post suggested by Leigh Wieland-Boys
John Wilde… A thousand people on the beach singing and petitioning The Who to play the Pier. What song would we perform.
Keith Forbes… magic bus
Alan Esdaile… If its to be a Who song I think Join Together.
David Miller… Sea and Sand
Tony Davis… I Can Sea (sic) for miles!
Andre Palfrey-martin collection
Andre Martin… Time moves and we are now Saturday 30th January 1965, it was a different Saturday for many, Television and Radio today carried extensive coverage of the Funeral Service of Sir Winston Churchill who had died last Sunday, and for many it would be a date that would stay in their memory for years. One thing that I remember, according to Richard Dimbleby who was the anchorman for that days BBC TV coverage “ it was a grey overcast day in London “ perhaps on reflection that was right for such a sombre occasion.
In the Happy Ballroom – Hastings Pier, it was the usual entertainment with The Gordon Rider Dance Orchestra providing the mix of music and movement that the patrons desired, with the Longest Bar in the Town in action, table service and spot prizes making the 5/- admission good value for money.
There were changes afoot at the Witch Doctor; Saturday night had the Mannish Boys and The Classics with records spun by regular DJ Trevor Ollive. The Sunday Club entertainments this week were Jimmy Powell and The Five Dimensions. The mid-week Jazz sessions had come to an end and Friday it was the return of The Denny Mitchell Soundsations. Other nights were filled with Record Spins.
The weekend started off as usual with a “visit” as to speak to Kingsway London with the TV show – Ready Steady Go… Keith and Cathy getting us in the right mood, this week the show included The Animals – “ Club-a-go-go” and “Don’t Let me be misunderstood” The Hollies “ Yes I will” from the US Goldie and the Gingerbreads “ Can’t you hear my heartbeat” also on the show were Elkie Brooks and Donovan. Making their first visit to RSG and miming to their 1st single – The Who “ I Can’t Explain”
The usual pop entertainments shows were broadcast on the Saturday, with some amendments to the schedule to allow for live coverage of Sir Winston’s Funeral Service. Saturday Club at 10.00am was introduced this week by Ray Orchard, featuring Acker Bilk, The Hollies, Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, The Spencer David Group, Danny Williams and The John Barry Seven. In the afternoon at 2.00pm – Saturday Swings with The King Brothers, Lita Roza, The Searchers, The NCO with Bernard Herrmann – this week’s show introduced by Bruce Wyndham. Following on at 4.00pm was Top Gear The Animals, Cilla Black and Sounds Incorporated plus new releases played by Tony Hall.
Sunday Radio would include Easy Beat with Keith Fordyce and his guests this week – The Rockin Berries, Lulu and The Luvvers, Craig Douglas, The Travellers and The Johnny Howard Band. No Sunday would have been complete with Family Favourites linking services personnel and friends around the world, this week it was a Two Way link between London and Germany.
Television regulars would include – Juke Box Jury with David Jacobs on Saturday, had on the show the Panel – Paul Anka, Stubby Kaye, Julie Samuel and Ann Sidney [Miss World] later in the evening on BBC would be The Billy Cotton Band Show, and guests this week – The Four Most, Cilla Black and Roy Castle.
ABC from Birmingham it was “Thank Your Lucky Stars” with Brian Matthews, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, The Rolling Stones and Craig Douglas and not forgetting Janice with her weekly Maths lesson.
Another interesting week in Hastings with lots to keep you busy, the cinemas were always full, with some really good films, the coffee bars, the youth clubs and sports clubs were keeping us active, life was always busy, and for many the thought that Spring and Summer would soon be here and all that would involve, summer holidays for example. Looking in my crystal ball I see that changes are on the horizon for the Happy Ballroom – Hastings Pier…..watch this space.
Andre Palfrey-Martin © 2015
Stuart Huggett… Bowie!
Alan Esdaile… David Bowie and Hastings. Thanks to Mick O’Dowd for giving the SMART group a plug on the letters page in todays Hastings Observer.
Andre Martin… I have to say that I think 31st January, would have been a much better night ! – now lets see the comments fly-in !!
Alan Esdaile… I see Jimmy Powell played harmonica on My Boy Lollipop and also had Rod Stewart in his group at one stage.
Peter Fairless… Nice find!
Mick O’Dowd… Jimmy Powell group was quite an amazing live band but never really broke through.
Jim Breeds… ‘Snatch’ Snashall. Hmm…. I was recently trying to remember the stage name of a jazz violinist that I used to work with at Ashdown House at about that time. He played in a jazz band at the Hayloft & occasionally the Black Horse. Real name was Jim but I can’t remember his last name. Maybe this Snatch is the guy … Jim had played Jazz with Spike Milligan in Bexhill in WW2.
Peter Thomson… It was Jim Small, Jim. Used to launch into impromptu bursts of solo violin during lunch breaks. They were one and the same, as betrayed by a photo in one of Milligan’s books (can’t remember which).
Wonderful afternoon with some great people, in our new home The Seafront Room, White Rock Hotel. Lots more room, more chairs and bigger tables at the back which will be useful for laying out posters, scrapbooks etc. Among the newbies this time were Elaine & Neil Roberts from the great blues rock band The Black Sheep. They will be appearing at the 2nd Bare Faced Blues Festival at the Gecko Bar on Oct 4th. Also first timer Jimmy Kent who is working on the history of The Witch Doctor Club and also great to see Terry Huggins. Talk was about David Bowie, Disc Jockey’s Alan Jensen, Bucks Fizz in Bexhill, Northern Soul, Kursaal Flyers, Hastings Caves, The Sundowners, people we have lost, The Deep Purple, The Good Old Hastings Pier video by Glenn Vaness and Hastings Printing Company archives. Pete Prescott was talking about the fund raising gigs for St Michael’s Hospice on the 6th Sept at The White Rock Theatre and the Picnic In The Park at Alexandra Park on the 23rd August. John Petri suggested that someone should start a family tree of local musicians. Tony Davis had with him two cd’s from prog rock band ‘England’ and The Last Of The Jubblies features Geoff Peckham. Clive Richardson has unearthed some great photos of Mick Mepham playing with Kieran White from Steamhammer which I will post on the site soon. Also chat about the nearly on the beach concert on the 1st and 2nd August and not forgetting to tune into Carnival FM on 87.9fm and listen out for Andre Martin and Andy Gunton among others. Peter Millington was compiling missing information on Lol Cooksey bands and bands like Stepping Out for Len Smith, who’s building up profiles of who played Eastbourne.
What Sarah didn’t take any photos! Everyone was so engrossed in what was going on, that no one got round to it. Not forgetting great to see the first parts of the visitors centre being put in place on the pier.
This is just a small part of what I heard and remembered, anyone wish to add anything they were chatting about, then please do so.
Geoff Peckham… Glad it was a good’n! On hols. See you next time.
Chris Meachen… Was planning to come down, but I’m using the bike & have no waterproofs…
Mick O’Dowd… Much better place. Good to see more newbies and my old mate Jimmy Kent. Well done again Alan for organising things.
Dave Nattress… Unfortunately AGAIN I could not make it – work continues to get in the way of life’s simple pleasures, but next time I really do hope to make it. I love the idea of a local bands Family Tree, I have all the Pete Frame “Rock Family Trees” and these are truly magnificent volumes indeed. I dare say a local Family Tree could be styled on Pete Frame’s and I would love to help do the job but wouldn’t have time to head it up. Whilst I guess it would be OK to copy Pete Frame’s pattern I just wonder if there’s any copyright involved in doing so and if there is, presumably one would need to get the OK nod from the publishers. I’d be happy to try and find out etc. etc. Otherwise though, a Family Tree is a Family Tree.
Yvonne Cleland… I could put it together on Publisher, but haven’t the time for the research.
Andy Qunta… Sounds like a great time, once again!
music allday includes Poppie Prescott and Mick Bolton.
Mick O’Dowd… Share & support this worthy cause please!
Anyone remember getting a potato?
Tony May… The D.J. sale was a MAJOR event in Hastings! I seem to remember that some people even slept outside the night before in sleeping bags to get hold of the new Duran Duran album for 10p. Alan used to do silly offers like that for the first ten customers. I used to LOVE the mystery bags though. 10 12″ singles for a pound or 10 7″ singles for a pound all sellotaped up in a D.J bag so all you could make out was the first and last inside. Bought loads of those bags every time!
Alan Esdaile… As the Disc Jockey was an important chart return shop and when no restrictions were in place, it was amazing what they gave away from freebies from the record companies, to get higher chart placings. I remember they had buy one new single and get a free record case or a free video cassette.
Mick O’Dowd… I got many a freebie from him including the pic disc single of FGTH Relax and a 12″ Michael Jackson megamix that was very limited edition.
Andre Martin… What some of you may not know, is that back iin the early 70s there was a potato shortage – crop failure I think, and this would have been something worth winning ! OK AJ did have a sense of humour and would use this in all sorts of adverts that he and I think it was Cliff at Berforts would produce. I have a great selection of his works – great memories.
Peter Fairless… We did like Big Al!
SMART Coffee meet 21.
The next SMART coffee meet is Friday 24th July 2015 – 3.30pm – 6.00pm White Rock Hotel and as more and more of us join, they have moved us into The Seafront Room which is on the left hand side as you enter the building. Please bring any photos, cuttings, records etc that would be interesting for others to see and please mention it to other like minded people.
Matt Thomas… They have put you in there because you was getting too rowdy i expect lol
Thanks to Kevin Burchett for posting this.
Janine Anne Hemsley… I simply love it
Alan Esdaile… I think most people with love this video, lots of memories in it, well done to Glenn Vaness.
Colin Norton… Great stuff!
Tony Davis… Great Stuff – sat watching the video and listening to the song and it gave me goose bumps. Oh to have it back to its former glory
Andre Palfrey-martin collection
After a short break, I am back, is Saturday 17th July 1965 – but nothing much has happened in the Happy Ballroom – Hastings Pier, I have searched with Steve Peak, the management meeting minutes, as we are jointly writing a book on The History of Hastings pier for the Pier Trust [publication is planned for later in the year] and there is nothing mentioned about the Entertainments? From the press we can see that The Old Time Music Hall and Wrestling made up the programme for the Ballroom in the week – something must happen soon ???
The weekend would have started off with the ITV – Ready Steady Go and this week with both Cathy and Keith at the controls, the artists include – The Animals “ Gotta get out of this Place” : Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames “Like we used to be” : Dusty Springfield “ Middle of nowhere” : Inez & Charlie Foxx : Nina Simone, another excellent line up.
The Witch Doctor was just to enter its second year, as on 16th July topping the bill that night were The Moody Blues, and I can recall that night, the club was packed, and I mean packed ! it was HOT but the atmosphere was just sensational, at this point, if I could have contact Lloyd Johnson, I am sure that he would have been able to live a garment by garment detail of just what the boys we wearing, all I can recall was dark blue mohair suits – but very smart, their whole show was just the Best!! In support was one of the clubs favourite bands from Folkestone – The Lonely Ones. Not a bad night for only 7/6d !
Saturday continued with the two group shows, and this week the Top of the Bill were – Davy Jones and The Lower Third, supported by The Sultans. The Sunday Club: The Five of One. And Friday live music was supplied by another favourite of The Witch Doctors patrons – George Bean & The Runners. The remaining nights, plus both Saturday and Sunday afternoons were filled with records by the resident team of spinners keeping everybody entertained.
Radio played a great role in the entertainment of the young and not so old in the town, Pirates were heard everywhere – Radio Caroline and London were the two prime stations. The BBC was not doing too bad, as they had the resources, even if those in charge were very set in their ways, and ran the Corporation like a Government Department. Saturday had a great selection of shows. Saturday Club at 10..00am this week presented Billy Fury, Dusty Springfield, Herman’s Hermits, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, The Gamblers, The Echos and The Ladybirds all presented by Brian Matthews. 2.00pm it was Saturday Swings – Tom Jones & The Squires, Elkie Brooks, The Boston Dexters, Ian Russell and The Saturday Sound. 4.00pm was a change with the introduction of “The Folk Room” with The Overlanders, The Strawberry Hill Boys and Friday Brown with Don Spencer as the compere.
Sunday it was Easy Beat – 10.31am this week the Johnny Howard Band with Laura Lee, Danny Street and Tony Stevens plus a few releases and guests with Keith Fordyce. Lunchtime it would have been what has been described as a National Treasure in the format of Two Way Family Favourites – this week keeping the UK via London and BAOR Germany {Cologne} together with record requests and messages. Another of the Sunday highlights would have been Alan “Fluff” Freemen with Top of The Pops another programme that was destined fo prosperity in the history of the British Music Industry.
Television features were Saturday night –Juke Box Jury – with David Jacobs chairing the weekly half hour show and the panel this week was Ray Brooks, Angela Douglas Stubby Kaye and Millie. Over on ABC was Thank Your Lucky Stars, which this week included not only Brian Matthews, but Jim Dale, Dusty Springfield, Dave Clark Five, Billy Fury, Kenny Ball and His Jazz Men, Pete Murray, Janice Nicholls, Helen Shapiro, The Searchers, The Seekers and Mark Wynter.
So for any of you who around at the time, it was another good week, I was lucky with the Moody Blues on the Friday, as I was roistered for early morning starts 06.00am with the buses, but when you had been having a good night out, getting up was hard work, and to get to the Depot on time – I must thank my Dad, who was often up and about getting men to jobs, that I was never given the opportunity to oversleep!! Adding it all up it was a great time to be around.
As we reach August in the next few days, and with the return of Carnival FM I will have to find and dust down some of my favourite records, CDs and MP3’ and make sure that I can find the “Time Machine” last seen last August in the Old Town, I am sure that we remembered to bring this when we moved house recently !! so until the next episode of the History of the Happy Ballroom keep a watch out for the work on the Pier, the base has now gone down for the new information/educational centre and how things have been progressing. Also on Monday I went to the HUB to be interviewed about the Pier only to find the place full of yellow tee shirts and the Seafront Rickshaw project getting its official opening – good luck to all involved it’s a great idea and a great tourist attraction. Till next week you all take great care of yourselves.
Andre Palfrey-Martin@2015
Jim Hobbs… I used Go Now for many years as a play-out track at gigs.
source: http://www.classroomcapers.co.uk/learning-charts/learning-resources-topic-posters.html
Claire Davis recently posted this…. I wondering if anyone would be able to donate a guitar to a local school? we are offering free guitar lessons to some children and would like to have a supply of guitars that they could borrow. thank you all.
I think its important for children to have the chance to learn a musical instrument and happy to pass on any replies . This made me think back to what instruments we played at school. All I could remember is the recorder, triangle and tambourine. What do you remember playing?
Matt Thomas… coconut shells.
Karen Sweatman Was Blackman… And a dodgy pair of castanets held together with ropey old string! and Maracas!
Yvonne Cleland… Oh Yes!
Nigel Sherwood… Cello , so much fun taking that to the school on the bus
Claire Davis… I had one guitar donated already!!! there must be loads of unused musical instruments around would be great to give them another home.
Jim Breeds… Yep. Them 4 things was the extent of my school musical career too.
Yvonne Cleland… Violin, recorder, triangle, xylophone, guitar.
Lesley Brown… Glockenspiel!
Mick Mepham… Sorry, there isn’t a picture of a silly bugger …..