers and magazines and in later years toured the country’s schools, libraries and book fairs giving talks about his artwork.

ON THIS DAY 1ST AUGUST 1960-1965

On 08/08/1960 the number one single was Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd & the Pirates and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 08/08/1961 the number one single was Well I Ask You - Eden Kane and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. The top rated TV show was Top Secret (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 08/08/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 08/08/1963 the number one single was Sweets For My Sweet - Searchers and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Derby doping riddle.

On 08/08/1964 the number one single was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 08/08/1965 the number one single was Help - The Beatles and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Riviera Police (AR) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 756 1st August

Web Page 756 1st August 2009

FIRST PICTURE: Jane Asher wearing a paper dress designed by Ossie Clarke.


SECOND PICTURE: Green Shield stamps



Talking 'bout my Generation

THE 1960'S

A young lass said to me the other day, "I wish I had been around in the sixties, it must have been great!" Before I could launch into a trip down memory lane, I was filled with a nagging doubt and it told me not to go down that road. But this set me off thinking, what is it about the sixties that appeals so much to young people who never experienced it?

When we were teenagers in the 1960s you will now be approaching 60 or have just passed it and retirement, but do you remember when we were teenagers sixty was really old? Because if you are anything like me you will be in some sort of denial and try to drown out the thought by turning up the stereo really loud in the car that just happens to be playing 'My Generation' and before you know it, you find yourself singing along with the words.

By the time we reached our late fifties the expectation was that us blokes would all be in flannel trousers and tweed jackets or blazers while the girls would have a nice twin set and pearls or at least a tartan skirt, a nice blouse and cardigan. But it hasn't turned out like that has it? We still, to a large extent dress like we did when we were young not platforms and flares of course, you have to make some concessions to current fashion but jeans and tee shirts still hold sway.

The sixties image and how it is now remembered was confined to the experiences and outlook of a relatively small number of people and they were, with few exceptions under 25 at the time. The older generation in the 1960s seemed to be rather stuck in their ways and many could not relate.

In lots of ways the sixties were fantastic and I had a great time and you may well have done too, but as a friend said, "What you forget is that the sixties looked as though it was full of old people." Not quite true, but I knew what he meant, back then nearly everyone over thirty appeared old, they dressed old and they behaved old. Never was the cultural gap between the ages so great, but 'they' were the majority.

And this is my point, returning to the remark by the young lass who thought the sixties were great. The current concept of the sixties landscape being solely populated by kaftan wearing hippies interspersed with girls in Mary Quant fashions doing all sorts of 'groovy' things with joss sticks, is sadly a fiction created by our generation, the generation that refuses to grow old. It seems to me that as our years have advanced we have spun this tale of the sixties to the younger generation through the media.

Have a look around at the celebrities that are still around from those days in the 1960s. Take Jane Asher, Paul McCartney's girlfriend when he was a Beatle, she is 62+ now but she does not look like anyone in the 1960s looked at that age does she? Then there is Twiggy the ultimate sixties girl still looking great she will turn the 'new forty' this year, not forgetting Lulu who doesn't seem to change from one decade to the next. And just when will the Rolling Stones call it a day? I wouldn't mind betting that more than half their audience at their stadium shows are at least over thirty years younger than they are, trying to capture some of that sixties magic by proxy.

I just wonder how the young girl who wanted to live in the sixties would really like it? No mobile phones so no texting, no computers so no email. If you wanted to see a film you had to go out to the cinema and queue to get in because there were no DVDs or even videos. If you missed your favourite TV show, tough luck, and only three channels on the TV anyway and all of them in black and white. And there was no 24 hour television either, you were packed off to bed by the epilogue just after 11.00 pm.

No endless pop music on TV or even on the radio apart from Radio Luxembourg on an evening or the pirate radio stations if you could receive them. Otherwise all there was, was Top of the Pops, Ready Steady Go and Thank Your Lucky Stars and Juke Box Jury all adding up to an hour and half for the week. No CDs just albums that cost nearly 20 per cent of your weekly wage. No ipods in fact no portable music at all except transistor radios. So, no cassettes in your car and if you were a teenager you couldn't afford a car anyway.

No central heating in your home, no automatic washing machines, dryers or freezers and microwaves were still just a twinkle in the inventor's eye. No take away food other than fish and chips and the pubs closed at 10.30. No supermarkets, well not like we have now. No shopping malls, if it rained while you were shopping you got wet. No twenty-four hour shopping and everything was shut on a Sunday. No taking back the clothes you just bought, in the sixties once you bought something, you were stuck with it. No credit cards, no holes in the wall and no 'cash back'. Once you ran out of cash that was it until payday. Women did not earn as much either and women also expected a man to always pay for them out on a date. That's what it was really like and I loved it!!!

Take Care

Peter

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

YOU WRITE:

Mary Writes:

The lady in the woolshop always remains in my mind as I was asked by my father where I had been with my mother that afternoon. I was only about 3 at the time and replied" to see Mii Mocktit". The name was Moffitt. Around the corner from us in First Avenue was a gents barber who was also a bookies runner. The barbers shop was his front room. His wife was a hairdresser too. Also in our road was a dressmaker and her front room was her workroom.

Linda Writes

The shoe mender on the Havant Road in Farlington was Mr Stubbington, he was a lovely man, our family always took our shoes to him for mending.

NEWS AND VIEWS:


Now how sad it this? All those who were in my English Literature class for GCE ‘O’ level will remember this. We had three set books, the Scottish Play, a Golden Treasury of Verse both of which can be easily found on any library book shelves. The novel we studied was A pattern of Islands by Arthur Grimble, a book I have not seen since 1962, however in a charity shop today there it was a bargain at just £1.00 so I am off to settle down and se how much I can remember.

ON THIS DAY AUGUST 1ST 1960-1965

On 01/08/1960 the number one single was Please Don't Tease - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Elvis Is Back - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/08/1961 the number one single was Temptation - Everly Brothers. The top rated TV show was Harpers West One (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £ 13.25 and Ipswich were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was No Hiding Place (AR).

On 01/08/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/08/1963 the number one single was (You're the) Devil In Disguise - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/08/1964 the number one single was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/08/1965 the number one single was Mr Tambourine Man - Byrds and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

Web Page 754 25th July 2009

Web Page 754
25th July 2009First Picture: Bluebird

Second Picture: Donald Campbell



DONALD CAMPBELL: 1921-1967




The twentieth Century produced many men who could be called adventurers, Scott of the Antarctic and Sir Edmund Hilary two name just two. But as far as I an aware there was only one father and son pairing who were, what was called in the 1930’s, Speed Kings and that was Malcolm and Donald Campbell and it is Donald that I intend to feature here.

Donald was born in March 1921 in Reigate whilst his father, Malcolm was building a dog kennel in the garage. Donald was looked after by a nanny and occasionally could be found with Leo Villa,(his fathers and later his own mechanic) in his father’s workshop. At the age of six he was sent to Manor House in Sussex. In 1932 he moved to St. Peter’s School where he excelled at boxing and shooting and began supplementing his income by selling autographs of his famous father. In 1934, he moved to Uppington Public School, the same school his father had attended. He was placed in the same 'house' as his father and on finding his fathers initials carved into a beam, added his own. He remained in the same form for three years, showing little interest in education, but excelling in sporting pursuits. At the age of sixteen he contracted Rheumatic Fever and on leaving school his father got him a job at Lloyds Insurance Brokers, as an office boy at £1 a week. What Donald really wanted to do was to be a fighter pilot. In June 1939, whilst riding his motorbike he had an accident, fracturing his skull and hurting his back, this resulted in him being confined to bed for several weeks.

In September 1939 he enlisted in the RAF and passed the preliminary medical exam, failing to inform them that he had suffered Rheumatic Fever. In 1940, he reported to RAF Cardington, after further medical tests at the RAF Halton he was given a discharge because of his history of Rheumatic Fever.

Some weeks later he collided with a Canadian army truck and fractured his skull again this kept him out of action for many weeks. After his recovery he joined Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd as an assistant to the aircraft sales manager and later became a maintenance engineer for the company. Without his fathers knowledge he married Daphne Harvey in 1945 and their daughter, Georgina was born in 1946. The family moved to Reigate Hill in the same year and Donald pursued his business interests in Kine Engineering, which he had invested £1,200, money that he had saved during the war.

After Sir Malcolm’s death in 1948, Donald bought his Bluebird K4 and the 1935 Blue Bird car for a nominal sum. On hearing that the American Henry Kaiser was building a boat to attack the record, he approached Leo Villa and together they visited Peter du Cane, the managing-director of Vosper’s and K4 was converted back to its 1939 configuration.

Between 1949-1951, Bluebird K4 went through many modifications and in 1951 won the Oltranza Cup. In September 1951, while travelling at between 160-170 mph, K4 hit a submerged log and sank. She was recovered, stripped of all usable components and the hull burnt.

In 1952 Donald married Dorothy McKegg and approached Norris Brothers Ltd - consultant engineers to design a new propeller driven craft, this was changed to jet power after realising the speeds he wanted were impossible with a propeller drive. Bluebird K7 was built at Samlesbury Engineering Ltd and was unveiled by Lady Wavell Wakefield. On the 23rd July 1955, Donald set a speed of 202.32 mph, enough to break the record.

At Lake Mead in the USA in November 1955 he achieved a new record of 216.2 mph. After K7’s return from the US many modifications were made and between 1956 and 1959, Donald raised the water speed record 4 occasions to 260.35 mph on Coniston Water.
Donald married for the third time to Tonia Bern, a Belgium cabaret singer. In 1959, he purchased Roundwood Hall near Reigate and launched into a new project for the land speed record. The attempt was at Bonneville Salt Flats with backing from BP. After several runs the car veered off course and crashed at around 360 mph. Donald got a fractured skull (for the third time), burst eardrum and various other injuries. Whilst in hospital he announced that he wanted to have another go at the record, on hearing this, Sir Alfred Owen, owner of Motor Panels, admiring Donald's courage, rebuilt a replacement for free.

In 1963 the car was transported to Lake Eyre in South Australia, when the team arrived the weather turned nasty and rained heavily destroying the course. The attempt was postponed to 1964, where in July Donald set a new record of 403.1 mph, in appalling conditions. The reason why Donald ran the car was that he had been under extreme pressure from the media who thought he had lost his nerve. Several backers and sponsors had criticised his running of the project, which left him feeling bitter and angry, he never fully recovered from the attack.

On New Years Eve 1964, on Lake Dumbleyung in Western Australia, he set a new water speed record of 276.30 mph. He had done the double of water and land speed records in one calendar year, a feat that will probably never be seen again. This achievement however, went virtually unnoticed in Britain and cost Donald financially.
On returning to Britain, Donald planned to build a new jet powered land speed record car and started preliminary designs with the Leo Villa and the Norris brothers. With potential sponsors not showing much interest in his supersonic car idea, Donald decided to give the project more exposure and announced his intention of breaking 300 mph on water.

He returned to Coniston Water in 1966 with only one sponsor, the Daily Sketch and after problems with the engine, weather and mechanical issues, it looked like he might finally be able to break the water speed record on the 4th January 1967.
While playing cards the previous night, Donald had turned over the ace and queen of spades, being a superstitious man, he remembered that Mary Queen of Scots had drawn these same cards the night before she was beheaded. Wednesday 4th January 1967 dawned with a flat calm lake and dead still air, these were perfect conditions for a record attempt. Donald took to the water in K7 at 8.30 am. At 8.42 am he ran his first timed pass for the day. He was clocked at 297 mph on a glass smooth lake. At the turnaround Donald circled the refuelling barge but did not stop to refuel. He waited just under four minutes for his wash to subside and being unable to check with Leo Villa, who was watching the conditions in the centre of the lake due to a radio communication problem, announced he was commencing his return run. This was to be a fatal mistake, as the new water brake fitted to K7 had churned up the lake surface and there was still some rippling on the surface. He turned K7 and headed back down the course. Just before the end of the measured kilometre, with her planning points out of the water and travelling at a reported speed of 328 mph, Bluebird rose gracefully, bows first from the water, did a backward somersault and plunged back into the water nose first, killing Donald instantly. The hull continued down the lake, cart wheeling for several hundred feet, shedding bits and pieces everywhere. Within 30 seconds of the crash K7 was gone, having sunk to the bottom of Coniston in 150 feet of water. Donald disappeared into the lake with K7 and an extensive search was undertaken, but he was never found.

On January 28th, 1967 Donald was awarded the OBE, for ‘his courage and determination in attacking the world water speed record’. Donald had received the Segrave Trophy on four occasions, 1955, 1958, 1964 and 1966 for his skills on water and land, the final trophy posthumously. In 1955 he was awarded the CBE. His father, Sir Malcolm was once heard to say to Donald, 'you will never be like me, we're built different'. Donald proved him wrong.

In March 2001 Bluebird was recovered from Coniston Water where she had lain since 1967. A body found in Coniston in May 2001 wand as confirmed as Donald Campbell after DNA tests. Divers found the remains 34 years after his attempt ended in his death. His St Christopher medal was still round his neck, his race suit was ripped but almost in intact. In his pocket were old half crowns and four penny pieces. The remains were placed in a blue box and draped in a Union Jack flag before being brought to the shore. Some of Campbell's clothes, including his helmet, shoes, lifejacket and teddy bear mascot Mr Woppit, were recovered earlier. He was laid to rest in Coniston cemetery on September 12, 2001, after a funeral service in the village.

Take Care

Peter

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

You Write:

Mary Writes:Mrs Butler (Molly) came to Cowplain Girls School. What a shock I had when I first spotted her. She lived in a road quite near the school at Cowplain. I had been happy at that school after we left Farlington. Anyway she soon advanced towards me saying "Its Mary is it not? To say I was petrified is an understatement. Perhaps it helped that by this time I had grown to 5ft 8in. She was surprisingly nice.

News and Views:

Gordon Waller, one-half of Peter and Gordon, suffered a massive fatal heart attack on July 16th at his Connecticut home and died aged of 64. Born Gordon Trueman Riviere Waller in Braemar, Gordon met Peter at Westminister School where the two would climb over the school wall to play at local clubs. After leaving school the two continued their musical careers, helped by Peter's sister's boyfriend-- Paul McCartney-- who wrote three of their hits-- 1964's "A World Without Love", "I Don't Want To See You Again" (1964) and "Woman" (1966). In fact, six of their first eight American hits were top 20 records, including "Nobody I Know" (1964), "I Go To Pieces" (1965) and the Buddy Holly composition "True Love Ways" (1965). All told, they scored 14 American chart records. The duo broke up in 1968 as touring became difficult. Peter became a talent scout for Apple Records and later produced Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor. Gordon's attempt at a solo career did not work but he did appear as Pharaoh in "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in the West End and he scored the James Dean biographical film, "Race With Destiny." The two reunited in 2005 and played, among other dates, the Buddy Holly memorial at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa last February.

On this day 25th July 1960-1965

On 25/07/1960 the number one single was Good Timin' - Jimmy Jones and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 25/07/1961 the number one single was Temptation - Everly Brothers and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 25/07/1962 the number one single was I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 25/07/1963 the number one single was Confessin' - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 25/07/1964 the number one single was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 25/07/1965 the number one single was Mr Tambourine Man - Byrds and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.