Couple having tea on the beach in Hastings, 1960 Photograph by Bruce Davidson.

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Photograph © Bruce Davidson.

shared from: Great British Tea Party  – https://www.facebook.com/GreatBritishTeaParty

Mick O’Dowd… What’s the betting he is wearing a tie!

Jaffa Peckham… Mick, actually, I think he’s just spilled tea down his shirt….

Mick O’Dowd… Should have added with his top button done up which seemed to be all the rage for men of a certain age on the beach in those days. Can’t have been there long as there is no hankie on the head!

Mike Mitchell… Love the fact they’ve brought saucers for the tea cups

Graham Sherrington… Mike, Cos we are British!! What a fantastic photo

John Gale… They got down there early. Waiting for Mastins to open great photo.

Peter Houghton… What a great photo So British

Woolworth Hastings 1963

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photo: Hastings Library 

Colin Bell… Wish it was still there

Gary Benton… It was such a wonderful town, now I’ve moved to Jersey and absolutely no intention of coming back.

David Martin… Gary, don’t blame you, it goes from bad to worse here year after year.

Sandie Carlyon… My first Saturday job. Sweet counter.

Jane Collins… My first Saturday job as well – remember we had to start at 1/2 day only?

Hugh Cockett… Could even be me on point duty directing traffic ?

Wendy Wilson… I worked here in 1965/1966 – part time while still doing my GCE’s and then full time until July – by then I was a ‘white belt girl’ and also worked in the office Loved smokey bacon crisps in a buttered roll for 11’s

Gerry Fortsch… What a great shop

Peter Houghton… Great picture!!!

Brian Scales… Fond memories

Carol Acott… My Saturday job too….4 hours in the afternoon on the tea bar…

Roy Winchester… Remember it well

Nigel Ford… rare motor on left? Custom Austin estate? A30 then Commer (?) van, Zephyr/ Zodiac ? Consul ? & Mini…. but is it a Morris or Austin? and even a woofer centre stage, but no tweeter…….they weren’t invented yet.

Peter Houghton… Those were great day’s back then But now the town has Been Spoilt and it’s a shame

Jim Hobbs… When Hastings had a charming town centre, bus stand and the Castle Hotel just out of shot. Replaced by a hideous modern building for Tesco.

 

Footloose and Hat Trick – Hastings Pier 15th April 1978.

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april 78?? from barry french

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cutting supplied by Barry French,  photo supplied by Roger Carey

Tim Moose Bruce… Footloose were great. Loved their versions of Foreigner and Boston songs.

Iain Cobby… nice bass Rog, but I can’t remember the gig? Thank you TMB we had a great time as Footloose. God bless Tony Bridger. Harry Randall (I was on 2 bands after you on Beatles Day for Mania’s last gig) and my old friend Brian Setchfield who I haven’t seen for over 20 years.

Dave Nattress… Hi Iain, Brian is alive and well and we often bump into each other and talk about old times – and music of course, whilst walking our dogs along Cooden sea-front.

Bands We’ve Seen On Hastings Pier – Tony May

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hastings pier

Tony May talking about  Bands On Hastings Pier

Hastings Pier may just be a derelict and rusting shell at the moment but its great to know that ‘the old girl’ is far from forgotten in the minds of many in the town and a number of nostalgic groups have popped up since the fire on social media websites like Facebook.

One such group –‘ Bands We’ve Seen On Hastings Pier’ http://www.facebook.com/groups/196962362327/ has proved particularly popular and has become THE place to visit on the Internet for those who desire to wax lyrical about anything to do with the Pier’s illustrious musical past.

Reading through the many posts makes you realise just how special a place Hastings Pier was in its heyday and its amazing to see just how many popular performers have contributed memories and/or photos to the group pages. In fact, almost anyone who has ever meant anything to the musical side of Hastings seems to have joined the conversation at some point and told a story or shared a memory or photograph.

Interestingly, those who had a close association with the Pier in the 1970’s seem to be the most vociferous members and there are numerous posts from Hastings favourites like Phil Thornton, Mick Mepham, Pete Fairless, Johnny Mason (Alan Esdaile), Terry Huggins, Ken Dengate, Robert Wren and a host of others.Don’t for a second though think that the party is an all male affair. Oh No! Plenty of ladies including Pam Shallcross, Yvonne Cleland and Margaret Haywood are regular posters and are just as passionate and chatty regarding their own personal memories.

It never ceases to make me smile when I think of the ‘eclectic’ selection of acts to have appeared on the Pier over the years…One of the weirdest groups of all perhaps was ‘Gong’. A ‘space rock, psychedelic, progressive rock band’, the group was never one to do things by half and Phil Thornton remembers that “UV lights, gliss guitar and paper plates” were all ingredients of the bands stage show.

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Ruperts People with Santos Morados – Hastings Pier 14th April 1968

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ruperts autographs

poster Andre Palfrey-Martin Collection.  autographs supplied by Colin Bell

Mick O’Dowd….Best known for “Whiter Shade of Pale”-like tune Reflections of Charles Brown. Have their CD which is pretty good to.

Wendy Wells… I remember this gig as an almost 16 year old. Had a crush on Steve from Santos Morados. If I remember rightly we exchanged addresses and wrote a couple of times, but never saw each other again. I’m sure I have the bands autographs somewhere and those of Rupert’s People. Happy Days.

Alan Esdaile… Can’t find much about Santos Morados but they did have a single on Island Records.

Andre Martin… well I never that takes me back many years

 

The Dekorators – early 80’s. card & photos.

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supplied by Nastassja Kaschevsky.  with Nastassja, Doug DuggyFresh Smith and Chris Kimber.

Peter Fairless… Were they all left handed?

Ad 1984

Tony Ham… I saw them several times in Rye, I remember they played Jilted John.

Nastassja Kaschevsky… That’s right!

Mick O’Dowd… Do you do wallpapering?

Dum Dum Boys – Oasis Club Rye early 80’s

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photos supplied by Barry French

Barry French, Judith Clarke, Neil Cartwright, Den Wootton and Andy.

Anyone remember the surname of the keyboard player?

Judi Clark… Found this site by accident as thought I saw Martin Stringer walking past the hairdressers in Silchester Rd yesterday, so Googled him and found that sadly he’s no longer with us. Nor Robin Heggie – another talent lost – and Steve Demetri. I believe that’s Andy Ellis on keys. We remained friends for many years but, sadly, he’s gone, too, 20 or so years ago. He suffered a brain injury from a motorcycle crash (pillion) which eventually took him some years later. Anyway, I was up to 3am absorbed by the family trees of the bands I was connected to. There was a shout out from Andy Knight on one of the posts. Don’t know how to get in touch, but maybe site admin can pass on email? I’ve been off the scene 30 years or more but it did prompt some fond memories. I’m alive and well in Bexhill. Big love to you all.

Nastassja Kashevsky… yes, it is Andy Ellis. He played keys in the Decorators with us!