Day: 10 March 2021

The Club Happening Kings Road St Leonards-on-Sea – letterhead 1968

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supplied by John Wilde

John Wilde… My Dads coffe bar and club.

David Miller… When was The Club Happening happening?

Jeanette Wilde… David, soon as that door opened!

David Miller… Seems like the Wilde clan were a big part of the scene down Hastings way….and beyond. Love it!

John Wilde… David, we had a basement cave like room with dj booth and we had live bands. I took 1/6 on the door entry fee. I think you got in for a shilling if you were a member.

Claire Triance… Was later called Speakeasy in the late 70s

Jeanette Wilde… Tony Blackburn DJ’d for our opening night. We were packed……….so bloody exciting!

David Kent… Claire, The Speakeasy was along the road from no. 8. I know this because my parents owned and lived in no. 8 from about 1974 to about 1980. Speakeasy possibly no. 25. My mum operated a fancy dress hire from the “cave”.

Mick O’Dowd… Great place. First met John Wilde there when I managed Deep Purple (Hastings) and we playd there. I also used to DJ there . Totally hip place.

John Wilde… great memories!

Gerry Fortsch… My old band played there a few times, if I recall it right we had our van painted there as well Great days.

Roger Carey… I recently played and sang a version of “See Emily Play ” – Pink Floyd- on one of the stream gigs Liane Carroll and myself do from home. I mentioned to Liane and others that I first heard it in Kings Road , playing from a coffee bar- it was “The Happening ” without a doubt! This was at the time that song was current 1967 or 8….

Tony Bird… It’s the first time that the band wore their “caftans”

Ian Mcgilvray… I remember that. We played there a few times didn’t We Tony. Deep Purple that is.

Mike Waghorne… John your dads club I can just about remember going there once !

Who remembers school milk?

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Pete Prescott… During the winter of 63 it was so cold the milk froze and as it expanded out lifted the foil lid off of the bottle. They became like milk Ice lollies ! When it was summer I hated it as it became warm and tasted off to me.

Matt Thomas… Got a malted biscuit as well at Elphinstone Infants

Chris Meachen… Loved it in the winter, would eat the frozen bit as ice cream, but didn’t like it warm in the summer. When I got to senior school they kept it in a chiller until break time, then I couldn’t get enough of the stuff..

Julie Findlay-jones… Hated it I always struggled to drink it all and was always told off.

Mark Praid… Great with a Mint or Orange Yoyo Choc biscuit at 11.am if your hanging around the sand pit.😉 Avoid at all costs the few remaining milks at four o clock – when the sun has shined through the classroom window on them all day.

Dennis Torrance… I remember at school they tried to give it to us frozen should have supplied sticks as well

Doc Racer… Maggie Thatcher milk snatcher

Linda Day… Gross couldn’t stand it not a lover of milk even now put me off for life lol

Lloyd Johnson… 1/3 of a pint bottles…

Neal Hunter… it was always warm because they put it on the radiator

Lyn Humphrey… Used to enjoy getting the 1/3 pint around 11am–sometimes 2 bottles if class numbers were down. One lad once had EIGHT bottles during a flu epidemic……..then he was sick as a dog.

Dave Nattress… Hi Lyn, and who was that boy, I’m sure it wasn’t you and nor was it me!

Mike Waghorne… I was a milk monitor when at secondary school , had to get the milk in and sort it into the classes ready for them to collect,there were always left overs now i know why i dont like large amounts of milk !

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Deep Purple – The Happening Club around 1967

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The Happening.

supplied by Peter Horton  at The Happening Club Kings Road

The local ‘Deep Purple’ around 1967 with original singer ‘Kevin Clark'(who was later replaced by Tich Turner). So I think the rest of the band are Peter Horton, Tony Bird, Ian McGilvray & Len Benton.

Joe Knight….WOW!!!!

Mick O’Dowd….This pic was taken at The Happening in Kings Road St.Leonards the home of Jon Wilde!

Geoff Peckham….I saw them several times in Bexhill. Enjoyed a bit of faux-fame because of their namesakes and even covered “Hush”. Loved Mac’s drumming. Eventually changed their name to Whiskey Mac.

Alan Esdaile Johnny Mason….When I first started going to gigs I think every band played ‘Hush’ and ‘Knock On Wood’.

Geoff Peckham….I played those and Midnight Hour, Hold On, etc. in my early bands too. But when I first heard the Bexhill Deep Purple playing Hush, I asked Mac if it was his band that had the single; he just put his finger to his lips and went “ssshhhhhh”!

Tonny from Cornwall…..Any idea how long the Bexhill Deep Purple existed? I’m trying to work out if some info I have about ‘Deep Purple’ supporting Kippington Lodge end of May 1968 in Goudhurst, Kent relates to ‘your’ Deep Purple or the more famous later version who were just back from a tour of Denmark.  Kippington Lodge were on Parlophone records; so were ‘Deep Purple’ of ‘Hush (and more) fame….

Andre Martin….If it helps in the calculation – Friday 27th September 1968, they had their first public appearance as Whisky Mac at the Tackleways Boys Club in Hastings. Kippington Lodge were one of the “back-up” bands for Hastings Pier, when John Schofield ran the Sat & Sun nights, they would appear almost at a moments notice. They were still playing a Deep Purple up to April time, I have some reference to this at the Regent Hotel. I have posted this picture before – in the write up it mentions that they will be playing the Witch Doctor – or the newly renamed club the Cobweb, that did not open until the end of February 1968 !

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Andre Palfrey-martin collection

Andre Martin….The group played in Eastbourne – The Continental in October 1967 – billed as The Deep Purple

Battle Memorial Hall November 1967

Ken Copsey… Great picture

John Wilde… Wonderful to see these images. I was there in my Fathers club The Happening.

Paul Sleet… I remember seeing them at Woodlands Girls school if memory serves me right. Must have been around 1968 or 69.

Who had The Bert Weedon Guitar Guide – Play In A Day?

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Andy Qunta… Naturally I had this book when I first had a guitar. I did indeed play in a day, but that day didn’t arrive for quite some time! Thanks anyway, Bert!

Chris Baker… OMG! I had a copy of that!

Bob Shipway… My first guitar tutor book and it felt old fashioned even then… but, as the saying goes, I didn’t judge the book by its cover! It was a really good book that did indeed have me playing (albeit something wonderfully banal and simple) in a day.

Paul Morfey… This was all we had to learn from. You had to really want to play to get anywhere. Not like today where guitar tuition is everywhere. Those where the days!!

Alan Parker… learnt to play with this book. stil have a copy, printed 1957. every guitarist that comes to my home says they know that book and they had a copy at one time. real conversation piece if you are a guitar freak like me

Pete Fisher… yes I had this too, and found out pretty quickly that a day wasn’t enough to get my little fingers around more than a couple of basic chords…remember him (and a handful of other guitarists) having a spot on TV which was more instructive..

Mick O’Dowd… I bought this book but I was so inept that it took me 3 months to master Cockles & Mussels! So gave up and became a DJ instead. The world breathed a sigh of relief. I was never gonna make stardom on a badly performed Cockles & Mussels!!!!

Alan Parker… You know what they say Mick, ‘Those that can, do, those that can’t, teach.

Jan Warren… I had this, I might still have it, I’ll look in my archives!

Terry Hardwick… I leant a bit of forty miles of bad road

Mark Praid… As soon as I saw this a little compartment in my head reacted “Crikey! I had that”.

Iain Cobby… Was walking on Brighton Palace pier some years ago when I looked up on a raised part of the cafe deck and there he was with his wife sitting enjoying the sun and a cup of tea. I smiled at him and he kindly smiled back. i didn’t want to interrupt his peace and walked on. Kick myself for not saying thank you …………..

Chris Giles… I’ve got one of those somewhere

Harry Randall… I’ve got his book and bought one of his amps the one he practised at home with I felt the need to help Maggie out after his demise!

photo of from: Toby Barelli (King Size Slim) around 1987

Garry Wonfor… Wow!!!…. my Mum and Dad bought me a “Top Twenty” guitar for my twelfth birthday and then took me to Blackpool to watch Bert Weedon, (so that I’d know what to do with it) ..He played through a Vox AC30…(I remember the diamond speaker cloth as I was a Beatle nut!!!)…. He blew me away!!!!

Mike Cope… Ah Yes. “Play in a Day”! I never did Master that?

Paul Huggett… Excellent!

Mike Waghorne… I never did master his play in a day !

Mick O’Dowd… Neither did I. Got as far as Cockles & Mussels!

Wesley Magoogan… If I remember correctly, Bobbie Shaftoe was the first tune.

Leigh Wieland-Boys… I worked in the same building as his agent (Duke Street, London in the 70s) and sometimes covered their reception as a favour. I spoke to him a few times when he called. I was given a couple of Bert Weedon Guitar Guides, which I gave to my Dad, they’re probably in the loft…..

Tony Bird… Bert had a very dubious record of playing the most notes with a plectrum in one second as recorded by the Guinness book of records! Also 13 publications of the book made him a millionaire!