Pardon – promotion leaflet 1974.

 

supplied by Len Benton

Tony Bird, Ian McGilvray and Len Benton

Photo of Ian McGilvray York Hotel Bexhill

Ian McGilvray… I think that was pre Deep Purple days.

Robert Searle… Good photo Mac of you and Tony Bird. Was it a Peddlers type of group?

Ian McGilvray… Yeah, more like the Peddlers. Keyboard based sound.

Pete Prescott… wow ! Good looking guys !

Terry Pack… I sat in with this trio at a talent competition at The Yorkshire Grey in St Leonards and won £5. I also depped with the band when Len was unwell.

Ian McGilvray… I remember

Terry Pack… I sat in with this trio at a talent competition at The Yorkshire Grey in St Leonards and won £5. I also depped with the band when Len was unwell. Early 1974? Late 1973? I know that I was about 15/16 and way too young to have been in the pub! Steve D was trying to persuade me to join his band, and I kept saying no because he was so much older than me, and I was intimidated by him and the others. Steve had to change your kit around to sit in.

Ian McGilvray… Thanks Len for finding the above photo.

Jim Breeds… At last!! A band for those of us with hearing aids!!

Pardon – Safari Club George Street Hastings, Joe Milligan and write up 1974

supplied by Len Benton

Ian McGilvray, Tony Bird and Len Benton.

Photo 2 jamming with Joe Mulligan

Ian McGilvray… Joe was a great sax player.

Scoobi Doo… yes he was very dedicated he was my Dad x my dad Joe passed in 2002 and my uncle Ron passed in 2020

Harry Randall… back in 67-68 I used to sing for his soul band whatever happened to Joe and Ron?  Shouldn’t that be Joe Milligan not Mulligan?

Alan Esdaile… Thanks Harry, have updated.

Ernest Ballard… Tony looks so young

Roy Penfold… I was about to say the same – mind you, he hasn’t changed much over the years

Paula Kerkvliet…. Joe passed away few years ago now . Ron lives in Hastings still.

Harry Randall… Love to catch up with him!

Tony Court-holmes… used to work there

Paula Filler… Hello my name is Paula I am Ron Milligan’s daughter. I just wanted to let you know dad passed away this week peacefully in Hastings

Harry Randall… So sad to hear Ron has passed away. I was lead singer in “The Lloyd Milligan Sound” with Joe and Ron back in 68, we went to Keel in Germany but got diddled on the contract. Had some great times, condolences to all concerned!

Paula Filler… Thank you Harry Randall I bet you all had a fantastic time knowing dad raise a glass as we send him on his way on Wednesday

Ian McGilvray… Thank You for sharing that. RIP Ron

Mark Richards… great shot at The Crypt

Harry Randall…  (Paula) I’ll raise a glass! So sad for your loss! I’d love any photos of us back in 67-68

Paula Filler… I will ask Sue, Joe’s daughter if she has any for you, Harry Randall

Soo Milligan.. Hi I’m Soo, Joes daughter. Sadly my Dad was taken far too soon at the age of 59 in 2002.  I have many photos which I will find and put on. He cried when he had to sell his sax. I’ve only just found this on my Dads 80th birthday, this is amazing and I found all this stuff which I’ve never seen.

 

The Deep Purple – Cricket Ground Hastings and Cobweb letter 1968

Supplied by Len Benton

Len Benton, Peter Horton, Tony Bird, Tich Turner and Ian McGilvray.

Robert Searle… Tich looking quite normal

Jim Breeds… “bee off”

Pauline Richards… Peter Horton. Still looks so much like himself

Colin Fox… When Tich was just starting out in the music business, he used to come and see us play at Battle memorial hall. Got to know him well in those days, and had the pleasure of seeing him play some years later in one of the colleges in Meads Eastbourne. Great singer, great rock band.

Robert Searle… Last time I saw him play was with that really good R&B group, can’t remember the name,at the Archery at Seaside Eastbourne.That was in the 70s

Mick O’Dowd… A real” moody” pose as per group pics in those days. Nice pics of Deep Purple emerging from Len Benton. Haven’t seen these before .

Judith Monk… I wanted to come to the next meeting and meet Len and his wife but sadly decided to break my leg instead….

Peter Horton… I do agree that Pete Horton looks like Pete Horton, Pauline. In fact we all look as I remember us. Fresh faced and young!!! They were good times. I had never seen this one before. Thanks Len.

John Wilde… They played at The Happening, Kings Rd. 1967.

 

The Deep Purple – 1968

From 68 – Tich Turner, Tony Bird , Len Benton, Peter Horton and Ian McGilvray.Deep Purple Pic Darker.(1)

Deep Purple Text Darker.

supplied by Pete Horton

Group Card                                                                    from Peter Horton

 

Paul Sleet – saw them at a gig at a girls school in Hastings. Think it was woodlands in tower road if memory serves. I was a mere schoolboy at the time.

Phil Gill – Brilliant – Tich, Tony Bird and Len Benton!
John Alexander Wilde – Fab! Great find Andre.
Graham Burfield – tich turner on the right I think & tony bird
400708_10200477064747179_745724411_n

Andre Palfrey-Martin Collection

Ian McGilvray…The Deep Purple, What a fantastic Band, Shame We had to change Our name.

The Deep Purple – Queens Road, Hastings and Battle photo around 1967

1939941_609245699153932_1126247589_n

1st photo supplied by Janine Anne Hemsley, 2nd photo with Graham Bradley supplied by Len Benton.

Janine Anne Hemsley…..The girls are Carol Guyatt and Linda Upton.

Mick O’Dowd….Looks like  early Whisky Mac. Think that is Pete Horton poking in right hand, Len Benton, Ian “Mac” McGilvary, Tich Turner,Tony “Tweet Tweet” Bird & Pete Horton.+ Girls.

John Wilde…..Wow this is a great photo……but where?

Robert Searle…Another great photo. I see Mac there with Tony Bird

Joe Knight….omg!!! tony LOL

Ian McGilvray….Yeah that’s me (Mac ) with Lenny Benton on My right hand side. I’m the one with the magazine and Tich is the one with the Birds as usual.

Andre Martin…..The reflection in this is the Fine Food Supermarket at the end of Queens Pde, you can tell that by the backward spelling of the name Minimarket and the design of the brickwork. Interesting the ” I’m Backing Britain ” posters can be clearly seen on the windows of the shop in Queens Road roughly where Gamleys or Helfords used to be located. Looks as if the group were on the east side of Queens Road, and the photographer on the West side..

Mick O’Dowd….Confirmation from Pete Horton that this is in fact Deep Purple. He reckons it was taken in Canterbury where they used to play at The Beehive Club.

Tich Turner….Hi All, this photo was taken in Queen’s Rd. We had a bunch of photos taken that day, but I’m only aware of three that have surfaced. One is a great pic of us all in a line, hunched up against the cold, in front of some glass doors somewhere. The other one, is of us standing on the steps of the public toilets that used to be in the town centre, near the Carlisle and we’re poking our heads over the wall. This is definitely Deep Purple. we didn’t actually become Whisky Mac after Pete Horton left and Graham joined, as I wrote. It was later than that. It was directly after Len Benton, our Bass player left and we recruited Tim Duke on Bass. Happy Days, Tich.

Ian McGilvray….I agree Tich

Pete Horton…..Hi from Pete Horton. Sorry about thinking that the pic was taken in Canterbury. I seem to be the odd one out. I cannot remember this being taken in Queens Road, but we were all in the nearby cricket ground with a Hastings Observer photographer on Sunday 4th February, 1968.

Ken Copsey… Great picture.

Paul Coleman… Mac!! Bloody hell, I never thought I’d hear about you again. I remember the last time I saw you was when you drove away from my garage at the back of Amherst Rd in Bexhill. Driving a Porsche. It may have been a Speedster. Worth a bloody fortune!
Where did those nearly 50 years go??

Graham Bradley… I didn’t no you had a Porsche Mac, the last time I saw you was in a Jag xj6 with the head lining hanging down over your eyes, we all had some bloody good laughs great band days.

Martyn Baker… Tich looking typically cheerful!

The Seekers – Hastings 1964 and 1974

All photos supplied by Len Benton

Featuring Len Benton, Jerry Hadfield, Kevin Clarke and Cliff Waters

photo 3  1965 – Len Benton and Jerry Hadfield (Jerry with Chris Sayer’s guitar)

Martin Richter… nice geetars 🙂

Judith Monk… Thanks so much for these Jerry was my brother. He died of prostate cancer 15 years ago aged 55. Am I able to get copies of these for his family please?

Alan Esdaile… Should be able to do some photocopies Judith.