Month: February 2024

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”.

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Vinegar Joe & Gary Moore Band – Hastings Pier 23rd February 1973

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supplied by Roger Carey

Leigh Wieland-Boys….I was Secretary of the Students Union at Hastings College at the time & assisted in organising the event – can’t believe it was 44 years ago! It was a great evening 😊

Mick Mepham….Alan, who is AS?

Phil Gill….Andy Strickland probably.

Chris Meachen…..Definitely Andy Strickland, god rest ‘im.. Somewhere in my attic I have a vinegar Joe poster with Elkie’s autograph written on her thigh.. She was a hot chick …..

Tony Qunta….That was a great gig! Both bands were fantastic. I am pretty sure Jim Mullen was playing 2nd guitar with Vinegar Joe!

Paul Sleet…..I remember this one. went backstage afterwards and met Elkie Brooks, courtesy of Chris Meachen who was doing his usual roadying.

Paul Edmonds… Missed this one, great days! Hi Phil and Chris.

Peter Thomson… Superb gig. Forgot I’d actually seen Gary Moore!

Yvonne Cleland… I was at the front for Gary Moore! x

Andy Qunta… I saw both these bands on the Pier, so I was probably at this gig!

Simon Walsh… Yes I was there too!

Gavin Martin… MMMmmm Smells good? The pier, the students , vinegar Joe??

Jennie Tocock…  I remember this one! Elkie Brooks was fabulous!

Mick O’Dowd… Used to love Vinegar Joe.

Peter Houghton… I remember seeing Vinegar Joe on the Pier, as i was at Hastings College then.

John Wilde… I was there also Pete.

Tony Court-holmes… so was I

Alan King… something about Robert Palmer used to make my skin crawl, can’t understand how Little Feat got involved with him

Yvonne Cleland… I was there. Front row for Gary Moore! x

Nick Silk… Pretty sure this is one of Graham Hows tickets/posters ( later of ACE PROMOTIONS) . I was SU president at some point around here and we used to sell tickets at the college in return for free entry… Graham H & Andy Strickland ‘s band “Pete Plastic and the chuck ups” used to practice at my parents house in Filsham Road. I recall organising a Melody Maker version of X Factor for bands – Elkie Brooks was one of the judges. I think Hastings band Stallion won the heat!

Chris Meachen… Poster was definitely done by Andy Strickland, as I was sitting with him while he was drawing it up.. Should still have an autographed copy of it somewhere

Andy Davies… What a memorable night Robert Palmer and Elkie Brooks (when she was good!!!) onlead vocals, brilliant…

Eric Harmer… Loved vinegar joe. With Elkies vocals

John McCormack… Would loved to have seen Gary Moore

Paine Electrics – Opening 22nd February 1971.

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Phil Gill… Great. I bought the first Taste album and The Mothers Live at the Fillmore there. Roger Carey bought a lot of music there too.

Alan Pepper… If you had a time machine and went back to ’71 what RECORDS would you get from Paine’s Electrics ?

Alan Esdaile… Loads of great albums in 1971. Subject to budget which was very tight then, I would say Carol King Tapestry, Who Who’s Next, Janis Joplin Pearl and Leonard Cohen Songs Of Love & Hate.

Andy Qunta… If I had a time machine, I would get Time Machine by Factory! I lost my copy! Also The Yes Album, Genesis’ Nursery Cryme, and Deep Purple’s Fireball came out that year, I think.

Nigel Ford… Seeing it was formerly HORNBROOKS, I think that was what the shop in Battle was called when I first bought my 7″s. I don’t desire anything else from that time other than those I have still : GRAND FUNK Live & HUMBLE PIE Performance Rockin the Fillmore, though the latter was much later in the year. I remenber getting GENESIS Nursery Crimes & HUMBLE PIE Smokin from the DISC JOCKEY at different times around then and taking them back as they were too boring, which BIG AL did no problem.

Andy Qunta… Nursery Cryme boring? No way!

Alan Esdaile… Great album Nursery Cryme. Also like Selling England by The Pound.

Ian Cramp… Thanks, fond memories of this shop Best album that year in my opinion Meddle by Pink Floyd.

Alan Esdaile… lots of great albums in 1971. Who’s Next, What’s Going On Marvin Gaye, Blue Joni Mitchell… difficult choice Ian.

Pete Fairless… Don’t forget ‘Sticky Fingers’, ‘Tapestry’ and ‘Hunky Dory’…

 

The West Hill Lift Hastings

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photos shared from Hastings Museum & Art Gallery https://www.facebook.com/hastingsmuseum/

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery… The West Hill lift reopened a couple of weeks ago after some maintenance work. We’ve found a few photos showing the upper station and café. How many of your remember when they looked like this?

Alan Esdaile… remember it just like that. Mind you I haven’t been on it for years, so perhaps its pretty much the same??

Jim Breeds… Yep, it’s still in black & white!

Barry Upton… Wonder who the little young lady is who is now on face book over 60 years ago

Andy Hemsley… I remember when the lift attendants wore boiler suits – proper!

Peter Ellingworth… Remember it well….and the pedestal mounted telescope centre picture centre left. Sixpence/shilling a go was it ?

Ken Hatch… Looking for great things from HBC now they’ve taken on the cafe again, this quintessential Hastings

 

Public Bar Prices – 1971

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source: Seventies Time-Machine https://www.facebook.com/sixties.timemachine/

Kevin Sherwood… Started drinking on the pier 1973 ish no wonder i was so happy then!

Paul Crimin… Inflation? What inflation?

Dennis Torrance… Amazing prices lol

Leigh Wieland-Boys… I’ll have a double G&T please!

Nicola Dobson… What a difference

Andy Qunta… You’d think we’d have been drunk all the time at that price! What’s that you say? We were?

Geoff Peckham… Yep, Andy. Those were the days!

Alan King… well i was drunk most of the time -wish i could remember those days better

Barry Hilton… What was the price of a semi-detached house then roughly?

Alan King… ours was about £1,700 in Middlesbrough, an ex-showhouse, would have been £2,100 otherwise, think they’re still the same price these days in some parts of Middlesbrough though but..

Andy Maby… 5p a pint!! 😯 Time/life/progress!

David Edwards… I brought a bungalow for £4300 in ’71 paying £32 a month mortgage and earning £30 a week wages say 600 pints a week. Average wage now £600 a week, a pint say a fiver equals 120 pints, think me maths are right.

Barry Hilton… just goes to show, someone is making some major profit somewhere! Ah, that will probably be the duty on the Beer!

Alan King… Guinness was 14p a pint when I started drinking – 52p – 5p bus fare there, 5 p bus fare back – 3 pints of Guinness – 52p – a night out – if you wanted to get rat-arsed a bottle of Harveys Bristol Creme was 50p and you could drink that on the bus on the way in

Jane Hartley… Couple of pints of Guinness please!

Alan Parker… In those days you could buy a house for the same as a couple pints today

Graham Sherrington… This must be from ‘Up North Like’ Magnet Ale by John Smith’s use to drink that in Yorkshire in the Old 70’s

West Hill Cafe

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photo: Hastings Museum & Art Gallery https://www.facebook.com/hastingsmuseum

Chris Baker… When I was in The Town Council (Pop Band), we practiced in the toilets there because it had great accoustics!

Coral Pasqua… I use to live across the road from there.

Janey Jane… I remember the cafe like that back in the day, such a lovely spot

John Anthony Jones… There’s a joke somewhere, Chris

Michael Linskey… Shame how it’s been allowed to get rundown, hopefully someone takes on to bring it back to life again , as such a focal point with great views

Trevor Mepham… Exactly how I remember it, seems so long ago now

Tony Court-holmes… is it still open?

Alan Esdaile… I think it’s still closed Tony and has been for awhile. Unless anyone knows otherwise. I know Hastings Borough Council is looking for someone to run it and also a interpretation centre for telling the story of Hastings Castle.

Peter Ellingworth… Remember the telescope in the mid left of the photo? Sixpence a go if I remember.

Mick Knights… If I’m not mistaken the tall pipe in the foreground was the exhaust for the engine