The Yelton Hotel White Rock Hastings 1990

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the photo featuring the woman with no body!

Andrew Freeman… My old friend the late Johnny Woodhams used to say if you went to the loo here you went to the Yelton John! There are those who won’t get this I guess!!

Ian Johnson… Sunk a few pints in there

Paul Coleman… I worked in the kitchen of the Yelton for a weekend when I was fifteen, washing up. The chef was an Italian I think. Completely nuts with a habit of throwing big kitchen knives across the room when he was peed off – which was most of the time! One came a bit too close, so I walked. Didn’t even bother collecting my wages.
So the Yelton, (White Rock) still owes me!! Lol.

Long John Baldry – Langton Hall Battle 6th October 1973

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photo 1972

cutting supplied by Sarah Harvey

Alan Wood… Wish we could have a time machine,L J B in Battle, crickey

Terry Tollan… Played there about 1977/78 mind your head everyone

Linda Day… He was my daughters husbands cousin

Dave Platt… Back in the day, is it that long ago went to that gig.

Tony Court-holmes… remember having to run for the bus to home at 11pm

Pauline Macey… Derek used to go there. Long John Baldy was one of my favourites, saw him few years ago in St Mary in Castle. X

 

Marine Offences Bill – 14th August 1967 by Andre Martin

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Andre Martin…. Thought for today – For those who remember – today say the end of many of the off-shore radio stations, under the Marine Offences Bill – 14 August 1967 was the date and our choice of music supplier was restricted by Government Application of the Law – a sad day. Would radio in this country have been any better if Radio Caroline, London etc had been given broadcasting licences and allowed on land !- Big L closed down at 3.00pm but Radio Caroline kept going. Here are some memories from the Big L Final Day.

Graham How… Without doubt, the pirates changed UK radio for ever. Even Harold Wilson and Tony Benn with their heavy-handed, suspect legal actions could not stop the public demanding an end to the restrictive (and very dull) practices within the BBC. Even though it did take quite a few more years before the MU’s ridiculous needle time restrictions were finally squashed.

Jim Breeds… One of the few things I have never been able to forgive Tony Benn for doing. I was a member of the Free Radio Association and other pressure groups. I had the magazines and posters that I had in my bedroom window (“Make Wilson Walk The Plank” poster was my favourite). My bedroom window was at the back of the house so only me and our two immediate neighbours could see them, but it was the thought that counted. Dad wouldn’t let me put it in the front windows because (a) it’s about that awful music you play on that transistor radio, and (b) the police will come to arrest us. AT least Caroline defied the Act and Radio Nordsea was great to listen too as well, and we got Radio 1 out of it too, followed eventually by an Act of parliament that opened up commercial radio. I could just about pick up Capital Radio when it started broadcasting to London by using my mum’s metal washing line as an external antenna for my tranni. It was a good station in those days too, playing progressive and underground as much as pop. It’s crap now of course. I had loads of FRA magazines, posters, and stickers and pin badges. I think my Mum must have thrown them out years later when I was working in London. Also another organisation I joined to fight for Free Radio (can’t remember the name) published great little magazines monthly and I still remember reading about their newest discovery – a band that had just started gigging and was hoping to get a recording contract. They were called Deep Purple.

Cathy Knight… I used to Listen under my bed Covers on my Which Would now be a Retro Transistor Radio 📻 to Radio London … I Could not pick up Caroline …!!!

Jaffa Peckham… Did anyone, like me, listen to this closing down show live? I was an avid Radio London listener and was staying with a French family when they broadcast it. There was a radio and pinball (‘flipper’) machine in their cellar amongst the wine, the junk and hung garlic. I spent happy hours down there during my stay listening to Big L, but the last show brought a year to my eye. 🥲 (Could have been the garlic, I suppose!) x

Lintonian Club Winchelsea – Mike O’Malley, Peters & Lee and Gerry Monroe – August 1973

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Jim Breeds… Pity about the ‘ in “Peter’s”! Also why was Sally portrayed as a hooker? Never heard of the club.

Paul Huggett… Prior to being the Lintonian, it was the 58 Club – a notable, not to say notorious, place for a right old booze-up and live music often the Trowell brothers’ King,Rod and Co, with after hours drinking if you bought a “meal”, i.e. an interestingly flavoured meat pie…. Some fun nights were had – from what I can remember…….

Pete Millington… We (SPYKE – Ian Williams, Ginger Millington and Terry Chedzoy) played there (Lintonian Club) very regularly between 1973 and 1975. Great crowd and so many laughs to look back on.

Suzanne Evans… Good grief, came across this site. My parents Percy and Pat managed The Lintonian for a while. It was owned by my brother in law David Hendry and his business partner. I was only 15 years old and working behind the bar, little did anyone know then…

Terry Hopper… We often went to to the 58 club after the Odd Fellows in Ore village closed on a Saturday night in the late 60’s remember the sweat running down the black plastic covered walls and the late licence dodgy pies GREAT TIMES

Paul Huggett… When I lived in Rye I went to the 58 club quite a few times. For a long time King, Rod & Co were more or less the “house band” , there probably every other week – Kingsley and Rod Trowell, Kirk Ronchetti on drums, and Greg, the best high harmony guy around. Later I played there often in Lintonian days with the Amethyst band.

Peter Millington… SPYKE (Ian Williams, Terry Chedzoy and Me) played at the Lintonian Club very regularly in 1973/4. Great audiences.

Paul Huggett… First place I saw you play I think Peter, or could have been the club at Rye Harbour caravan park, before that.

ABC Acoustic Blues Club – Mississippi John Hurt tribute – The Jenny Lind 12th Sept 2022

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John Smith Hurt was born in Teoc Mississippi in 1892. He was a farmhand and labourer until the last few years of his life. His music was performed for family, friends and at country dances. In 1928 he recorded some blues 78’s that 35 years later led to him becoming a star of the blues revival. Come and join us as we pay this small tribute, play some of the songs and tell some of the story of Mississippi John Hurt…. with Piers Clark and Mick Knight plus Eddy Odel and possibly more!

 

Paul McCartney ambushed in Hastings in the 1980’s?

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In the Hastings Observer (14th Aug 2015) is the above letter from Brian Westbrook. Anyone help with this or remember seeing the photo?

Jon McCallion… I’ve known Brian since I was 15, never met Paul McCartney, wish I could.

Chris Meachen… I’ve encountered him twice, once in Cambridge road, when one of his kids was in the R.E.S.H, & once in a shop in Tenterden,- ( ” Alright Paul?” “Alright mate”.) Seemed an alright bloke…..

Alan Esdaile… I’ve seen him twice, once going into the cinema in Queens Road and the other time in The Robin Hood pub Icklesham. I did try and book him for a judge on Miss World once and his agent put the phone down!

Mick O’Dowd… Used to see him regularly in Rye. Wings used the old Cinema in Cinque Ports Street to rehearse before a world tour in the 70’s.

Alan Esdaile… We did try and book Wings for the Pier, around 1974. Here’s the write up from the Evening Argus supplied by Andre Martin.

 

Chris Sambrook R.I.P.

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I’m very sorry to announce that I have just heard that Chris Sambrook has died. Very sad news.

John Wilde… Oh no. This is very sad, he wasn’t very old, sincere condolences to his family.

Mike Curtis… Awful news.

Wendy Weaver… So young to have passed. R.I.P. Chris.

Liane Carroll… Oh no. So sorry to hear this.

Reg Wood… So sorry hadn’t seen him for some time but really nice guy.

Steve Cooke… So sad. R.I.P. Chris

Phil Gill…. Very sorry to learn this, he was a really nice guy. My condolences to his family.

David Kent… R.I.P. Chris. Really nice bloke.

Margaret Trowell… Oh noooo. How very sad. Such a lovely guy and a real gentleman. Condolences to his family he will be very much missed

Martin Richter… sad news – RIP Marvin x

Kevin White…Sad news, he was a lovely guy, I haven’t seen him for a while. Condolences to his family.😢

Sue Strong… Sad news remember him in the 70s

Nicola Rytlewski… My dad’s drummer, played at my wedding, sad news

Steve Kinch…Very sad news, indeed! I remember Chris being a regular on Hastings pier during the 70s whenever there was anything half decent on. A true music lover! RIP Chris

Andy Qunta… So sorry to hear this! Chris was a lovely guy! When Tony Qunta & I first moved to the Hastings area in 1969, we advertised for a drummer. Chris answered and joined our band, which was called Static Emotion. Every Saturday we rehearsed all day at a youth club. We would bring sandwiches & records to play at the lunch break. Chris brought a lot of great music I heard for the first time, including Led Zeppelin II. We played quite a few fun gigs over the next several months of the band’s existence. Thanks for the great memories, Chris! Gone, but not forgotten. RIP, old friend.

Angela Frances Gardner… Andy, he looks familiar. Such a sad loss to the music scene of Hastings

Huggy Leaver… Sad news, roll in peace x

Colin Norton… RIP Chris

Tim Moose Bruce… Sad news. I remember Chris with Cracked Mirror. Great drummer. R.I.P

Tony Qunta… Very sorry to hear of this. Chris was one of the first musicians Andy and I got to know when we moved to Hastings in 1969. Every week Chris would turn us onto the new albums he had bought that week. We will miss you

Steve Burt… Sad news.

Andy Knight… Really sorry to hear this news, being drummers we didn’t play together but bumped into each other a lot in the early fun days around Hastings and Battle RIP Chris

Alan Esdaile… errible news.I knew Chris going back to my teenage years, at gigs, record shops and seeing him playing in many groups. So sad.

Pete Prescott… Very sad.a lovely guy. Condolences to his family.

Pete Fisher… Rock In Peace Chris. He turned me on to a lot of great music. Also many happy memories of playing with him – we had a band late 1971/early 1972, but it never got past the jamming stage. He had a wonderful sense of humour and we had many a lengthy pub crawl of a Saturday when we laughed so much together. My condolences to his family.

Bernard Goffredo… I remember him from my younger days, sad news

Paul Sleet… Sad news indeed. Have known him a long time. RIP

Phil Thornton… Terrible news ! RIP Chris. One of the first band gigs I ever did was supporting ‘Bracken’ (sp ?) at the Manor Barn in Bexhill – very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about bands/music and an all round nice guy, I will miss him !!

Phil Little… What sad news, he was a lovely bloke RIP Chris.

Jacquie Hinves… Dearest Sam RIP my friend . As the masters Fleetwood Mac would say “then play on” Join the greats of Hastings musicians. RIP

Christine Giles… Lovely guy very sad news

Willie Wicking… Sad news great drummer lovely guy R.I.P Chris

Jon McCallion… So sorry to hear that such a lovely man I have some very fond memories of him. RIP Chris

Neil Cartwright… Chris? Totally unexpected. What happened? Played with him many times. Lovely guy !!

Jack Irving… Sorry to have lost such a good buddy.

Chris Meachen… Bloody nice bloke, shared some good times back in the day.. Sad news indeed…

Lyn Farkley Appleyard… Rip Chris…..

Graham Howe… Very sad news. Spent a lot of time together in the early 70s.

Roger Carey… Very sorry to hear about Chris, sad news indeed… when I first tried to form a band Chris was the drummer I asked and I’d wanted to join his instrumental duo ” Bracken”. We did eventually play together in Joe Rytlewski’s band “The Pullbacks” and had some good gigs and laughs…Chris was a good player and very knowledgeable about the music scene….

Tony Court-holmes… r.i.p old mate

Paul Durrant… Very sorry to hear this. Chris had such a great sense of humour as others have said. You’d always bump into him on the pier at just about every gig. He was also the master of “Danger Will Robinson” impersonations from Lost in Space!

Sandra Francis… Chris and I lived together for several years, and bought a house on the West Hill. He was drumming with the Pullbacks when I met him, headed by Joe Rytlewski. He was in at the beginning with Hastings Rock; a lot of the music played in the early days was due to his loan of his albums, of which there were hundreds! I remember accompanying him to his sessions on Hastings Rock; I manned the phones in the dairy a few times ….I remember the damp basement on Trinity Square too. Chris was only 68, too young to die. My youngest was quite upset to hear that he’d died; Shannon was really little when we met Chris; Chris’s parents doted on him! Happy days, a long time ago now. R.I.P Chris, we won’t forget you

Richard Turner… Sad to hear Chris has passed 🙁 remember him drumming with my uncle Chris Turner always seemed a nice fella

Colin Winn… I too, am very sorry to hear this news. Chris took over Cracked Mirror drumming duties following Barry Wood’s departure to The States (Joe Rytlewski, Steve Smile, and myself as vocalist. I knew him only a relatively short time, but liked him a lot. Condolances to his family & other, clearly, living, friends.

Cathie Murphy… So sorry to hear that Chris had died – also remember well his “Danger Will Robinson” impersonations! Happy memories of the old town in the 70’s.

Iain and Jo Cobby… So sorry to hear this, by just posting a tribute to Ruth, Chris was a real nice guy , always around the scene in the seventies onward, never got to play with him, RIP and the same age as me…………

Nick Prince… I am very sorry to hear this. Chris was one of the guys that used to take over from on the very first Hastings Rock

The funeral service has been announced for Tuesday 23rd August at 2.15pm at Hastings Crematorium. All friends of Chris welcome. Casual dress. Donations rather than flowers please to St Michael’s Hospice or the RNLI. Arranged by Arthur C Towner Ltd   https://towners.co.uk/funeral-announcements

Stephen Winterbottom… Martin Luckhurst and I played in a band with Chris. He was a top drummer and a good guy. RIP Chris