geoff peckham

Dave Nattress….One for Jaffa, (Geoff Peckham). Jaffa, do you remember your gig at Bexhill Down School with (I think) Pete Higham on guitar and Tony Ford on drums – you on Bass obviously. The band was called “Syrinx” – was it not. Can’t remember any tracks but quite probably a couple of Cream tracks as Cream was a fave of yours and mine. Would have been 1969? Our 5th and final year!!

Geoff Peckham…..Yes, the band was called Syrinx. A short-lived band, we played a couple of Youth Club gigs as well as the school. We rehearsed on the kitchen/cellar of the Tegor cafe, diagonally opposite Bexhill Central Station. We played Cream covers, as you say, (Strange Brew, I’m so Glad etc), Dear Mr Fantasy by Traffic and a Pete Higham original, “It’s a Terrible Life I Live”, among other stuff. Interestingly, Tony Ford’s dad often gigged with my dad on corresponding instruments.

Yvonne Cleland…..Rehearsed in the cellar of the Tegor! I love it!

Geoff Peckham….Yes, do you remember it, Yvonne? It was a Yorkshireman who ran it. When he bought it, it was called the Roget and to save money on the sign he just renamed it anagrammaticly. (Nice word!) He had a good sense of humour – once, he came down during a rehearsal and said “I’m not saying it’s loud, but they’re dancing on the beach!”

Dave Nattress….Spot on Geoff about the Roget becoming the Tegor!  I recall this now.  I think, in the very early 70’s it changed hands and became “The Boiler Room” – a little – very little “Discoteque.  I don’t think they had live bands there though – my recollection is that half a dozen people dancing filled the dance floor. Interesting that you used to rehearse at the Tegor.  When I joined Damaris – mid-70’s – we rehearsed in the cellar under Barraclough and Stiles, (Opticians) just round the corner in St Leonards Road.  We had sound-insulated the walls with old mattresses obtained from goodness knows where – rubbish dumps/house-clearance/lay-by’s and they were not of the newest/highest quality and ponged a bit to say the least.  Like you I guess, lugging all the gear up the steep stairs, through the shop and then the reverse, post-gig at half-past midnight, after a stop at Taffy’s chippie. Good old days.  We used to get a tug from time and time again from a man who lived in the flats above the shop – noise, and I guess didn’t like the tracks we were rehearsing!

Geoff Peckham….. Jack Bruce was a big influence in my formative years as a bass-player. And talking of interesting places to practice, my next band, Diversion with Andy Knight, used to rehearse in another café. It was the one on the beach at Glyne Gap. It was a really pokey but at least we didn’t upset any neighbours.