Month: July 2023

Who remembers Courtneys? – 1986

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photo supplied by Karen Sweatman

Matt Thomas… Never stepped foot in the place but I can spot Karen lol

Gavin Hide… Yep. Remember in 86 home on leave….plus about 20 others from RAF ARMY bloody good summer leave

Lisa Jane… Went in once

Karen Sweatman…  Lived there around 86!

Eugene Hughes… I was the DJ on the opening night. Played cards with Norman Courtney a few years back.

Samantha Blake… loved courtneys xx always in there xxxx

John Busbridge… Was it at the bottom of Wellington Square on the right?

Roy Penfold… Spent a few months working behind the bar around that time!

Eugene Hughes… It’s was where Flavours of India is now. Or maybe that’s gone also.

Wendy Weaver… I liked Courtneys . The last time I went there there was the film The Stud projected onto the back wall of the stage

Eugene Hughes… thats right. It was controlled in the dj booth. I can remember when I was working there one night. Alex Higgins was playing Terry Griffiths in the final of a snooker tournament. I turned off the light display on the wall and put the match on the screen. The punters were loving watching it. Norman Courtney was going bonkers.

Karen Sweatman… Willie George also DJed there in the 80s. I looked up onto that screen one evening whilst dancing, and saw my boobs jiggling about! He had focused the camera on me! One very quick and screamy flee from the dance floor!

Matt Thomas… After Courtneys I think it was called Rusty’s,but I liked Googleberry’s the diner it became after

Tony Court-holmes… used to go there a lot

Terry Hardwick… I was the dj there after Mike Alen along with Kevin Frost and Willie George remenber remember that African Grey Parrot Rupert. Then it was taken over by Joe Oriorden and called Rustys after his wife Eileen. Norman Courtney was a real Character . Billy Ocean when the going gets tough. Saturday love . Just buggin. I cant can’t wait. Set me free.

Maxwell Fox… I am Norman’s grandson – my father, Steve Fox, was a DJ there; and that’s “how she met my mom”, Norman’s daughter! Do any of you have any pics of Norman or the place in general? Send them to me please! maxell.fox.fiesole@gmail.com

Tony Ham… Nigel Sivers on the left, Robert Hollands in the middle.

Martin Richter… name names Karen.

Karen Sweatman… I only knew the guy sitting on my lap! Had never met any of the others!

Steve Mann… I remember happy hour

Karen Sweatman… me too. Tequila sunrises lined up. I was only 16 but was never asked there!

Patrick Briggs…O yes guaranteed a fight every Friday glasses flying through the air . Great club

Dawn Mann…Yes loved it in there, they had a small stage for some mad reason I used to get up there and dance. Well at least I thought I was dancing haha!

Vivienne Gibbs… Yes I do – it was great all the while it was 21+ but went downhill a bit when they lowered it to 18s and over

Debbie Marie… I think I only went in there when I was about 15/16 and my BF at the time had a broken leg so he sat with his leg up in a chair all night

Frankie Miller Full House plus The Stranglers 31st July 1976

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Neil Partrick… Were you there Alan? Would have been seriously good, I’m sure.

Alan Esdaile… Sorry I was gigging elsewhere Neil, otherwise I’m pretty sure I would have gone.

Tony Ham… The Stranglers and wrestling.

Pete Houghton… That was a great night seeing Frankie Miller and afterwards the band signed my album then I asked The Stranglers to sign my album and they just wrote a pile of rubbish

 

Olympia Amusement Arcade George Street Hastings 1980

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Photo: Roy Penfold Historical Hastings.  https://historymap.info/Olympia_Amusement_Arcade

Alan Esdaile… Still looking for photos of The Olympia dodgems.

Graham Sherrington… and the juke box wow memories buying single cigarettes from the tobacco shop

Matt Thomas… What was The Rainbow then?

Peter Simpson… Matt, Still the Rainbow – my dad owned the shop next door from 1946 to 1968, and knew the proprietor well.

Amanda Russell… I’ve got a photo of me sitting on a big stuffed animal with a monkey in a cage. I was about 6…

Jacqueline Marsh… I remember going roller skating upstairs at the Olympia back in the 50’s

Trevor Locock… Building recently destroyed by fire. Great photo.

Nigel Ford… was Saturdays upstairs still then?

Tony Court-holmes… who remembers the juke box in there?

Radio Luxembourg 30th July 1976 Hastings Pier Mark Wesley and Jigsaw & Radio One Road Show 1975

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Andre Palfrey-martin collection

Peter Pursglove…..,do you remember when the radio one jocks did the Pier ,i was working there for most of them ,peter Powell ,Tony Blackburn ,D.L.T

Alan Esdaile…..Remember it well. They also used to have beach road shows opposite the De Luxe Bingo. Used to book out DLT a lot when Paul was operating from a garden shed in his sisters house. Woodlice and spiders climbing the walls, couldn’t hear anything if it rained due to plastic roof, cockerel sounding off next door but still managed to book some of the top acts of the day.

Perri Anne Haste…..I seem to remember ‘ Diddy ‘ David Hamilton hosting a roadshow down the Crypt in about 1975 if my memory serves me well – The night in question was attended by an extremely intoxicated bloke wandering around completely stark bollock naked! – much to the amusement of all the other revellers! – nobody seemed to mind & just let him get on with it!!

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Andre Palfrey-martin collection

John Austin…..Peter Powell asked me up on stage to do a spot once, then invited me up to his breakfast show on Radio one.

Ralph Town…..Me and the missus saw Simon Bates down on the pier once

Alan Esdaile….I remember seeing David Hamilton at The Radio One Club in Regents Street. He introduced Slade and they played ‘Get Down & Get With It’.

Nick Prince… Does anyone else remember when the Radio One Road Show used to come to Hastings? The one I saw was about 1976 and was held on the beach where the Pelham Place car park is. David Hamilton was the DJ, I’m sure. Did Our Kid really manage to sing live? or is this my imagination running away with itself?

Mark Randall… Yep, I was there. I had bought Frampton Comes Alive on cassette and had to wait ’til I returned home Tonbridge after the week’s holiday. Mum packed two suitcases: one for clothes for 4 of us, the other filled with tinned food ….. And teabags

Deirdre Sears… Anyone remember if Radio Luxembourg did a Road Show in Bournemouth August 1975?

Pete Houghton… I saw Jigsaw on the pier and they had the Radio Luxemburg truck parked at the front of the pier and Jigsaw signed my Flyer

Manfred Mann – Hastings Pier 30th July 1967

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Martyn Baker… I’m pretty sure I saw the earthbound there in the mid 70’s. Or did I imagine that gig?

Alan Esdaile… No you didn’t imagine it Martyn, I will repost.

Dave Weeks… Ah the famous support groups ‘ join now’ and ‘free membership ‘ whatever happened to them?

Mick O’Dowd… Just imagine. I stood on stage at The Madness gig on The Pier and stated that they hadn’t played there. Mr Gentry corrected me and for the 2nd time this month i’m on the naughty step! If i’d known they were on I would have gone.

Margaret Trowell… I still go and see Manfred Mann to this day!

Dave Nattress… Well the Manfred’s – seen many times – fabulous – definitely recommend. And of course Hastings’s own Son, Steve Kinch bassist in Manfred Mann’s Earth Band!

Queens Road Hastings billboards 1960

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© Harold Dilworth Crewdson

Graham Sherrington… plain simple photos aint they great what is there now?

Keith Veness… Graham, I think it was a petrol station and then a car sales Now a block of flats opposite Morrisons

Graham Sherrington… wow that far down from the memorial we did not move to Queens Road till 63/4 from the High Street. thanks

Peter Ellingworth… I believe this is 158 Queens Rd., which along with Nelson, Milward Rds. and St. Mary’s Terrace were the victims of a Nazi three fighter-bombers raid on 26th Sept.1940 in which fourty high explosive bombs were dropped, the targets being the nearby gas holders and rail lines.
Three people were killed and a number injured. (Source- ‘Hastings at War’ and ‘Historical Hastings’.)  I remember the site as a kid well- note how the overhead wiring for the former trolleybuses is still intact after they finished in May-June 1959. Didn’t it become a garage shortly afterwards lasting until well into the 1970’s?

Richard J Porter… Flats now, I think.

David Edwards… It was Little Joe’s car lot for years.

Nigel Sinden… David, It was when I first moved into Stonefield Road.

Peter Ellingworth… Further to my previous post: With further examination on Google, I believe 158 Queens Rd. is actually on the opposite side of the road to the photo, and during the raid of Thursday 26th Sept 1940 158 Queens Rd. and the property opposite ( the one in the photo), was destroyed along with others in the town as mentioned. I have just found my original copy that the Observer published of ‘Hastings at War’ which if anybody interested I will bring along when I get down, all being well to the next coffee meet. There are two photos of the damage on both sides of Queens Rd.
I believe this booklet was reproduced some years ago, can anybody enlighten me on that? It’s interesting to reflect on re -reading in this booklet how relatively defenceless Hastings was left until well into the war, as with the shortage of Ack-Ack guns these were mainly deployed in cities and industrial areas elsewhere. Also that Hastings’s post raids assistance programme set up by HBC was used as a yardstick for other towns.

John Butcher… l think the Germans got the best in their restoration as we were told there was a limit to repairs by Hastings council unlike many years after for princess anne.

Graham Sherrington… I have a copy of Hastings at War will see when it was printed. Thanks for the info on the photo.

Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band – De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill 28th July 1995

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David Wimble… Didn’t Dorris Collins have to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances? Lol

Lance Collins… David, think she saw the tickets sales

Mick O’Dowd… Was at the Zoot Money gig. Talking to him in the bar before show. Down to earth bloke.He had an ex-member of Bad Company in his band. I’ve been a life-long fan. The best album was Zoot! Live At Klooks Kleek. Another band that unfortunately couldn’t quite reproduce the excitement of their live performances. Still performing today

Alan Esdaile… Still going strong and crops up on the SMART facebook page from time to time.

 

Status Quo plus Andy Bown Band – Hastings Pier 28th July 1973

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Poster Supplied by Mick Mepham.They returned to Hastings to film at the Blue Reef Aquarium for the film ‘Bula Quo’.

John Storer… Remember this gig well … there was a huge buzz of excitement around the town when it was announced. Quo did not disappoint and, if memory serves, they finished with a blistering version of The Doors “Roadhouse Blues'”. Andy Bown Band were also very good. He had been a member of The Herd with Peter Frampton and had then gone on to form the excellent but little-known Judas Jump along with The Herd’s drummer, Henry Spinetti (son of Victor). Their 1970 album, “Scorch” is one I picked up for a pittance down the Old Town and still play occasionally today. These days, Andy is a member of … Status Quo!

Tony Court-Holmes… got very drunk nothing new there but that was before real ale how my life has changed ha ha

Jim Hobbs… Great gig, the room was packed. The Quo were great and I was also impressed by Andy Bown, who also played with the Floyd on some of their live shows.

Kevin Carlyon… Slightly before my time of doing the printing for Ace Promotions and Joe Morowski!!

Yvonne Cleland… Can’t remember what they did now, but I do remember that they did three encores….

Pete Fisher… I remember seeing them on the pier and being thoroughly impressed not to say blown away. I really thought the wooden floor was going to cave in any minute, people were jumping and dancing so much…

Ralph Town… Andy Bown, of course,wrote and sang the theme to Supersonic pop show and the childrens tv series, “Tarot”.Now playing in the Quo

Colin Bell… Andy Bown supporting Quo, that was a bit of nepotism. Andy had unofficially joined Quo that same year playing keyboards on their recording sessions, one big happy family!