Anyone remember this group, possible from Liverpool?
Caroline Shott… Wasn’t The Witch Doctor also the name of the club in Hastings? As I read your post it all came flooding back!
Mike Vawdrey… There was a Scottish group of the period known as Johnny Law and the M.I. 5 – don’t know if they were prominent enough to venture this far from their home turf ? ? An alternative possibility could be that they included somebody whose initials were MI …
Pete Fisher… When we got Rediffusion I adopted the valve radio we’d had in the kitchen and installed it on my bedside table around 1966 I think. A mate of mine at school gave me a tip and said I should get about 50 feet of single cable and plug it in the aerial socket, trail it around the room and down the side of the house. It worked a treat and I got Luxembourg and all the pirates…
Jim Breeds… When I was a teenager Mum had a metal (steel, I guess) clothes line that ran all down the back garden, starting just below my bedroom window. I connected some bell wire to it, and ran it up the outside wall to my bedroom window. On the end of the bell wire I put a connector to plug into my transistor radio’s aerial socket. It brought in Luxembourg, Caroline, and loads of other pirates loud and clear. One day my Dad spotted it. He told me I’d get the house burned down in the next lightning storm! Quite a bit later, when Capital Radio launched in London, I could pull in the FM signal quite well in some weather conditions. That was back when Capital was a rock station.
Tony Court-holmes… we could get radio luxemberg on rediffusion before bbc 2 came along
Mick O’Dowd… Not heard of them even though I was a Jay Boy lable fan.
Tony Court-holmes… I was only 16 then
Andrea Rashford-Hewitt… Little John & The Shadrocks were a popular group in London within the black community in the 60’s and 70″s. They sang Motown Otis Reading etc and wrote songs too. Little John was the lead singer. They played across Europe.
Poster supplied by John Busbridge
Ken Copsey… Wow! I didn’t know he had played in Hastings. Someone I would have loved to have seen live.Anyone on here go to the gig? Tragic that he died aged 37 and was originally buried in an unmarked grave.
Pete Fisher… look what I missed in the little seaside town where I grew up! I would have been 9 years old, so a bit young to get into this club…so many bands played here back then, including Jimi Hendrix on the pier in 1967…missed that one too…started catching up in ’69, starting with The Who! I would have just turned 14, and was allowed to go escorted by my older sister’s best girlfriend, who’d organised tickets. We stood up the front too at first, but after a couple of songs I started feeling weird and the room started to distort visually (this was way before I indulged in anything mind enhancing), just from the sheer volume, so I had to pop out briefly for a bit of sea air…came back and watched the rest from a more sensible distance…my mate Ben came into school the next day with one of Keith Moon’s drumsticks, which he’d managed to keep hold of despite being chased out of the ballroom and off the pier by envious fans at the end of the gig…being of diminutive stature and a fine rugby player probably helped…
Ian Middleton… I was at the Witch Doctor that night. It was a great show. I believe it was the last night of this particular tour.
David Edwards… Little Walker played Hastings, well bugger me!
Andre Palfrey-martin collection
Andre Martin… Turning out some old tickets, I found the attached from 29 October 1965 at the Dolphin Ballroom, St Leonards – you know the one, down one floor from the Witch Doctor. Thinking back I remember the main group The Lonely Ones – who were regulars at the WD and other local venues. They were based in Folkstone and can remember the late Chris Sayer once telling me that he thought they were good. What many of us did not realise at the time was who played in the group Neil Langdon who would go on and record with The FlowerPot Men – Lets all go to ….and on lead Guitar Noel Redding – who would change to bass and become one of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Small world, but just goes to prove that we had some of the up and coming names cutting their teeth in our clubs and dance halls.
Alan Esdaile… Also Neil Langdon & Noel Redding were both in the band Fat Mattress which I’m sure a number of people here remember.
Andre Martin… From The Witch Doctor in 1964, one of the bands that Neil played with before the Lonely Ones.
Alan Esdaile… Looking at ‘Fab’ all round the ad, I can remember saying the word ‘Fab’ and my parents going mad and saying that its not a proper word, so I said it more!
supplied by Trevor Webb
Trevor Webb… One of my Favourite photos taken 1966 by Hastings pier with view of Eversfield Place Central St Leonard’s .
Peter Houghton… I remember the cafe just behind you and that building next door must have been pulled down because i remember it was waste ground and people parked their cars there
Chris Meachen… The Lido coffee bar back there somewhere.. Hangout of ‘greasers’ where I spent a fair bit of my early teens.
Andre Martin… This must have been taken summer 66, the building behind the group with scaffolding was being demolished to clear the eyesore opposite the Pier where the Queen would visit on 14th October to see the Triodome. Yes there was a temporary car park on that site, which now is flats
Richard J Porter… Jacqui remembers it well. Her parents were Civic knees up.
Carol Paffett… Many a good evening sitting in the Lido , great coffee
Richard Moore… Resident band from late 70’s to March 83 when it went ito liquidation. Many happy memories there and wonderful functions.
Virginia Davis… Went to a couple of firms Christmas parties there in late 70s.
Merv Kennard… Did a few student discos there in the mid 70s.
Keith Blizard… Had our wedding reception there half the guests had food poisoning
Perri Ann Haste… I can remember working here one summer in the late 70’s
Mandy Taylor… I worked there .. chamber maid in the 80′ .. hard work but loved it ..
Ian Johnson… Played the sound there
Mick Barrow… Used to have the Lifeboat AGM there early 70s
Pat Burgess… Memories I worked in reception from 1965 till it closed in 67. Are you sure the date is correct, as I think Viceroy closed it on 67.
Alan Esdaile… Hi Pat, the publication that this ad came from was 1972 but I suppose its possible that they reused the ad from an earlier publication?
Paul Coleman… I had my marriage reception there – a long long time ago.
Gary Benton… It certainly didn’t close until the 70s as I remember going with my parents several times to eat in the restaurant called the Warrior Tent. If it had closed in 67 I would have only been 6 and too young to remember it.
Heather Wilson… Went there for dinner dance on our wedding day in 1980 .so it was open then x
Supplied by Stephen Moran
Anyone confirm if he definitely appeared? I think he had to cancel a previous date due to pneumonia?
John Gale… Little Richard, what a voice, far more than just a Rock n Roll star too, very soulful as well
Colin Norton… Hadn’t realized that Mr. Penniman had played the Witch Doctor. How cool!
Graham Belchamber… Incredible he played here
Mike Vawdrey… Maybe it was a touch of the ‘Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu’ – as per Huey ‘Piano’ Smith ? ?
Jim Breeds… I love that The Knives and Forks were booked for Saturday, and by Sunday it was The Return of …!
Mick Knights… Little Richard cancelled on the evening, we all turned up only to be reimbursed!
Mick O’Dowd… Is that THE Dave Dee?
Colin Bell… Yes indeed it is, shortly before the name change to DD, DBM&T.
Mike Vawdrey… Yes it is !
Dave Weeks… Never mind all that, the return of Knifes and Forks must have been a special night. Or was it an instruction as they went missing the week before?
Mick Knights… Just noticed at the bottom of the poster ‘Epivision is coming’. Being quite ancient I was there at the time and recall exactly what it was, does anyone one else? All of a bit of an anticlimax really, having been promised an audio visual experience it turned out to be an overhead projector that would project a dodgy photo of the group who’s record was playing, didn’t take too long for the novelty to wear off!
supplied by Jeanette Wilde
Jeanette Wilde… Ladies and gentlemen I give you the Happenings carnival float circa 1967. Second prize. What a great day that was! Any of you recognise yourself or friends please let me know!
