Brian Bennett of The Shadows – 1960’s Bexhill Station

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source: Steve Bartley via Terry Pack

Brian Bennett of The Shadows.

Yvonne Cleland… Poor bloke! It’s such a loooooong platform!

Alan Esdaile… I think I saw this photo in a BBC4 programme, showing how groups used to get to gigs by train. Anyone know what venue they played in Bexhill?

Terry Pack… If it isn’t just a staged photo for an album cover, then I suppose they must have played at the De La Warr Pavilion.

Geoff Peckham… He may have just been kicked off the train for having excess baggage!

Robert Searle… Definitely looks like Bexhill Stn

Terry Pack… It’s definitely Bexhill, from an album cover. I can’t remember the title of the album, but it might be ‘Comjng Home’. It’s a solo album by Brian, and the photo was posed. The guard’s van was at the back of the train and the photo would suggest that Brian had got off at the driver’s end. Indeed, he would have had to have been in the driver’s cab for this photo to be real! The absence of a train and any other passengers make it clear that the photographer staged the shot from a position he liked.

Mick O’Dowd… That’s rock’n’roll!

Roland Clarke… Brian’s son Warren posted this same pic about 3-4 years ago stating it was Bexhill station.

Colin Gibson… Def Bex

Phil Little… I think the cases are empty.

Jim Breeds… Was he the bassist? 

Joe Knight… 😂😃 those jumpers were every where I had one and the cravat 

Dave Nattress… Empty cases – you’d sure hope so!

Terry Pack… No. It’s a posed shot, but he was carrying drums!

Alan Essex… Looks like a guitar case just ahead – did he have to carry that as well?

Cliff Richard and The Shadows – Ritz Cinema Hastings 2nd March 1962

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Peter Thomson… Interesting (for me) to see Helen Shapiro’s tour dates, which include my current home town of Peterborough. A year later she was on a similar tour, when she again appeared at The Embassy theatre here, supported by The Beatles. This was the first of their two appearances in the city, the second as headliners, and older locals still reminisce fondly of those days. The Embassy still stands, by the way.

Alan Esdaile… Helen Shapiro was at the ABC Cinema Hastings on the 28th November 1962 and Cliff and The Shadows were back again on 27th March 1963.

Star Wars – Orion Cinema Hastings 1st July and Saturday Night Fever 2nd July 1978

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Martin Richter… when this came out in america (a few months earlier), i was youth hostelling in wales with the school. one of the teachers (all long hair and john lennon glasses) was reading Rolling Stone and showed me a full page advert for Star Wars and said – watch out for this – it’s going to be huge! i think he was right!

Paul Crimin… What was Saturday Night Fever ‘X’? An adult version? Interesting…

Colin Bell… There’s two version’s Paul, one sanitized for TV, cinema release contained sex and very strong language

Paul Crimin… I remember seeing it at my local cinema the week it was released, I’m that old, and I don’t remember being shocked in any way. Thanks Colin, I didn’t know that there was a sanitised version.

Colin Bell… wasn’t shocked either, but it being the 70’s i’d already seen Clockwork Orange, Straw Dogs, Soldier Blue etc i think i’d become unshockable!

Paul Crimin… A fine list of films, I saw them all back then. I still can’t listen to ‘I’m Singing in the Rain’ without thinking of ‘Clockwork Orange’.

Nick Prince… the heavily edited A certificate version came out during the autumn of 1978.

Edward Adams… the flea pit

Gerry Fortsch… I remember the dirty raincoats brigade in there when we were teenager watching Chesty Morgan, what a bloody awful film that was?

Colin Bell… Bloody hell i’d forgotten that! I’ve just had a terrible flashback

Gerry Fortsch… It’s those varicose veins in those enormous boobs.

Andy Ives… I saw Star Wars the week of release but I thought it was at Classic Cinema. Maybe it wasn’t

Alan Esdaile… Yes your right Andy, as it came out in 1977.

Fred Marsh… my partner said he went to an allnight viewing of Clint Eastwood films there, well that’s his story anyway

Judith Monk… The Flea Pit…played some horrible art house type films and lots for the dirty mac brigade…

Mick O’Dowd… Star Wars was the last film shown I believe. Anybody confirm?

Nick Prince… Yes it was Mick….

 

The Kinks – Hastings Pier 3rd July 1964

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Andre Palfrey-Martin Collection

Andre Palfrey-Martin…..taken from the College Rag Mag 1964 – an interview with the Kinks, as they had been booked to play for the Summer Rag Dance in July that year….

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Alan Esdaile… Notice the times 11.00pm til 3.00am, also who remembers the well at the White Rock Baths where you used to throw cash over or roll it down a shute for various charity events.

Sponooch – Hastings Pier 2nd July 1979

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Matt Thomas… Never heard of them lol. I saw Vicious Pink on the pier.

Jim Breeds… Well, that went well for them didn’t it.

Tony May… Decent single for the genre but really C**P band name! Who in the hell is going to remember ‘Sponooch’! (lol) I’d never heard of them nor this single before and that is saying something coming from me!

Penny Black – early 70’s Hastings and Brighton

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source David William/ Facebook Eastbourne Bands From 1960 on

David William.. first photo Hastings early 70’s. far right Dave H Terry Creasey Terry Mcconnel Dermot

Robert Searle… Great pictures

Pete Millington… Great flares!

Mark Asseenontv Scutchings-Stevens… Is that a Watkins/WEM bass ?

Dave Nattress… Went to the old Hastings College with Terry Creasey. Iain Cobby was there as well at the time. We were all doing construction studies. Also had Mick Kemp, drummer and Paul Durrant, Keyboards from Damaris – all doing construction. I remember when Paul brought in his first synthesizer. There were a lot of musicians there at the time. I was there part time from about 1970 – 1975. I remember Phil Gill there but don’t know what course Phil was doing. Do I recall correctly, Penny Black became Steam. Terry was definitely in Steam.

Chris Dann… Well, my wife has just had a look at the two photos of Penny Black and she says that the bass player in the first photo is Dermot and I am in the second photo. I was the original bass player in Penny Black. Consequently, left to right in the first photo ; Dermot Searle, Terry McConnell, Terry Creasey, Dave Hacker. (circa 1972) Second photo; Terry McConnell, Chris Dann (me),Terry Creasey, Dave Hacker. (circa 1970). I played bass with Penny Black from 1970 to 1971. 2nd April 1971 we played with Factory and DJ Tony Kane at Hastings High School. That’s how I remember playing on the same stage as Factory. I remember they were really good although I seem to remember that there was only three in the band ?? Dermot took over from me in July 71 when I went over to Brighton Top Rank to play full time in the Ronny Keane Band. In 1972 I went to study Jazz at Leeds College of Music and stayed in Leeds until about 1978 when I joined the Jack Hawkins Showband in London. I stayed with Jack as a pro bass player from 78 to 84 and then (sick to the back teeth of travelling) I packed in playing and took a job teaching music at Seaford Head School. During the late 60’s early 70’s I played bass (part time) with the Ted Crouch Band, Penny Black , Ronny Keane and various others who I just can’t remember right now. I also did a short stint with a band called The Kingsmen. I seem to remember that we opened Kings Country Club and became the resident house band. I left after a very short stint because I hated it ! When I came back to Eastbourne in the 80’s I played odd gigs with Ted Crouch and also with a band called the Amazing Rubber Band which was run by (if I remember correctly) Gary Bonner from Bonner’s Music in Grove Rd Eastbourne. I think I have some photos of Penny Black. I’ll dig them out and forward them to you.

Ian Williams…  Was your father Roly Dann, excellent drummer?

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