Who remembers Ray Goode – Hastings Town Crier?

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Kev Towner… Oh – very well. Apart from being a well-known public figure he was also a tireless fundraiser for local charities.

Colin Bell… Yup! i really liked Ray, he was a good laugh, good guy.

Julie Findlay-jones… Yes I do met him on many occasions to do with Hollington gymnastics club and my mum and dad knew him.

Malcolm Sharpe… You cant fish this time of the year. Go down the harbour arm, doesn’t happen now, oh and sorry no dogs on this beach, 4 groynes up sir madam

Jane Hartley… Used to live down my road, bless him. Lovely man.

Tony Court-holmes… had a drink or two with him

Roy Penfold… Grew up a few doors down on the opposite side of the road in St Mary’s Road. My father and he were drinking pals and there were a few occasions when either I or my mum would ‘assist’ both of them out of the Lord Warden down the road to our respective houses.

Jim Breeds… Yeah, I used to pay him his town crier expenses when I worked at the Borough Treasurers in Wellington Square in the early 70’s.

Ricky Long… Had some good laughs with him on many occasions

Iain Cobby… Knew Ray well when I worked for Hastings Borough Council in the works depot at Waterworks Road. Ray was the foreshore inspector and used to come into the yard a lot. Always cheerful and such a nice guy.

Judith Monk… Lovely man!

Pete Brazier… Great Bloke! Was an honour to have known him!

Alex Harvey Soul Band – Hastings Pier Sat 8th August 1964 by Andre Martin

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cuttings supplied by Andre Palfrey-martin collection

What a week that turned into – Bank Holiday August 1964 – will go down in the local history for so many reasons, but more of that another time, here we are back in the Happy Ballroom on Saturday 8th August, and tonight be have on stage Alex Harvey Soul Band, supported by Johnny and The Spirits. Harvey was born in the Kinning Park district of Glasgow, where he grew up. By his own account, he worked in a number of jobs, from carpentry to waiting tables at a restaurant to carving tombstones, before finding success in music. He first began performing in skiffle groups in 1954. On Friday, May 20, 1960, at the Town Hall, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, Alex Harvey and his Big Beat Band opened for Johnny Gentle and His Group, “His Group” being the Beatles (John, Paul, George, Stuart Sutcliffe and Tommy Moore), on this the opening night — and biggest audience — of the Beatles’ seven-date tour of Scotland with Gentle.
His musical roots were in Dixieland jazz and skiffle music, which enjoyed considerable popularity in Britain during the late 1950s. From 1958 until 1965, he was the leader of Alex Harvey’s Big Soul Band, playing blues and rock and roll songs and spending considerable time touring in the United Kingdom He also won a competition, that sought “Scotland’s answer to Tommy Steele”. Harvey became strongly identified with British rhythm and blues music, although he was equally able to play rock songs. The supporting band – Johnny & The Spirits, no information can be found, other than it was believed they came from South London.
The previous night, Ready Steady Go had featured music from —The Rolling Stones – “It’s All Over Now.” –Cilla Black – “It’s For You.”–Kenny Lynch – “What Am I To You?”–The Nashville Teens – “Tobacco Road.”–Brian Poole and the Tremeloes – “Twelve Steps To Love.”
A quick mention of the Witch Doctor – on the Saturday one of the regulars in the early days in St Leonards – Steve Marriotts Moments , destined for big things and on Wednesday 12th – The Animals, so the competition was building up.
I could not write this week’s History, without mentioning that the local press – The Hastings & St Leonards Observer, had several pages devoted to the previous weekend’s activities and the post actions : Magistrates Court, locals letters to the editor, the official feedback from the Police and Local Authorities. But I am sure that we have over the years heard a lot about what happened just over half a century ago, and drawn our own conclusions as to who really was behind these events.                                                                                  Andre Martin

Alan Esdaile……Apparently he won a Tommy Steele talent competition when he was young. Here he is, a few years later in 1974.

David Miller…..Now you’re talking…! The clip of Midnight Moses from the same gig is excellent too….Alex and Zal are very disturbing indeed…..!

Yvonne Cleland… Wow look at him – all clean and crew-cut!

Peter Thomson… The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were the support act for Slade when I saw them at Brighton Dome in ’73. I remember reading of his longevity in the music business even then. I was impressed that he had been supported by the Beatles for some early Scottish gigs in the ’60s.

Neil William Michael McGuigan… Shocked, never knew that. I’m a big sahb fan

Who used to have an Esso Man badge?

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Colin Bell with his badge Eastbourne Pier

Diane Leigh… My god yes forgot about him.

Phil Gill… Yup, all designed to make their leaded environment polluting product seem all cuddly and nice. And we knew no better at the time.

Colin Bell… I feel guilty now Phil, i’ve still got the wee little man somewhere……

Graham L. Hall… Still got one of these

Jenny Power… I’ve still got one as well !

Dave Weeks… And a tigers rail. Green shield stamps and World Cup coins no doubt

Jim Peckham… I’d love to get a key ring now lost all mine years ago

Tony Qunta… Yes certainly did!

Mike Waghorne… Remember the key rings and the esso tiger’s tail !

Alan Esdaile… You look very trendy, Colin.

Colin Bell… Thank you! i’m not sure what ‘look’ i was going for ‘fashion victim 1961’ maybe, but now i look at it….maybe it was quite cool ! I always thought my lovely Nan here looked like the ‘Queen Mother’!

Lyn Humphrey… Still got one.

The Breathers – Windsor Castle London 1980’s by Clive Pierce

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photo supplied by Clive Pierce

Jim Bell (Red Ferrari), John Wilde (Izzi Peptone),  Clive Pierce and Ric Hool

Clive Pierce… I would just like to clear a few inaccuracies up In relation to my short spell with The Breathers. I was contacted quite out of the blue by Simon Davies, who had been one of the A&R managers at a subsidiary label of EMI called Cobra Records. I was in a group called CRAZE who were signed to Cobra. Everything was going well until for reasons unbeknownst to me, Simon and his co A&R partner Tony Squires decided to jump ship leaving all the artists signed to Cobra floundering. We were passed on to EMI Harvest but we weren’t anyone’s baby anymore so consequently were neglected and through this Craze split. I was asked by Simon if I would like to try out for the vacant drummer position in The Breathers so off to Hastings I went to meet the guys in the group and to see if we could click. I found them all very amicable and was made to feel part of the group almost immediately after my audition. It is true that I did consider at this stage to becoming a session drummer and had started to earn quite good money but I absolutely hated every minute of it. I was 18 years old and was playing sessions on tracks that I had no affinity with whatsoever, so The Breathers were a breath of fresh air ‘pun intended’. Even though I gave The Breathers my best shot I was still in love with CRAZE so just slipped slowly away but with no hard feelings. Lovely guys and Izzi was an absolute character. Rick was very accommodating and friendly. I stayed at his place in Hastings while we rehearsed for a mini tour of the North and even stayed at his parents house up in Newcastle….I love the folk from the North East. One thing i must say that did not sit for me very well concerns the single they released. I have no idea why their original drummer Steve Demetri left but I have to take this chance to say that it was him and not I who played the drums on Living In An Age Age even though I am credited on the sleeve as doing so. It was done without my consultation and it was too late to have my name removed after they had gone into production. That was just not right and embarrassing for me.I would have been livid if it was the other way round. If I had my way Steve’s name would have been on the sleeve and not mine. Anyway….thank you guys for the fun. Clive.

Phil Gill… That poor man has no shirt. I’d have given him back one of those he gave me in 1976 if I’d known.

Alan King… I lost mine on the 3:35 at Lingfield perhaps he did too

Ric Hool… Clive Pierce was a crisp drummer, sharp to The Breather’s material and if I never said so before, thanks Clive. Yes, Steve Demetri was the drummer on Livin In The Age Age. Once heard, you couldn’t mistake Steve’s unique style. It’s gracious of Clive to put the record straight. That tour Clive mentions, I think, went into Scotland – Edinburgh, Bathgate, Glasgow… Every gig outside of Hastings was virtually always north and most often a long, long drive so putting a tour together, though we never made money, put enough petrol in the van to keep us going. Friends were made along the way who put us up overnight and, as Clive mentions, when possible, staying with family was a luxury. Motorway eating was far too expensive but as soup was the cheapest item on the menu we got through a lot of it. John (Izzi) and I, in desperate times of hunger, used to scan the tables to see what other customers were leaving and make a dive for the scraps as soon as those tables were deserted. Typical of most groups trying to make it: Lords on stage; Beggars off stage. Best Ric

John Wilde… Hi Boys. Great to see posts from Clive and Ric.Thank you Clive for your keen presence all those years ago. They were great times. So, thank you Ric for inviting me on board. We were a tight unit, I wish I had paid better attention and focussed more on the music instead of preening my feathers. I wish both Ric and Jim (Red Ferrari) all the best and Clive, thank you for your graciousness.

Stuart Moir… They were the good times when the gear was perched on beer crates

Budgie & The Sex Pistols – Hastings Pier 3rd July 1976

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supplied by Sarah Harvey

photos supplied by Michael Johansson.

Michael says… Budgie 1976. Second picture 68 Milward Rd 1976

Sarah Harvey…..Was talking to the fella’ who services my boiler the other day and his lasting memory of Hastings Pier was this gig. He said the Sex Pistols were pile of poo and got practically booed off the stage…. everyone had come to see Budgie. Also amused me about the Wrestling and some those that were household names during the 70s.

Bobby Walker….I was there. Had gone to see Budgie, as had become a huge fan after seeing them supporting Genesis on the Pier (never got to see that much of Genesis as spent their set chatting to Budgie in the bar).  The Pistols were an almost completely unknown entity at the time – Danny Baker had mentioned them once in the NME.  They were on stage for less than 20 minutes. They couldn’t play. They played “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone” three times and definitely played The Stooges “No Fun”.  They were, without doubt, the most exciting live band I’d ever seen.  Think there was only one punk in the audience. A really nice bloke who called himself Sid Vicious.
A friend, Marianne (sadly no longer with us), was so impressed with the Pistols at that gig she changed her name and formed her own band – she became Poly Styrene and the band was X-Ray Spex
Two weeks later, The Stranglers played support to the Frankie Miller Band and got the same poor reception, despite being quite brilliant. Remember only three of us were on our feet during the Stranglers … me, Gary Paine and John Storer (who I met again a couple of years back – he’s now a lawyer)
We got invited backstage by Hugh Cornwell from the stage and he called the rest of the audience “wankers”.

Jane Hartley…..Oh yes, I was at the Rosko night, still got the ciggie he gave me!

Mick O’Dowd…..Most people when asked about The Pistols appearing on The Pier thought they were the headliners when in fact they were only the support. They never did reappear on the Pier.

Martyn Baker…..My girlfriend at the time was dead keen for us to see The Sex Pistols that night. I’d never heard of them , so I said “nah, let’s go down The Anchor instead”! Missed opportunity?

Paul Morfey… I was there, wondering what the hell was going on, green hair and safety pins!

Dave Weeks… Me too

Ernest Ballard… Sex pistols supporting Budgie ?

Neil William Michael McGuigan… It was quite a night. Pistols were virtually unknown at the time outside of London and a few mentions in NME. Only 2 punks in the crowd, Sid and the blonde from SEX Kings Road

Peter Houghton… Think I saw Budgie a couple of times on the pier

Alan Esdaile… Have them listed as playing 8 times on the pier.

Tony Court-holmes… twice saw them both times i think they were the support for Genesis

Nigel Ford… I was there too and there was a group of their friends / fans (more than 2) down the front wearing safety pins and pogoing and spitting so I kept well back, thinking “Huh, they’ll never make it as their ‘music’ was so lack-lustre”… a more anaemic looking bunch I’ve never seen when they all came in the bar afterwards. BUDGIE were their brilliant heavy, tight unit as always and played some from their new album aswell as going back to their first, I think. This being about the 6th time I’d seen them in Hastings maybe more as the first time was in 1970 when I bought their eponomous, 1st album on the strength of their performance from Big Al at the DISC JOCKEY, 2 Queens Road.

photo: Stuart Richard Meadows, shared by Chris Boorman

Stuart Richard Meadows… Good day. This is probably the rarest SEX PISTOLS related poster I’m ever likely to have in my possession. A real gem from mid 1976 with heavy rockers BUDGIE being the headline act. Admission to the gig being only a quid which in this day and age seems quite remarkable. Only a few months after this gig, the Pistols would become public enemy number one and spark a huge musical revolution, inspiring loads of kids up and down the country to pick up instruments and blow away the drabness that had become the mid 70s.

Gerry Fortsch… My mum and wife were on the pier in the afternoon when the Pistols did a sound check, when they came home they both told me that they had heard the worst band ever, the rest is history.

Stuart Moir… They were shit but they made a lot of cash

Dave Weeks… Budgie were great, Pistols were shite and nobody really knew what the F they were all about. It was a good chance to watch the lightning out to sea though

Alan Esdaile… Not sure about this poster. As soon as the posters went up for this gig Bob Knights the pier manager went berserk and called it obscene, ripped the poster down and got someone else to rip all the other posters displayed, down. I’ve just checked with the promoter Barry Taylor and he doesn’t recognise this as being the poster he did and said he would not have written London. Pretty sure on the original poster Sex Pistols was in big bold type.

Peter Fairless… Pretty sure it’s fake Alan

Chris Boorman… Yes agree that it’s likely to be fake. When was Mason’s music started? Looked at a website and it says 1978. I think it’s been photoshopped over another poster.

Alan Esdaile… I did have a shop on the pier at that time Chris but don’t think I was selling tickets, as they would have been available from the box office on the pier and also would have thought Disc Jockey would have sold tickets as well.

Colin Bell… Im no expert but that doesn’t look ‘right’ to me.

Pete Fairless… Here’s the actual flyer…

The Groundhogs – The Carlisle Hastings 11th April 1985

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Judy Atkinson… I think I was there. I certainly saw them there twice, and once on the pier back around 1975

Reid McDuffie… I was there. They used to also often play at the Crypt. Sometimes as Tony McPhee Band and sometimes as Groundhogs (it was the same guys though. I think there was a contractual issue with the name).

Leigh Wieland-Boys… I saw the Groundhogs circa 1971 at an all day music festival in Kendal, the only other group I recall in the line-up were Juicy Lucy!

Anita Jardine… Takes me back to the Roundhouse and Sundowner days..

Peter Houghton… Great band saw them on the Pier and had a nice chat with Tony and the rest of the band and they signed my Album for me

Faith Brooker… Once a fixture of the South London pub scene. Loved em’.

Tony Court-holmes… saw them live

Tim Moose Bruce… Went to that one. Also saw them at the Shelley Arms at Nutley, and the Golden Martlet at Hellingly. Great band.

Neil Partrick… I saw them around this time in a pub in Eastbourne (I think, though might have been The Carlisle in Hastings, or maybe Hellingly I suppose. Ended up sleeping with the lead singer, as you do (along with other assorted bodies vying for space on a floor in a Pevensey bungalow).

Simon… Was there with Reid McD. Bumped unto TS outside and shared a roll up.

The Kinks – Hastings Pier 6th August 1967

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Flyer supplied by Lloyd Johnson. photo from Fanclub television show, in 1967 Photographer: W. Veenman

*Pink Floyd did not appear on the 20th August 1967 but replaced by Unit 4+2. The date was rescheduled for 20th January 1968*

poster supplied by Brenda Crouch

 

Carol Arnold… AHHHH saw unit 4 plus 2

Heather Smith… went to see them at the White Rock Theatre a few monthes back, may be 8 monthes ago they where good, great music

Mick O’Dowd… What a line-up! If only possible today. Orange Seaweed were also support for Jimi Hendrix.

Ken Copsey… Believe this was Syd Barret’s last gig with Pink Floyd?

Peter Fairless… The rearranged gig in January ’68, yes, Ken

Mick O’Dowd… Does anybody know of anything of Orange Seaweed?

Martin Richter…  like the Dave Dee – not enough room on the poster!

Lisa Jane… Wonder if my parents went to any of these… Only ten bob too

Mick Knights… When, as an apprentice I was only earning about four pounds ten a week out of which I had to pay my mum, buy cloths etc ten bob was a sizeable chunk of your weeks money

Mick Bolton… Full marks for punctuation – DAVE DEE, D., B., M. & T.

The Equals plus Magic Alice – Hastings Pier 3rd August 1969

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Colin Fox… That’s before I joined Road. I was in Copenhagen all through August 1969. I believe Trevor Spears was playing guitar with them at that time. Tony Kenward lead vocals, Bob Aylward drums, Roy Sanderson bass.

Neil Partrick… “Gonna walk right down …Priory Avenue…” eh….

Sheila Farmer… I saw them.

Neil Partrick… ..and Eddy Grant..! Colin…When you say “Road”, do you mean Noel Redding’s band?

Colin Fox… No, it was Tony Kenwards band in Eastbourne. Trevor left in 1970, and I replaced him.

Dave Nattress… Roy used to work at Drallim, Brett Drive, Bexhill with a bunch of mates, was in The Road then, later Lysander was it and others I guess. We used to see them a lot to give them support as he was a workmate of my friends. Bought my second car, a “C” reg, light Green Ford Anglebox 105E off his wife.

Colin Fox… We went from Lyzander to Performance.

Global Village Trucking Company – Hastings Pier 3rd August 1974

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ad supplied by Sarah Harvey                    promo photo supplied by Clive Richardson

Sarah Harvey…..Here is a really good video about the group some of which was filmed in 1973. It tells the story of the band and a reunion in 2007 which was produced as a documentary for the BBC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3K9BEo8UVs

Alan Esdaile….I used to see Pete Kirtley from Global Village play with Liane Carroll at the Filo. Flying Gnome disco was Chris Cornford. Anyone in contact with him?

Mick Mepham…..Another load of bands I missed, doooooohhhh!!!!

Clive Richardson…Global Village were excellent. I always believed that the above photo was taken in Hastings old town. Anyone confirm or deny?

Mick O’Dowd…..Found these pics of Global Village….

globalglobal lp

Kev Towner…  Well apparently Seagull Coaches were based in Blackpool, although that scene in the background is rather reminiscent of that farm on The Ridge just before the Harrow Junction.

Alan Esdaile… Thanks Kev, I know where you mean. Could be in the coach broke down on the way to the pier?

Ric Hool… In 1996 Peter Kirtley ex of Global Village was working with a poet pal of mine, Tom Pickard. Peter stayed at my house one time when he was in Wales with Tom. Peter was, I believe, living in Southwold at that time and had just released his excellent Bush Telegraph CD Liane Carroll (keyboards), Steve Lamb (bass), Gregg Leppard (drums)