A BIG thank you to everyone who turned up today at the SMART meeting. Great turn out and sorry if I didn’t get chance to chat to everyone. This was our first meeting since February 2020 and it was wonderful catching up with old friends and lots of new ones. Among the newbies this time were Nan (Anthony Morland), Dave Trodd, Rose Watling, Rob and Maura Williams, Claire Longsdale, Dave Muriel, Melvin Grant, Lance Collins and Kenny Comfort. Nan had with him some great photos of The Temperance Seven taken at the Bathing Pool in 1961, Screaming Lord Sutch, Cliff Bennett, Gerry & The Pacemakers from Hastings Pier, ABC and Regal Cinema and shop front photos of The Orion Cinema/WH Smith, Gifford Boyd, Malcolm Mitchell, Ken Apps and more. Claire was chatting about her very interesting version of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, as well as her music career. Kenny was talking about his happy memories of The Saddle Tramps, The Humperdinks and working with John Winch. Dave Muriel had photos of when he was the poster boy playing the guitar, in the Kenneth More film ‘Some People’, which he got paid £5! Also talking about his days in a skiffle band and the time Peter Frampton played upstairs in the Pam Dor with the group ‘The Preachers’. Lance was pleased to say that he is back doing disco’s again with a huge demand for his Retro roadshow, where the audience love dancing to the 70’s and 80’s music he plays. Dave Trodd was pleased to hear everyone loves his photos of Alan at The Disc Jockey, The Teenbeats and the biker photos and he’s working his way through some old negatives, so expect more goodies soon. Too many other people to mention but this is just a small bit of what I remember. If you have anything else you want to add from interesting conversations then please do so.
Colin Bell… Great to see old friends and new faces, well done Alan.
Jon McCallion… So sorry Alan Julie and I could not make it. It is our grand daughter‘s third birthday but will see you next month
Stephen Moran… It was great Alan thank you.
Monica Bane… Well done from me as well Alan. Would have liked to have chatted more, was a good turnout. Fantastic Alan.
Lucy Pappas… I must put it in my diary and get to the next one!
Wendy Weaver… It was a lovely afternoon Alan. Nice to see so many familiar faces again and chatting to new friends. Looking forward to the next one.
Pete Prescott… It was great to see everyone wasn’t it!
Lance Collins… It was my first visit. But not my last. Thank you for making me welcome and meeting new friends with the same interests. And a few old mates as well
Mick O’Dowd… Alan the old magic is still there even after the enforced break. (How was it in prison?) only joking. Such a mix of people. I had trouble distinguishing between old & newbies. Great afternoon! Well done! Bring on the next! A big thank you to you for organising it.
Geoff Peckham… I was spending a pleasant day meeting old friends and new at the exhumed – I mean resumed (!) – SMART meet in Hastings, It was a smashing afternoon in good company, with thanks to Alan.
Claire Lonsdale…I enjoyed my first visit and met some very interesting people. Look forward to the next meet. I wished I’d seen the photos of the Temperance Seven. My good friend John Watson was the banjo player in the Temperance Seven.
Lloyd Johnson… Claire, Re: Anthony’Nan’ Morland’s photos of ‘The Temperance Seven’. The are of the first gig we went to on Hastings Pier in 61/62. ‘Nan’ always had a camera with him and has an incredible archive of photos of past times 50s/60s +….he should really have an Exhibition at Hastings Museum!…
Alan Esdaile… Good to see you Claire. The images are now on the pages here.
Mick O’Dowd… All this Temperance Seven stuff is making me skiddy-iddy-iddy! I’ll just have to drop in my oolong and straighten the day!
Paul Huggett… An enjoyable get together, and a fun chat with Barry French & Lance Collins about the Band v Disco days of the 70s
Ian Mcgilvray… Great pic of Tich
Mark Reed… Holyfuckingshitballs! Tich!… those were some incredible times!
Martyn Baker… And Tich is smiling in this photo. That has to be a first!
Iain Cobby… Where were you Nick Webb!
Nick Webb… Iain, So sorry completely forgot will be at next one.
Alan the old magic is still there even after the enforced break. (How was it in prison?) only joking. Such a mix of people. I had trouble distinguishing between old & newbies. Great afternoon! Well done! Bring on the next!
Where were you Nick Webb!