Radio Luxembourg Charts – 1968 to 1979

supplied by David Armstrong

Available from Amazon.co.uk     https://www.amazon.co.uk/Radio…/dp/B0BT75V8L1/…

David Armstrong… A much loved and well-remembered pastime was lying in bed late at night with a radio under the bedclothes, listening to the most famous radio station in Europe – The English service of Radio Luxembourg. Founded in 1933, Luxy, as the station was affectionately known, broadcast entertainment and popular music to a continent which was poorly served in that regard by their national broadcasters. In Great Britain, millions of people listened to the Top Twenty Show which began in October 1948 and was Europe’s very first regular popular music chart countdown. The programme evolved over the years. Between 1948 and December 1959 the chart was based on the sheet music sales listing compiled by the Music Publishers Association. From January 1960 the New Musical Express record charts were used and later in the decade Luxy compiled their own chart in house. It is this final period that this book remembers.
These charts have not been available anywhere in print.

 

Hurst Court The Ridge Hastings – closed photos by Anthony ‘Nan’ Morland

photos © Anthony ‘Nan’ Morland

Tracy Birrell… Such a shame that it was knocked down……

Jo Turner… Worked there for a while in my teens.

Jilly Jones… Stayed there, for a night , it was an amazing inside.xx

Ian Johnson… Rewired it when I was an apprentice

Claire Triance… Before Hastings lost its character all big old houses gone or burnt down

Ju-ju Davies… My mum used to work here.

Gaz Linch… Did a couple of music courses here over Easter . Must be close to 50 years ago . Even swam in the very cold pool

Lance Collins… Did discos there

Pauline Sims… I remember those days!

Christine Giles… you could stay there weekends

Matt Thomas… Was this another victim of one of the towns mysterious fires?

Tim Moose Bruce… Matt, There was a care home next door that mysteriously caught fire..

Keith Veness… Painted some of the rooms when it was a youth centre

Neil Chalcraft… One my judo pals went to school there in its last days as a pre school

Katy Howard was Parsons… Had our wedding reception here. Was a great venue. Such a shame

Tim Moose Bruce… I read somewhere that it was taken down and shipped to America to be rebuilt.

Ian Quinnell… I seem to remember going there, after it had closed as a school, with a number of other pupils from Priory Road to help clear and tidy the grounds. Would have been around 1970. Anyone else from Priory Road remember this?

Wendy Weaver… We went to a wedding reception here. It seemed a lovely venue.

Chris Meachen…. Mum used to help raise funds for it, & I can remember going to various ‘fun activity’ events. Unlike the usual fires, this one was left with some windows open so the weather & pigeons could make it uninhabitable. Damned shame to have watched it decay over the years…

Mike Waghorne… I remember Westridge building contractors putting the blue hoarding up

Steve Mann… Had my wedding reception here – great venue

 

Rockaires & with the Rocking Devils Swanscombe. 16th July 1976 and chat on Talisman

rockaires at swanscombe

us and the devils 1

swanscombe2 Rockaires Ticket

all photos and cuttings supplied by John Breeds. Ticket supplied by Andy Knight.

Bryan Baker (Lead Guitar), Andy Knight. (Drums), John Breeds (Bass Guitar) and Dave Alderson (Vocals).

John Breeds….The line up pictures are at Swanscombe appearing with the “Rocking Devils” (pictured) and the “Flying Saucers”

Joe Knight….cool!!!

Chris Baker…..Somehow Andy Knight manages to look cool, even with that hairstyle!

Yvonne Cleland…..Like the drape coat, Andy

Dave Alderson… The photo with us and the rockin devils was at Stanford le hope rockers w/e there was also sandy ford and the flying saucers.im still in bands ie lucky strike for 15 years the switchblades and a current band

John Breeds… Dave Alderson (Vocals), John Breeds (Bass), Bryan Baker (Lead and Vocals) and Andy Knight (Drums). Rockaires was a Hastings based band . Andy left soon after these photos were taken and he was replaced with Dave Johnson (who Peter Millington would remember), and we remained with this format until the Rockaires finished in 1978.

Tony May… Brian Baker used to be in a band called ‘Talisman’. They had a single and album out called ‘Sounds in Our Minds’ ( I think). I met Brian years ago, he did some kind of teaching later on. I recall. I also saw his AWESOME vinyl Rock N’ Roll collection once!

Alan Esdaile… This one Tony?

talisman

John Breeds…. The LP was recorded at Riverside Studios in Chiswick , with a collaboration between Bryan Baker and Mark Swift of all the numbers except one. It was recorded with Bryan Baker (Guitar and Vocals), Chris Baker (Keyboards and some backing vocals), Dave Johnson (Drums and some backing vocals), John Breeds (Bass and some backing vocals) and Charlie McCalliogh (tenor Saxophone.)