The town seems to be in limbo between the Summer Season and the Celebrations, its Saturday 10th September 1966 and for those who are interested, we are still running the buses on Summer Timetables, more late nights for the next few weeks. In the Pier Ballroom the resident Saturday Night band – Tony Strudwick continues to offer a “Party Night” with all the usual add-ons, the rest of the week it’s mainly the longest bar in the town that is the attraction and the fishing.
The Friday Night offering from Ready Steady Go has quite a good popular mix with Eddie Cave & the Fyx ?,David Garrick : Dear Mrs Applebee, The Zoot Money Big Roll Band :Big Time Operator, Peter & Gordon : Lady Godiva, Twice as Much : Step out of Line and topping the show The Who: Heatwave & I’m a Boy – no doubt all of these would have been heavily played at a local night spot in St Leonards.
The Night Club is of course The Witch Doctor, known to us all, and on this Saturday night we have another visit from The GayLords – previously known at Dean Ford and the Gaylords from Scotland and destined to be Marmalade in a few months, however never with Paddington Bear!! The rest of the week the club would vibrate to the best of vinyl and be described “ Go where the action is every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On the Radio that weekend, The Light Programme offered its usual mix including Saturday Club with DDDBM&T, The Fortunes, Hedgehoppers Anonymous, Glen Dale,& the Sectors this week Chris Denning. Lunchtime it was David Frost with Music Parade and the afternoon continued with Swing into the Summer with Simon Dee, and on the show this weekend The Hollies, The Fortunes, Rockin Berries, Susan Maughan, Robb Storm and the Whispers, Wout Steenhuis and Paul & Barry Ryan. The Band Stand this week was music from the Band of The Grenadier Guards. Later in the evening the main variety show was Dickie Henderson with “ Its Yarmouth” his guests included Barron Knights, Hope & Keen and The Karl Denver Trio. The Henry Wood’s Promenade Concerts were still running for the 1966 Season and the evening ended with Dancing to The Eric Winstone Orchestra, Simon Dee and Jazz. Television this Saturday included Grandstand & Cricket, Juke Box Jury – David Jacobs with guests Jackie Trent, Judith Archer, Peter Murray & Chris Farlowe. That evenings viewing included Dr Who, The Munsters, Till Death Us do Part, Match of the Day & Twenty Years after – the end of the Edinburgh Festival. Over on BBC 2 the Midnight film was “The Man that Never Was”
Sunday was the usual format of Childrens Favourites followed by Mrs Mills and Easy Beat with Keith Fordyce. The forces link up this week was London & Koln and the afternoon included the Mitchell Minstrels, The Navy Lark, Frankie Howerd, Melody Hour and Pick of the Pops. Movie Go Round featured “Carry on Screaming” with H H Corbet, Kenneth Williams and Jim Dale. Later that day Sing Something Simple, Steptoe & Son, Desmond Carrington music go round. The Sunday Half Hour that week was a joint English & Welsh production to mark the opening of the Seven Bridge. Televison included trips to The Farnbrough Air Display; It’s a KO between Bridlington & Otley, Perry Mason, The Ken Dodd Show and Sunday Prom. Pirate Radio kept us entertained with the chart shows, and this week Radio Caroline South with Dave Lee Travis played Jim Reeves : Distant Drums, The Big O :Too soon to Know, Beatles : Yellow Submarine, Small Faces : All or Nothing,Lee Dorsey : Working in A Coal Mine. Over on 266 Big L, the charts for this week included – Jim Reeves : Distant Drums, Lee Dorsey : Working Down a Coal Mine, The Who : I’m A Boy, Billy Stewart : Summetime, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers : Got to Get you into My Life. So folks that’s how it was FIFTY YEAR AGO in the town and on Radio & Television, I can not think of anything else much that occurred, so until next week enjoy the sunshine and make the most of this extended “Indian” summer to enjoy yourselves and take care. Andre Palfrey-Martin © 2016
Alan Esdaile… I remember the guy from Twice As Much coming in the shop on numerous occasions and being upsets that his songs were being used on most of the popular Immediate Record and sixties hit samplers and him not receiving any royalties. Anyone know if he still lives in Hastings?