music

Happy Christmas and very best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2017

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Painting by Derek Esdaile

We are nearly at that time again. It has been a very difficult year with the loss of some special friends and family and a number of people we didn’t know personally but played a major part and still do in our love of music. It is a sad time for many but I hope some of the postings keep the happy memories alive. Thanks to everyone for the amazing support but we always need more photos and cuttings and new people to keep the page interesting. Very best wishes for Christmas and The New Year.

Dave Nattress… Thanks Alan. Wonderful site. For so long I tried to go back in time and re-discover, remember, recall, so much of the local music scene, a lot centred around the pier and the hundreds of bands that played there. It seemed like every Saturday night us in the Bexhill lot would trek to the pier to see the bands – and indeed we saw many, but it’s amazing how many we missed and so many I just did not recall had played there. Best wishes Alan and all and lets keep the memories flowing. I’ve copied into a folder all the band gig posters that are put on the site. Fabulous memories.

Chris Sambrook… it’s been a bad year for you Alan. I miss my parents at this time of the year. They were great, i’ll never forget my Mum saying Hendrix made the guitar sing on the LULU show and my Dad saying he makes a bloody racket more like, bless him. Have a fair enough Christmas my friend.

Jim Breeds… Seasons greetings to you Alan. Onwards and upwards in 2017. Thanks for all you do on this group. Great painting, by the way. Love it.

Eric Harmer… Hope to catch up more in the new year mate 👍

Kevin Sherwood… Always enjoyable looking back through your posts. A very happy Christmas to all.

Mick O’Dowd… Happy Christmas Alan. Thanx for another great year of SMART. Let’s hope you have a better year personally.

Chris Jolly…. Great to meet you earlier this year Alan! See you soon in 2017.  What a super picture Alan, It’s beautiful.

Phil Little… Thanks for all you do, Alan, Happy Christmas.

Wendy Weaver… We really enjoy our SMART get togethers and look forward to more of the same in 2017. Happy Christmas to all. Wendy and Graham.

Teresa Bassett… Thanks Alan. Really enjoy the posts in this group-even if I am many miles away in Cleethorpes and only visit Hastings occasionally . I confess to sharing a lot of posts to Gy, Clee Punk Scene and they go down well !! Merry Christmas to you all.

Andy Qunta… Same to you, Alan, and thanks for all the things you do! 🙂

John Wilde… Merry Christmas to You Alan. Thank you for your tireless work on bringing local musicians and music lovers together. I am happy to be a part of some of those memories. And big heads up to fellow musos and fans of our rich history. Keep on keeping on. Much love from Seattle by way of The Zoobies, Stallion, The Breathers and Expandis. Happy New Year.

Sarah Harvey… Thanks you Alan for all you have done to reunite so many people locally….I personally have found some long lost friends through SMART, so you are a real star in my eyes. My love to all who are connected with SMART in some way, you have all enriched my life so much. Big slobbery kisses to you all xxxx 🙂

Colin Norton… Hi Alan, Thanks for all you are doing for SMART! Here’s wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year.

Iain Cobby… Hey Alan, Merry Christmas and a better new year, my old friend. Thank you for all you have done over the years. You are our anchor and glue all our memories into a vast scrapbook that brings all our lives back in time, we were all younger then and didn’t know that they were to be the best years of our lives. keep on rocking!

Colin Bell… In a difficult year you have brought many people together who perhaps wouldn’t have and put a smile on peoples faces. After being friends for getting on half a century! What can i say but have a Happy and healthy Christmas mate and long live the ‘ballroom all-stars’ lol!

Josie Lawson… Very pleased I joined your group. Happy Christmas and hope you all have a good New Year….

Jan Warren… Yes, I’m very pleased I joined this group too!! – I love all the memories and nostalgia we share!! – Thanks Alan and thanks to everyone involved in this group – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all 🙂 

Tony Qunta… Happy Christmas to you too Alan! All the very best wishes for the New Year! See you in 2017. 

Pauline Sims… Great card 🙂

Yvonne Cleland… Great pic, Alan. Wishing you love and peace for the end of 2016 and much happiness in 2017 xxx

Kevin Burchett and Scalliwags… wishing you all a merry christmas and a happy new year xx

Jeanette Jones… What a lovely card. Thanks Ez, for everything you do. Hope you have a lovely Christmas too xxx

Virginia Davis… Merry Christmas to you also.

Eric Cawthraw… Merry Christmas Alan and to all at SMART, all the best and every happiness for 2017. A bit of peace on earth would be novel.

Kevin Carleonis… Wishing all SMART members a very happy and special Yule and may 2017 bring each and every one of you health, happiness and plenty but remember my motto – ‘For Need, Not For Greed’. And finally the man himself Alan / Johnny who has brought all of you together. A sincere and lovely man who I wish all things good for. I still think he should do an on line music show originally called ‘The Mason’s Music Show’!

 

The Happy Ballroom and more 5th March 1966 by Andre Martin

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Time marches on and we find that we have now reached the weekend of Saturday 5th March 1966 – and for the first time for a while we see activity on Hastings Pier, and to be precise The Happy Ballroom and reactivated the Saturday Night Dances, this week the top of the bill are Hedge Hoppers Anonymous. They had a hit record in 1965 with “Its Good News Week” incidentally produced by one Jonathan King! But that is not all on the Pier, because Disc Jockey Promotion have started a Thursday Night event known as TEEN BEAT Coffee Club in the Pier Restaurant, this week the music is provided by Mud Mulligans Big Boss Band. 7.30pm – 10.30pm all for 2/6d. That has to be a move in the right direction of having the Dancing Sign flashing again after so many months across the front of the Ballroom.
Friday Evenings started with the one and only MOD show – Ready Steady Go from London, and on the show this week, David Bowies & The Buzz :”Can’t help thinking about me”, Manfred Mann, Small Faces : “Sha La La La Lee”, Spencer Davis: “Somebody Help Me”, Yardbirds: “Shape of Things to Come” with Keith and Cathy to pull it all together in their great way.
The Witch Doctor was gearing up to more entertainment in the coming week – On Saturday headlining were Essex band The Symbols who were regulars at the club and would later go onto have a couple of hit records on the President Label. On that night the support was from another well know group in the club – The Blue Stars and as ever Johnny Mann spinning the records. Sunday afternoon Dance sessions were as popular as ever 2.30pm – 5.00pm all for 1/6d. Tuesday night it was “Candlelight Spin” 7.30pm – 11.00pm for a whole 2/-. Thursday Night was as ever the night for The Muscles Maxted Show. Friday nights were back on the programme from next week 11th March with the Anteeks. Even so, they all keep respectable hours and the shows would have been over by 11.00pm. On the Radio The BBC Light Programme, followed its usual schedule, some of the hi-lights this week included – Saturday Club The Animals, Yardbirds,Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Jackie Lee, and Mister Murray – Brian Matthew was in control and adding some new records. Later in the evening 6.30pm on Jazz Club were the very popular Kenny Ball & His Jazz Men. Sunday it was Easy Beat, Two Way Family Favourites with London & Koln [it’s been a while now for a link up anywhere else in the world] Pick of the Pops and Movie Go Round.
Television on Saturday included –Juke Box Jury with David Jacobs this week’s panel included Eric Burdon, Maloo Pantera, Gene Pitney and Briony Newton. That evening it was time for the Eurovision Competition this year the broadcast came from Luxemburg, and we were represented by Kenneth McKeller “A Man without Love” – The final outcome was that we came 9th with 8 points (thanks to Austria and Ireland) the winning entry was from the Austrian entry “Merci Cherie” by Udo Jugens. The commentary was from David Jacobs in the studio. Sunday was a combination of the regular drama and entertainments plus films.
The pirates continued to supply much of the pop mix for us all, and even Radio Caroline was returning to fairly regular schedules after the beaching a few weeks earlier. So there we have the first weekend in March, from all accounts the weather was dry and grey. Until the next instalment, wrap up warm and lets all hope for some dry weather and less wind that at the moment. Until next weeks – the History of the Happy Ballroom – Hastings Pier et al………..
Andre Palfrey-Martin ©2016

SMART 26 coffee meet report

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Radio Luxembourg book supplied by Chris Saunders, Q Magazine supplied by Mick O’Dowd, photos supplied by Sarah Harvey.

Another great afternoon. Among the newbies this time were Dennis Wootton, Barry French, Justine Wood and Brian Adams.  Great to see the original members of the second Hat Trick line up from 1979 and 1st Emotion were all present.  Colin Bell had with him the new cd’s from The Honeycombs and The Three Degrees and will be reviewing these shortly.  Cliff & Dennis Wootton had some great photos of the very early Supersound Amps, which their father Alan Wootton made from premises in Kings Road and Mount Pleasant Road. They also had some photos of Eddie Ferret Hot Jazz, anyone remember them?  Barry French had poster from  Sixties Sounds gig on the pier in 1992 with the 6T’S, Soul Express, Ace Of Clubs and Project X and also  Rock N Roll charity dance at Falaise Hall with The Humperdinks.  Barry also had  some great photos and cuttings of First Emotion, Amethyst, Dum Dum Boys, Mice On Ice, The Edge and Grundy. Talk was about Factory playing back in town soon to coincide with the cd release (more info soon). Lots of pier talk as usual, a number of negative comments on line but most people agree with everything now coming together lets be positive about it. Mick O’Dowd had the CD box set of Chris Rea Blue Guitars and The Eurythmics Peace. I had a very early Radio Luxembourg book of Record Stars (thanks to Chris Saunders) which reminded Keith Day of when Adam Faith was at Hastings Museum.  Andre mentioned Carnival Radio is coming back in August and amongst his busy schedule of keeping Hastings memories alive, it looks like he will be on television in Europe. Sarah was talking about Hastings Rock Radio and the forthcoming music fest at Marina Fountain and everyones looking forward to Beatles Day on 3rd April 2016. This is just a small bit of what I remember, please feel free to post here any other interesting chat that I missed.

Geoff Peckham… Sorry to miss it, guys. In France just now. See you at Beatles Day if not before.

Jeanette Steve Jones… Wish l’d been there;-)

Andre Martin… Captured for ever ! great stuff Sarah

Peter Millington… Brilliant pics Sarah

Chris Meachen… Would have loved to come, but busy making stock for a train show..

Pete Prescott… Very frustrated. Hate missing them !

Yvonne Cleland… Awwww lovely pic on the newsletter of Chris x And you, Pete!  x

Jim Breeds… Sorry to have missed it! Is it on SMART +1? 😉

Lucy Pappas… Den and Cliff – did we have a band name when we played at St Helen’s Youth Club in the early 70s?

Neil Steadman… Is this a regular event? It sounds fascinating!

Alan Esdaile… Hi Neil, we have a get together about every 6 weeks and you are most welcome to join us at the next one. Once the dates confirmed I will let you know.

Tony Davis… Hi everyone, sorry to miss the meeting but have not been too well lately, Looking forward to more news about Factory gigs and the CD. See you next time or at Beatles day, whichever happens first.

Cliff Wootton… Another really great afternoon. Was absolutely chuffed to see my brother Den and our longtime buddies Baz and Roger. Topped off the day with fish & chips followed by an evening enjoying Rog’s bass playing at the Dolphin. Fab times. So glad to be reconnecting with my musical roots after I moved away from Hastings in 1978.

The Happy Ballroom and more – Christmas 1965 part 2 by Andre Martin

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CHRISTMAS 1965 Part 2
That was Christmas Eve 24th December 1965, done and dusted, we now move to Christmas Day, and the Pier does play a large part in the local celebrations, believe it or not, one of the big attractions to the Entertainments on Hastings Pier other than the Happy Ballroom, was the Sea Fishing. And apart from the Beach Fishing sessions on both Christmas and Boxing Day, on the Pier was a real competition with a very good turnout of competitors and followers alike. The Bar and Café were in full operation at the time, so they no doubt played a part in the celebrations. The Pier was usually closed after about 3.00pm in the afternoon for the rest of the day.
Boxing Day 26th December was a Sunday, and this would have presented many restrictions as to opening hours etc, the only entertainment that is listed on the Pier that day, as the Annual Coffee Dance 10.30am – 1.00pm and the main attraction were the Lurking Cromwell’s, and I have so far found no more details of this outfit – if anything comes to hand I will let you all know.
The Witch Doctor was closed for the Saturday and Sunday and did not re-open until Monday 27th December with “ Boxing Day Carnival” featuring The Fabulous Symbols and The Poor Boys – late bar to 11.30pm [people had to get to work the next day, in fact I remember many who had worked on Boxing Day in Hastings, with all the stores & shops being open and Busses running] From what I recall, this was an excellent night and the venue was packed. I can also confirm that both the PamDor and Fiesta were open on the Sunday and Monday.
Christmas Day on the Radio – The Light Programme – 7.00am Christmas Morning Music, 8.30am Family Choice,9.30am HM The Queen, 10.00am Saturday Club with Cliff Richard, P J Proby, Bachelors. Joy Strings, The Johnny Pearson Orchestra and Brian Matthew. Later that evening 10.15pm Music for your Party with Joe Loss and His Orchestra, Freddie & The Dreamers, Russ Conway, Kenny Ball and The Lorne Gibson Trio [Close down MIDNIGHT]
On the Sunday – Boxing Day – 10.00am Joe Henderson, 10.30am Easy Beat with Keith Fordyce, 11.30am Peoples Service from Bexhill Methodist Church. 12noon FIVE WAY Family Favourites and for the season greetings from London, Cologne [Koln], Cyprus, Aden & Tripoli thanks to BFBS. This was followed by the usual programmes until closed down at Midnight.
Television had a lot to offer – on Christmas as Day, 9.15am “Welcome Christmas” with Ivor Emmanual, 10.45am Children’s Ward, 12.00noon Leslie Crowther meets the Kids 12.45pm “Champions on Ice”. 1.25pm “The Andy Williams Show” including The Osmonds & Young Americans. 3.00pm HM The Queen, 3.10pm The Billy Smart Circus. 4.00pm “Disney Time”. 6.50 Panto with “Mother Goose” Norman Vaughan, Terry Scott & Jon Pertwee. 6.35pm Dr Who. 7.00pm Max ByGraves. 8.00pm “The Road To Bali” [Film] with Crosby, Hope & Lamoor. 9.30pm The Ken Dodd Show with special guest Sandie Shaw. 10.35 Top of the Pops 65 with DJs Jimmy Saville, David Jacobs, Alan Freeman & Pete Murray.
On the Sunday highlights included 9.30 am “The Christmas Oratorio” J S Bach 11.30am International Balloon Racing. 12.15pm Repeat of TOTP 65, 1.35 “Jack and The Beanstalk” & 2.50pm “The Dick Van Dyke Show”.
Monday Bank Holiday Radio included 10.00am The Hollies, The Ivy League, The Yardbirds, The Seekers, Elkie Brooks, Kenny Lynch and Division Two. 12.00noon Forces Jamboree thanks to BFBS linking all parts of the Forces on land and at sea -with Norman Vaughan, Anita Harris, Barron Knights, Danny Williams, Frankie Howerd and the Cliff Adams Singers. 1.00pm “The Mitchell Minstrels” later in the afternoon 4.20pm and Panto “Alice in Wonderland” from a recording. 5.30pm “ We’ll meet Again” Vera Lynn. 6.45pm Edmundo Ross. Followed by “The Archers”. Later in the evening 10.30pm it was Jazz Club with Humphery Littleton.
Television for that Monday included 12.25pm Grandstand, 4.25pm Blue Peter with Christopher Trace and Val Singleton, 4.50pm Jackanory . 5.00pm The Royal Ballet. 7.00pm “United” a soap opera – technical advisor Jimmy Hill [ed RIP] 7.30pm Brian Rix & “The Whitehall Farce”. 9.20pm, Perry Mason.
“Thank Your Lucky Stars” on ITV that night included Jim Dale, Ivy League. Barron Knights, Frankie Vaughan and Ruby Murray.
I will pick on next Friday Night – New Years Eve in next weekend’s episode. OK time to go and look at the leftovers and start thinking more about 1966, which was to be a special year in many ways for some of us. I do hope that you have enjoyed these blogs, they have changed from what had been the original intention to be a “History of the Happy Ballroom-Hastings Pier” but then our lives changed, and if this weekly write up brings back memories I am glad. Till next weekend and the last slice of 1965 you all take care.
Andre Palfrey-Martin © 2015

Alan Esdaile…  Really enjoy reading these Andre.

SMART 24 coffee meet report.

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A great turn out for our last meet of 2015 which turned out very magical. Among the newbies this time were Martin Stringer, Martyn Baker, Jim and Allyson Breeds and Margaret Beckett. Martin Baker brought some great cuttings and photos of Before The Storm, The Roaring 80s, Missing Persons, Billy Whiz, The Teenbeats, The Breathers, Titch Turner’s Escalators, Salvation Sunday and loads more. He also had cuttings on The Graffiti Club which I had forgotten about but this was the name of the club underneath The Queens Hotel after it changed from ‘Emmas’. Anyone remember it?  Martin Stringer had with him some great photos of The Abysmal Sister and pre Ritz group photos which we are still trying to find out the name of the group. Jim and Allyson Breeds had with him some Decca 78’s from the 1930’s of The Hastings Municipal Orchestra. Unfortunately we were unable to play them but hope to get them copied across so we can hear them at a later date. He also had The Radio Times from 1972 and lots of rare early Beatles cuttings. Mick O’Dowd brought some Q Magazine photographic supplements which featured many iconic black & white photos. Margaret Beckett was asking everyone for hi res versions of some of the early photos and cuttings we have posted. This is for Archie’s forthcoming pier video.  Roger Carey had with him leaflets of Head On  Martin Casson Agency Pier gigs, Fusion Orchestra, The Kinks, Jon Hiseman Tempest, Wild Turkey, Quadrille, Steamhammer, press cutting of Pueblo and an autograph from the Hawkwind gig. Expecting it to be Lemmy’s but no it was the  exotic dancer Stacia signature!

Halfway through the proceedings we were very lucky that Martin Stringer agreed to treat us to some impressive magic and mentalist tricks. Further chat was about ELO, when John Bonham played Hastings Pier, interesting story from John Petri when he met Jimi Hendrix plus lots more. Anyone else have any other comments to add about interesting bits and stories you discussed then please do so.

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Mick O’Dowd… Quite a “magical” SMART Meet this month. Those of you hardy souls who made it will know why. Interesting find from Jim & Allyson Breeds who brought along some 78’s of The Hastings Municipal Orchestra at The White Rock from 1926! None of the Smarties is old enought to remember this event although some might be feeling they were! Interesting afternoon and totally different to what’s been before. Nice to see our photographer is back from her holidays. Well done Alan as per usual. Take a break ’till next year now.

Jimmy Kent… Cheers Alan, enjoyed myself during the short time I was there. Next time I’ll make sure I can stay longer.

Allyson Breeds… It was fun. I think 😉

Andre Martin… Having seen the original 78s, they are a little bit of History of Hastings Music Scene circa 1930s, let hope that Jim will be able to get they digitally recorded so that we can keep copies in the Museum for future generation to hear.

Andy Qunta… Sounds great! Another fab time missed! 😉

Geoff Peckham… Wish I was there, too. Family duties prevailed again. Hopefully next time.

Chris Baker… What ever happened to Bob Shipway?

Jim Breeds… We had a great time meeting Facebook friends, some of them met in person for the first time. You can’t bottle this stuff, sadly! 🙂

Looking For More Photos

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Thank you for visiting our site and hopefully you are finding it interesting. We are always looking for more photos, cuttings etc from the 60’s onwards with a connection to the Hastings area. Especially groups we have not featured before. If you have anything please email it over with as much information as possible.

SMART coffee meet 18. Friday 6th March 2015 – White Rock Hotel.

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SMART COFFEE MEET 18. The next SMART coffee meet is Friday 6th March 2015 – 3.30pm at the White Rock Hotel. Please bring any photos, cuttings, records etc that would be interesting for others to see or just bring yourself. Please mention it to other like minded people and new people are most welcome to join us.

Kevin Burchett… must try and get there

Paul Dove… yeh gonna make it at last, got some bits to bring along, Dovey