Month: March 2024

Who remembers Malcolm Mitchells in High Street Old Town Hastings?

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Photo Bob Mitchell. shared from Hastings and Area Past and Present Facebook page

HAPP… It’s 25th March, 1988 and the well-known army surplus store Malcolm Mitchell’s in the High Street, closed. It had opened in 1946. The photo was supplied by Bob Mitchell who wrote “Anyone remember my Uncle Malcom’s shop in the High street where my dad Tom worked with him and the other brothers? Great days.”

Pete Fisher… Bought my fire service greatcoat there, and my first electric guitar, a no-name solid body for ten quid…

Lynda Whatley… I remember it well – it was just along from Judges who baked AMAZING Bread !

Lucy Pappas… Great shop!

Tony Court-holmes…  if born in the old town all of us. Piles of boots left one side and right the other and if you wanted laces you had copper wire we never had it so good

Jacqueline Marsh… I loved going in there and having a nose round, so many amazing things and so cheap too. It always had a dry musty smell, think is was from the old uniforms and rubber on things. Wonderful shop. Judges were famous for their Nelson cake, made up of stale cakes and loads of sugary stuff, they were always such a treat

Russell Field…  Loved that shop !

Dizz Corinne Ryder… I remember the “old” musty smell when I passed the shop and all the ex-army boots and clothes piled up. think they found a secret room off the main shop area when it was sold.

Alan Esdaile… I can still smell it by just looking at the photo!

John Busbridge… I bought a flying hat in there 50 odd years ago and I still wear it in my vintage car. Also bought a Military Flute and Fife which I’ve still got, I was learning Nights in White Satin!

Jacquie Hinves… The Moody Blues. I can’t forget that song! I was sweet on a guy called Lesley Sharpe. His dad owned the Volvo dealership/ garage in Silverhill. Oh memories! Loved it. So many smells and memories.

John Wilde… I clothed my funky self from Malcolms.

Angela Frances Gardner… I bought my boiler suit from there

Jonathan Mendenhall… remember it well

Pete Brazier… I Remember with great joy all the things I got from there, and there were a few things I remember missing out on cos I couldn’t get back in time before they sold out ”Great Times!”

Jeanette Jones… I had a very warm all wool nurses cape from there

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‘England’ prog rock band – Hastings Pier 25th March 1978

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featuring Phil Gill. supplied by Phil Gill via Robert Webb

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ad supplied by Sarah Harvey                poster Sue Arber via Phil Gill.

Phil Thornton ….England were great ! – lots of Mellotron and Moog, niceness !

Sarah Harvey….March 25th, 1978. England only produced one album in the 70s (Garden Shed – 1977) so I wonder what they filled out the set with. I have the Garden Shed album and played some tracks in my 70s show the other evening.

Andy Qunta…..Garden Shed is a fabulous album! They did have other songs too. I believe our SMART friends Jaffa Peckham & Phil Gill might know more about that?

Phil Gill….We didn’t do anything from Garden Shed that night or any other. It was all new stuff. The three original members had lived with the album for two years by then and wanted to move on. I’d have loved to have played songs off Garden Shed, but hey, I was the new boy.

Dave Nattress….Hi All you England fans!!  I had bought Garden Shed from Boots in Bexhill.  I’d noticed the album in the rack for what seemed like months and it just wasn’t selling – looked like the only copy , anyway eventually intrigue took over and I bought it and it just blew me away especially when I learned the nucleus of the band was from Crowborough.  So, when they played the pier and was gobsmacked to see Phil Gill on bass.  I of course was disappointed because like Phil says, they didn’t play one track off the Garden Shed album.  Many years later I bought “Last of the Jubblies” on CD and more recently – well still years back, got Garden Shed on CD.
Somehow then Geoff Peckham and I met up again – went to school with Jaffa in Bexhill from 7 years old till 16 when we left, and as we talked he said he’d played/recorded Jubblies but hadn’t got it or heard it for years and years.  I guess this was obviously after Phil Gill left – maybe Phil played on some tracks though, so I said all cool, well I had bought it as a punter so I was delighted to burn a copy and photocopy the sleeve etc. and I sent him the original for old school times sake.  Jaffa will remember that he and I were founder members of the Goon Squad at school.  To me, Jubblies doesn’t come close to Garden Shed though.  Garden Shed – like just out of (seemingly) nowhere – astonishing!!!

Phil Gill….Jaffa played on all of Jubblies, it was recorded before he left and I replaced him. I played all of Jubblies live, with the exception of Jaffa’s song “Sausage Pie”, which for some reason they dropped

Steve Kinch….Phil, I remember that we played with England in Worthing, but have got absolutely no memory of the actual gig. Wasn’t Roger Carey offered the job at one time?

Phil Gill….I remember the gig well. England were not a particularly dynamic live act in my opinion, and I kind of missed the excitement of the Stallion shows I’d done for the previous two years, with John Wilde running around shaking everyone on stage by the throat, knocking us around and generally whipping up a frenzy.  Yes, Roger was offered the job and I believe actually played and/or recorded with them at some point after I left. I’m a bit hazy on the story he told me, but he’d be able to confirm the detail.

Terry Pack….The Enid played twice with England while I was in the former and Phil with the latter. Lewisham(?) was one, but the other…? Do you remember, Phil? I didn’t know that Jaffa had played with them, too. I liked the drummer, who sounded a lot like Bill Bruford, I thought. The keyboard player had butchered any number of keyboards in an attempt to achieve a kind of midi. I thought they were very good.

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Trams and Trolleybuses in Hastings, St Leonards, Bexhill. Robert J Harley book 1905-1959

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Supplied by Peter Ellingworth. All images © Robert J Harley

 

Roger Simmonds… Loved the old trolley buses!

Peter Ellingworth… I would strongly recommend Robert Harley’s book, it has an absolute wealth of detail and certainly filled me in on a lot – I bought mine while at the East Anglia Transport Museum just outside Lowestoft, on a day incidentally when Hastings T-Bus no.34, the last one to run in Hastings under its own power on June 1st 1959, was working. I would, if you don’t want to buy the book outright, as like a lot of these publications they mainly cater to a niche market for sad anoraks like me and are not cheap, Hastings Library may well have a copy or can obtain one through the inter-library request service for a small fee. Re. The photos : the last two were taken a couple of weeks before the end, and the one with Happy Harold on an enthusiasts’ tour in 1958. I believe in latter years the High St. was made traffic signal controlled one way working for buses, such as when this particular photo was taken. At the top of the High Street is I think, at least it still was the last time I passed that way, the one remaining street traction pole still used for a street light that used to support the overhead wiring going back to tramway days complete with finial. The other two are in the grounds of Silverhill depot, and are visible from the road. And a number of wall mounted rosettes to carry the span wire that supported the running wires are still around the town. Again these date from Tramway days. Many thanks for an excellent coffee meet Alan, good to see such a well supported turn out and looking forward to the next.

 

Needles Stylus/Styli – its that one!

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supplied by Cris Kennard

Who remembers having to buy a replacement needle for your record player? Nightmare for the retailer, with some customers saying I know what it looks like if I can see it. With a 100 or so, different ones in stock and 100’s more available to special order in, unless you knew the number or had the old one with you, it was a bit of a nightmare.

Matt Thomas… Bloody nightmare working in a record shop

Tony Ham… Still buy them, got a record on the turntable right now.

Lance Collins… Stanton D50. Still got some somewhere .

Dave Nattress… Definitely remember having to buy replacement needles for my first half-decent deck – a Garrard SP24 or 25 or something like. I think there were 2 basic choices Diamond or Sapphire? Testing the memory this is. Also a bit of a fiddle actually doing the change. I had a cheap sort of music centre – stereo, before this, Alba I think and before that a Dansette mono job before the Alba with a 6 record auto-change for singles. Must have needed replacement needles. Way before, my parents had a wind-up 78 playing gramophone with tiny steel needles that didn’t last long?

Robert Searle… Garrard easily better than BSR, at least it played at the right speed.

Nigel Ford… I remember having to buy a “stereo-compatible” one for the Dansette Tempo (still in attic) in order to hear the new stereo albums “properly”, maybe “Their Satanic Majesties” or “Let it Bleed” I seem to remember being one of the first I had….. but then heard it on a good neighbours (RIP Tony) Bang & Oulufsen (? spelling) and SOOOO much better!

Chris Meachen…  I remember getting the fright of my life in the 70’s when I enquired about a replacement stylus for a Shure v15 cartridge, & got a quote of £75! It was actually cheaper to buy another cartridge, complete with stylus.. (it did come in a posh carved box, but even so…)

Roger Collier… I had a V15III. I think it was about £50 in 1976 from Comet. The plastic box resembled an ornate carved chest.

Tim Moose Bruce… Used to get my goldring styli from the Trading Post in Castle st. Got all the kit components and speakers to build my first hifi from there too. Talking of old school stereo stuff, found a shop in Kings rd the other day with a load of old stuff in.

Jan Warren… Still buy them

 

Quadrille, Incredible Hog & Stormcrow – Hastings Pier – 29th March 1974. Iguana replaced Incredible Hog

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poster supplied by Mick Mepham, flyer supplied by Roger Carey, Stormcrow photo 1 & photo  4 supplied by Chris Meachen, Stormcrow photo 2 and 3 supplied by Clive Richardson.

Quadrille and Incredible Hog did not play. Incredible Hog replaced by Iguana.

Clive Richardson….Quadrille turned up but the gear never arrived so Stormcrow did 2 sets. Also Incredible Hog cancelled and were replaced by Iguana. Iguana eventually became Jess Roden’s Band.

Peter Fairless… Always good to see pictures of bands in the ballroom!

Chris Meachen… Stormcrow’s singer was called Annie, if I recall correctly, & lived Bromley way.. I visited her for a couple of hours once when on the way to see ELP at the empire pool..

Steve Maxted photos and chat about George

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maxted

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photos supplied by Jozef Maxted

Jim Breeds… Brilliant 🙂

Caz Simpson… Oh wow! That brings back so many memories!

Janine Anne Hemsley… OMG

Eric Harmer… I remember going on stage on the down a yard of beer comp

Caz Simpson… Does anyone remember George? The lovely guy who always ate the raw eggs

Kevin Burchett… I  remember George I think he came over from Bexhill he was always on the stage

John Wilde… George was never afraid to get out on the floor and be the first to dance.

Mick Knights… He also walked from Bexhill and back every evening!

Andre Martin…. Steve [ with the shades] taken at the Black Umbrella Promotions Day for PYE records at Shepperton Studio – mid 1970s, he is standing next to the handsome hairy one – ME !!

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Pete Pursglove… ha ha remember him well ,good show he used to do

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Radio Caroline 70s flashback cd and We Love The Pirates supplied by Mick O’Dowd

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Nigel Ford… are these new out? Hoping to catch Tony Blackburn & Johnny Walker’s “pirate” radio 2 programme tomorrow?

Colin Bell… Hi Nigel, no they were both issued 15 – 20 years ago, you can pick up copies on ebay for around £5 – £10 each. Hope this helps

Mick O’Dowd… No sorry Nigel. They have been out a few years. The Caroline one is a 3CD set and is the new Caroline from the Mi Amigo ship. The We Love The Pirates is newer and is probably available on Amazon .

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Hastings Pier 28th March 1973

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Manfred Mann 28th March 1973

manfred mann write up

poster supplied by Mick Mepham

Andy Qunta… As I recall, although my timeline could be off, Factory had supported MMEB in Brighton not long before this. I thought they were interesting, but I wasn’t quite sure if I liked them that first time (the music, not the band – they were fine). This 2nd time, at the Pier, I decided I definitely liked them. They had a big hit with Joybringer at this time, and I think that due to what I have since learned is Manfred’s quirkiness, they did not play that song live!

Dave Nattress… From the sketchy memory….Joybringer was a nice single and partly based or maybe it “sampled” a classical piece – could it be from the Planets Suite? I did have the single. I also have “The Good Earth” vinyl LP which came with a certificate (I think) but anyway if not a certificate as such, some blurb about the band having purchased a plot of land in deepest Wales and that each owner of the album was the owner of a one square foot of this plot – a bit small for a house – unless it was a Lego House. “The Roaring Silence” was the next album which I have on vinyl which contains I think “Blinded by the Light” – I’ve forgotten who wrote it – was it “The Boss”. Am I right, Steve Kinch has been in the MMEB for some years? Just one more thing as a connection obviously, “The Manfreds” – who’ve done The White Rock a good few times and The Congress are excellent.

Gerry Fortsch…I saw this line up on many occasions at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, I cant remember why not on the pier?

Andy Qunta… I was at this gig. Wasn’t sure if I liked them or not, although it was interesting. They didn’t play Joybringer as I recall. However I kept thinking about it. Shortly afterwards, Factory supported them in Brighton. After that I was a big fan & still am. Later on they recorded my song “Tribal Statistics” on their Somewhere in Africa album. I got to know the singer, Chris Thompson, & we started writing songs, eventually including You’re The Voice, which we wrote with Keith Reid & Maggie Ryder. At some point Chris told me MMEB were going have auditions for a new bass player. I played keyboards with the band for them at the auditions as Manfred was busy or didn’t want to. Of course I told Steve Kinch he should try out. He came in & was his usual fabulous self & got the job, beating out many other top notch players!

Ernest Ballard… Great piece of rock history there Andy.