Anyone remember Roy Carpenter who used to sing at talent competitions on Hastings Pier?

photo: Chris Roberts

Dave Trodd… Does anyone remember Roy Carpenter singing at the talent competitions on Hastings Pier, late 50’s early 60’s? He always got the biggest cheer of anyone. It would be great if anyone has any photos?

Robert Searle… A great photo

Lloyd Johnson… I remember bumping into Roy Carpenter outside of The Fiesta Coffee Bar in the early 60s. He was a real character. I never heard him sing but he was trying to convince me and others that Frank Sinatra had given him the hat he was wearing which seemed quiet eccentric at the time.I remember thinking he was a bit weird…. if only The Pier was still intact like this photo!…

Chris Baker… I remember Dave Trodd!

Jacqui Gibson… Chris, Yes me too….

Conan Howard… Chris Baker, do you remember the basement in George Street? Len, Bass guitarist friend of Allen Watts ? 1970s

 

remembering Lord Tiverton – Derek Howell

Pauline Richards… Didn’t he buy a place in George St. And have a swimming pool put in on 1st floor!

Kevin Burchett… Pauline, yes he did and I use to do his garden for him a couple of mornings a week

Claire Lonsdale… yes, I went to one of his parties

Stuart Moir… I remember seeing him driving the beauty queen ahead of the carnival procession in his pink Roller, don’t know if I’m correct but did he park it in a garage under his flat in George street ?

Katy Howard Was Parsons… He used to open his house up for charity. Was really interesting, weird and wonderful. He didn’t have an oven or hardly any kitchen because he used to eat out every night. Such a character.

Rosana Maria… Katy, yes I remember that x

Vince Ray… Anyone seen any photos from inside his house in George Street? I’ve read that it had marble pillars and a swimming pool. Any many great parties!

Betty Bird… Vince, It was bonkers! Glass lift! Swimming pool! Waterfall on the roof …He used to open it up for visitors during (I think) Hastings week.

Vince Ray… Can’t believe there’s no photos from inside this place

Alan Esdaile… I remember seeing him on a tv show, showing the presenter around his home.

Mike Waghorne… He lived in George St sometime in the mid 80’s, I did some workvon the swimming pool he had built there.

Alan Wood… Think I voted for him at an election

Alan Esdaile… Alan, I think I did as well!

Sheila Maile… Yes he had wild parties

Jacquie Hinves… God bless Derek. He lived in George Street, had a white Rolls Royce and partied a lot. There very many happy memories of him.

Mods and Rockers at The Lido and Beachcomber Eversfield Place St Leonards

photos supplied by Leigh Kennedy

Chris Meachen… Ah, the Lido.. One of my favourite hangouts in my early teens, they had a great system where you could do washing up in exchange for food or drink if you were broke. One tray got you a coffee, another two earned a hot pie. Met some great people there, many of whom I’m still in touch with today..

Lloyd Johnson… Wasn’t the Lido a bikers /Rockers hangout later…I know I never went there back then…

Chris Meachen… it was a bikers hangout when I was going there in the late 60s, though in those days we were called ‘greasers’..

Paul Durrant… Yes def a bikers hangout late 60s- and a proper cafe / coffee bar. Just as Chris says re the washing up exchange. Pinball machines on the upper level at the back then through to the kitchen for washing up which also knocked out a full cafe menu as required for those with money. Also the cold milk machine, Lyons apple pies etc.  They also owned the late night drinking club upstairs and a few doors to the west. Used to have some VIP gangster London folk down for all night card games in that club too I think. Lots of nights to remember in the Lido….when the fair was in town on the oval a bunch of the Lido folk would go up and work there…..a few sombre days and nights after various bike fatalities over the years too. If you were a newbie someone would say ‘free drinks at the Yelton tonight’ and you’d go with them and be ushered through the revolving door first only for those following to hold the door shut and bang on the glass from the outside leaving the stranded person to face the wrath of the hotel staff! There were some magnificent days with bikes lined up outside as far as the eye could see. Lots of visiting bikers too. Next door (out of shot) was a bomb site car park (now built on) where you could scramble up the steep bank towards White Rock Gardens.

Harry Randall… definitely a “Rockers” Bar!

Eric Burgess… Was a biker back then and the lido was my second home

Rat Barry… Doesn’t ring any bells with me , where was the Lido?

Jenny Power… Ray, On the seafront opp. The pier where the Indian restaurant is now

Sue Strong… Used to go to the Lido until it shut down, we were all lost and didn’t have anywhere to go

Jenny Power… I moved down here in 1968..with my own bike. I hung out at the Lido where I met a fellow rocker and married him.

Bookham Ally… Is that somebody ‘helping the police with their enquiries’?

John Randall… Beachcomber for me we had car police or bike police and parking. Lido for rockers beachcomber for mods all future leaders of community

Barry Carey… Spent many late nights in the beachcomber fabulous place in its day.

John Randall… One day the Juke box in the beachcomber wouldn’t stop playing records for free. In the café in those day’s you could joke with the bobbies, perhaps not these particular ones.

Ron Keesing… I thought the Beachcomber used to be Nicks caff, where bikers hung out! There was a caff run by Nic along that area, bikers parked outside and went into caff

 

 

Curzon Cinema St Leonards closes in January 1977

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Derek Clemans… I went to see Slade in flame there.

Dizz Corinne Ryder… me too!

Peter Houghton… Didn’t they used to call it the flea pit?

Alan Esdaile… That was The Orion, Pete.

Nick Prince… no the Curzon was the best in the borough at the time of closing

Janine Anne Scott… My Grandma was an usherette there in the 60s.

Dennis Torrance… Sad when it went Remember wet winter Sunday afternoons in there with old girlfriend they used to bring tea trolley around great service and some great films

Alan Esdaile… remember the tea trolley. Used to get the old film posters from the manager.

Christina Prentice… My auntie Winnie took me there to see escape from witch mountain!!!!

Mike Mitchell… Ah that wonderful tea trolley pushed along by a lady in a checked nylon house coat. Tea always came in cup *and* saucer no less!
And the manager was always standing outside in dinner jacket and bow tie to greet you. Happy days!

Nick Prince… The Curzon closed seven days after the Penguin did. A week later, the White Rock Pavilion showed its last film. It wasn’t uncommon to get several films a year there

Kevin White… My dad was a projectionist there in the 50’s or 60’s.I used to get in free as a kid as he knew the manager at the time. Mum used to send me down there with some sandwiches during the summer holidays when I was getting on her nerves,bless her cotton socks.So quite often

Ralph Town… I saw a re run of “Man who fell to Earth” in 77 too.I got press book,poster,photos THE LOT!

Patrick Turner… I worked as a projectionist there in the 60s great times. Patrick Turner also Brian Warne

Colin Bell… My local cinema, only lived a few hundred yards away. That Manager was a lovely gentleman, and tea & biccies in the intermission, I hate Multiplex’s in comparison!

Ian Quinnell… I used to go to school (PR) in the 60’s with a guy whose father was manager of the Curzon and I think the Classic in Queens Rd. Think his surname was Searcy or similar

Colin Bell… Yup, thats the guy in the closure article Ian.

Patrick Turner… I also went out with 1 of the usherets in my youth

Kevin White… Patrick Turner, did you know my dad Ivor White,it may have been the 50’s when he worked there though,I’m not sure. He was also a projectionist at the Ritz where Ocean House is now, where he met Richard Attenborough. He also worked at the Roxy at Silverhill where the Carpet shop is and at Battle cinema. This is Ivor showing a young Sir Richard Attenborough, the projectors at the Ritz cinema in 1948. This is taken from our family website. http://whitehouse2002.co.uk

supplied by Kevin White

Patrick Turner… Sorry Kevin l do not remember your dad. He might have been just before l was. l am pretty sure it was 1962 when l was first there. I think her name was Sandra, can’t remember her surname.

Kevin White… Patrick, I think dad was there a few years before you were there.I also realized that some of my info was wrong about the cinema in London Road,where Ocean House is now,it wasn’t the Ritz,because of course that was in the town centre where ESK is now,it was the Regal Cinema.I remember sneaking in there as a kid when it had been standing derelict for a while. I could have only been about 7 or 8 at the time,there were three or four of us and we climbed in through a broken window into some sort of storeroom, and as we opened the door to go exploring, there was a loud shout from inside the building,we turned and ran like hell. We legged it down into Kings Road and went and hid in Woolworths. What idiots we were.

Alan Esdaile… Woolworth in Kings Road, another memory.

Kevin White… Used to love going and getting a bag of pick n’ mix sweets for a shilling or something like that.

Jane Hartley… Saw Towering Inferno on TV the other day. Took a younger friend who was too young to see it without an adult, to the Curzon to see it.

Sian Hayward… My mother worked there as an usherette serving teas and coffees from a trolley. Seems very quaint!

Patrick Turner… Sian, What was her name.

Linda Boiling… My Mum (May) was an Usherette at The Curzon around 1965 for many years and my stepdad (Wally) used to change over the advertising posters outside. My sister and I used to see the films for free over and over again. Can remember seeing Oliver as loved Jack Wild, The Sound of Music, Dr Zhivago and many more. They worked for Mr Searcy, his son Ian worked there and his daughter Kay. When my sister left school she worked there for a while too. I can remember that at Christmas the children from Malmsbury House Childrens home used to go to see a film for free. Really sad when it closed.