15th January 1964 Making the news, those Mods again and the Beatles also share the front page.
16th January Paris, Olympia Theatre: The Beatles begin a three-week engagement.
This is one of the songs titled 'Don't Bother Me' on the LP "With the Beatles". The song was also used and rearranged along with six other Beatles songs which were performed by hired musicians providing the accompaniment in the 'Mods and Rockers' Western Theatre ballet.
Some views of the new and developing colour television technology, broadcasting and the changeover from 405 line to 625 line frame TV. This is an extract from a question and answer sheet from a discussion paper published by Associated TeleVision Limited in 1963.
What about television in colour?
It has been laid down by the Postmaster General (the government minister in charge of broadcasting in the UK) that colour transmission in this country shall only be carried out on 625 lines. This ipso facto means that colour can only be transmitted on ultra high frequency (UHF) and at present is restricted to a possible new B.B.C.2 service (as the I.T.A. have no such service ability). There is, of course, no actual bar to transmission of colour in the very high frequency (VHF) bands, but as there is no room for a 625 line service in VHF this means that colour is barred until the VHF bands are re-engineered for 625 lines if this ever comes to pass.
It seems, therefore, that the B.B.C. are free to go ahead on colour. Do they intend to do so?
Yes, but there are certain inevitable difficulties and delays. These arise from the fact that there are three systems of colour TV transmission (viz. the American NTSC, the French SECAM, and the German PAL) which have been thought by the European broadcasters to be worthy of consideration for the adoption as a European standard if agreement as to the choice can be reached among the various countries. In order to try to achieve this result, certain international committees are at present studying the problem, to see if such agreement can in fact be reached.
This seems a rather formidable and lengthy business, why is it necessary?
By adopting this very formal procedure, complete order is maintained in the broadcasting scene and the resultant standards are accepted throughout Europe including the Soviet Union. This means that interchange of programmes between European countries either direct or on video-tape is enormously simplified and the quality vastly improved. It would, in fact, represent a major step forward in the world television scene.
It certainly seems worth sticking to the proper procedure, but how long will it take?
It is hard to give a specific answer but the earliest date by which agreement could be reached is about mid-1964 and it might be as late as 1966. As soon as a decision on the system is made, however, receiver manufacturers can finalise set design although it may take something like a year to complete design and production preparations before sets are commercially available to the public. Thence, although colour transmission by the B.B.C. on the International standard for Western Europe may start at an earlier date, a real service, with sets on sale to the public may not start till late 1966.
Although the larger ITV companies like A.T.V. and A.B.C. had been experimenting with colour TV, it was the present experimental colour transmissions of the B.B.C. that have been proceeding on all three systems [NTSC SECAM PAL] but of course they must ultimately be confined to the system decided upon by international agreement, if this can be reached.
May one ask how much a colour receiver will cost?
Well, obviously prices cannot yet be fixed but taking away the number you first thought of, anything from £300 to £400 in the first instance, dependent on the maker’s ideas. When manufacture gets into its mass-production stride, it is anticipated that the retail price may come down to something like three times the cost of a black-and-white only receiver.
Technical notes:
American NTSC system
A NTSC picture frame is made up of 525 interlaced lines and is displayed at a rate of 29.97 frames per second.
German PAL system
Phase Alternating Line. A PAL picture frame is made up of 625 interlaced lines and is displayed at a rate of 25 frames per second.
French SECAM system
Sequential Colour with Memory. A SECAM picture frame is also made up of 625 interlaced lines and is displayed at a rate of 25 frames per second, but SECAM processes the colour information sequentially, and is not compatible with the PAL format standard.
1964 Generally, weekday ITV and B.B.C. TV broadcast program schedules were structured in the following order:
Educational for schools, children, news, light entertainment, documentary, drama, thoughts at end of the day (epilogue). At weekends, the schools programs were omitted, and Saturday lunch and afternoon was sports. Sunday morning service was religious worship, together with early evening religion themes and songs of praise etc.
TV broadcasting were still restricted to these time ranges:
- Saturday 12 pm and then closedown just after midnight.
- Sunday 10 am and then closedown just around midnight.
- Monday - Friday Schools programmes 11 am to 4:45 pm then Children's TV until 6pm news then family entertainment programmes until closedown just before midnight.
On ITV, there were many imported shows from America, as well as the home produced entertainment.
Catering for the parents, were the big variety ITV shows such as...
Sunday nights: Blackpool Night Out (During Summer)
: Sunday Night at the London Palladium
For the youth and teenager's, there wasn't much to be excited about, only a couple of limited new programs featuring live music performance pop and beat groups. (i.e. "Search for a Star, Ready, Steady- Winner! and Ready, Steady, Go!"). Some of these shows had only first appeared on TV about six months ago. These were not broadcast in all regions outside of London.
- Monday evening: 'Search for a Star'
- Tuesday & Fridays late afternoon: 'Five O'Clock Club' for children
- Wednesday night: 'Ready, Steady- Winner!'
- Friday evening: 'Ready, Steady, Go!'
- Saturday early evening: 'Lucky Stars' (Thank Your)
20th March. One TV show that was a mixture of immense fun and educational entertainment for me, though my elder brother's Anthony (age 14) and Raymond (age 19) were too old by then, was shown weekdays after school before the Six O'Clock news bulletins. Aimed at pre-teenage viewers, the 'Five O'Clock Club' was the first not to be missed live broadcast TV variety entertainment series, which included artists and pop groups performing for the studio audience of young children. It was created by the Associated Rediffusion company and shown on the Independant television channel 9 to begin with, in my region (London), on 1st October 1963. The program caught my attention soon after I had started (age 10) in my 4th year of Primary school.
It appears, the youth of Britain were soon about to explode, frustrated by the cultural and entertainment straightjacket imposed by the older generation establishment status quo.
28th March Easter weekend, the first of the offshore British commercial pirate pop radio stations, Radio Caroline begins medium wave transmissions broadcasting loud and clear off the Suffolk/Essex coast.
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| Radio Caroline is headline news |
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| Click on the image for the full story |
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| Click on the image for a pictorial history of offshore pirate radio |
30th March Easter weekend. On the telly and press reports. Mods and Rockers gangs clash. They being two different youth cultures, polarised in their outlook, music and style. Traditionally, Londoners head for the seaside resorts on Bank Holidays. This year was no exception, but things came to a head in public view when the rival youth groups faced each other in conflicts for the first time at the popular Essex seaside town of Clacton. A battle flared when two rival gangs met at a seafront restaurant. Tables were overturned and chair legs broken off and used as clubs. Other customers in the restaurant screamed and ran outside as the two gangs fought. Police arrived in patrol cars and on motorcycles and pounced on the brawling youths, some of whom were then driven to the cells.
Mr Wilfred Barton, manager of the restaurant, said "We are just about sick of it. My staff are scared by these undisciplined mobs." "They want a good caning to cure them", he added, gathering up the broken pieces of his tables and chairs.
As the new gangs of teenagers arrived in Clacton today, more police were drafted in. A spokesman said "We won't be surprised if there are more disturbances tonight." "Even after yesterday's scenes, they seem to be bent on mischief." The extra patrols equipped with radios and backed by dogs, covered the streets and areas where gang warfare might flare again. All along the seafront gangs of youths, some draped in blankets, roamed up from the shore where many had spent the night sleeping rough.
Seaside tradesman who had hoped for a good Easter instead turned vigilantes to guard their doors and windows. Mr Peter Anselmi, 6ft 7in tall, stood guard, fist clenched, outside his café beside his rock stall. He held a bunch of keys, and unlocked his door only to let in the right customers. "If I get my hands on them they'll learn a sharp lesson," he said.
The number of arrests is now 102 in just over 24 hours. Most of the youngsters were detained after yesterday's day of terror when they rampaged through the streets, brawling and causing damage to property. Estimates put the damage at "very many thousands of pounds."
At Southend, police received information today that teenage trouble might break out at the resort tonight. Precautions are being taken to limit the size of any groups of teenagers.
21st April The new BBC 2 television channel opens, but we cannot receive a signal and view it at home without a having a new type of TV set (625 line) and antenna installation.
GONKS
12th May. In the News: A Gonk is a novelty soft toy, which remotely resembles its name; it is a egg shaped kapok stuffed doll which can be put in a handbag or taken to bed. It's terribly difficult to describe just what a Gonk is. It has no particular use - except perhaps to make you laugh. Gonks are the brainchild of a 25 year old Britain named Robert Benson. "We are in a crazy mixed-up world so why not have crazy mixed-up toys?" says Bob. "I made a few Gonks for my own amusement a few months ago. Friends asked me if I would make one for them, and friends of theirs asked where they could buy one." "Gonks became so popular that I started manufacturing them eight weeks ago." "Now I have had orders from America, Canada and New Zealand and can hardly cope with demand. Gonks started as a joke - now they are getting to be pretty big business."
To meet the demand, Bob's new company, Gonks Ltd, chose British toy manufacturer Chad Valley to make Gonks under licence in the UK.
Initially launching with a line of 6 Gonk characters, (several more to be added soon), primarily aimed at teenagers, and are selling in three different sizes, from large cushions to pocket size table mascots. All six Gonks, designed by Robert Benson, are Fred Gonk (flat cap and braces), Mac Gonk (kilt and bagpipes), Eskimo Gonk, Upside Down Gonk, Beat Gonk and Gone Gonk, both of which have strong associations with the Beatles: Beat Gonk modelled on Paul McCartney in 1963, and Gone Gonk has a long fringe down over his eyes, which is how the Beatles look at the time Gonks reach the retail stores.
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| Beat Gonk |
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| Mac Gonk |
The Beat Gonk - that is, Beatles Gonk from Gonks Ltd in London, UK, secured their licence to make an official Beatles-themed Gonk from the band's management, NEMS Enterprises Ltd. This particular Gonk was marketed separate from the other Gonk collection of characters.
Ringo Starr is reported to own a Gone Gonk, and George Harrison was seen with a Fred Gonk on his shoulder. The comedian Charlie Drake also owns a Gonk. Fred Gonk was a caricature of a working man. In magazine features, Fred was described by Benson as an 'Everyman', 'the People's Gonk', ' a universally lovable character' and the kind of man who would help you if your car broke down.
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| Sssshh Gonk |
A Sssshh Gonk (holding finger to his mouth) is also added to the UK set.
18th May Whitsun bank holiday weekend. On the telly and press reports. The battle of the beaches. Knuckledusters, bottles, stones, deckchairs even rubbish were used as ammunition in fights at Brighton. And at Margate the railway station buffet was reduced to a shambles as trains brought more mods and rockers to the already crowded resort.
In Margate, there were running battles between police and up to 400 youths on the beach early yesterday morning. Bottles were thrown and two officers were slightly hurt. Later, on in the high street, around 40 young men smashed council flat windows and vandalised a pub and a hardware shop.
Last night, hundreds of young men and girls were still wandering around the resort long after the last train had left.
Last night, hundreds of young men and girls were still wandering around the resort long after the last train had left.
Police stepped in to prevent further violence and dispersed about 30 youths in leather jackets who marched up the promenade shouting "Up the Rockers!"
It was at Margate that the chairman of the magistrates, Dr George Simpson told the first of the 51 youths arrested yesterday who came before the court today
"It is not likely that the air of this town has ever been polluted by hordes of hooligans, male or female, such as we have seen this weekend."
"These long haired, mentally unstable, petty little sawdust Caesars seem to find the courage like rats only by hunting in packs. You came to Margate deliberately to cause damage and interfere with the residents." "So far as this court has been given power, we shall discourage you and other thugs of your kind who are infected with this vicious virus." Sentences at Margate ranged from a total of nine months' detention in one case, where bodily harm and an offensive weapon were involved, to fines of up to £75 for threatening behaviour.
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Waiting outside the Magistrates
court in Cecil Square, Margate
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"It is not likely that the air of this town has ever been polluted by hordes of hooligans, male or female, such as we have seen this weekend."
"These long haired, mentally unstable, petty little sawdust Caesars seem to find the courage like rats only by hunting in packs. You came to Margate deliberately to cause damage and interfere with the residents." "So far as this court has been given power, we shall discourage you and other thugs of your kind who are infected with this vicious virus." Sentences at Margate ranged from a total of nine months' detention in one case, where bodily harm and an offensive weapon were involved, to fines of up to £75 for threatening behaviour.
Before the court began crowds of teenagers waited in the square outside, many chewing gum, some dangling yo-yos, and all of them cheering as the accused arrived in vanloads. Today's station battle at Margate started when youths who had slept the night on the beaches went to meet friends arriving by excursion trains. Tables in the buffet were overturned, crockery broken, and a bottle smashed through a window. Mrs Lily Stott, the manageress, in an attempt to intervene, was thrown to the floor and dragged around. A counter assistant, partially deaf Mrs Ellen Green, went to her rescue...and the youngsters turned tail as she kicked and punched her way to Mrs Stott. Mrs Green, however, managed to hang on to one youth who was later arrested.
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| Girl friends waiting anxiously outside the Magistrates court, Margate |
Other scuffles broke out outside the town hall, where the youths arrested earlier were appearing in court. Elsewhere gangs jostled shoppers while on the promenade and on the beaches, youths ambled along or sat watching and waiting - with police in pairs stationed every few yards.
At Brighton last night, More than 1,000 teenagers were involved in skirmishes on the beach and the promenade. They threw deckchairs around, broke them up to make bonfires, shouted obscenities at each other and at passers-by, jostled holidaymakers and terrified elderly residents.
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| Brighton beach early yesterday |
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| Brighton beach early today |
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| The flashpoint |
Today, hundreds of shouting mods fought a sharp battle with a score of rockers on the sun terrace of the aquarium. Deckchairs and rubbish were thrown in a running scrimmage. Knuckledusters had been used, bottles thrown, shop windows smashed, and a youth taken to hospital in earlier battles. Brighton police, with every man on duty, were hopelessly outnumbered.
Reinforcements had to be drafted in. As clashes broke out, patrol cars, horns blaring, raced along the sea front. Brighton had never seen such scenes before. Teenagers jostled and jeered as police arrested a youth. A stone smashed a window of a police car. Another stone throwing mob injured a 14 year old boy, and an elderly woman, with a child in her arms, screamed hysterically as a fusillade of stones swept the promenade.
A strong force of police eventually began ushering the teenagers out of the town centre so they could deal with them more easily. A number of arrests were made. Several youths were remanded by Brighton magistrates today after a plea that the police concerned in the charges couldn't give evidence because they were too busy trying to keep order.
At Clacton, scene of the mods and rockers Easter "warfare," warning messages went out after the arrival by train of scores of teenagers who headed for the sea front.
At Southend, too, there was a pitched battle...which ended with youths and girls fleeing in all directions as police squad cars raced to the scene.
At Gillingham, police were called to meet a train down from London after reports that youths on board were causing damage. A few youths were questioned by police, who said only minor damage had been done.
At Skegness, in Lincolnshire, there were eight arrests during seafront skirmishes yesterday. All eight were released on bail.
At Bournemouth “In one of the biggest ever police operations in Bournemouth, uniformed and plain clothes officers made a dramatic swoop in the town centre Monday night to break up crowds of milling teenagers, many of whom were arrested after disturbances.” There had been several hours of tension after fighting broke out among a crowd of around 30 at the pier. As darkness fell, a gang of around 150 smashed some windows at the back of the Winter Gardens while the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra was performing. Soon afterwards, trouble flared at the Exeter Road end of the Square. Three young people were taken to hospital.
Around 50 police officers arrived in vans. Officers drove motorcycles and other vehicles through the footpaths in the Lower Gardens to keep the gang moving and began to break it up. “A big obstacle to the police was the number of ordinary people who collected in the Square, near the Pier and at other trouble spots, apparently intent on seeing everything they could. Even family parties seemed to be hoping for something sensational to look at.”
By Monday May 25th, the first of the arrested young people were in court. Opening the prosecution at Bournemouth Magistrates Court, Philip Evans said: “There is no doubt whatever in the view of the chief constable, or of his officers who were present at the scene, that large numbers of the public were upset, frightened and indeed, in some instances of very elderly ladies, terrorised by the behaviour of these defendants and others who are not in custody.”
Thirty-three people were due before magistrates that day. Among the first to be convicted was an 18-year-old who was fined a total of £10 and nine shillings. A 20-year-old lorry driver was fined £60 for threatening behaviour, £5 for obstructing police and five guineas in costs.
Mr Evans told the court: “There is no suggestion by the prosecution that this was an organised attack by one gang against another gang. This is a group of young hooligans who have behaved like young hooligans in Bournemouth.”
It was said in court that 150 young people had gone to the bus station in Exeter Road, five or six abreast around the bus station’s footpaths and shoving members of the public out of the way. They kicked bins, smashed fittings, shouted and screamed, before the police broke them up. They then made their way through the town centre “willfully damaging the flowers and shrubs in the Pleasure Gardens and continuing to frighten elderly people”, the court heard.
Eventually, eight young people would be sent to prison or borstal, 27 would be fined and 16 discharged. Their prosecutions took place in a climate which the sociologist Stanley Cohen would later describe as a “moral panic”. Bournemouth West’s MP, Sir John Eden, pledged to put questions to the Home Secretary, advocating “the use of judicial corporal punishment” as well as open air camps to deal with “idleness and boredom in youth”.
27th May At Shivering Sands, Thames Estuary: Pop music pirate Radio Sutch begins broadcasting
3rd June At Red Sands, Thames Estuary: Pop music pirate Radio Invicta begins broadcasting
12th June In South Africa.. Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment
He was one of the original teaching staff taken on when the school was opened up at the Marlborough road site, when it was renamed Upbury Manor Secondary Modern, the same year his first child, a girl, was born in 1957. Soon after, he set up an out of school hours model aero club, for boys and girls, which he ran at the school site. Then later adding on from its success, he began earning a supplemental income with enterprising aircraft model design work plans which he had developed and tested during the school club time with the pupils. These plans he submitted along with written articles for publication in the "Model Aircraft" hobby magazines.
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| Holding the UPBURY G and R models |
In a published article from the magazine he wrote, "These models were designed for the Upbury Manor Secondary School Model Aircraft Club. It is very important that the first models built by a newcomer to aero-modelling should be simple to build, have a reasonable performance and cost as little as possible. The Upbury R and the Upbury G aircraft models were designed with these points in view. They are simple and rugged, together cost less than a pound (8s. for the glider and l0s. for the rubber powered version) and, if reasonably well built, will give consistent flights of about one minute." The remainder of his text, went on to describe the building instructions and advice for the said models, but they are not reproduced here, although I present his plan diagram copy sheet, shown below.
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| Click on the plan to view large size |
Here is an 8mm colour cine film short I've edited to illustrate the outdoor test flights of a similar model glider. The scene is set on the Great lines, Gillingham, with some actual footage filmed there in the mid 1960's by Medway camera club. Other footage by courtesy of the Moreton Secondary Modern School.
2nd July The 6pm news on the telly. The Civil Rights Bill - one of the most important piece of legislation in American history - has become law. US President Lyndon B Johnson signed the bill creating equal rights in voting, education, public accommodations, union membership and in federally assisted programmes - regardless of race, colour, religion or national origin. The bill has caused much controversy since it was introduced last year by President John F Kennedy. It was signed tonight in the White House five hours after the House of Representatives passed it by 289 to 126 votes. After the signing, President Johnson shook hands with civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King.
In a television address to the nation he called on US citizens to "eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in America". "Let us close the springs of racial poison," he said.
Parts of the bill take immediate effect, including the "public accommodations" element which means black people can no longer be excluded from restaurants, hotels, bars, cinemas, sports stadia and other public facilities. Sections on voting rights and desegregation of schools are also enforceable from now and give the Attorney General more power to intervene where necessary. The section on equal opportunity in employment will not begin to operate for another year and will not be fully effective for five years.
During the debate on the bill, segregationist politicians from America's deep south expressed their disappointment and anger. Congressman Howard Smith of Virginia called it a "monstrous oppression of the people".
Civil rights activists have welcomed the new law. Roy Wilkins, secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People described it as "the Magna Carta of human rights". He applauded the appointment of former governor of Florida Leroy Collins as director of the new Community Relations Service, set up to deal with issues arising from the desegregation of public facilities and institutions.
The Civil Rights Commission has announced a campaign to implement the law. Dr King said he would be seeking commitments from businesses and community leaders all over the south to respect the new law under a campaign called Operation Dialogue.
6th July On TV channel BBC 2. The Beat Room begins airing: The Animals, Lulu, Millie Small, The Routers. What a shame we haven't a TV that can see this. I'll list it anyway to illustrate events missed that I would have very much liked to have been witness to.
19th July In Harlem (and in later Brooklyn and Rochester): US. race riots.
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| Margate, me at the seawater boating pool |
Two British pop music film shorts are released in July, on the 15th 'Swinging UK' and the 28th 'UK Swings Again'
Produced for: United Artists Corporation
Production Company: Harold Baim Productions Limited
Production Company: Harold Baim Productions Limited
Both 'Swinging UK' and 'UK Swings Again' are the first of the "pick of the pops" 35mm films shot in colour, pioneering 'pop group artists promos' on sets in the studio without any audience present. They were produced for cinema audiences in the year 1964. Each of the artists shown, are acting playing their instruments, and miming to a pre recorded musical and vocals track. The link presenters are the established celebrity Radio Luxembourg DJs Alan Freeman, Brian Matthew and Kent Walton.
In SWINGING UK presenters Alan Freeman, Brian Matthew and Kent Walton introduce:
•The Cockneys singing "After Tomorrow"
•Brian Poole and The Tremeloes singing "Do You Love Me"
•The Four Pennies singing "Juliet" and "Running Scared"
•Millie singing "My Boy Lollipop" and "Oh Henry"
•The Migil 5 singing "Mockingbird Hill" and "Long Tall Sally"
•The Wackers singing "Love or Money"
•The Mersey Beats singing "Fools Like Me" and "Don't Turn Around"
•The Cockneys singing "After Tomorrow"
•Brian Poole and The Tremeloes singing "Do You Love Me"
•The Four Pennies singing "Juliet" and "Running Scared"
•Millie singing "My Boy Lollipop" and "Oh Henry"
•The Migil 5 singing "Mockingbird Hill" and "Long Tall Sally"
•The Wackers singing "Love or Money"
•The Mersey Beats singing "Fools Like Me" and "Don't Turn Around"
'Swinging UK'.. Film run time 27 mins, and I've split the film into the individual performances.
Go to SWINGING UK here.
In UK SWINGS AGAIN presenters Alan Freeman, Brian Matthew and Kent Walton introduce:
•The Swinging Blue Jeans singing "Don't You Worry 'Bout Me" and "You're No Good"
•The Swinging Blue Jeans singing "Don't You Worry 'Bout Me" and "You're No Good"
•The Tornados play "Blue, Blue, Blue Beat"
•The Animals singing "Baby, Let Me Take You Home"
•Brian Poole and the Tremeloes singing "Someone, Someone"
•The Hollies singing "Here I Go Again" and "Baby That's All"
•The Applejacks singing "Tell Me When" and "Like Dreamer's Do"
•Lulu and the Luvers singing "Shout!"
•The Animals singing "Baby, Let Me Take You Home"
•Brian Poole and the Tremeloes singing "Someone, Someone"
•The Hollies singing "Here I Go Again" and "Baby That's All"
•The Applejacks singing "Tell Me When" and "Like Dreamer's Do"
•Lulu and the Luvers singing "Shout!"
'UK Swings Again'.. Film run time 26 mins, and I've split the film into the individual performances.
Go to UK SWINGS AGAIN here.
July 1964 Filming starts on the 'Mods and Rockers' film.
24th July 1964. Real life Mods and Rockers clash in a make-believe punch-up at Twickenham Film Studios. The young people from the "59 Club", Hackney, London, were staging the battle before the film cameras. They are appearing with the Western Theatre Ballet in the film version of the company's ballet 'Mods and Rockers', story of a Mod girl who falls for a Rocker boy. Sylvia Wellman and Simon Mottram dance their original roles. The colour film, which is being produced and directed by Kenneth Hume, will also include 'Non Stop', another popular ballet of the Western Theatre Ballet. All the ballet choreography, the dancers had performed at the Prince Charles Theatre during the Christmas season of 1963, was reworked into the film as purely modern youth dance style this time around to ensure a much greater interest from the cinema audiences.
The beat pop group 'The Cheynes' are recruited by producer-director Kenneth Hume, to play a series of the Beatles songs in a short modern dance movie titled 'Mods and Rockers', choreographed by Peter Darrell.
The real story of the "59 club", motorcycling youth of today, may surprise you.
2nd August News headlines: In the Gulf of Tonkin: North Vietnamese torpedo boats attack US ships.
The beat pop group 'The Cheynes' are recruited by producer-director Kenneth Hume, to play a series of the Beatles songs in a short modern dance movie titled 'Mods and Rockers', choreographed by Peter Darrell.
The real story of the "59 club", motorcycling youth of today, may surprise you.
View.. Behind the Ton-Up Boys circa August 1964
2nd August News headlines: In the Gulf of Tonkin: North Vietnamese torpedo boats attack US ships.
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| Some fun at Margate beach, no sign of any mass groups of Mods and Rockers here today on August bank holiday Sunday |
3rd August Monday: A bank holiday press report. The body of a boy, aged about 15 and dressed like a mod, was found in the sea at Hastings today as Scotland Yard's new "flying squad" were called back to the teenage riot town.
The dead boy was wearing "what I would call mod clothing - blue jeans, a striped sailor's shirt, and canvas shoes." Another 15 year old, who described himself as a mod, said "There were a number of us mods wandering about on the beach and somebody shouted 'Dead body'. I saw the body a little way out in the water. Two of the boys went in and pulled it out. One of them tried artificial respiration, but it was no good. One of us called the police, and a policeman and an ambulance came and the body was taken away."
Hastings chief constable said "At present I have an open mind regarding the death, and at the moment there is no evidence to suggest foul play."
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| Hastings, yesterday, Rockers arriving |
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| Hastings, yesterday, Mods arriving |
In a closer inspection of the two photographs above, it appears to me that some of these riders of both groups are actually members of the 59 club from London and they are indulging in staged posing for the media.
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| Hastings yesterday, for a few, was to be a ride into trouble |
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| Hastings seafront, yesterday |
At Brighton today, two men were fined £20, the new maximum penalty, for obstructing the police. They were among 15 to appear on charges in connection with incidents on or near the town's seafront yesterday and early today. Seven juveniles and three older youths were remanded on bail. Three other youths were remanded in custody.
At Great Yarmouth, two of 15 young people charged in connection with last night's seafront disturbances, were sent to a detention centre for three months and fined £40 each. Other youths were fined sums ranging from £15 to £30.
My view of the youth rebellion media reporting. In light of these events of gang fights in the seaside towns within the last five months, with the troubles spread as sensationalist headline news stories in the newspapers and on the telly. My family, unperturbed, continued with day trips out to the North Kent beaches this summer, and no sign was seen of rowdy youth gangs anywhere.
The evolution of the Mods and Rockers is told in this film.
4th August The 6pm news on the telly. The bodies of three civil rights workers missing for six weeks have been found buried in a partially constructed dam near Philadelphia, Mississippi. Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation found the three young men - two white and one black man - about six miles from the town in a wooded area near where they were last seen on the night of 21 June.
They were Michael Schwerner, aged 24, Andrew Goodman, 20, both from New York and James Chaney, 22, from Meridian, Mississippi. All were members of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) dedicated to non-violent direct action against racial discrimination.
As soon as the men were reported missing, the case was made top priority and codenamed Miburn (Mississippi burning). FBI agents headed by Major Case Inspector Joseph Sullivan were sent down to Mississippi to investigate the matter. After a tip-off they found the men's burnt-out car two days after their disappearance. The bodies have been taken to Jackson, Mississippi, for further examination into the cause of death. It is believed all three had been shot and the finger of blame is pointing at the Ku Klux Klan white supremacist group.
The three young men had left the CORE office in Meridian six weeks ago to investigate the destruction of a black congregation church in Longdale, Neshoba County because it was used as the site for a "freedom school". The school was set up by Mr Schwerner as part of a wider civil rights campaign in Mississippi teaching black children, among other things, black history and the philosophy of the civil rights movement. The Mount Zion Church was burned down on 16 June by members of the KKK searching for Mr Schwerner.
His wife, Rita, made an emotional statement to newspapers today. She said: "My husband, Michael Schwerner, did not die in vain. If he and Andrew Goodman had been negroes, the world would have taken little notice of their deaths. "After all, the slaying of a negro in Mississippi is not news. It is only because my husband and Andrew Goodman were white that the national alarm had been sounded."
Other news: Gulf of Tonkin/Vietnam: Lyndon Johnson launches an attack against North Vietnam on the basis of a presumed attack on an American ship purposely positioned eight miles off the Vietnamese coast.
7th August Washington, D.C.: Congress passes the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" giving President Johnson direct control of American forces in Vietnam.
12th August Raid frees British train robber from prison.
RECORD PLAYER TECHNOLOGY
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| 1964 Advert for the latest portable record player |
September 1964. The long summer holiday had ended along with my days at Gillingham Byron Road County Primary Junior school. Well here I was now, my carefree childhood of the playground with games and lessons was gone. I'd earlier in the year, apparently sat a special series of written tests. I knew nothing of what it was all about. My parents had not prepared and enlightened me as to why it was so important to do well in it. These strange tests, involved language, reasoning, arithmetic, logic puzzles, and matching up sets of different shapes and number sequences. It was the notorious 11-plus exam and was more like an IQ test that I had been subjected to. Outside of private education, the 1944 Education Act was the law. The act created the tri-partite state education system in which children were streamed into Grammar Schools, Technical Schools and Secondary Modern Schools. The 11-plus was the blunt instrument devised and used to bat the children, of 11 years of age, into their allocated state secondary education pigeon hole suitable for their future role to serve in British society.
This year was the beginning, nationally, of a huge planned change in the education and qualification system. The British Government Ministry Board of Education, immediately after WWII, had the role of co-ordinating authority to ensure equivalence of standards across all schools and established the Secondary School Examinations Council (SSEC) as a permanent advisory body to regulate the various examination boards.
In 1947, the SSEC proposed a new qualification in England and Wales, the General Certificate of Education Ordinary level examination GCE O-level, to be taken by pupils upon completing five-years education of a selective type at the age of 16.
It was eventually introduced in England and Wales in 1951, and was the sole state recognised external examination qualification. The pass standard was set to be beyond the ability of almost all but Grammar school pupils. For the rest, internal examinations and school reports had served as credentials upon leaving school at age 15. Originally the GCE was examined by eight examining bodies either directly affiliated or closely connected with the universities. In 1953, a new examination body, the Associated Examining Board, independent of the universities was created. This set of examinations was designed for technical students. All were overseen by the SSEC.
Ordinary Level
Was sat at age 16 (as stipulated by law, although with room for exceptions on discretion of individual headmasters). Graded on a pass/fail basis and was roughly equivalent to a credit at School Certificate. O-level passes were thus seen as slightly higher than a Pass at School Certificate. Sat on a subject basis, with individual passes awarded. It was originally intended to be an academic examination, principally for Grammar school pupils, which would secure an exemption from university entry exams or preliminary professional examinations. Taken by most Grammar and Technical school pupils in the fifth form and, later on, a growing number of Secondary Modern pupils. A successful candidate was judged as having passed 4 O-level subjects. The minimum pass mark was around 36%.
Advanced Level (A-level)
Roughly equivalent to Higher School certificate. Initially, candidates working towards A-levels were not expected to sit O-levels. Candidates would normally study for three subjects, each sat at subject level and students achieved individual passes. By the mid-1950s, A-levels became the basic qualifying measure for university, with specific courses often stipulating specific A-level combinations. Oxford and Cambridge, however, continued to rely on its own examinations (Responsions and Previous Examination) to decide entry, access to which was based on O-level results. In 1955 a distinction level was added to the basic pass/fail standard, and in 1960 the grading system (A-E) was introduced. Candidates were required to attain 40% to achieve the minimum pass mark. Taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Scholarship/Special level
Introduced in 1960 and sat at age 18 by those competing for university awards, expected to be around 15% of A-level candidates. The syllabus was broadly the same as respective A-level syllabus but intended to mark out high ability candidates. Graded on a distinction/merit/fail basis
Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE)
To be introduced as a result of the Beloe Committee’s report (1960), the first CSE examination sitting to be in Summer 1965. It came following growing pressure from schools and parents for an examination that could provide a formal, standardised leaving qualification for those not at grammar schools. The CSE was replacing the various unrecognised examinations that secondary modern schools had increasingly employed. Administered by 14 regional exam boards and it was expected that teachers would play a far greater role in setting the curriculum and papers. The boards were regulated by the reformed SSEC, now renamed the Schools Council for Curriculum and Examinations.
Intended for the 40% below those who took O-levels (20% of school pupils). It would be sat at 16 and assumed that a candidate had completed a five years of secondary school course, although schools were under no obligation to offer it. Passes were awarded on an individual subject basis and graded at levels 1-5. The CSE introduced coursework for the first time and made it possible for the teacher also to be the assessor, with scripts then moderated by an external marker. Mode 3 offered the radical opportunity for schools to set their own curriculums and examinations. The SSEC stipulated that a Grade I pass at CSE should be regarded as the equivalent of a pass at O-level.
With the introduction of the CSE, and the British government intention to increase the state school leaving age to 16, Upbury Manor would need to undertake construction of extra capacity building extensions to accomodate the increasing number of 5th year students, teaching staff and an expanding 6th and 7th year form group. It was apparent that many Upbury pupils had levels of ability and academic ambitions matching those of students at Technical and Grammar schools. CSE, GCE O and A level courses were now to be made available to all students of qualified age at Upbury Manor.
My mother told me that I was to start at my new school, that being Upbury Manor Secondary Modern school. I was still a child, and already society had deemed me as an academic failure, a dunce, not worthy of consideration for the next phase of education at a Grammar school or even at Technical School. During the summer, mother had been scraping together an Upbury Manor school uniform kit. A black blazer with badge, grey cap with badge, tie, grey shirt, red pullover, shoes, grey socks topped with two red bands and................SHORT TROUSERS............UURRGG!!! How can this be? I'd been wearing jeans at Byron road school since 1962, why am I to be going back into short trousers? The answer to that, I much later on began to understand was our family being in a very poor financial situation. My eldest brother had left Upbury Manor school at Easter time, when 15 in 1960. His old school uniform had not been thrown away, but was in storage at home. He was then moved away to a boarding school in the Surrey countryside. I believe that I was only taken to visit him just once in 1962, during his two and half years away. By the early months of 1964, he had returned home to live with us again. A stranger had suddenly been inserted into our life. He had grown up and I didn't know what to make of him, my next eldest brother took a dislike of him. The extra expense of feeding and clothing three boys of 11, 14 and 19 put an enormous strain on my mother. So for me, it was some hand-me-down clothing to wear going into my new school. The only new parts of my uniform were the blazer and socks, the rest of it had last been worn by my eldest brother when he had been an Upbury pupil.
This year was the beginning, nationally, of a huge planned change in the education and qualification system. The British Government Ministry Board of Education, immediately after WWII, had the role of co-ordinating authority to ensure equivalence of standards across all schools and established the Secondary School Examinations Council (SSEC) as a permanent advisory body to regulate the various examination boards.
In 1947, the SSEC proposed a new qualification in England and Wales, the General Certificate of Education Ordinary level examination GCE O-level, to be taken by pupils upon completing five-years education of a selective type at the age of 16.
It was eventually introduced in England and Wales in 1951, and was the sole state recognised external examination qualification. The pass standard was set to be beyond the ability of almost all but Grammar school pupils. For the rest, internal examinations and school reports had served as credentials upon leaving school at age 15. Originally the GCE was examined by eight examining bodies either directly affiliated or closely connected with the universities. In 1953, a new examination body, the Associated Examining Board, independent of the universities was created. This set of examinations was designed for technical students. All were overseen by the SSEC.
Ordinary Level
Was sat at age 16 (as stipulated by law, although with room for exceptions on discretion of individual headmasters). Graded on a pass/fail basis and was roughly equivalent to a credit at School Certificate. O-level passes were thus seen as slightly higher than a Pass at School Certificate. Sat on a subject basis, with individual passes awarded. It was originally intended to be an academic examination, principally for Grammar school pupils, which would secure an exemption from university entry exams or preliminary professional examinations. Taken by most Grammar and Technical school pupils in the fifth form and, later on, a growing number of Secondary Modern pupils. A successful candidate was judged as having passed 4 O-level subjects. The minimum pass mark was around 36%.
Advanced Level (A-level)
Roughly equivalent to Higher School certificate. Initially, candidates working towards A-levels were not expected to sit O-levels. Candidates would normally study for three subjects, each sat at subject level and students achieved individual passes. By the mid-1950s, A-levels became the basic qualifying measure for university, with specific courses often stipulating specific A-level combinations. Oxford and Cambridge, however, continued to rely on its own examinations (Responsions and Previous Examination) to decide entry, access to which was based on O-level results. In 1955 a distinction level was added to the basic pass/fail standard, and in 1960 the grading system (A-E) was introduced. Candidates were required to attain 40% to achieve the minimum pass mark. Taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Scholarship/Special level
Introduced in 1960 and sat at age 18 by those competing for university awards, expected to be around 15% of A-level candidates. The syllabus was broadly the same as respective A-level syllabus but intended to mark out high ability candidates. Graded on a distinction/merit/fail basis
Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE)
To be introduced as a result of the Beloe Committee’s report (1960), the first CSE examination sitting to be in Summer 1965. It came following growing pressure from schools and parents for an examination that could provide a formal, standardised leaving qualification for those not at grammar schools. The CSE was replacing the various unrecognised examinations that secondary modern schools had increasingly employed. Administered by 14 regional exam boards and it was expected that teachers would play a far greater role in setting the curriculum and papers. The boards were regulated by the reformed SSEC, now renamed the Schools Council for Curriculum and Examinations.
Intended for the 40% below those who took O-levels (20% of school pupils). It would be sat at 16 and assumed that a candidate had completed a five years of secondary school course, although schools were under no obligation to offer it. Passes were awarded on an individual subject basis and graded at levels 1-5. The CSE introduced coursework for the first time and made it possible for the teacher also to be the assessor, with scripts then moderated by an external marker. Mode 3 offered the radical opportunity for schools to set their own curriculums and examinations. The SSEC stipulated that a Grade I pass at CSE should be regarded as the equivalent of a pass at O-level.
With the introduction of the CSE, and the British government intention to increase the state school leaving age to 16, Upbury Manor would need to undertake construction of extra capacity building extensions to accomodate the increasing number of 5th year students, teaching staff and an expanding 6th and 7th year form group. It was apparent that many Upbury pupils had levels of ability and academic ambitions matching those of students at Technical and Grammar schools. CSE, GCE O and A level courses were now to be made available to all students of qualified age at Upbury Manor.
My mother told me that I was to start at my new school, that being Upbury Manor Secondary Modern school. I was still a child, and already society had deemed me as an academic failure, a dunce, not worthy of consideration for the next phase of education at a Grammar school or even at Technical School. During the summer, mother had been scraping together an Upbury Manor school uniform kit. A black blazer with badge, grey cap with badge, tie, grey shirt, red pullover, shoes, grey socks topped with two red bands and................SHORT TROUSERS............UURRGG!!! How can this be? I'd been wearing jeans at Byron road school since 1962, why am I to be going back into short trousers? The answer to that, I much later on began to understand was our family being in a very poor financial situation. My eldest brother had left Upbury Manor school at Easter time, when 15 in 1960. His old school uniform had not been thrown away, but was in storage at home. He was then moved away to a boarding school in the Surrey countryside. I believe that I was only taken to visit him just once in 1962, during his two and half years away. By the early months of 1964, he had returned home to live with us again. A stranger had suddenly been inserted into our life. He had grown up and I didn't know what to make of him, my next eldest brother took a dislike of him. The extra expense of feeding and clothing three boys of 11, 14 and 19 put an enormous strain on my mother. So for me, it was some hand-me-down clothing to wear going into my new school. The only new parts of my uniform were the blazer and socks, the rest of it had last been worn by my eldest brother when he had been an Upbury pupil.
At the beginning of the first day, my mother cooked a breakfast of egg, bacon and fried bread and served with a drink of sweet tea for me. Very tasty and it usually kept the hunger away until the afternoon. I was now wearing my full uniform with short trousers, about to embark on my journey into the unknown world of a large school of strangers. Leaving the house, and by the time York avenue was reached, my cap was off and had been secreted into my satchel. The next six minutes walk towards Marlborough road, in anxiety, I was darting side glances to check for other boys that may be staring at me. On arrival at the school, a man was giving directions to go along a path to what was known as the lower school playground. During my first fearful day of the new term at Upbury, after first assembling on the playground, I beheld a rather odd thin faced spectacled man, a bantam with a moustache, smartly suited and turned out, themed as of World War Two vintage. His unfashionable oxford bags flapping like flags in a breeze. I much later on, nicknamed him "Field Marshal" Potts. At a set time he shouted out to bring us all to attention, then gave us a general speech about the school and then introduced all the seven 1st form class teachers, including himself. He was about to organise his raw troops into groups on the parade ground. During this process of selections and name registering, he had allocated my position into the 1B2 group and my form class teacher was to be a woman, a Mrs Rose.
These are the teaching staff of Upbury Manor pictured during the year of my induction into the school.
1964/65 Class 1B2; The Teaching Staff
- Mrs Rose our Form group teacher; Religious Education, Music
- Mr McVie; English
- Mrs Marshall; History
- Mr Potts; Geography
- Mr Sharp; Mathematics
- Mr Wilson; Science
- Mr Brown; Art
- Mr Peters; Handicrafts
- Mr Twyman; Woodwork, Metalwork
- Mr McDouall; Physical Education and Sports
Looking all around the mass of strange faces present, I noticed amongst them quite a lot of my former Byron Road school boys and girls. They being Paul Hocking, Michael Bray, John Hickson, Vivian Cowles, June Ralph, Janet Rayner, Martin Forrest, Carole Sandle, Martin Sandmann, Ronald Barnes, Stephen Whitethread, Peter Jefford, James Hocking, Ronald Reading, Kevin Sandy, Judith Cunningham, Sandra Coleman, Laura Wheeler, Cherry Griffin, David Pascoe, Gillian Smead, Kathyrn Wells, Stephen Knight, Linda Myles, Christine Yianni, Linda Watling, Beverly Partridge, Corrine Longley, Geoffrey Glover, Christopher Holmes, Edmond Kitto, Neil Budden, Anthony Smith, Christopher Sanders, Barbara Lawson, Victor Ashby, Michael Wigley and his brother, Gina Compton, Valerie Shrubsole, Jeanette Vos, Roy Twigg, Peter Ingram, and also later in the day I saw Jimmy Guntrip, David Winter, Bronia Jedroszyk, they being in the year group above me.
The groups of the new intake in turn were led into the school building through the bewildering maze of doors, stairs, and corridors to their respective classrooms. On the way there, seeing for the first time the vast number of much older grown up boys and girls that were attending at this school. It was scary, so many of them staring down at us little worms. At the initial gathering for registration with Mrs Rose in the 1B2 classroom, I was the only boy there wearing short trousers, I shrank inside, that foreboding sense that of being marked as a target and soon I was going to picked on during break times by the older boys. After we all had sorted ourselves a wood desk to sit at, Mrs Rose handed out some books from various stacked piles that were on her desk. Each of us was given a book of hymns and a pocket size Gideons bible New Testament: Psalms, Proverbs. I imagine all the new 1st year pupils were issued with these. The hymn book had a plain blue, hardback cover with an embossed design of two deer drinking from a pool and the bible had a soft, rounded cornered cover, deep red brown in colour with the cover wording in gold lettering. Also there was a page inside to write your name, date and address or class year form number in. These two books were intended for use throughout our years at the school and we were to look after them because there were no book replacements for loss or damage to them. We then promptly put them away inside our desks, to await further instructions and information about the school workings from Mrs Rose.
Going out into the playground at the morning break, my friend Martin Sandmann cheerily greeted me and told me about the new class he was in. I was a bag of nerves, preoccupied in the anticipation of being ambushed by a gang, of other boys, dispensing thumps and name calling. Nothing of the sort happened and I returned to the 1B2 class room, to resume in the school induction process, with the rest of the class. Sometime after 11am, the nervous excitement from the early part of the day had triggered a need, in my body, to use the toilet. I was too embarrassed to speak up and ask to be excused, and also not knowing where to go, I sat there, uncomfortably holding the feeling down until the lunch break at 11:45am. I could then return home, just a 12 minute walk, to use our toilet. I set out from school as soon as the break bell rang, walking briskly along York Avenue, getting only as far along as the College Avenue junction. Oh no.... that's when I shit myself. I immediately slowed the pace down, still hoping to limit the amount of poop that was entering my underpants. Some small lumps had escaped and had rolled off my bare legs, leaving a trail of little slimy dollops on the pavement, before reaching home.
The state I was in, my mother was at home to clean up and I had a bath. I begged her to get me some long trousers as soon as possible. I had to put on the spare pair of short trousers, then she sent me back to school for the afternoon. First mission was to find where the school toilets were, the second was make sure nobody at school ever finds out what had happened. What a great relief was the day when I was fitted out with new long trousers for school wear, but I had to spend a whole school term, in short trousers, waiting for them..
Upbury Manor had a house system, the house names with an associated colour identity were:
GORDON QUEENS NOWELL MILL
By the way, I was put in Nowell house group.
Mrs Rose was not only our class form teacher but also for our religion and music lessons. It wasn't long before she had us all singing together where the class would gather to sing traditional folk songs and sea shanties such as ‘Oh soldier, soldier, won’t you marry me’, ‘A-Roving’, ‘Michael Finnegan’, ‘The Raggle Taggle Gypsies’ and ‘Oh No John’, 'Bobby Shafto' and 'What shall we do with the drunken sailor'. And so on.
There are scenes in my mind of locations inside the school, although my memory of the colour decor is not accurate. The ground floor central part of the school building is where everyone passes through at one time or another during each day. To one side of the main school entrance lobby, is the wood framed glass panel door giving access to an inner lobby and the secretary administration office, Head teacher's study and the teaching staff room.
The main entrance lobby opens out to the dining hall, of which on one side is the kitchen and canteen service counter, the remaining space in the hall would be filled with heavy wooden bench tables and lightweight chairs arranged in rows, set ready for each group meal time sitting. I believe I sat and had my school dinners at Upbury during my first two years there, as my mum was away working in town during the daytime. The meal charge (6d per day) or 2/6d a full week for those who paid and was collected by the class teacher during the first morning registration of each week.
At the far end of the dining hall, there is access through more wood framed glass panel doors into the main hall. This is where the daily morning school assemblies are held.
Looking around the inside the main hall, there are plenty of large glass metal frame panel windows and exit doors to the outside of the building. To open the high placed windows for ventilation, requires the use of a window pole. Huge and thick material draw curtains are fitted, because one side of the hall has a windows view facing out overlooking the playing field to the south-west. And at the hall near end, are windows facing out north-west to view the lower school playground.
Looking around the inside the main hall, there are plenty of large glass metal frame panel windows and exit doors to the outside of the building. To open the high placed windows for ventilation, requires the use of a window pole. Huge and thick material draw curtains are fitted, because one side of the hall has a windows view facing out overlooking the playing field to the south-west. And at the hall near end, are windows facing out north-west to view the lower school playground.
The far end of the hall is taken up by a theatre stage, on which the teachers are seated on chairs during each morning's assembly. Usually in place, on the hall floor at the front of the stage, there are movable wood steps being the width of the stage. Some of the lower school pupils are seated on these steps, others by year class form sequence, lined in rows sitting cross legged on the floor in front because it can be crowded at a full assembly and standing room only at the other end for the rows of upper school pupils. The are also steps both sides of the stage, for access leading to the backstage area and to a corridor along to the boys and girls sports changing rooms, showers, and gymnasium.
4th September The 6pm news on the telly. The Queen has officially opened Europe's longest suspension bridge linking Edinburgh to Perth across the River Forth. Tens of thousands of spectators turned up to watch the royal cavalcade slowly cross the 3,300ft (1,005m) central span of the bridge. Soldiers of Lowland regiments from the south linked up symbolically with a Highland brigade from the north to mark the opening of the new crossing, which cuts more than an hour off the journey-time by road. The Forth Road Bridge is currently the fourth longest in the world - but it will be succeeded by the Tagus in Portugal which will be 23ft (7m) longer when it opens in 1967.
Twenty-five Royal Navy ships fired a salute of guns and after a brief opening speech from the Queen there was also a fly-past. The new bridge sits beside the old cantilever rail bridge, opened in 1890 by the then Prince of Wales. Afterwards the Queen returned across the Forth by ferry, marking the final trip in the 800-year-old service. At its peak, the service was running 40,000 trips a year, carrying 1.5m people. The four ferryboats have been run by 70 men only 30 of whom will be re-employed on the new bridge collecting tolls. For some it will mean a salary cut from £18 to £12 a week.
The opening ceremony is estimated to have cost £25,000 - only a fraction of the cost of building the bridge. When the idea was first mooted in 1946, the estimated cost was put at £6m. The Government contributed £4,650,000 and has never increased its grant. The remainder of the money has come from an Exchequer loan, which now looks like it will never be paid off. Assuming five million cars cross the bridge annually, the toll charge of 2s 6d will bring in an annual income of £600,000, but this will not even pay off the interest on the loan. The cost of the crossing would have to be raised to 13s to repay the loan but that is considered far too expensive.
Up to 400 men have worked on the bridge sometimes in very dangerous conditions with winds up to 100mph. Three men lost their lives - others were saved by the Terylene safety nets suspended beneath them. It took 39,000 tons of steel, 30,800 miles of wire in the suspension cables, and is 163ft above the river at its highest point. The bridge will eventually be silver-grey in colour, but work on its final coat was suspended for the opening ceremony.
Upbury piggy back fights, my 1st year in the lower school playground. Edmond Kitto with me on his back, barging through pulling and pushing all the opponents to the ground. We were the best until a few years later, well after we had both moved onto other pursuits, namely the pastime of (girl watching). A new arrival of 1st years (1967/68) was soon noticed in the lower playground piggy back stakes. A new boy named Peter Dugard, larger built than average, and much stronger than most 3rd year boys. We would have been no match for him if we had joined in the fights, but it wasn't our thing anymore. I do remember him from the earlier days at Byron road primary school (springtime 1964), just before I left to go to Upbury. The piggy back fights there, when I once tussled with him to a draw. He was unusually large and strong for a boy of 8 years of age. I was 11 years old.
15th September The 6pm news on the telly. The Sun newspaper is published today for the first time. It is replacing the Mirror Group's Daily Herald, which has been losing readers and advertising revenue for several years. The newest arrival on Fleet Street is promising to follow a "radical" and "independent" agenda - unlike its predecessor which had strong ties to the Labour party. The TUC sold its 49% stake in the paper in 1960. Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) and the International Press Corporation (IPC) took over ownership of the Herald in 1961. It was previously owned by Odhams Press, which had seen it reach a circulation of two million in 1933, the highest in the world at the time.
In a bid to broaden the Herald's appeal once more, MGN, is relaunching the paper as the Sun, with the slogan "A paper born of the age we live in". Editor Sydney Jacobson said his new paper would be "totally independent, no ties with any party or movement... totally free to make up its own mind." The paper's launch coincides with the announcement of a general election next month. Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home, whose Conservative party has been in power for 13 years, will be up against the man described as Labour's thrusting new grammar school boy, Harold Wilson. Asked where his party's loyalties would lie in the coming election battle, Mr Jacobson replied: "The Sun is a radical newspaper. Can a radical newspaper support the present government?"
It is a competitive time for newspapers. Faced with rising costs, the Daily Sketch was the first to raise its cover price from 3d to 4d in June, but others are expected to follow suit. The Daily Mirror - The Sun's stable mate - has a current circulation of five million but even so it is not expected to be able to resist the price increase beyond the end of the year. The Mirror Group is splashing out on free beer and christening mugs for new babies to promote the Sun's arrival and Herald's demise.
HEALTH RAY LAMP
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Advert for the carbon arc light sun lamp
my dad bought one via mail order
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28th September The 6pm news on the telly. There was no conspiracy surrounding the death of President Kennedy but there were serious failures by those responsible for his protection, according to a government report. The 300,000-word document, prepared by a special commission set up by President Johnson to investigate the assassination, ends months of speculation about the death of the president on 22 November 1963 in Dallas, Texas. The commission, led by Chief Justice Earl Warren of the Supreme Court, concludes in its report that gunman Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he fired three rifle shots at the president from the Texas School Book Depository. It rules out suggestions that Oswald, 24, had an accomplice and that shots were fired from an overpass situated in front of the president's car.
28th September The 6pm news on the telly. There was no conspiracy surrounding the death of President Kennedy but there were serious failures by those responsible for his protection, according to a government report. The 300,000-word document, prepared by a special commission set up by President Johnson to investigate the assassination, ends months of speculation about the death of the president on 22 November 1963 in Dallas, Texas. The commission, led by Chief Justice Earl Warren of the Supreme Court, concludes in its report that gunman Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he fired three rifle shots at the president from the Texas School Book Depository. It rules out suggestions that Oswald, 24, had an accomplice and that shots were fired from an overpass situated in front of the president's car.
It states that Oswald was also to blame for shooting a police officer with a revolver approximately three-quarters of an hour later on a Dallas street. Ballistics analysis revealed both guns were owned by Oswald. The report also found that Jack Ruby, 53, who shot Oswald dead two days after the president's death at a Dallas police station also acted on his own initiative. But the security services responsible for protecting the president were severely criticised by the report. The Secret Service was criticised for not taking adequate safety precautions prior to the trip and for not liaising enough with other government departments. It is understood the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Office of Naval Intelligence all had dossiers on Oswald prior to the shooting following his defection from Russia to America in 1961. The Secret Service, however, was unaware of his existence, the report stated. The FBI was criticised for taking "an unduly restrictive view of its responsibilities in preventive intelligence work prior to the assassination." The press and the media were also criticised for turning Dallas police station into "bedlam" after the assassination and the police officers themselves were condemned for not following correct interviewing procedures when quizzing Oswald about the shooting.
The Upbury Manor Swimming Pool Project
Entering the lower school playground at every breaktime, one could not miss the sight of the very large rectangular deep dug out chalk pit in the ground, which was blocked off by a wire mesh fence and a low wall, a little distance away beside the assembly hall side pathway and the playground. A mountainous chalky spoil heap was piled up on the other side of the pit adjacent to the grass playing field. A swimming pool was being built, it being far from completion. The pool project then, was short of funds and all pupils were asked to sell books of draw tickets for the Upbury pool fund to enable the buying of the bricks and other materials in preparation for the next stage of work. Each ticket was priced at threepence each. It was also at this time when the construction of the single story extension block building, of the girls changing rooms and showers, was completed. I also remember months later, possibly in the spring term of the following year 1965, lorry truck concrete ready mixers coming onto the playing field site, pouring the mix into the pit for the workmen to construct and the lining of the pool.
This is the picture showing the excavation site of the swimming pool and also construction works of the girls changing rooms and showers. This seems dated sometime 1962-63, just a year or so before I arrived at the school.
12th October The 6pm news on the telly. A senior Conservative minister has stolen the show at the Conservative news conference by branding all Labour voters "bonkers". Quintin Hogg, Lord President of the Council and Secretary for Education and Science, made his quip after mounting a stinging attack on Labour's policies. "As I see the question," he told journalists gathered at Conservative Central office in London, "it is quite plainly between sanity on our side and madness on the other side."
The news conference was also attended by two other senior Tories - Viscount Blakenham, chairman of the party, and Reginald Maudling, Chancellor of the Exchequer - but neither had very much to say. Mr Hogg, who gave up his peerage to run for the Conservative Party leadership last year, began by attacking Labour's defence policy: "What is their defence policy? To drop our most powerful weapon altogether. Their foreign policy? To opt out of the conference table at the highest level. "Their policy on finance? To stop inflation by spending another £1,000 million a year." He continued criticising their plans for modernisation of the railways, education and industry. He went on: "If the British public falls for this, I say it will be stark, staring bonkers, and that is all I have got to say."
His remarks produced some guffaws from journalists - one of whom proceeded to ask whether he thought the editor of The Economist was bonkers for backing Labour. He replied: "I have not examined him lately." Another journalist asked if he really thought all 13 million people who voted Labour at the last election were bonkers? He replied that it was not yet clear how many would back Labour this time. "After what I have said, perhaps none will," he said. When asked how he would describe the Liberals and Mr Hogg replied "insignificant and meaningless". Whereas, he added, Conservatives were "sound, sensible, progressive, wise, well-balanced citizens".
Mr Hogg has already developed a reputation as an eccentric - and outspoken politician. In 1957 when he was party chairman, he tried to rouse the party faithful by ringing a hand bell from the platform of the party conference to celebrate victory in Suez. Last summer he led the British delegation to Moscow to sign the nuclear test-ban treaty, and took an unfashionable stand on the Profumo scandal, denouncing it as a moral and not a party political issue.
15th October The 6pm news on the telly. UK: In general election, Labour wins narrow 4-seat victory and Harold Wilson becomes PM
Other news; Nikita Khrushchev has unexpectedly stepped down as leader of the Soviet Union. The official Soviet news agency, Tass, announced that a plenary meeting of the Communist Party Central Committee had accepted Mr Khrushchev's request to depart "in view of his advanced age and the deterioration of his health". Mr Khrushchev, who is 70, took over as First Secretary of the Central Committee soon after Stalin's death. He has held the role of both party leader and prime minister since 1958. These posts will now be divided with 57-year-old Leonid Brezhnev heading the Soviet Communist Party, while 60-year-old Alexei Kosygin, will take the post of prime minister.
The news has come as a shock to Soviet diplomats in London who were unaware that their leader might be unwell. Governments of Western Europe have also been taken aback and fear the new leadership might shift away from Mr Khrushchev's policy of peaceful co-existence with the West.
A flamboyant character, Mr Khrushchev is described in the Times newspaper today as "the most colourful leader world communism has produced". He took over from Joseph Stalin when he died in 1953. In 1955 he began the first of several visits abroad to improve Soviet relations with the rest of Europe, America and Asia. His first stop was Yugoslavia where he apologised in person to Marshal Josef Tito for Stalin's attack on Yugoslav Communism in 1948. His denunciation of Stalin in 1956 in what's known as the "secret speech" to the 20th Party Congress gave Soviet satellite states such as Poland and Hungary new hope of more political freedom - which were soon crushed by Warsaw Pact troops. During this speech, he also laid down the foundations of his foreign policy, moving away from the belligerent approach to capitalism and towards co-existence and competition.
For Western leaders, his brash and extrovert sense of humour was a refreshing change from the stern image of previous Soviet public figures. He courted socialist parties abroad and encouraged cultural exchanges. But his temper sometimes got the better of him - like the time he famously hit the table with his shoe during a United Nations debate in 1960 - and he was quick to warn of the USSR's nuclear weapons capability in his speeches in the international arena. His leadership will also be remembered for bringing the world close to nuclear war by placing Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
The short 27 minute film titled 'Mods and Rockers'
Due for release in Britain, October 1964
but might have been delayed a certified general release until 22nd February 1965
I have split this film of the two dance performances by the Western Theatre Ballet Company - 'Non Stop' and 'Mods and Rockers' - based around early 1960s modern jazz, pop music and teenage courtship. Musical backing, by beat group The Cheynes, featuring Mick Fleetwood on drums and Peter Bardens plays harmonica, with their instrumental cover versions of songs written by The Beatles. Filmed during July-September 1964 at Twickenham Film Studios, the first performance takes place in a set that resembles a coffee bar; the second takes place in a set that resembles a church youth club.
'Non Stop'
'Mods and Rockers'
Unfortunately, the owner of this film copyright, Studiocanal has decided to block the viewing of this part of the film. It now can only be viewed in its original full length at the British Film Institute online BFI player. By clicking over the poster image below, it will open up the BFI player film viewer page. To access and start playing the film, use the green 'Watch for free' button at the bottom right-hand corner of the player window. Inside the active window, on the timer bar, select the film start point to 9:21 [mins:secs], which is where 'Mods and Rockers' starts.
'Mods and Rockers' watch for free at BFI online
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The Cheynes set list order of play of the Beatles songs;
From Me To You - I Wanna Be Your Man - Don't Bother Me
Bad To Me - This Boy - She Loves You - Please Please Me
25th October The 6pm news on the telly. Zambia has become the ninth African state to gain independence from the British crown. The former colony of Northern Rhodesia - part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland since 1953 - celebrated with a ceremony at the Independence Stadium in the capital, Lusaka, as a huge copper torch was lit on a hill overlooking the city. The new president of the country, Kenneth Kaunda, was given the Instruments of Independence by the Queen's representative, the Princess Royal. Thousands of people shouted "Kwatcha" - meaning the Dawn - as they watched the red, black, green and orange colours of the Zambian Republic's flag replace the British Union Jack to mark the official changeover at midnight. Princess Mary read a personal message from the Queen as the UK welcomed the newest member of its Commonwealth.
President Kaunda - the only candidate in the August elections - has given his first news conference since taking office. He spoke of the new republic's "task of building a nation founded on respect for all people of all races, all colours and all religions". And he told journalists Zambia would support Britain if neighbouring Rhodesia - formerly Southern Rhodesia - made a unilateral declaration of independence. "That declaration would meet resistance from all over the world and would not last," he said.
The son of a Church of Scotland minister, Dr Kaunda, 40, has a reputation as a moderate and reasonable man, opposed to violence. He supports the preservation of 10 of the 73 seats in parliament for the Europeans, for at least the next four years. He hopes this will reassure the community of 70,000 Europeans in Zambia, most of whom work in the Copper Belt near the border with Congo and are of great economic importance to the country. Many have already left for South Africa fearing increased African resentment against them.
One of Dr Kaunda's first acts as head of state was to release 200 "freedom fighters" jailed for sedition by the colonial administration. He has also sent letters to the South African Prime Minister asking for African leaders, including Nelson Mandela, to be imprisoned in Zambia rather than their homeland. Lusaka is currently home to the headquarters of 15 African freedom movements, including Zanu and Zapu from Rhodesia.
29th October 1964 This film was released "The Train" Storyline. As the Allied forces approach Paris in August 1944, German Colonel Von Waldheim is desperate to take all of France's greatest paintings to Germany. He manages to secure a train to transport the valuable art works even as the chaos of retreat descends upon them. The French resistance however wants to stop them from stealing their national treasures but have received orders from London that they are not to be destroyed. The station master, Labiche, is tasked with scheduling the train and making it all happen smoothly but he is also part of a dwindling group of resistance fighters tasked with preventing the theft. He and others stage an elaborate ruse to keep the train from ever leaving French territory.
Educational films in schools
Upbury Manor school might have had a monochrome TV receiver set to view the daytime educational programmes for schools, broadcast by the B.B.C. and I.T.V. It being in a strong signal area from the powerful London transmitter station situated at Crystal Palace.
Though I have no memory of seeing a TV set in educational use within our school during most of my formative years there. I do know that the school had a silver grey cased portable 16mm cine film projector, with audio, to screen colour and black and white film shorts, on occasions, during some Science and Geography class lessons and also in the main hall for large group showings. These were the films that were regularly broadcast for TV trade test transmissions or made especially for education in schools. Viewing the films were a welcome change from, the tedium of the teachers lectures using long winded blackboard chalk and talk with questions and answers followed by the pupils, with their Woolworths ballpoint ink pens at hand, earnestly copy scribbling information into their exercise books.
Click on this link Films Listing to a page list of the variety of educational cine films that were made available to schools to show and were also broadcast as TV trade test transmissions. Whether you viewed these films at school or at home on TV, do you recognise any of these listed film titles?
There were alternative plans, for the development of cable TV systems and services for schools, these mainly being pursued by one or two private companies in the British electronics engineering sector. Here is a film clip to illustrate what these companies had in mind.
Television in the classroom
Jenny Lee article
3rd November The 6pm news on the telly. Lyndon Baines Johnson has been elected president of the United States defeating hard-line Republican Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona by an overwhelming majority. The man who took over the presidency last year after the assassination of President Kennedy got the largest popular majority in US history - greater than Franklin D Roosevelt's landslide victory in 1936. His Democrats won 44 states and the District of Columbia with 486 votes. Senator Goldwater took just six states with 52 electoral votes. Final results are still coming in but the Democrats took 293 of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. The Republicans won 139 taking 11 from the Democrats, mostly in the South. Electronic analysis of results showed a groundswell of support for President Johnson from young blacks voting for the first time since the Civil Rights Act was passed. Democrats won 27 of the 35 seats in the Senate, among them two of the late President Kennedy's brothers - Robert and Edward. This should allow controversial legislation - such as on medical care and area redevelopment projects - to get through relatively easily.
In his victory speech at the Municipal Auditorium of Austin, Texas, President Johnson thanked his supporters, his "loyal wife" and paid tribute to his predecessor, President Kennedy and vowed to continue his program of social reform. The 36th President of the United States will have Hubert Humphrey as his vice-president. He said the victory was "a mandate for unity for a government that serves no special interest ... it will be a government that provides equal opportunity for all and special privileges for none."
Senator Goldwater's concession speech at the Camelback Inn, near Phoenix, Arizona, was defiant in the face of crushing defeat. He indicated his party's loss was due to internal differences within the Republican Party saying the moderates "have no difference at all with the Democratic concepts".
Heads of state in Europe reacted with relief at the news that a Democrat had won the presidency. President Johnson received telegrams of congratulation from the Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin and President Anastas Mikoyan. Moscow Radio said Americans had chosen the "more moderate and sober policy" towards East-West relations. British Prime Minister Harold Wilson also sent a telegram and has plans to go to Washington soon to discuss Anglo-American relations with the president.
16th December Off the Essex Coast: pop music pirate station, Radio London begins broadcasting.
17th December 1964 A Disney film was released "Mary Poppins" Storyline. When Jane and Michael, the children of the wealthy and uptight Banks family, are faced with the prospect of a new nanny, they are pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the magical Mary Poppins. Embarking on a series of fantastical adventures with Mary and her Cockney performer friend, Bert, the siblings try to pass on some of their nanny's sunny attitude to their preoccupied parents.
Senator Goldwater's concession speech at the Camelback Inn, near Phoenix, Arizona, was defiant in the face of crushing defeat. He indicated his party's loss was due to internal differences within the Republican Party saying the moderates "have no difference at all with the Democratic concepts".
Heads of state in Europe reacted with relief at the news that a Democrat had won the presidency. President Johnson received telegrams of congratulation from the Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin and President Anastas Mikoyan. Moscow Radio said Americans had chosen the "more moderate and sober policy" towards East-West relations. British Prime Minister Harold Wilson also sent a telegram and has plans to go to Washington soon to discuss Anglo-American relations with the president.
16th December Off the Essex Coast: pop music pirate station, Radio London begins broadcasting.
17th December 1964 A Disney film was released "Mary Poppins" Storyline. When Jane and Michael, the children of the wealthy and uptight Banks family, are faced with the prospect of a new nanny, they are pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the magical Mary Poppins. Embarking on a series of fantastical adventures with Mary and her Cockney performer friend, Bert, the siblings try to pass on some of their nanny's sunny attitude to their preoccupied parents.
23rd December The 6pm news on the telly. The chairman of the British Railways Board is to part company with the organisation and return to his post at Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Dr Richard Beeching was appointed chairman of the newly formed British Railways Board in June 1961 by the Minister of Transport and during that time the system has seen a radical overhaul with many thousands of track being closed. In recent months there had been wide speculation that Dr Beeching would accept the government's offer to head a new board responsible for the coordination and integration of Britain's road and rail networks. But the Minister of Transport, Tom Fraser, told the House of Commons today that Dr Beeching would leave British Railways in the new year.
British Railways has undergone a major overhaul since Dr Beeching became chairman of the organisation four years ago. Following the publication of his report "The Reshaping of British Railways" in 1963, more than 8,000 miles (12,875 km) of track and 2,000 stations were closed at a cost of nearly 70,000 jobs. Many regarded his actions as those of a crazed axe-man despite the fact the railway network was in desperate need of improvement. Others believe his recommendations were inspired and dramatically improved the railway system.
When he was approached by the government to take on this latest task of integrating the country's entire transport system there were those who were more than apprehensive. Dr Beeching said he was able to carry out the task but could devote no more than six months to it, in order for him to be able to return to ICI. The government felt Dr Beeching ought to carry out his study in conjunction with management and unions but Dr Beeching preferred to work on his own. The terms and conditions of the new job remained unresolved and after much discussion the decision was made that Dr Beeching would not take the job. So it is not clear at this stage whether he was forced to leave his £24,000 a year job, a year before his five-year leave period from ICI was due to expire, or whether he himself decided not to accept the position.
In a statement to the Commons Mr Fraser, said: "Since it is Dr Beeching's desire to return to ICI by the middle of next year, I have come to the conclusion that it would not be practicable for him to carry out the sort of study the government want, in the way in which we think it should be done, during the time which he could devote to it." He added that he was in the process of making alternative arrangements but would welcome Dr Beeching's advice during his remaining time at British Railways.
Popular Toys and Games at Christmas
SUPER SOCCER
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| Magnetic Football Game |
ROULETTE
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| Table Top Gambling |
CHEMISTRY SET
31st December The 6pm news on the telly. Donald Campbell has broken the world water speed record, becoming the first man to break the world land and water speed records in the same year. He reached an average speed of 276.33mph (444.71km/h) in his speedboat, Bluebird, this afternoon on Lake Dumbleyung in Perth, Western Australia. The feat shatters his previous world record of 260.35mph (418.99km/h) at Lake Coniston, Cumbria, in 1959.
Mr Campbell has been trying to realise his record-breaking attempt for months at various locations in Australia. Each time he has been frustrated. The weather at his first choice of location, Lake Bonney in South Australia, proved too unpredictable. Then, he moved to Lake Dumbleyung, near Perth, on 16 December, only to be delayed by wild ducks which could not fly away because they were moulting. The weather was the next setback, as persistent easterly winds raised waves up to 2ft (61cm) high, making any attempt impossible.
With time running out for him to achieve his goal of breaking both speed records in the same year, he began considering a move to a third lake just south of Perth. Then suddenly, on the last possible day, the winds eased and the lake became flat calm. Conditions were rated 95% suitable, and the chief mechanic, Leo Villa, radioed to Mr Campbell, "I think it's worth a try - let's go, skipper!"
Several hundred people gathered on the shores of the lake to watch, among them Mr Campbell's wife, Tonia Bern. When she heard that he had done it, she dived into the lake and swam out to embrace him as he brought Bluebird in. As he stepped ashore, Mr Campbell told his supporters, "It's amazing that we clinched it. I never thought we had the chance of a snowball on the desert of cracking it today."
Mr Campbell broke the land speed record in July on Lake Eyre salt flat in central Australia, with a speed of 403.1mph (648.72km/h). However, the record was short-lived: on 27 October an American, Art Arfon, drove his jet car across Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah at an average speed of 536.71mph (863.75km/h).
