January 23rd 1959. 'Suspicions about the 11-Plus system'.
This summarised report from the Kentish Express newspaper.
Thousands of Kent children are now facing the first big hurdle of their school life--the annual "nightmare" known to the public as the 11-Plus, but which the Kent Education Committee prefer to call the Kent Junior Examination. This year, about 25 percent, will qualify for selective secondary education. Grammar schools will take 15 percent, technical schools 10 percent. The balance will go into secondary modern schools.
The Education Committee stresses the falsity of the popular opinion about the discrimination of these examinations. The accusation of "trick questions" is described as "rubbish" by a spokesman for the Education Committee. Every question has been tried out on children of corresponding age and intelligence in another part of the country, and discussed by a panel of head teachers before it is put on an examination paper.
In reality the number of children chosen to qualify for selective education has become an unintended muddled fiddle, limited to match the places available in the existing grammar and the few technical schools. Your child may have the right ability and merit an academic or technical education, but if these school places are unavailable then they will land in a secondary modern school. Surely that is grossly unjust to deprive them of a suitable type of education. That is discrimination and unfair to the secondary modern's. There is no good reason, to prevent secondary modern's being allowed to provide a grammar and technical education all in one school with boys and girls students working together.
19th March 1959 A Disney film was released "The Shaggy Dog", my brother and I went to see it at the Gaumont cinema, on the corner of Watling Street and Beechwood Avenue Chatham. Storyline. Through an ancient spell, a boy changes into a sheepdog and back again. It seems to happen at inopportune times and the spell can only be broken by an act of bravery.
Friday 5th June 1959 Today...It's the official grand opening ceremony of the new Upbury Manor Secondary school, Gillingham. This event was first announced in the local press on the 15th of May. The Headmaster, Mr James McVie, has pulled off a scoop in managing to engage the services of Dame Edith Evans, actress of stage and screen for the role. The school staff and pupils have been busy in preparation, during the last few weeks, for receiving their most renowned and honoured guest for the day.
1959 Upbury Manor school Summer term senior boys cricket team photo
It was very likely taken at the recreation ground, Kings Bastion, Great Lines not far from the Naval war memorial. With thanks to Clive Carter for supplying this picture. The names listed are;
L to R... Mr Kenneth McDouall, back row: (Peter)? Cartwright, Stephen Harmon, Geoffrey Stevens, Jack Spickett, Alan Bromley, (not known).
front row: Trevor Johnson, Clive Carter, Douglas Morgan.
Scooters were travelling around well before they were associated with any style group called Mods. Scooter's were the fun motorcycle of the family and not yet the reserve only for the youth of the day. The first people I had first noticed riding scooters, in Gillingham, appeared to be middle aged men wearing small white cap peak safety helmets. The scooters mostly, seemed to be fitted with huge clear perspex eye level windshields and the riders seated bolt upright as they whizzed by, and that unique sound of the pop pop pop two stroke engine exhaust.
Vespa scooters started in 1946, manufactured by Piaggio of Pontedera, Italy, with a design idea for a relatively cheap motorcycle that was easy to drive for men and women, be able to carry a passenger, and not get its driver's clothes soiled. So the Vespa scooter design shape nickname (translates as "wasp" in English) had the sound and shape reminiscent of one. In competition, the Italian manufacturer Lambretta, designed, developed and produced scooter's that had a slimmer more streamlined look. Both the Vespa and Lambretta scooter's had that continental style, that was most appealing.
The first post war scooter rally is believed to have taken place in 1948, being a group camping trip in France organised by the Corgi Club. The scooter boom of the early 1950s led to the formation of several clubs, which were then endorsed by the Italian scooter industry. In 1952, one manufacturer, Vespa held a rally in Bristol, followed by a national rally in Brighton the year after. In 1955, the Lambretta manufacturer also had clubs and staged their first rally, by which time rallies in all of the main towns and cities in Britain had become regular events.
The year 1959, it's summertime, the Vespa Club of Britain’s National Rally was held in Leeds. A silent colour film of the event was made by enthusiast Andrew Bryden and that full 12 minute film and its documentation can be found in the Yorkshire film archive.
I've added a musical sound track to it, in my own edited short extracted presentation of it here.
WIFFLE BALLS
Wiffle balls are a perforated, light-weight, resilient hollow plastic ball, we used these type of balls in playtime interactive games of catch at Byron road infants school. The school had a stock of these plain coloured balls together with bean bags, for school use only. I didn't know at the time, what these balls were called and where you could buy them.
1959 Upbury Manor school, Autumn term some pupil's B/W photo's (hand coloured)
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| Raymond Lineker |
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| L to R Patrick Rice, Del Drummond, Jack Spickett |
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| Jack Spickett |
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| Colin Hawley |
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| Patrick Rice, Stephen Harmon |
These B/W photo's, with thanks to Del Drummond.
Senior boys: Patrick Rice, Del Drummond, Jack Spickett, Raymond Lineker, Stephen Harmon
2nd year boy Colin Hawley
There is a long history of rumours connected to the existence of tunnels relating to Fort Amherst and the dockyard defences which are said to underlie parts of the Great Lines, including the area of the Upbury Manor school. The presence of deneholes and wells recorded in the surrounding vicinity suggesting some form of chalk mining in this area possibly during the Roman and medieval periods, if not earlier. A denehole is an underground structure consisting of a number of small chalk caves entered by a vertical shaft.
Local geology information of these types of cavities can be found here Sinkholes and Deneholes and at Megalithic
The general outline of the formation of these caves is invariably the same. The entrance is a vertical shaft some 3 feet (1 m) in diameter falling, on an average, to a depth of 60 feet (20 m). The depth is regulated by the depth of the chalk layer from the surface, although chalk can be found within a few feet, or even inches, from the surface. A depth of from 45 to 80 feet or more, is a characteristic feature.
Footholds were cut into the sides of the shaft to allow people to climb in and out. The shaft, when the chalk is reached, widens out into a domed chamber with a roof of chalk some 3 feet thick. The walls frequently contract somewhat as they near the floor. As a rule the main chamber is 16 to 18 feet in height, beneath each shaft. From this excessive height it has been inferred that the caves were not primarily intended for habitations or even hiding-places. In most cases, between two and four sub-chambers are present, excavated laterally from the floor level, the roof being supported by pillars of chalk left standing.
These sections of aerial photo survey pictures taken from around the time of 1959-60 shows the new Upbury Manor school and surrounding land on the Great Lines still very much resembling a building site. Also quite visible are the remains of wartime installation structures [ringed in red in the photo], and its redundant compound boundary line markings in the grass and possibly a disused football ground associated with the Royal Naval Hospital nearby. This football pitch size area and the part of the wartime installation have now been enveloped within the allocated land boundary of the school.
My own guess and thoughts of the purpose of the wartime structures:
(a) The compound may have been the site of a modified denehole, specifically enlarged and fitted out as an underground air raid precautions complex for the Royal Naval Hospital.
(b) It might have been the local area A.R.P. wardens post with an air raid siren or a site location anchorage of a barrage balloon or a searchlight unit.
(c) A plot of land on the Great Lines leased to the public by the war department after the year 1866, as pasture and grazing land. There were a few tethered horses and cattle thereafter often seen on the Great lines in this area. I've seen them there when I was a child. From the year 1891, plots of land on the Lower Lines were leased out for Sheep grazing. Then from the year 1907, land plots on the Great Lines were leased out for Sheep grazing.
February 1960. On an excursion to the Darland banks, with Kevin Sandy, I and Anthony. We got to digging out a large cave hole in the chalk bank. It was large enough to hide the three of us from sight. We were unaware that we were being watched until we had emerged from our shelter to stand upright to stretch our limbs and have a rest from our endeavours. A man appeared and asked us whether we would like our photo taken? We agreed and he took a snapshot of us sitting at the entrance of the excavation site. He wrote in his notepad, my brothers name and address and then he departed. I think he may have been a photo journalist, selling life pictures for magazine publications. Anyway two months later, a copy photo picture of us was sent to Anthony, with thanks from the man. He also gave his name and address, he lived in Middlesex.22nd March 1960 Fund raising parents, children, and staff to build and pay for a swimming pool.
Upbury Manor School swimming pool fund launched
30th March 1960 A Disney film was released "Darby O'Gill and the Little People", my brother took me to see it at the Gaumont cinema. Storyline. A wily old codger matches wits with the king of the leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.
Saturday 25th June 1960 The Upbury Manor Fair
Saturday was a big day for the staff, pupils and their parents of Upbury Manor School, Gillingham for it's a step nearer in a plan to reach their £3,000 funding target for the construction of the school swimming pool. This was Upbury Manor's event of the year after months of preparation work by its pupils and teachers. They organized the summer fair which in terms of size could be a rival of the Gillingam Park Fete.
The fair was opened by the Borough Education Officer, Miss Dorothy Howard, saying "This is the best thing the parents and teachers of this school have done so far." Within minutes of the end of the speech the school grounds were alive with activity, all the stalls being besieged by customers. There were 50 stalls, the equipment for which had been built by the pupils or parents. The majority of the pupils, all the staff and many parents were involved in running the fair which also had a special children's section with pony rides, swings and other activities.
There were a number of displays by such organizations as Wigmore Cycling Club, the Cadet Force Band, the McKinnon School of Dancing and the St. John Ambulance cadets, as well as a P.E. display by the pupils. Local tradesmen were very generous in contributing over 60 prizes for a competition, one prize being a £6 picnic hamper, together with £1 for the fare to go on a picnic.
Plans had been specially prepared to allow for bad weather. The forecast was checked early in the morning. If it had been considered as unfavourable the whole of the school's ground floor would be cleared and the gym, the main hall, the dining hall and a number of classrooms would be pressed into service to accommodate all the stalls and side-shows under cover.
It was just bad luck for Forrest's Fun Fair, which had arrived late Friday, for a six day pitch, on the Lines area nearer Sallyport, having been entertaining at Whitstable the previous week, and was setting up here to open its first day in the afternoon. Fun fairs usually do a roaring trade on Saturday afternoons. But this was not the case on this day. The big wheel on Gillingham's Great Lines was motionless, the "octopus" had no customers for its thrills, and the stalls were almost deserted. Yet the crowds were not far away. For the grounds of Upbury Manor School were packed to capacity with fairgoers..."Summer Fair" goers.
After the Summer Fair had closed, in the evening a school spokesman said "There can be no doubt that the fair was highly successful...though how much will go into the swimming pool fund cannot be determined yet."
17th July 1960 This film "Make Mine Mink" had its premiere showing.
It was an endearing old Ealing style British comedy farce.
Summer 1960. We were all of primary school age, on another excursion to the Darland banks, this time mucking about amongst the thicket of trees and shrubs down by the lower Ash Tree lane. This shocking event happened, while playing on the Darland banks. I, my brother Anthony, and friends Dennis and Steven Dyson, thought up a dare to streak across the lane and back. After hiding in the thicket beside the road, we actually did it, running across and back again, then quickly dressing before running away from the scene. We were too young to understand how so very lucky we had been, not to get caught or reported. If we had been caught, I assume it was a one off incident, then it might well have easily resulted in the shame and the breakup of our and the Dyson family, being according to the law of the day, under the "1948 Children Act".
On an entirely different occasion, we helped an ice-cream salesman push his trike up Ash Tree Lane, and he gave us an ice-lolly each. There was another time when we were walking down Ash Tree Lane, and Steven Dyson was flicking grit down onto the road using a lolly stick. A sports car went past and the driver stopped it, got out, and accused Steven of firing stones at his car. The timing of the incident did not fit. I think the driver was mistaken in his belief? It was just that a loose chipping was picked up and propelled by one of the car tyres.
On an entirely different occasion, we helped an ice-cream salesman push his trike up Ash Tree Lane, and he gave us an ice-lolly each. There was another time when we were walking down Ash Tree Lane, and Steven Dyson was flicking grit down onto the road using a lolly stick. A sports car went past and the driver stopped it, got out, and accused Steven of firing stones at his car. The timing of the incident did not fit. I think the driver was mistaken in his belief? It was just that a loose chipping was picked up and propelled by one of the car tyres.
19th July 1960 Upbury Manor School classes at the Royal Naval Hospital, Gillingham.
1960 September My move from Byron road infants to 1st year entry into Byron road county primary school. As with most other schools of the era, each one operated a house system whereby a pupil, on induction into the school, was allocated a set membership in one of four house teams. This membership lasted throughout all your years of attending the school. Byron road primary had the house names of poets and with an associated colour identity.
CHAUCER SHAKESPEARE MILTON TENNYSON
I was allocated to Tennyson house.
SORBO BALLS
The Sorbo ball was a rubber playing ball marketed as being unburstable. It was manufactured by Sorbo Rubber Sponge-Products Ltd, at Woking Surrey, a company in existence since 1918. We used these balls in playing the bat-and-ball team game "Rounders" at our primary school during our PE lessons. Also you could buy the Sorbo balls from Woolworths stores and some other shops in the high street and shopping precincts. The Sorbo Company had a products range including Rubber-Sponge sheeting, Heel elevators, Truss pads, Indeflatable playing sports balls, Rubber-Sponge toys, India rubber sponges, Unburstable Tyres for Perambulators, Flooring, Upholstery, foam rubber for mattresses and cushion fillings.
SORBO BALLS
The Sorbo ball was a rubber playing ball marketed as being unburstable. It was manufactured by Sorbo Rubber Sponge-Products Ltd, at Woking Surrey, a company in existence since 1918. We used these balls in playing the bat-and-ball team game "Rounders" at our primary school during our PE lessons. Also you could buy the Sorbo balls from Woolworths stores and some other shops in the high street and shopping precincts. The Sorbo Company had a products range including Rubber-Sponge sheeting, Heel elevators, Truss pads, Indeflatable playing sports balls, Rubber-Sponge toys, India rubber sponges, Unburstable Tyres for Perambulators, Flooring, Upholstery, foam rubber for mattresses and cushion fillings.
The manufacturing process work on fuel tanks; Laminating the metal tanks with the several layers of pre cut rubber sheet which were vital to making them "self sealing". The first stage of the process was to prepare the basic metal tank with a coating of primer. Next a layer of thin rubber (reinforced with a layer of linen), which had previously been coated with a special blue 'treacle like' substance and allowed to cure before the sheet was applied to the tank. Next came a layer of thin foam rubber which had been pre coated on both sides with an adhesive. These sheets had to be hung to allow the adhesive to cure and, as some of these sheets were very large, particularly those for the Wellington Bomber overload tanks, they could sometimes move about like curtains caught in a breeze, and unfortunately draping adhesive slime over anyone in its way. This layer was followed up by a further two blue treacle coated layers: one of thin rubber and the final one of reinforced rubber. To finish off, all the corners and seams were covered with a fabric type sealing tape. Great care had to be taken at all stages to ensure that there were no air bubbles, particularly around any rivet or screw heads.
Towards the end of the war rubber was in extremely short supply and 'felt' material had to be used instead. The final process with felt was to apply a coating of "dope". As well as working on the tanks for British aircraft, including Spitfires, Wellingtons, Typhoons, Sunderland Flying Boats, De Havilland Mosquito's and Beaufighters, there were also tanks from American planes coming in for repair.
During the late summer early Autumn 1960, one fine Saturday, I and my brother Anthony had an afternoon out for Blackberry picking in old quarry land, accessed from a footpath off Ash tree lane, located at the south eastern boundary of the Chatham Girls Grammar school playing fields. Local name for it was "Beacon Hill" chalk pit. This area of the Darland banks was frequented by gypsies and their encampment was just along the lane very near the long pathway of steps of Sugar loaf hill, which led downhill out onto Beacon road almost opposite the Pilchers coaches depot at the top of Beacon hill. I believe the gypsies also had a scrapyard yard nearby, further along Beacon Road towards the junction with Ash tree lane. In the pit, there were enough berries for scores of pickers, but quite a few berries had already been pecked out by birds and spoiled. When we had finished our work hours later, our hands and lips were stained red with the berry juice, as we had also been eating some whilst picking. To transport the days pickings, I had my colourful soap box barrow, with me on this trip. The picked berries were placed in leftover Tomato baskets, these could be obtained from green-grocers and were made of thin cardboard, each basket with a tinplate strip carry strap. The berries fruit were for my mum who was intending to bake into pies and make Jam along with some surplus apples. My father grew most of our fruit and vegetables and also kept free range chickens in the garden, for a constant supply of fresh eggs.
Exiting the pit further down along a worn grass pathway, pulling the barrow with our load of berries on board, we reached Beacon road Luton, Chatham and continued walking slowly in the direction of the junction with the lower Ash Tree lane. On the north side of the road, was wild scrub and bush land extending up to the lane and then the banks. Our attention was drawn to some objects, partly hidden, dumped, and lodged amongst the bushes several yards from the roadside. These things seemed the size of small suitcases and looked to be old cloth potato sacks covering whatever it was, according to my brother's memory of the event. I always thought it was cardboard box containers, not sacks? However, we stopped to have a look and were astonished to discover a treasure trove of very old 78rpm record discs, 12" and 10" in diameter, in their paper/card envelope sleeves. These were the obsolete type 78's, made of "Shellac" resin material, very rigid, brittle and could be broken and cracked easily, although none were in bad condition. The contents were dry. It looked as if they had been freshly dumped off on the wayside of Beacon road just that very day! I would estimate there were more than a hundred record discs there.
A short film showing how music was recorded and then manufactured into 78rpm playable record discs
I could not know, as a young boy, why anybody would throw away their record collection. Anyway, it was now ours, and so Anthony and I loaded them all onto my barrow, to take home. On arrival, our Mum looked on, with a quizzical expression face, at the pile on the barrow and wondered what on earth we had been up to, in suddenly appearing with all these records. I think my dad, later in the day, was the most interested in these records. Our family up until this time, owned a clockwork wind up acoustic Gramophone, set in a dark wood cabinet, for playing 78rpm records. It used a steel type playing needle that was fixed by a thumbscrew to the head of the play arm. One could buy quantities of the needles supplied in small tins. But quite apart from the old clockwork Gramophone, we did have an electric 78rpm record player, the sound signal output lead which plugged into the pickup input socket on the rear of our EKCO radio receiver set. The Bakelite pick-up arm was almost as heavy as the one on the old clockwork Gramophone. Up until that time the family had nothing on which to play 45rpm records and I'm not sure if we had bought any 45's 7" singles anyway (why, if we had no proper record player?). I do remember one of the old 10" 78rpm records dated from 1928, an amusing song titled "When I See An Oyster Walk Upstairs" sung by Fred Douglas.
The A side of the record was "C.O.N.S.T.A.N.T.I.N.O.P.L.E." also by Fred Douglas.
Film report: What is Shellac and where does it come from?
The Cycling Proficiency Test
I first became aware of this bicycle riding test, some time during my first year at Primary school, in the year 1960. In the school playground, long white parallel lines where being marked out, using large pieces of chalk, on the asphalt surface. The resulting lines pattern was to simulate roads and junctions. There was to be a cycling test later that day and it was confirmed when some older children, wheeled their bicycles into the playground and waited grouped together at the corner end. I believe that I was already able to be riding a bike on the roads, at that time, and so never bothered to take part in that voluntary training scheme.
This film "No Short Cut" takes me right back to those days of innocence at school and life and the attitudes in the early part of that decade before everything rapidly changed.
1959 - 1962 Another wild adventure area my brother Anthony, I and Kevin Sandy visited during spring and summertime, was at Berengrave lane chalk pit. It being the old (disused British Standard Cement works quarry). Kevin lived in Milton road, very near our house in Rock Avenue. We travelled there, riding our bikes along the busy A2 'Watling street' London road towards Rainham. Along the way we observed, St Augustines church, Chatham Girls Grammar school, Jezreels tower, Ash Tree pub, Fire station, Gaumont cinema, Star Hotel, Territorial Army Centre, Golf course, Langton playing fields, Central hotel, and Rainham Mark social club. We then reached the south end junction of Berengrave lane/Rainham High street, there was the Midland bank on the corner. On entering the lane, looking left, you could pass by the Police station, Library and riding north further along under the railway bridge and continuing along the lane, the chalk pit was a minute or two away on the right hand side. Off course, this land had been fenced off and was overgrown with wild shrubs, weeds, grass and all other kinds of wild plants. The extent and depth of it was completely hidden by all this foliage. It was exciting to explore, as many other children had done for many decades before us, arriving for the first time. After walking awhile with our bikes alongside the roadside boundary fence, we found a broken section of the fencing wire. Our bikes were squeezed through a gap in the fence and were laid flat, out of sight, in the undergrowth. Following a well worn winding pathway route down through the wild bushes we made our way into the unknown. Conjured in my mind, I imagined the scenes from book stories of expeditions going into darkest Africa, not knowing what one might encounter? Large slithering snakes squeezing the life out of you, animals with huge jaws and fangs, waiting to pounce from any direction. The pathway led us down to the lowest level of the pit, to a very large pond marsh area bordered with long grass and bulrushes. We all sat down on the bankside, looking into the water for any signs of movement therein. It was teeming with life, there being noted we identified as frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, tadpoles, and insects of all sorts. Also seen in the grass were slow worms, grasshoppers, but no adders as yet. Kevin decided to have a paddle, deeming the pond to be shallow, after removing his sandals and socks, he waded in up to his knees. The pond life dispersed like a ripple wave away from him as he moved, through the liquid, stirring up a cloud of mud and sediment. The water surface was now a few inches below the leg hem of his shorts, when he suddenly halted his advance into the swamp. "Ourwww!" he yelped with a pained look on his face. Kevin, in a rush or panic, made his way back, creating a huge wave wash in the pond, and a cloud of insects to fly away from the disturbance. When he climbed out onto the grass, he said that it felt like his foot had been bitten by something he had not seen. Sitting Kevin down, Anthony had a look at the foot that a now agitated Kevin was pointing at. Blood was dripping from underneath one of his toes, it seemed a deep gash. It was time to go and he put his socks and sandals back on. We helped him as he limped back up out of the pit, through the fence, then slowly we rode back to his house. His mum took him to St Barts hospital Chatham, for treatment and a Tetanus inoculation. That did not stop us returning to Berengrave in the few years to follow, but no paddling barefoot ever again in the water.
This film "No Short Cut" takes me right back to those days of innocence at school and life and the attitudes in the early part of that decade before everything rapidly changed.
1959 - 1962 Another wild adventure area my brother Anthony, I and Kevin Sandy visited during spring and summertime, was at Berengrave lane chalk pit. It being the old (disused British Standard Cement works quarry). Kevin lived in Milton road, very near our house in Rock Avenue. We travelled there, riding our bikes along the busy A2 'Watling street' London road towards Rainham. Along the way we observed, St Augustines church, Chatham Girls Grammar school, Jezreels tower, Ash Tree pub, Fire station, Gaumont cinema, Star Hotel, Territorial Army Centre, Golf course, Langton playing fields, Central hotel, and Rainham Mark social club. We then reached the south end junction of Berengrave lane/Rainham High street, there was the Midland bank on the corner. On entering the lane, looking left, you could pass by the Police station, Library and riding north further along under the railway bridge and continuing along the lane, the chalk pit was a minute or two away on the right hand side. Off course, this land had been fenced off and was overgrown with wild shrubs, weeds, grass and all other kinds of wild plants. The extent and depth of it was completely hidden by all this foliage. It was exciting to explore, as many other children had done for many decades before us, arriving for the first time. After walking awhile with our bikes alongside the roadside boundary fence, we found a broken section of the fencing wire. Our bikes were squeezed through a gap in the fence and were laid flat, out of sight, in the undergrowth. Following a well worn winding pathway route down through the wild bushes we made our way into the unknown. Conjured in my mind, I imagined the scenes from book stories of expeditions going into darkest Africa, not knowing what one might encounter? Large slithering snakes squeezing the life out of you, animals with huge jaws and fangs, waiting to pounce from any direction. The pathway led us down to the lowest level of the pit, to a very large pond marsh area bordered with long grass and bulrushes. We all sat down on the bankside, looking into the water for any signs of movement therein. It was teeming with life, there being noted we identified as frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, tadpoles, and insects of all sorts. Also seen in the grass were slow worms, grasshoppers, but no adders as yet. Kevin decided to have a paddle, deeming the pond to be shallow, after removing his sandals and socks, he waded in up to his knees. The pond life dispersed like a ripple wave away from him as he moved, through the liquid, stirring up a cloud of mud and sediment. The water surface was now a few inches below the leg hem of his shorts, when he suddenly halted his advance into the swamp. "Ourwww!" he yelped with a pained look on his face. Kevin, in a rush or panic, made his way back, creating a huge wave wash in the pond, and a cloud of insects to fly away from the disturbance. When he climbed out onto the grass, he said that it felt like his foot had been bitten by something he had not seen. Sitting Kevin down, Anthony had a look at the foot that a now agitated Kevin was pointing at. Blood was dripping from underneath one of his toes, it seemed a deep gash. It was time to go and he put his socks and sandals back on. We helped him as he limped back up out of the pit, through the fence, then slowly we rode back to his house. His mum took him to St Barts hospital Chatham, for treatment and a Tetanus inoculation. That did not stop us returning to Berengrave in the few years to follow, but no paddling barefoot ever again in the water.
This land area was the site of an orchard during the 19th century and a working chalk pit from the beginning of the 20th century until 1931. It was bought by Gillingham Borough Council in the year 1962, for the intention of using the site for landfill. However, after a survey of the flora and fauna was conducted it was designated to become a nature reserve.
British Standard Cement Berengrave quarry works maps year 1931
Since the British Standard Cement company ceased working in this chalk quarry in the 1930s, it has become colonised which has produced a variety of habitats. These include scrub and developing woodland, marshy areas with sallow as well as ponds and rough grassland dominated by tall herbs associated with disturbance. The pit has a high perimeter, with a system of terraced paths leading down to a damp woodland floor.
Despite flooding in recent years and increasing colonisation by trees and shrubs, the floor of the quarry still supports lily of the valley Convallaria majalis, adder’s-tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum and common-spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. Common fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica, grey willow Salix cinerea, hart’s-tongue Phyllitis scolopendrium, male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas, common twayblade Listera ovata, columbine Aquilegia vulgaris and hemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum are among other species recorded.
The large pond, which once covered more than half of the quarry floor, now has a reduced area of open water, having been heavily colonised by sallow. The sallow is of interest for common lichens and, to a limited degree, for birds, but has changed the balance of habitats present. Marginal species present include lesser pond-sedge Carex acutiformis, lesser water-parsnip Berula erecta, water figwort Scrophularia auriculata and yellow iris Iris pseudacorus. Birds recorded from the site include song thrush, reed warbler, little grebe, starling, swallow, dunnock and a variety of tits and warblers. Great crested newt, grass snake, frog and toad have all been recorded previously. Grey Squirrels are also seen in Berengrave.
JAMBOREE BAGS / LUCKY BAGS
1959 - 1962 Ambley wood, West Hoath wood and East Hoath wood, were vast areas of nature, roaming, climbing trees in this enchanted secret wonderland of the forest wildlife, the smells of fungus and decaying wood. These were the years before motorways were invented that sliced up our green lands. I can still visualise riding my bike for miles of countryside from Darland avenue, down through the Darland banks along Speekes bottom and Scrubs lane and along Hoath lane to the woods on either side, Oh, and how it used to be!
Maps of Grange and Twydall riverside showing Sharp's Green Cement works Year 1906
1959 - 1962 Sharp's Green area, lower Rainham. A bicycle ride away up along a narrow dirt path up to Horrid hill, this uneven narrow land peninsula of mounds very near the water that is the river Medway. I think all we went there was for was to ride our bikes on the dirt tracks, copying the trials and motorcross bikes rider's, as seen on TV Saturday afternoons sport programmes. From the TV sports, I always remember one of the regular rider's names to be Arthur Lampkin. He left an impression in my mind, but maybe it was just his amusing name at that time in my life.
The two photo's taken from the West side of the Sharp's Green bay shoreline, a view East across the Copperhouse marshes towards Horrid Hill, the site of the disused Sharp's Green Cement Works, and the public footpath that follows the route of the dismantled cement works tramway which passes right through the riverside visitor's parking area.
1959 - 1962 Tree climbing in the thicket on the Darland banks overlooking Ash Tree lane with views over to Luton and Capstone. The steep banks of long grass where we used to slide all the way down the slopes on pieces of thick cardboard. The Great lines on the grass slopes, sliding down on cardboard, right beside the Chatham railway tunnel entrance. Playing in the ruins of Fort Amherst. All these children's pastimes from a bygone age.
Collecting conkers in The Sally Port, Brompton, Sallyport gardens. This may have been at the beginning of the 1960's when I was just starting my 1st year at Byron road county primary school. My elder brother Anthony and I were still visiting the old Marlborough road neighbourhood friends, going back to exploring the Brompton area and the Great lines even though we had moved to a new home further away in Rock avenue. The Sallyport gardens housing estate was (mainly housing for local families of the military service personnel). The estate in those times was smaller than it is today. Three roads, Sallyport gardens, Kings Bastion and Singapore Drive formed the boundary of the estate. By the early 1970's, the estate had expanded south, swallowing up more of the Great Lines grassland and part of the services Recreation ground. The new housing was built along a new outer boundary road named Great Lines. This road ran from the south eastern extended end of Sallyport gardens to the southern extended end of Kings Bastion, nearer to the Naval war memorial. The mature Horse Chestnut trees were located in the Inner Lines area of Maxwell road. As a kid, during autumn, it was fascinating to discover the large round green, thorny pods on the ground, after they had dropped off these trees. Some of the mature pods, that had dropped off days earlier had begun to change to a brown colour (aging) and had split open revealing the Chestnut (Conker) inside. If some other gangs of kids had foraged the scene before you, taking all the dropped conkers before you had arrived, then it was necessary to climb the trees to knock off the pods or from the ground, throw something up into the tree to dislodge any loose pods. These fresh pods had to be broken open, using any large stone as a tool, and then to retrieve its shiny Conker from inside.
19th October 1960 The 45th International Motor Show
Opened officially by a government minister Reginald Maudling, at Earls Court London during a period of uncertainty and recession in a motor car industry stifled by a domestic economic policy credit squeeze and jobs insecurity.
The main show road entrance was fronted by a line of car workers protesting against industry job loses and sackings.
Fifteen year old Marilyn Davies of Birmingham and her first visit to London, as the promotions girl "Miss Austin" shown in all these pictures, demonstrating a spare wheel tyre product and in the back of the new Austin Seven Countryman, at the Motor Show in Earls Court. She will reappear just over two years later in the national news under much different circumstances.
Tuesday 25th October 1960 New building delay at Upbury Manor School.
Hopes that 200 children in temporary classrooms at the Royal Naval Hospital, Gillingham, would be able to move into Upbury Manor Secondary School at the commencement of the New Year have been dashed. Gillingham Education Committee has been told that the new classroom block at the school will not be completed until Easter 1961. And so an extension of the lease for the temporary classrooms at the hospital is now sought from the naval authorities.
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| The Great Lines Panorama view 1960 |
Rag and Bones
Until the end of the 1960's, one could still hear a familiar sound echoing through the streets of the Medway towns. The first time I had encountered this strange vocal noise, I was six years of age at play in our rear garden at Rock Avenue. My curiosity led me, as if under the spell of a pied piper, to walk out through our rear gate into the back alley that accessed onto Montgomery road. There I stood listening intently for a clue as to the direction from whence the distant sounds came from. Deciding to wander around the locality to investigate the source. The sound was that of a human voice making a long, loud, repeating announcement, almost as if sung. At first, it was a mystery to my ear, the meaning of it being incomprehensible.
"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay egg a bow"
"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay egg a bow"
"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay egg a bow"
"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay egg a bow"
"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay egg a bow"
At the junction of Canterbury street and Kimberley road quite near the back yard of the Bourne and Hilliers milk depot. This strange utterance was found to be emanating from a swarthy looking man, whom was sitting on the driving seat of a large four wheeled pneumatic tyred cart. In his hands were the reins to his docile horse. The animal being attached between the two front struts, pulling the cart, clop clopping slowly along the tarmac. Blinkered, it's head bobbing from side to side in rhythm with it's stride as if entranced by some hypnotic music playing on it's brain.
Yes, it was the rag and bone man, a character as so well defined in the TV series "Steptoe and son". The era of the traditional rag and bone men has long passed away.
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| Royal Naval war memorial 1960 |
Another time when on a visit to the Great lines Naval War memorial. Within the cultivated grassed grounds of the war memorial, we had discovered by exploration that there was a water stop cock set into the ground, accessed only by opening a six inch square iron trap cover at ground level. It possibly wasn't disturbed often because of the growth of grass over the top which provided camouflage cover. Using a torn off length of a thin branch, gathered from the nearby thicket, we managed somehow to turn the valve to see what would happen. If water ever did flow through a buried pipeline, it was not apparent where it came out to and where the end tap was situated.
Again, during the year, on one of our frequent jaunts on the lines, we decided to go through another hole found in the W.D. (War Department) fencing and explore the abandoned, overgrown, Fort Amherst site ruins. We had on previous trips gone through the fencing, equipped with our Christmas gift Eveready flashlights, looking for the hidden tunnels. After making our way through the dark bush land, we found ourselves on top of a very steep slope. From our position, you could not see where it led to. Being much less cautious than Anthony, I started to make my way down the embankment, roughly slithering by on my backside, while he remained at the top. Nothing to worry about, thought I going down. I reached the end abruptly on a narrow brickwork ledge, where I seated myself with my legs hanging over the edge. Admiring the panorama, still not alarmed, I shouted out, remarking on the clear view to be seen over Chatham. When my brother shouted to me for to come back up, I gazed down at the treetops immediately below and the realisation, of the height at my position, was that of a mains electricity voltage shock. The second shock came when I found that I had no foothold, but only my arms to use for attempting to turn about face for a climb back up the embankment. I sat on the edge, fear petrified, whilst trying to think my way out the precarious jam I was in. I had to shout out that I was stuck and that spooked Anthony. I could hear his groans and moans of disbelief, he now was in panic, being too afraid himself for a rescue attempt. I cannot remember how long I was stuck on the edge. The breakthrough was achieved by carefully leaning far leftwards my upper torso resting my weight on my left elbow and forearm, gripping the ledge with the left hand, my right clutching the embankment. I was then able to move my right leg back onto the ledge, then bending my knee to get closer to finding a one leg foothold. My confidence was rising as the likelihood of extricating myself from this horror was improving. By pushing from my left arm and pulling with my right, I was able to haul my torso back to an upright position, resting my weight on my right foot. Moving both hands up behind to grip the embankment, I was able to use my leg to push up to a standing position. From there I slowly turned myself around to face the embankment for the climb back to safety. Near the top of the climb, Anthony bent downwards, then reached out his arm, grabbed hold of me and his wavering voice uttered that it was time to leave.
We shambled home quietly as if traumatised, quite shaken up, and never spoke to anyone about what had happened.
I found out many years later, as an adult with an historical interest, that we had been on the Fort Amherst Spur Battery that day. I still do picture vividly that shocking scene, balancing my life at the edge on the top side of the Fort. My brother and I never again returned together to that area of the Great lines, mainly because by late 1961, he was changing, growing older in outlook, moving on to a different life experience at Gillingham Technical school in Green street, next to the fire station and the Odeon cinema.
Again, during the year, on one of our frequent jaunts on the lines, we decided to go through another hole found in the W.D. (War Department) fencing and explore the abandoned, overgrown, Fort Amherst site ruins. We had on previous trips gone through the fencing, equipped with our Christmas gift Eveready flashlights, looking for the hidden tunnels. After making our way through the dark bush land, we found ourselves on top of a very steep slope. From our position, you could not see where it led to. Being much less cautious than Anthony, I started to make my way down the embankment, roughly slithering by on my backside, while he remained at the top. Nothing to worry about, thought I going down. I reached the end abruptly on a narrow brickwork ledge, where I seated myself with my legs hanging over the edge. Admiring the panorama, still not alarmed, I shouted out, remarking on the clear view to be seen over Chatham. When my brother shouted to me for to come back up, I gazed down at the treetops immediately below and the realisation, of the height at my position, was that of a mains electricity voltage shock. The second shock came when I found that I had no foothold, but only my arms to use for attempting to turn about face for a climb back up the embankment. I sat on the edge, fear petrified, whilst trying to think my way out the precarious jam I was in. I had to shout out that I was stuck and that spooked Anthony. I could hear his groans and moans of disbelief, he now was in panic, being too afraid himself for a rescue attempt. I cannot remember how long I was stuck on the edge. The breakthrough was achieved by carefully leaning far leftwards my upper torso resting my weight on my left elbow and forearm, gripping the ledge with the left hand, my right clutching the embankment. I was then able to move my right leg back onto the ledge, then bending my knee to get closer to finding a one leg foothold. My confidence was rising as the likelihood of extricating myself from this horror was improving. By pushing from my left arm and pulling with my right, I was able to haul my torso back to an upright position, resting my weight on my right foot. Moving both hands up behind to grip the embankment, I was able to use my leg to push up to a standing position. From there I slowly turned myself around to face the embankment for the climb back to safety. Near the top of the climb, Anthony bent downwards, then reached out his arm, grabbed hold of me and his wavering voice uttered that it was time to leave.
We shambled home quietly as if traumatised, quite shaken up, and never spoke to anyone about what had happened.
I found out many years later, as an adult with an historical interest, that we had been on the Fort Amherst Spur Battery that day. I still do picture vividly that shocking scene, balancing my life at the edge on the top side of the Fort. My brother and I never again returned together to that area of the Great lines, mainly because by late 1961, he was changing, growing older in outlook, moving on to a different life experience at Gillingham Technical school in Green street, next to the fire station and the Odeon cinema.
16th March 1961 A Disney film was released "The Absent Minded Professor" I and my brother saw this film, but not at the Gaumont cinema because it had been closed down by the Rank Organisation on 2nd February 1961. So it was either shown at one of the Chatham or Gillingham cinemas. Storyline. A bumbling professor accidently invents flying rubber, or "Flubber", an incredible material that gains energy every time it strikes a hard surface. It allows for the invention of shoes that can allow jumps of amazing heights and enables a modified Model-T motor car to fly. Unfortunately, no one is interested in the material except for Alonzo Hawk, a corrupt businessman who wants to steal the material for himself.
19th March 1961 Another Disney film was released "Swiss Family Robinson" We also saw this one. Storyline. A family sailing to New Guinea is shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. They are forced to remain on the island because of the damage to the ship and the pirates that are roaming the islands. There, they build a huge tree house home and explore the island and its wildlife. Plenty of adventure ensues as the family deals with issues of survival and pirates, and the brothers must learn how to live on the island with an uncertain future.
1959 - 1962 Boys clothing seemed to consist of patterned T shirts, shorts with elasticated waste, a V neck pullover when chilly, calf length socks, plastic sandals, and a folded up lightweight PAKAMAC PVC raincoat. Girls usually wore knee length sleeveless dresses, cardigan, Alice band or a tied ribbon bow in their hair, ankle socks and Pit-a-pat sandals. These being children's main summer holiday attire up until the early primary school years. By the time I'd reached the 2nd year of primary, I was allowed to wear my first long trousers, jeans with zipper back pockets and leg turn-ups.
25th July 1961 A Disney film animation was released "101 Dalmatians" Storyline. Pongo and Perdita have a litter of 15 puppies. The diabolical Cruella De Vil takes a fancy to the pups, and wants to get hold of them, as well as more pups, to make herself a lovely Dalmatian skin coat... Cruella hires some thugs to kidnap the pups and hold them at her mansion.
Brylcreem Britain
I think we had a jar of Brylcreem at home, my dad also did hair cutting on the side and I was one of his guinea pigs when it was time for a haircut and was not going to pay a visit to the barbershop. I received some really odd looking haircuts from him over those early years. Most times needing Brylcreem applied afterwards to keep the hair combed in place on one side of my head. Thinking back to those days, it was diabolical. The downside, too much Brylcreem use can leave your hair feeling greasy on account of its oil base. I cannot remember my hair getting a regular wash and so a thick build up of grease was in the hair. My scalp would have to be washed at least two times to completely rid my head of the smell. As I grew into teenage, and took style control into my own hands, I put a stop on the use of Brylcreem in my hair.
PAPER ROLLS OF CAPS, CAP GUNS, CAP BOMBS, SPUD GUNS
1960 - 1962 Caps for toy guns, were often sold in sets of perforated paper strip rolls, the caps, all of which are actually extremely small versions of percussion fireworks. Each tiny powder charge (cap) was a simple mixture of potassium perchlorate, sulphur, and antimony sulphide sandwiched between two paper layers which hold in the gases long enough to give a bang sound when the cap is struck.
Spud guns, these were something different. The 1960's spud gun was a small, diecast metal, toy air gun used to fire a fragment of potato. To operate, one punctures the surface of a potato with the gun's hollow tip and pries out a small pellet which fits snugly in the muzzle. Squeezing the grip causes a small build-up of air pressure inside the toy which propels the pellet projectile.
IMPROVISED POP GUNS
My brother and I, when youngsters, used to keep pet Guinea Pigs (Cavies). After a while we found a use for their dried pellet (turd) droppings. The pellets being exactly the right size. Our bicycle pumps were pressed into use as pop guns using the pliable turd pellets as ammo in our shoot em up games with our friends.
Flying kites
Building simple homemade kites, using garden canes, thick Brown parcel paper, sticky tape and string. Flying them on the Great lines. Eventually, I was given a ready made kite which was coloured Red, Black and White, an eye catching design to look like an eagle. That flew quite high and was stable and very controllable.
Frisbee (1950-60's) The leftover, British Dairylea cheese triangles cardboard carton made an excellent Frisbee substitute, before we had even heard of the name "Frisbee". Every time my mother bought packs of these cheeses, they would be eaten almost immediately from the carton or other than that, the seal wrapped cheese wedges would be emptied out of the box and dumped inside the kitchen cupboard, just so we could have the circular cartons to spin through the air outside in the garden. This really infuriated her.
TWO-HANDED POGO STICK (1950-60's)
The original pogo stick design was created in the late 19th century, but it wasn't until 1957 that the two-handle version — its modern iteration — was invented by George Hansburg. The original stick had only one vertical handle, which was said to endanger the rider's chin. The later upgrade not only improved safety for users but also allowed them to jump higher and even perform stunts. The new sport of stunt pogo involves backflips and extreme tricks during competition.I noticed during my childhood years, that usually in the warmer, drier months, periodlcally a report of a grass fire was published in the "Chatham Standard" newspaper. The majority of these fires occurred on the Great lines and the Darland banks. My elder brother Anthony and I were very familiar with these sites, they were our playgrounds. We never actually observed anyone starting a fire, but only arriving long after their being put out and to look on in amazement at the resultant blackened, scorched remains of large areas of grass land. It wasn't long before the fascination of fire overtook our caution and the fear of getting caught, and so we decided on a plan to have a go ourselves, one day in early Summer 1961.
The adventure began on a bright morning while our father was at work in Chatham dockyard, and mother was working in the general store "Chandlers" (previously the "Gem Library") in Canterbury street opposite the vicarage. We borrowed my father's box of Ship matches and cycled along to the York avenue/Marlborough road junction and nervously pushed our bikes through the access gate to the public footpath. This pathway route led out onto the end part of the unmade road "Longhill Avenue". The excitement was mounting in the thrill of our thoughts of what we were going to do, as our trembling bodies on bikes trundled along the worn grass path between the outer boundary walls of the Royal Naval hospital and Upbury Manor school sports field. At the Chatham end boundary of the field, surrounded and mostly hidden by overgrown shrubs, was a farm like enclosure with a few horses stabled there.
Our destination being the slopes of long grassed, chalk shrub land facing Chatham, just off the top high ground near the impressive landmark war memorial. This was also close to the thicket cover, and we could crouch down to hide in the long grass should anyone be passing by, some way off, on the main pathway. The pathway was a constructed track from the end of Longhill Avenue, leading all the way along and descending to access the Chatham Town hall gardens/graveyard. One side of the pathway was in part lined with low, square shaped iron fence railing, which was rusted and bent out of line, through age and of suffering neglect and vandalism. There were also a few old bench seats positioned at points along the pathway with a vantaged panoramic view overlooking Chatham town and along further to the river Medway. These seats were recessed, off the path, into the sloping bank to allow plenty of space for people to walk or cycle by.
By the time we had reached our chosen patch and had rested our bikes flat down amid the grass, a slight breeze was noticeable sweeping over the open landscape. We sat ourselves down and to ponder, listening to the skylarks, and observed these birds hovering, airborne, possibly up to 100 feet up, then they would suddenly drop out of flight and disappear into the over grown shrub land. Many times, on previous visits, we had tried to find the whereabouts of their nests but always they eluded us.
I think I was the one who struck the matchstick that lit up and applied it to the small bundle of dried grass which had been gathered, formed and placed to use as the starter. The fire engulfed the bundle, consuming it in seconds and was soon reaching out feeding on into the surrounding grass. Wowed, transfixed in awe at the speed it was spreading outwards, fanned by the breeze. The smell of burning grass and the fast expanding grey smoke plume area rising up into the airstream, was beginning to cause us to panic. It was then realised that the fire had to be extinguished now, as it looked soon to being uncontrollable. The fear of that and of us being seen and identified as the culprits, catapulted us into frantic action, trying to stop the fire progressing any further. In desperation, stamping our feet on the flaming grass, like fired up jumping jacks was not being very effective at tackling the outbreak. Soon, it would be time to let it go, and run away. Anthony, then had the idea to flatten the grass quickly, by dragging our bikes in it, and to tread the grass to the ground by shuffling our shoes over it. Trying this, after several minutes of methodically working our way around the ring of fire, it was eventually put out.
The last embers were covered, by kicking over the loose topsoil, our shoes badly scorched. Pulling our bikes upright, we skidaddled from the crime scene, in escape along the incline footpath towards and adjacent to the war memorial, and then over to the level high ground path in the direction of the lower part of Marlborough road, Sally port gate, the area where seasonal traveling funfairs used to be pitched.
Arriving home early afternoon, shaken up, our clothing reeked of smoke, but I cannot recall our excuses given later in the day to my mother for that and to explain away our blackened footwear. The local press reports of grass fires, continued to appear throughout the 1960's. It wasn't us!
The Record player with an auto changer
Our first modern record player was the Decca Stereogram player Model: SG177, fitted with the BSR Monarch UA12 auto changer turntable, crystal pick-up. One internal speaker & one external speaker, each of size 6 x 8 inches. It had a dual switchable stylus one for 78 rpm records and could be turned around for playing 45rpm and 33 1/3 rpm discs. The record player also had optional legs, which could be screwed into the four metal brackets on the underside. Decca started producing that model in 1958.
We acquired it, second-hand in (I think) 1961 from a family friend, whose father, Jack Denney, ran a shop under the trading name D. Denny, listed business was as a Tool merchant/dealer at 108 Gillingham Road. His wife's name was Daisy. He had become a hoarder in later life. And the stereogram was discovered in the store room after he died in late 1960. It came with 2 vinyl Decca stereo LPs, one being a stereo sound demonstration record, the other was a Mantovani LP. We used the Decca record player right on through the remainder of the decade.
My eldest brother Raymond purchased a brand new Ultra model 6018, solid state transistor portable stereo record player for himself during 1967. It had a BSR Monarch UA15 Superslim auto changer turntable deck with BSR C1 cartridge and turnover stylus type ST3. Although most of the vinyl 45 rpm and LP records we bought were mono. It wasn't until the tail end of the 60's that many more records were stereo. Now with two record players, my dad could have more time to play his choice orchestral and old popular British dance band records on the Decca Stereogram in the backroom.
My eldest brother Raymond purchased a brand new Ultra model 6018, solid state transistor portable stereo record player for himself during 1967. It had a BSR Monarch UA15 Superslim auto changer turntable deck with BSR C1 cartridge and turnover stylus type ST3. Although most of the vinyl 45 rpm and LP records we bought were mono. It wasn't until the tail end of the 60's that many more records were stereo. Now with two record players, my dad could have more time to play his choice orchestral and old popular British dance band records on the Decca Stereogram in the backroom.
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| Ultra model 6018 |
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| Ultra cool cat 1967 |
My first brush with a religious group
1961 As a youngster of about eight, I cannot remember how exactly I became involved with the Christadelphians religious group in Gillingham. I think it was through my friendship with Martin Sandmann, he was already attending the Christadelphians Sunday school, at Foresters' hall, King Street, Gillingham during 1961. Yes, I now am certain that, the descriptions he gave to me, of the free refreshments, food and social outings out, drew me into going with him to meetings and worship every Sunday in the hall. Everyone there were referred to as brothers or sisters, followed by their first names. As part of the deal, one was expected to believe, study the bible and teachings and occasionally as part of the Sunday service, do some bible reading of the old testament, out in front of the group. Each Sunday during study break, weak diluted orange squash was served, but the sandwich, biscuits or cake was generally good. Some outings during spring/summer time, in a hired motor coach, were to the south coast. This routine lasted for a couple of years until I gradually became aware of the real world surrounding me as I was growing up. The newspapers, radio and TV were telling me a whole different story of history and life, which were directly conflicting with the Christadelphians and the other main Christian beliefs. Quite frankly, I believed in science over religion. One could be spiritual and scientific without a having a god figure shoe horned into the mix just to satisfy those people in society that still believe life as literally from one book of ancient stories. When I started Upbury school, the 1st year, I knew that I was going to leave the Christadelphians but felt I was letting them down and deserting their faith and the friendships. Very difficult and agonising for a kid to deal with. Even though my parents were not active in Christian worship or attending church apart from weddings and funerals, for some long while I couldn't even tell them that I wanted to leave the Christadelphian group.
During the time I was in attendance at Bryon road county primary junior school 1960 - 1964, and in 1962 as a nine year old, there was a poor boy named David Arnold in my year class group. His father was a rag and bone man, running his business from a yard in Luton, near the top of Chatham hill. I didn't know of David's family circumstances at that time, but he appeared to be not properly cared for. He was lacking in some personal hygiene, unwashed, and wore musty smelly clothing. All through that school year, too add to his misfortune, he also had a chronic infection or an allergy in his nasal membrane. This frequently showed itself, by uncontrolled streams of mucous oozing, dangling in foot long beads from both nostrils. Of course, nobody wanted to be sat anywhere near him in class. He was nicknamed "Snot" and treated quite badly by some of the class. David put on a brave face, not showing anger or hurt. This situation persisted until the final term of our last year there, 1964. Mr Macleod, our last form teacher, did give David as many wads of paper tissues as and when he needed them. His future and health looked bleak. On leaving Bryon road primary, I have never caught site of or have heard of David Arnold anywhere again.
From as long as I can remember up until 1964, in our home (first in Marlborough road and then Rock avenue) we had and used an old EKCO black colour bakelite cased valve wireless radio receiver set, the size of a large bread bin. It being attached to a long line copper wire aerial run outside the breakfast room window and tied to the garden washing line post. In these times, only in the evenings one could hear Radio Luxembourg broadcasting shows from Europe across the English channel. This was the only medium wave radio station that played the latest pop records for up to five hours a night. The weak radio signal though and atmospheric effects, caused the UK signal reception to fade in and out. I won't bother to make detailed comment of the BBC TV and radio light program scant coverage of pop music.
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| EKCO model U143 |
Looking at our old family album photographs of the pre 1957 era, no rooftop TV aerials can be seen on anyone's house chimney stack in our neighbourhood of Marlborough road. It was the end of the time when we and the neighbours made our own social entertainment all together. After the family moved to Rock avenue, our first rented TV set was installed by Radio Rentals or maybe DER (Domestic Electric Rental)? in 1959. Years later on that I can remember, the rental company replaced our set with a newer model, an Ultra Nightrider 405 lines B/W TV, I think the screen size was marketed as 17 inch, but may have been slightly smaller than that? As time went by, because of people spending much more of their time viewing the telly, the social closeness we once had with our neighbours was lost.
Ray Alan's MIKKI THE MARTIAN (1958-62) BBC children's TV story
Mikki was dressed in a futuristic comic book space age military uniform, emblazoned with a large zig zag lightning bolt symbol across the chest. A toy ray gun side arm was attached onto his belt. His epaulettes had a set of tiny illuminated light bulbs on them. I cannot remember, the story of how Mikki was supposed to have arrived on earth? He had huge pointed ears, and a sort of miniature H shaped dipole metal foil TV antenna fixed onto the top of his oversized bald cranium, and whereby when closing his eyes, triggered the antenna to revolve slowly to receive a telepathic message from his home planet. Clearly, a lot of work and interesting design had been put into the making of Mikki. It would be a real gas to ever discover the existence of any film clip of Ray's act with Mikki. The comic banter between them, must have been out of this world.
Since seeing his act, working Mikki the Martian, viewed on our first TV set in 1959, I then knew he was the best ventriloquist and entertainer I'd ever see. Rays' most successful puppet character "Lord Charles" continued on after Mikki was retired from the repertoire after 1962. Ray then devised new puppets for children's TV, firstly "Tich" and later on the duo "Tich and Quackers".
6th August 1961 This film was released "Whistle Down the Wind" Storyline. When an injured wife murderer takes refuge on a remote Lancashire farm, the owners three young children hide him from the authorities, mistakenly believing him to be the Second Coming of Christ.
1961 - 1963 Cycle rides to, Beechings way, Twydall and lower Rainham and as far as a day out to Kingsferry bridge and exploration of the Isle of Sheppey. One of my uncles lived there at Minster, though I never cycled to visit him by myself. Our visits to him were the whole family gatherings, travelling by steam train from Gillingham direct to Sheerness. In those days, one did not have to change trains at Sittingbourne for the Sheppey branch line.
13th August 1961 The news today, Berliners wake to divided city. Troops in East Germany have sealed the border between East and West Berlin, shutting off the escape route for thousands of refugees from the East. Barbed wire fences up to six feet (1.83 metres) high were put up during the night, and Berliners woke this morning to find themselves living in a divided city. Train services between the two sectors of the city have been cut, and all road traffic across the border has been stopped.
Thousands of angry demonstrators quickly gathered on the West Berlin side of the divide. At one crossing point, protesters tried to trample down the barbed wire, only to be driven back by guards with bayonets. The West German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, appealed for calm, saying in a broadcast to the nation this evening: "Now, as always, we are closely bound to the Germans of the Russian zone and East Berlin. "They are and remain our German brothers and sisters. The Federal Government remains firmly committed to the goal of German unity."
There has been outrage from the international community at the abrupt decision to cut off one side of the city from the other. A Foreign Office spokesman in London said the restrictions were contrary to the four-power status of Berlin, and therefore illegal. The American Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, called it a "flagrant violation" of East-West agreements, and said there would be a vigorous protest to Russia.
The tide of people fleeing East Germany has grown to a flood in recent days, as the Soviet Union has taken an increasingly hard line over breaking away from the three Allied powers and forming a separate peace treaty with East Germany over Berlin. Nearly 12,500 people left East Germany this week - over 2,000 more than the previous week. The East German government has been taking desperate measures to stem the flow. Yesterday, border guards were intercepting trains near Berlin and interrogating passengers. Those who arrived in Berlin said only one in 10 was allowed through.
There had been rumours of a decisive crackdown on refugees since the East German parliament met yesterday and approved new, unspecified measures against them. The rumours provoked an even more frantic exodus. Just before the borders were closed, the numbers more than doubled, with some 3,000 East Germans fleeing to the West in just 24 hours.
October 9th - 14th 1961 Billy Smart's Circus
The arrival of the circus at Gillingham, Kent, was pitched on the Great Lines, off Marlborough road, for a week. During Sunday 8th October, the elephants were unloaded from the circus train rail freight covered container vans at Gillingham railway station goods sidings.
After the unloading, the elephants were examined, washed and prepared for the trek to the circus site. By a pre-arrangement each of the three lead elephants then had a rider seated on them, being typically an attractive woman. These young women had entered and won a competition, run in the local newspaper, to find three girls to lead the Billy Smart’s Circus elephants from the rail station to the circus site. It is likely free circus tickets for their families, were part of the winning prizes. Some hours prior to the parade, the three chosen girls were first picked up from their homes, then driven in a large car to the circus site, to be dressed and made up in stunning costume dress with gold colour cloaks.
The elephants public parade journey route to the circus site from the railway goods depot, being via Balmoral road, Gillingham road, Canterbury street, High street, and then Marlborough road. The parade would pass by the Westcourt Arms Hotel, at one corner of the four way converging road junction with Gillingham road, Canterbury street, Rock Avenue, Windmill road, just a minutes' walk from our house in Rock Avenue. This was the first time I had observed elephants up close in the flesh and the smell of them. This is some of what I can recall of the times, and not being taken to any of the shows. It wasn't at this point an easy financial time for our family with three growing boys.
A joint promotional film features the circus life in the year of 1961.
20th December 1961 This film was released "Mysterious Island" Storyline. During the US Civil War, Union POWs escape in a hot air balloon and end up stranded on a South Pacific island, inhabited by giant plants and animals. They must use their ingenuity to survive the dangers, and to devise a way to return home.
My first 45rpm 7 inch pop record single bought for me was "Wimoweh" by Karl Denver which was released in Britain on 25th January 1962. It had an extraordinary performance of vocalising by Karl and I liked it very much. I've never heard anything of the like since then. The backing session band musicians were also top rate, playing accompaniment something akin to Folk Rhythm & Blues. It still sparks, listening to it again today.
The Odeon cinema Gillingham, where I had been regularly going there for Saturday morning children's picture shows up until 1965. I had an Odeon club badge and entered all the various competitions they organised during the years of going. The minor prizes were usually of free ice lollies, tub ice creams and KI-ORA orange drinks. During the mid 1960's years, they did have beat groups perform in amateur talent competitions on stage sometimes.
The Prefects: Summer term ending at Upbury Manor Secondary School, July 1962
A vintage black/white group photo (hand coloured)
In the picture, the three teachers on the front row: Miss Gibbs; the deputy head, Mr McVie; the headmaster, Mr Rye; the Maths teacher. There also is a head boy and girl (front row) and another boy (third row back) might be the deputy head boy. A print of the original b/w photo is published online by Trevor Davis and has some pupils names tagged in, as they were then known.
As I write this, the current list of students names related to this photo are;
Nicholas Clay, Trevor Davis, Richard Cressy, Roger Clements, Grahame Sharp, Patricia Beard, Brian Rayfield, Richard Drummond, Joan Hayman, Patricia Bond, Ian Partridge, Paul Butler, Pauline Woodhouse, Roger Dettmer, Timothy Ironmonger, Joan Hudson, Richard Sharpe, Patricia Barrow, Jane Dawe.
Nicholas Clay, I think is standing 1st left on the back row and Jane Dawe [head girl] 3rd left on the
front row seated next to Miss Gibbs and Richard Drummond [head boy] seated next to Mr Rye.
22nd October 1962 News report from a New York correspondent. A dramatic move by the U.S. possibly involving armed action against Cuba is expected in Washington in the next few days. A series of highly secret, top-level conferences, which took place over the week-end against a background of large-scale American troop movements in the Caribbean, has raised tension in the capital to crisis pitch.
It appears the Kennedy administration have suddenly come into possession of some new and critical information. Speculation ranges across the whole spectrum of international affairs. Berlin, Cuba, and the outbreak of serious fighting between China and India are being offered in some quarters as possible explanations.
The "New York Times" reports that President Kennedy is expected to go on coast-to-coast television within the next day or two "to give the country an explanation." Most likely cause of this sudden official anxiety is Cuba. What makes the Cuban situation particularly poignant is the fact that "routine" U.S. manoeuvres involving 20,000 men, 45 warships, and hundreds of warplanes are currently taking part in the warm waters of the Caribbean.
A highly placed Cuban underground source told me today that spies returning from secret missions had produced "positive proof" that Russians were manning intermediate range missiles in Cuba. At least 12 sites were being constructed and seven of them were already fully operational, he said. "These missiles are zeroed in on the Panama Canal, the Redstone arsenal in Alabama, Cape Canaveral, Miami, and even New York city."
There has been no confirmation of these Cuban reports from top U.S. officials. Assistant Defence Secretary Mr Arthur Sylvester has categorically denied, indeed, that the Caribbean manoeuvres are a cover for U.S. action against Cuba.
Every year, from late October to 5th November, groups of children emerged onto the high streets and shopping precincts, the little beggars (I was one of them) asking passers by "Penny for the guy"? The kids proudly displaying their efforts (their guys) bundles of rags stuffed and string tied up into dads old caste off clothing, put together with a head made with anything to hand to form a bulbous shape. A stiff paper/card moulded face mask representing the face of Guy Fawkes was fixed on the guy's head by means of an elasticated band strap. These coloured masks could be bought, for a few pence, from most shops during this season. The finishing touch to the guy was placing dads old hat or cap on it. Some kids had sat there guy's in a baby's pushchair or a home built soapbox cart, for easy mobility from pitch to pitch. It was accepted in those days and normal for kids to beg for money and buying fireworks. Some donations for your guy were quite generous at times, threepenny bits and sixpences were given over if the grownups thought you had put some effort and art into the making of the guy. The Odeon Saturday morning children's club held annual Guy Fawkes competitions, the prizes usually being film show tickets, boxes of confectionary, soft drinks etc.
Less than a week before that, there had been Halloween time and a peaceful innocence of the children's parties and fun celebration time at primary school, this being decades before the aggressive American commercial marketing of the 'trick or treat' nonsense that went global.
14th November 1962 A Disney film was released "In Search of the Castaways" Storyline. In 19th century England, young Mary Grant and her brother, Robert, embark on a dangerous quest to find their missing father, a sea captain who vanished somewhere along the Chilean coast. An earthquake, a flash flood, an avalanche, a volcano, alligators, jaguars, mutineers, and man-eating Maoris, dog the steps of a shipping company owner, a scientist, and the two children as they circle the earth along the 37th parallel per instructions in a bottled note the scientist has recovered from a shark's stomach. Only certain facts are discerned from the stained note, especially the words "37 parallel."
Every year, from late October to 5th November, groups of children emerged onto the high streets and shopping precincts, the little beggars (I was one of them) asking passers by "Penny for the guy"? The kids proudly displaying their efforts (their guys) bundles of rags stuffed and string tied up into dads old caste off clothing, put together with a head made with anything to hand to form a bulbous shape. A stiff paper/card moulded face mask representing the face of Guy Fawkes was fixed on the guy's head by means of an elasticated band strap. These coloured masks could be bought, for a few pence, from most shops during this season. The finishing touch to the guy was placing dads old hat or cap on it. Some kids had sat there guy's in a baby's pushchair or a home built soapbox cart, for easy mobility from pitch to pitch. It was accepted in those days and normal for kids to beg for money and buying fireworks. Some donations for your guy were quite generous at times, threepenny bits and sixpences were given over if the grownups thought you had put some effort and art into the making of the guy. The Odeon Saturday morning children's club held annual Guy Fawkes competitions, the prizes usually being film show tickets, boxes of confectionary, soft drinks etc.
Less than a week before that, there had been Halloween time and a peaceful innocence of the children's parties and fun celebration time at primary school, this being decades before the aggressive American commercial marketing of the 'trick or treat' nonsense that went global.
14th November 1962 A Disney film was released "In Search of the Castaways" Storyline. In 19th century England, young Mary Grant and her brother, Robert, embark on a dangerous quest to find their missing father, a sea captain who vanished somewhere along the Chilean coast. An earthquake, a flash flood, an avalanche, a volcano, alligators, jaguars, mutineers, and man-eating Maoris, dog the steps of a shipping company owner, a scientist, and the two children as they circle the earth along the 37th parallel per instructions in a bottled note the scientist has recovered from a shark's stomach. Only certain facts are discerned from the stained note, especially the words "37 parallel."
15th December 1962 In just a couple newspapers, there is a report of a shooting incident at a Mews flat in London. Nobody was injured and it initialy appeared to be a simple case for the police to process. The basic scene and tale is as read from these two news clippings.
The Big Freeze of Winter 1962/63
A significant event of the times that no one in Britain that lived through it can forget. It was one of the coldest winters on record in the United Kingdom. Over a three month period of severe Arctic conditions, temperatures plummeted and lakes, rivers and even the sea began to freeze over. The story is captured in this colour cine film short made during that winter.
26th February 1963 report
Kent secondary school teachers will take part in a week-end residential conference on "English in Secondary Schools," at Broadstairs on Friday and Saturday. The conference, which is to be held at Kingsgate College, will include a talk on "English and Personal Communication," to be given by Mr. J. D. R. McVie, headmaster of Upbury Manor Secondary School, Gillingham. Mrs. M. H. Reay, of H.M. Inspectorate, Ministry of Education, will speak on "English and TV."
The Duke and Duchess of Argyll arrive in court. Held up by more than three years of legal dispute, the Argyll divorce case got under way at last in Edinburgh today.
Attending the hearing before Lord Wheatley in the Court of Session were the duke of Argyll (59), thrice married, the duchess (50), twice married; a battery of counsel representing the duke, the duchess, and the third party in the case; some twenty pressmen representing British, European, and American newspapers; and a handful of members of the public.
In his action the duke is charging the duchess with adultery. The man named in the case, who is defending it along with the duchess, is Harvey Christian Rupert Peter Combe, of Strathconon, Muir of Ord, Ross-shire. Mr. Combe's counsel is Mr. W. R. Grieve, Q.C.
The pressmen attended under the severe handicap of being able to report next to nothing of what transpired in the court. Space being rationed in the tiny courtroom, they were admitted on special passes provided by the authorities in Parliament House and at the same time issued with an invisible muzzle in the shape of the Judicial Proceedings (Regulation Reports) Act 1926.
This states that it is unlawful to publish any particulars in relation to any proceedings for divorce other than the names, addresses, and occupations of the parties and witnesses, and a "concise statement" of the charges, defences, and counter charges in support of which evidence has been given.
Further than this the press may not go other than to cover submissions on any point of law arising in the course of proceedings, and the ultimate judgment of the court along with the Judge's observations.
This has given rise to a good deal of discussion among the correspondents attending the hearing on how concise you may be when you are being "concise" within the meaning of the Act. Some bold pressmen have been heard to declare that they are ready to stretch this clause as far as it can be taken.
We shall see.
Names, addresses, and occupations. Well then, the first witness today gave his name as Ian Douglas Campbell ... and admitted being the Duke of Argyll, residing at Inveraray Castle. He was not asked to state his occupation, nor was he asked to affirm his considerable string of titles befitting one of Scotland's senior noblemen.
For the record, he is as well as being the Duke of Argyll, 11th in line. The Marquis of Lorne and Kintyre; Earl Campbell and Cowal; Viscount of Lochow and Glenlisla; Baron Inveraray, Mull, Morvern, and Tiry: Baron Campbell; Earl of Argyll; Baron of Lorne; Baron Kintyre; Baron Sundridge; Baron Hamilton; Chief of Clan Campbell; Hereditary Master of the Royal Household, Scotland: Hereditary High Sheriff of the County of Argyll; Admiral of the Western Coast and Isles: Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland and of the Castles of Dunstuffnage, Dunoon, and Carrick and Tarbert.
His Gaelic title "Mac Cailien Mhor".
The duke, who married the present duchess on March 22nd 1951, was dressed today in a plain lounge suit. He took his seat in the court just a few minutes before the duchess arrived.
Kent secondary school teachers will take part in a week-end residential conference on "English in Secondary Schools," at Broadstairs on Friday and Saturday. The conference, which is to be held at Kingsgate College, will include a talk on "English and Personal Communication," to be given by Mr. J. D. R. McVie, headmaster of Upbury Manor Secondary School, Gillingham. Mrs. M. H. Reay, of H.M. Inspectorate, Ministry of Education, will speak on "English and TV."
February 26th 1963 Tuesday; newspaper report
Attending the hearing before Lord Wheatley in the Court of Session were the duke of Argyll (59), thrice married, the duchess (50), twice married; a battery of counsel representing the duke, the duchess, and the third party in the case; some twenty pressmen representing British, European, and American newspapers; and a handful of members of the public.
In his action the duke is charging the duchess with adultery. The man named in the case, who is defending it along with the duchess, is Harvey Christian Rupert Peter Combe, of Strathconon, Muir of Ord, Ross-shire. Mr. Combe's counsel is Mr. W. R. Grieve, Q.C.
The pressmen attended under the severe handicap of being able to report next to nothing of what transpired in the court. Space being rationed in the tiny courtroom, they were admitted on special passes provided by the authorities in Parliament House and at the same time issued with an invisible muzzle in the shape of the Judicial Proceedings (Regulation Reports) Act 1926.
This states that it is unlawful to publish any particulars in relation to any proceedings for divorce other than the names, addresses, and occupations of the parties and witnesses, and a "concise statement" of the charges, defences, and counter charges in support of which evidence has been given.
Further than this the press may not go other than to cover submissions on any point of law arising in the course of proceedings, and the ultimate judgment of the court along with the Judge's observations.
This has given rise to a good deal of discussion among the correspondents attending the hearing on how concise you may be when you are being "concise" within the meaning of the Act. Some bold pressmen have been heard to declare that they are ready to stretch this clause as far as it can be taken.
We shall see.
Names, addresses, and occupations. Well then, the first witness today gave his name as Ian Douglas Campbell ... and admitted being the Duke of Argyll, residing at Inveraray Castle. He was not asked to state his occupation, nor was he asked to affirm his considerable string of titles befitting one of Scotland's senior noblemen.
For the record, he is as well as being the Duke of Argyll, 11th in line. The Marquis of Lorne and Kintyre; Earl Campbell and Cowal; Viscount of Lochow and Glenlisla; Baron Inveraray, Mull, Morvern, and Tiry: Baron Campbell; Earl of Argyll; Baron of Lorne; Baron Kintyre; Baron Sundridge; Baron Hamilton; Chief of Clan Campbell; Hereditary Master of the Royal Household, Scotland: Hereditary High Sheriff of the County of Argyll; Admiral of the Western Coast and Isles: Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland and of the Castles of Dunstuffnage, Dunoon, and Carrick and Tarbert.
His Gaelic title "Mac Cailien Mhor".
The duke, who married the present duchess on March 22nd 1951, was dressed today in a plain lounge suit. He took his seat in the court just a few minutes before the duchess arrived.
15th March 1963 In the national newspapers, a report of the opening of the trial of Johnny Edgecombe, the man accused in the London Mews flat shooting incident of December 14th 1962, involving the two girls Marilyn Davies and Christine Keeler.
Rumours began to circulate that Mr Profumo had begun an affair with the young model soon after their meeting and that secret information on nuclear weapons could have been passed via Miss Keeler to Captain Ivanov. These rumours were the basis of the allegations made by MPs George Wigg, for Dudley, Richard Crossman, for Coventry East, and Barbara Castle, for Blackburn, yesterday.
But in today's statement Mr Profumo said that between July and December 1961 he had met Miss Keeler about half a dozen times at Dr Ward's flat when he had called to see him, but stressed there was "no impropriety whatsoever" in the relationship. He added he had not seen Miss Keeler since December 1961 and had no part in her disappearance. Miss Keeler had been due to appear at the Central Criminal Court as a witness in a shooting trial. But the Secretary of State for War was steadfast in his denial: "Any suggestion that I was in any way connected with or responsible for her absence from the trial at the Old Bailey is wholly and completely untrue."
23rd March 1963 The leading people involved in the alleged plot, so far as known, at present.
British marionette puppetry.
The Space Patrol puppet TV series, produced for ABC Television. I've always been a fan of science fiction. On the ITV network, for children there was 'Fireball XL5' already established and popular on television. A year or two before that it was 'Supercar' that was drawing the children's viewing ratings, but then this 'Space Patrol' adventure show came along and made a big impact on me.
Space Patrol was first broadcast at weekends in the ATV midlands region, on Sunday 7th April 1963 at 5:10 pm, then two months later in the Associated Rediffusion London area, weekdays from Thursday 27th June 1963 at 5:25 pm. The other regions, broadcast time and dates being variable.
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| Space Patrol’s creator and writer, Roberta Leigh |
The production was imaginative along with its, strange, offbeat and inventive, interesting analogue electronic synthesised soundtrack. The short crop cut geometric mod hairstyle, of one of the Venusian characters, was way ahead of current fashion.
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| Advert for the ITV Children's SCI-FI TV series |
Click on the advert for more information about 'Space Patrol' and others
Here is the 3rd episode of the first series of Space Patrol, to view and first shown in 1963, titled "The Dark Planet".
1st May 1963 In the newspapers again: Our Marilyn, been a very naughty girl, now known as Marilyn "Mandy" Rice-Davies. In the newspaper article clipping, her unnamed protector and benefactor [sugar daddy] was in fact Perec "Peter" Rachman, whose name at the time could not be published because of a legal reason.
Two pictures of Marilyn Davies during 1961. In January at a glamour model shoot in London and later in the year seen with Perec "Peter" Rachman at one of his clubs. This one, Le Condor nightclub at 17 Wardour Street London was re-launched as La Discotheque, with Bohemian décor including bedsteads and toilets. On the opening night Rachman was photographed, accompanied by a dark-haired Marilyn, with his right arm on a toilet-seat signed 'Peter'. In her La Discotheque Krays story, Marilyn was cleaning a glass for Rachman at the bar when one of the twins shouted over for a drink. Marilyn told him she wasn't a barmaid but Ron or Reg insisted, gripping her wrist; whereupon Marilyn slapped him and called over Rachman's minder Jimmy Houlihan. On assessing the situation, Houlihan stopped in his tracks and swiftly returned with his boss. Rachman proceeded to plead with Marilyn to apologise. On her stubborn refusal it sounds like more protection money was paid, but Rachman seems to have at least put up some resistance against the notorious criminal underworld Kray brothers.
May 8th 1963 Wednesday newspaper report
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| Click on the newspaper pages to read |
Today, the long court case, that opened on February 26th, is over. The Duke of Argyll is granted his divorce and in doing so, the Judge read out the astounding full case judgement in open court, which blows the lid off high society to reveal the sexual practices, adultery and disreputable behaviour that take place amongst the privileged, rich and famous. The case blends into the current atmosphere of national security issues and suspicions of questionable morals of some of the aristocracy, and political figures of our times. Though, the mystery remains of the unknown identity of the man shown with the duchess, in the nude photographs, taken using a Polaroid camera.
'Treble Chance'
Several different companies, including the two largest Littlewoods and Vernons (both based in Liverpool), Zetters (of London), Copes (London), Shermans (Cardiff), Empire (Blackpool), Brittens (Leicester), and Soccer; have in the past organised similar games, the most famous of which was historically known as Treble Chance. Players were given a list of football matches set to take place over the coming week and attempted to pick a line of eight of them, whose results would be worth the most points by the scoring scheme; traditionally by crossing specific boxes on a printed coupon. A proportion of the players' combined entry fees was distributed as prizes among those whose entries were worth the highest scores.Entries were traditionally made by post, or via agents or collectors who received a percentage (usually 12.5%) of the money as a fee. Main collectors, who appointed the agents, delivered the forms and payments to a regional office, which were then dispatched to the companies' central offices. Legally the football pools collectors were agents of the entrants, not the pools company. Business for pools collectors was sustained by periodic canvassing, where company agents knocked on doors in an area of a town or housing estate. Many large factories had at least one employee, who as a side line, collected coupons from fellow workers.
Monday 20th May 1963 The world chess championship
The final game and the winner as reported in newspapers and broadcast on television. Pictured here, the opening game of the world chess championship, Moscow, during the month of March. Reigning champion, Botvinnik (right) making his first move in the first game against his challenger, Petrosian (left). Botvinnik won the game in 40 moves, playing the Nimzowitsch defence to a Queens pawn opening.
Tigran Petrosian has won the world chess championship in Moscow from Mikhail Botvinnik, who has held it for most of 15 years. The 22nd game of the series ended in a draw on the 11th move, giving Petrosian victory by 12½ points to 9½ to clinch the title and become the 9th world champion. It was a best of 24 games, meaning that the first player to reach 12½ points, would be champion. If the match ended in a 12-12 tie, then Botvinnik (the title holder), would win (by default). The series began on March 23rd, the Russian, Botvinnik, 51, has dominated the post-war chess scene. Petrosian, a 33 year old Armenian, was unbeaten in a 70-game world chess tournament last year. His rise to fame in the past few years has been meteoric.
June 5th 1963: "What the hell is going on in this country?" The breaking news report. Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, has resigned from government, admitting he lied to Parliament about his relationship with a call girl. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan accepted the resignation calling it a "great tragedy".
The prime minister told Profumo that he had no option but to accept his resignation and said: "This is a great tragedy for you, you family and your friends. Profumo also sent a personal letter to the chairman of the Conservative party in his constituency of Stratford-upon-Avon where there will now be a by-election. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Financial Secretary at the War Office, Mr James Ramsden, will take temporary charge of the department.
The newspapers had a field day, as it was also the case that many British newspapers were gunning for Macmillan as a consequence of the fall-out from the Vassall affair, a spy scandal that had unfolded the previous year and in the aftermath of which two Fleet Street journalists had been imprisoned for refusing to divulge the sources of prurient and outlandish stories relating to John Vassall and his Admiralty employers.
17th June 1963 In the newspaper: Profumo, the key points in time as known.
17th June 1963 A sad Marilyn Rice-Davies, whom was immediately detained last night by officers of C.I.D. and Special Branch at London airport when she attempted to board a plane and leave the country for another holiday, today arrives to stay at her parents home in Solihull.
14th July 1963 In the newspaper, the story of Perec Rachman and his activities can now be told after being named in Parliament.
Billy Smart's Circus
19th July 1963 Britain's most spectacular circus, housed in Europes's biggest big top, is coming to Kent this month. Opening next Monday, 22nd July, the four massive 85ft. kingpoles will have been hoisted into position at the Great Lines, Gillingham, ready to support Billy Smart's huge 6,000 seat tent which will house the circus throughout its six day stay.
Billy Smarts is the one that on Sunday 21st July, had the elephants parade all the way from the British railways goods sidings at Gillingham to the Great lines, where the circus was already pitched. I wondered how they managed to transport very large animals, calm and safely by rail? There must have been some tranquilisers used on them for their journey? The elephants were led a trek along a route via Railway street, the High street and Marlborough road.
On the Great lines at the circus site, wandering around outside of the zoo compound of tents that contained the animals, I couldn't avoid smelling the distinct odour of the animals dung. I had been used to that for some while after being taken on visits to allotment gardens where fresh horse manure was frequently spread on the soil after being collected from the local stables or alternately from the kerbsides of local roads when the opportunity presented itself. Horses with riders, and also horses in harness to carts were still often seen on the roads back in those times. Therefore there were piles of steaming droppings and some being frequently flattened by passing motor vehicles, which had left an impression tyre track tread embossed into the soft mush.
This is most likely to have been the second and last circus at Gillingham that I were ever taken to see when as a child, the other being Chipperfields circus. It may of cost my parents quite a barely affordable amount for the show tickets, the snacks and refreshments on sale there, I'm not surprised that I never saw the inside of a circus again.
The 200 animals in the stables and menagerie have also to be catered for and in even greater quantities. Here for instance are some of the weekly orders: 10 tons of hay, 35cwt. of oats, 7cwt. of bran, 56lb. of linseed, 12 tons of straw (more in bad weather). 140lb. of rice and 12 sacks of bread for the bears and 80lb. of fish for the same animals.
The chimpanzees are a little more particular and their diet demands 18 pints of milk a day and several crates of fresh fruit and vegetables each week. The water supply has to be pretty good as well, 180 gallons weekly for each elephant and 500 gallons weekly for the horses, llamas, zebras and dromedaries.
The mobile wardrobe carries well over 600 glittering costumes and headdresses, all of which are under the constant care and attention of the wardrobe mistress and her staff of four, whose task it is to see that every costume is in perfect condition for each performance. Indeed, during the shows, the wardrobe mistress can very often be seen near the artists' entrance with a handful of safety pins, needle and thread all at the ready in case of emergencies!
Practically all the circus equipment is moved by road these days, but for the horses, elephants and dromedaries and some of the props. British Railways provide a special circus train comprising 13 horse boxes and seven special covered trucks. The remainder of the animals, such as bears, monkeys, llamas and zebras travel by road along with all the main circus equipment.
There is inevitably, a fully equipped mobile workshop, staffed by a small but highly efficient team of technicians and mechanics and they make yearly use of 150 gross of screws, 150 gross of nuts and bolts, 3cwt. of nails, 15 tons of steel, thousands of feet of welding rod and hundreds of feet of steel and aluminium alloy tube. The section is fully equipped to deal with the most serious of defects in the vehicles and equipment and rarely do they call upon outside help. As a matter of interest, 1,000 gallons of paint are required annually to keep the fleet of 120 lorries up to Billy Smart's traditionally high standard of appearance.
At the start and finish of the season when the weather tends to be pretty inclement, six enormous diesel powered heating plants provide the central heating for the big top, and providing the circus lighting are a further six mobile generators producing an output of 200 kws. Incidentally, during the season, the show gets through nearly 2,000 bulbs of from 60 to 150 watts.
The gigantic big top, which comprises of 4,560 square yards of blue canvas and 1,500 square yards of red, was manufactured in Germany at a cost of £14,000, and covers an interior area of 34,000 sq. ft. It took 10 miles of stitching to make it an entity, and anchoring it to the earth are 2,773 feet of wire and 15,500 feet of Italian hemp rope. Bearing the weight of this formidable array of canvas are four 85ft. kingpoles made of tubular steel, 24 quarter poles, 32 queen poles, and 178 side poles (all of pinewood).
Last to mention and most important is the book-keeper to account for every detail of running the circus!
21st July 1963 In the newspaper, Perec Rachman and his sources of finance
26th July 1963 Marilyn Rice-Davies makes her way to the front page of Private Eye
9th August 1963 "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!" "Britainia holed below the waterline in a sea of sleaze, corruption, hypocrisy." I, a primary school child, ten years of age, knew nothing of or would understand any of this. The topical magazine 'Private Eye' captures the moment in this era, to peek a glimpse through the curtains on the show that is running above the heads of the general public.
References notes to the Private Eye magazine article
Lord Astor [3rd Viscount William Waldorf Astor II aka "Bill" Astor]
Cliveden [Lord Astor's country mansion estate in Buckinghamshire]
Special Branch [the Metropolitan Police unit which liaises with M15]
MI5 [Military Intelligence Section 5, Sir Roger Hollis, being the Director-General]
Profumo [John Profumo MP, Secretary of State for War in the Conservative government]
Dr. Stephen Ward [an osteopath and socialite, a leading player in the Profumo and Keeler sex and spies scandal]
the Ward trial [Dr. Stephen Ward prosecuted for living on immoral earnings from Keeler and Rice-Davies]
Duchess of Argyll [Margaret, Duchess of Argyll very recently divorced and publicly shamed in an adultery scandal involving high society sex parties and some nude personal Polaroid photographs]
Mr Gordon [Aloysius "Lucky" Gordon, a West Indian prosecuted for assaulting Miss Christine Keeler. He was soon released on appeal when new evidence, a tape recorded conversation of Miss Keeler was revealed, which indicated she had committeed perjury]
Lord Denning [Baron Alfred Thompson Denning, Master of the Rolls, was chosen by Macmillan to make an official inquiry and report into the Profumo affair of which involved high profile public, government, high society and showbusiness figures]
assistant Naval attache of Soviet Embassy in London [Eugene Ivanov, a Russian intelligence officer]
Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. [American showbusiness star, named in the Ward trial by Miss Marilyn "Mandy" Rice-Davies, involved in high society sex parties. He was also linked along with Conservative government minister Duncan Sandys in connection with nude photographs in the Duchess of Argyll divorce case]
Harold Macmillan [Prime minister of the Conservative government]
Attorney-General [John Hobson]
Reginald Paget [a Labour MP who strongly argued against the deceitful and discreditable actions taken by the Home Secretary and the Attorney-General in the Enahoro case]
Treasurer of the Inner Temple [George Douglas Johnston]
the Enahoro case [Chief Enahoro, a Nigerian, an ex-Minister, who is now in this country, who has been in Brixton Prison since November 1962, and who is under threat of being deported back to Nigeria by order of the Home Secretary.]
Home Secretary [Henry Brooke]
Lady Dorothy [Lady Dorothy Cavendish, a titled socialite and wife of Harold Macmillan, who was having a lengthy affair with Conservative politician Robert "Bob" Boothby]
gangster [Perec "Peter" Rachman, racketeer, wealthy property developer, notorious rogue landlord of slum rent properties in West London. He had an intimate involvement with Miss Christine Keeler and thereafter Miss Marilyn "Mandy" Rice-Davies whom was given gifts of mink and jewelry and a 120mph Jaguar MKII 3.4 litre automatic car by him on her seventeenth birthday]
D Notice [a British government official instruction preventing particular information from being made public, in order to protect national security]
Mr Mac [Harold Macmillan]
rotten boroughs [a parliamentary borough or constituency with a tiny electorate that could be controlled or bribed by a single patron]
Moral Re-Armament [MRA: A multi-faith religious grouping crusade for a world that could avoid war if individuals experienced a moral and spiritual awakening]
Buchmann [Frank Buchman, the founder of the MRA movement]
cat on the wire [Crossed line signals]
Mr B [Buchmann]
legatee [a person to whom a legacy is bequeathed]
Veteran journalist Claud Cockburn produced a string of exposés about politicians' private lives and espionage. In issue 43 of the monthly magazine Private Eye, he provoked panic in Whitehall when he identified the head of MI6 (SIS, the British Secret Service.) The magazine broke existing media conventions by naming Sir Dick White as being its chief. This was placed in a small picture graphic paragraph under a heading "NOTE TO FOREIGN AGENTS" "the head of what you so romantically term the British Secret Service" "the man you should ring is"
A hastily-summoned meeting chaired by the cabinet secretary, Sir Burke Trend, concluded no action could be taken. Since Cockburn's source was not known and Sir Dick's name was widely known in Fleet Street, he could not be prosecuted under the official secrets act.
Sanity, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament magazine, picked up the story and published a picture of Sir Dick's house in West Sussex. Colonel 'Sammy' Lohan, secretary of the D-notice committee which operates a volountary censorship system, was apoplectic. He told the cabinet office: "I invited David Boulton [editor of Sanity] to lunch on a battlefield of my own choosing - the Savoy Grill." Lohan said Boulton refused to acknowledge the D-notice system, but did promise to let Lohan know beforehand, in order to limit committing further breaches.
Officials dragged Harold Macmillan, the prime minister, into the affair after proposing a series of discreet meetings between C and the head of MI5, Sir Roger Hollis, with "responsible editors". Sir Burke Trend discussed what the media should be allowed to publish. "It is a matter not so much of concealing as of withholding and what is withheld is not so much the truth as the facts."
It was on the 9th August 1963 that a pop music television program series named "Ready Steady Go" was first transmitted on the ITV London's Associated Rediffusion channel. This entertainment show was specifically aimed at catering for the new youth consumers music and fashion market.
15th August 1963 This film was released "Jason and the Argonauts" Storyline. Jason has been prophesied to take the throne of Thessaly. When he saves Pelias from drowning, but does not recognize him as the man who had earlier killed his father, Pelias tells Jason to travel to Colchis to find the Golden Fleece. Jason follows his advice and assembles a sailing crew of the finest men in Greece, including Hercules. They are under the protection of Hera, queen of the gods. Their voyage is replete with battles against harpies, a giant bronze Talos, a hydra, and an animated skeleton army, all brought to life by the special effects wizardry of Ray Harryhausen.
Sunday 8th September 1963 End of an era for the paddle steamer ship 'Medway Queen'
The crew of the 316 ton vessel will be paid off after its final excursion service cruise today in the Thames estuary via Rochester Strood, Southend-on-sea and North Kent coastal waters. The ship will then be offered for sale as scrap. The owners are believed to also be open to consider a sale offer of £4,000, if the ship was to be preserved.
Today, many members of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society were on board the 'Queen' all day for the final cruise. When the 'Queen' goes, there will not be a paddler operating in the summer between Bournemouth and Hull, apart from the Isle of Wight ferry run. One member said "It is not only paddle-steamers that need public support. The entire coastal cruise industry is in the doldrums. Every week-end of this past month has been the operators' despair. It will soon be a case of your own sailing dinghy or motor boat if you want a trip at sea when on holiday." Shipbuilding and ship repairing costs, the competition of the motor car, holidays abroad, and bad weather, the paddle vessels that remained would in a very few years' time be threatened with the breakers yard.
Sunday 8th September 1963 End of an era for the paddle steamer ship 'Medway Queen'
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| September 8th 1963 Farewell to Medway Queen |
Today, many members of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society were on board the 'Queen' all day for the final cruise. When the 'Queen' goes, there will not be a paddler operating in the summer between Bournemouth and Hull, apart from the Isle of Wight ferry run. One member said "It is not only paddle-steamers that need public support. The entire coastal cruise industry is in the doldrums. Every week-end of this past month has been the operators' despair. It will soon be a case of your own sailing dinghy or motor boat if you want a trip at sea when on holiday." Shipbuilding and ship repairing costs, the competition of the motor car, holidays abroad, and bad weather, the paddle vessels that remained would in a very few years' time be threatened with the breakers yard.
September 13th 1963. The British historian A.J.P. Taylor writes his perspective on morality.
Our morals are supposed to be in a sad state. A Minister of the Crown deceives the House of Commons. A frequenter of high society confesses his sexual promiscuity.
The police are accused of extracting testimony in curious ways. Even the judiciary is suspected of covering up for the sake of the Government.
The cry goes up on every side: "What's wrong with Britain?" The answer is: "Nothing, except that it is inhabited by human beings, who are, as always, a mixture of saints and sinners."
There was nothing new in the behaviour recently described in the Law Courts.
The poet Swinburne patronised an establishment where only the finest birches were used for whipping. Charles Dickens was as promiscuous as Dr. Ward. When his appetites could not be sated here, he went to Paris with Wilkie Collins for a week in the brothels.
Politicians probably are more moral sexually than they used to be. The Press has become more inquisitive, the public more sanctimonious.
Gladstone said that he had known 11 Prime Ministers and that seven of them were adulterers.
I can name five!
The Duke of Wellington was a regular client of Harriet Wilson, a famous prostitute. Earl Grey, of the Reform Bill, had a child by the Duchess of Devonshire.
Lord Melbourne was twice cited as a co-respondent. Palmerston had four children by Lady Cowper, whom he married after her husband's death, and left his estates to one of them.
Disraeli shared a mistress with the ex-Lord Chancellor Lyndhurst for the sake of his political advancement.
There has been nothing recently to equal the case of Sir Charles Dilke, in 1886. Dilke fenced every morning from 10.30 to 11, entertained a mistress at a love nest from 11 to 11.30 and then read official papers.
The Pall Mall Gazette published a cartoon called "Sir Charles Dilke's Bedroom." It showed a double bed with three pillows.
Yet, six years later, Dilke was returned to the House of Commons and sat there until his death. Politicians often have deceived the House of Commons on subjects graver than their relations with a Miss Christine Keeler.
Joseph Chamberlain knew all about the preparations for Jameson's raid into the Transvaal in 1895. He denied this in the House of Commons and himself sat on the Select Committee of Enquiry to ensure that any dangerous evidence should be suppressed.
Lloyd George and Sir Rufus Isaacs, Attorney General, bought shares in American Marconi.
They referred in the House to British Marconi and declared: "We bought no shares in that company." A Liberal member of the Select Committee knew the truth and steered the committee away from it.
Sir Edward Grey held naval talks with the Russians. He told the House: "No binding agreement has been made."
He writes in his memoirs: "The answer was technically correct. The objection is that it did not answer the question."
In 1956, the British Government prepared an invasion of Egypt in collaboration with France and Israel.
Yet it was repeatedly denied that there had been either preparations or collaboration.
Sexually, too, men were formerly made of sterner stuff. Lloyd George, when Chancellor of the Exchequer, had an affiliation case brought against him.
He went to Bow Street and swore that he had had no sexual relations with the woman concerned. He was accompanied by his wife, who knew that he was going to perjure himself.
Moral censors might also consider the behaviour of Edward VII, when Prince of Wales. He sought to borrow Lord Rosebery's house so that he and his brother could entertain their actress friends.
Rosebery refused.
Others were less strict. Gladstone had one of these actresses, Lily Langtry, to dinner and advised his colleagues to attend the theatre when she was acting, so as to strengthen the ties between the Liberal Party and the heir to the throne.
The police, in my opinion, are both more efficient and more careful to observe the law than they have ever been, though some of them are bound to slip.
The demonstrations for nuclear disarmament, in which I have often taken part, are treated by the police with an embarrassed courtesy, very different from the brutality shown to suffragettes before the first world war.
No striker has been killed by the military since 1893. In 1928, Miss Savidge was questioned at Scotland Yard for five hours without any charge being made against her. Fortunately, she complained and there was an enquiry which brought a rebuke for the police.
But it is foolish to suppose that the police can build up a case if they always observe the Judges' Rules meticulously.
At any rate, they rely more on persuasion and less on rough treatment than they used to, certainly more than any Continental police force does.
I daresay some of the judges are a bit soft on the Government. They are elderly men, mostly from the upper classes, and remote from the way ordinary people live.
It is, no doubt, deplorable when the judges set up to be censors of morals, instead of simply enforcing the law, but the public seems to agree with them and I doubt whether a bench of judges composed of trade union officials would be more broadminded.
The supposed decline in our morals has, in fact little substance. The aristocracy always have been promiscuous and the working classes casual.
No one minded in the past when an aristocratic lady had an illegitimate child, or whether the son of the house seduced the servant maid. Morality was confined to the middle classes.
Nowadays, young people are laxer - even in the middle classes - and a boy has a love affair with the sister of one of his friends, instead of with the local tobacconist's daughter.
There is far more real feeling in these affairs than in the old ones and they ripen far more often into stable, happy marriages.
In my opinion, today's younger generation is the sanest and most truly moral ever known.
There is a real wickedness in the world, however, and the wickedest, I believe, is the way in which governments are preparing the destruction of all mankind with nuclear weapons.
Contemplating this terrible crime, I lose no sleep over the sexual morality of the young.
18th September, the media labelled them, as "Mods" and "Rockers", which stuck and that was then how the public would in future know and be able to conveniently identify them.
26th September 1963 Lord Denning's Report is published. Earlier in June, Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, had asked the Master of the Rolls, Lord Denning, to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the resignation of John Profumo (who was Secretary of State for War), including any national security implications. Mr Profumo had been in a brief extra-marital affair with a woman who was, at the same time, in a relationship with a naval attaché at the Soviet Union embassy in London. Although Mr Profumo initially denied the relationship in a personal statement to Parliament, he later admitted it and subsequently resigned. In this report, Lord Denning concluded that there had been no risk to national security arising from the affair, but included a criticism of Macmillan's Government handling of the matter.
11th October 1963 Prime Minister Harold Macmillan resigns.
Just a day after the 83rd annual Conservative Party Conference had opened in Blackpool on Wednesday, 9th October 1963, the party faithful were in shock. The news from Downing Street yesterday, was that Macmillan had been suddenly struck down by severe prostate trouble which required an immediate operation. He decided to resign, due to his ill health. In Blackpool many hours of rumour and speculation were followed by remarkable scenes of high drama when in the late afternoon of Thursday 10th the hall fell silent to hear the contents of the resignation letter sent by the party leader. The letter had been brought from London by Lord (Alec) Home who now read it in his capacity as that year’s President of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, the body responsible for organising conference. Macmillan told his followers that “it will not be possible for me to carry the physical burden of leading the party at the next election”, and proposed that “the customary processes of consultation” should be carried out to find a successor.
Pink coloured, flavoured chewing gum, that when blown could produce a highly elastic bubble.
Bazooka Joe is a comic strip character featured on small comics included inside individually wrapped pieces of Bazooka bubble gum. He wears a black eye patch, lending him a distinctive appearance. He is one of the more recognizable American advertising characters of the 20th century, due to worldwide distribution, and one of the few identifiable ones associated with a candy.
1960's AMERICAN COMIC BOOK ADS
Mail-Order back pages – the gadgets advertised in the back of comic books during the 1960s. I bought many of these comics, second hand, from the Cadwaller bookseller shop at 220a Canterbury street, Gillingham and also swapped comic issues with other boys at Byron Road school. After reading the stories strips, it was so fascinating to read the mail-order ads on the back pages. Glasses that give you X-ray vision! Powder that will make a whole crowd sneeze! A spy camera that will hide in the palm of your hand! A mouth-size instrument that will throw your voice to any location you choose! Sparks and lightning that fly from your eyes when you blink! Sea-Monkeys, fingertip “Mystic Smoke,” and Talking Teeth. A few of these ads, I had some doubts about. They were too fantastical to be true, scientifically improbable and besides that, only mailable in the USA and payable in dollar currency. Even at my young age, I did wonder why anyone would be so stupid enough to order some of the stuff advertised. Cadwaller was a great second hand shop, which was handy being just around the corner from the Adelaide Road Post office. I also over time bought a few old 7 inch vinyl Rock n Roll records from that shop after saving up some pocket money earned from running errands and returning collected glass fizzy pop bottles for the deposit cash value. "At the Hop" by Danny and the Juniors, was one record I remember buying there. The shop first opened up for business around 1960 and was at first called "Cadwallader Brothers". It was run by Richard Cadwallader and I presume the brother was Leslie whom lived in the Sittingbourne area.
This picture of the second hand book shop shown at 220a Canterbury street in more recent times with a name change, but is it still being run by someone in the Cadwallader family?
October 25th 1963 The Chess movement in schools
I as a pupil of Byron Road County Primary school had just ended my 3rd year there in July 1963, followed then on by a long break for summer holidays. September at the start of my 4th year when in Mr Macleods' class 4S, there was a school chess club which I joined. I learned to play chess with around 9 other classmates, all were boys. The girls didn't take part in this activity as much that I know. Our school had only one standard size chess board with a set of wooden chess pieces.
Fortunately the pocket chess game sets were fairly affordable in price (5s. 11d. and upwards) and widely available in most of the high street shops that sold toys and games. And so I and other classmates were able to persuade our parents to part with a small sum of cash, each to buy these tiny chess games to use for practice in our game play against each other.
11th November, Mods, the then newest British youth culture, and their predecessors the Rockers, were making the news but not in any way that was to indicate the conflicts to come in the next year.
3rd December 1963
From Beatlemania to one of another sort, relevant to an older generation, is catered for by a cinema film titled "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", filmed in ULTRA PANAVISION, which had its charity premiere at the London Coliseum theatre last night. This is an epic wild slice of 70mm Cinerama Americana, with a jam packed cast that reads like the attendants list at a comedians convention, and oozing savage slapstick, caustic custard-pie, brutal banana-skin and the spectacularly crazy, dangerous stunts. The script, written by William and Tania Rose, also has some satirical bite. It is produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, at a fast pace that helps you through the film run time of over three hours, not including intermission for refreshments and stretching the legs.
If you have the chance, see this film, it's best viewed projected in a wide-screen theatre and with stereo surround sound. Here is the film opening titles sequence, (in its original ULTRA PANAVISION format).
And finally, a film re-release trailer of 'It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World' to show what it could be like viewed in a curved wide-screen Cinerama theatre.
The Western Theatre Ballet had been formed in Bristol during 1957 by Elizabeth West and Peter Darrell. They were a group of innovative artist's, based in mixing the classical ballet technique and theatre, performing a combination of dance and drama at the Bristol Old Vic. With no home base, they took to the road with very little money, performing in scout and church halls and, on one occasion, a west country barn where the pigsties had to be used as the changing rooms.
In 1962, ballet dancer, and choreographer Peter Darrell was working on a concept for making the ballet appeal to modern audiences, by creating a piece that was relative to the times. He found his inspiration in the new British teenage youth culture, music trends, fashion, attitude and dance. By the time of December 1963, Peter Darrell had devised his new modern ballet, titled "Mods and Rockers".
The Western Theatre Ballet began rehearsals in London.
13th December. Pictures of the dancers rehearsing the 'Mods and Rockers', choreography routines.
16th December. Dancing to the music of the Beatles, Peter Darrell's ballet 'Mods and Rockers' is pictured during a show rehearsal by the Western Theatre Ballet on the stage at London's Prince Charles Theatre.
On 18th December 1963, the Western Theatre Ballet debuted Mods and Rockers, to run for three weeks at the Prince Charles Theatre, 7 Leicester Place, London WC2. The ballet being a modern day reworking of Romeo and Juliet, as it tells the story via the music of the Beatles, of a young Mod girl falling in love with a leather clad male rocker in a dance hall. Mods and Rockers was to be Britain’s first 'beat' ballet. It was a one-act piece, the storyline, the setting and the music supporting his view of the teen scene. The last performance took place on 11th January 1964.Composers : The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison)
The Casting: Mods - Sylvia Wellman with Bronwen Curry, Suzanne Hywel, Gale Law, Oliver Symons
: Rockers - Simon Mottram with Gail Donaldson, Robin Haig, Victor Maynard, Graham Smith
27th December 1963 This is the review of 'Mods and Rockers' written by Clive Barnes (theatre and dance critic). I've edited out some amount of preamble.
The Beatles are, of course, interesting as a social phenomenon, but perhaps only because they provoke a greater degree of teenage hysteria and identification than any previous pop music. The riots occasioned by Johnny Ray and others years ago were presumably a syndrome of the same fever induced by the Beatles, although in a less virulent form. (It is, however, possibly pertinent that today's teenagers demand idols nearer their own age group.) Apart from such side issues, the Beatles and their kith and kin of Pacemakers and the rest, demand attention on musical grounds. For here is pop music that is recognisably indigenous to Britain, not directly derived from American models.
Where the music leads the dance must follow. While British pop music was dominated by America, it was a safe bet that what New York's Roseland was dancing, today Hammersmith's Palais de Danse would be dancing tomorrow. But the last social dances to be imported, the Bossa Nova and the Madison, made comparatively little effect. And as our pop music, led by the Mersey Beat, has diverged from the strict tutelage of Uncle Sam, so our teenage dances are finding their own feet. The importance of this for ballet should be self-evident. From the very beginning of ballet, as the late A. H. Franks's recent book Social Dance abundantly illustrates, there has been a constant interchange between' stage and ballroom. Now, just as theatrical jazz-dancing in America was first grafted from cuttings taken at the Roseland Dance Hall, so at last Britain has a chance of evolving its own jazz-dance rather than copying the American pattern. And this is choreographically the difference between Peter Darrell's Mods and Rockers, first given at the Prince Charles Theatre last week by Western Theatre Ballet, and any previous attempts at a jazz ballet.
The idea for Mods and Rockers was probably the purest of improvisations. Darrell, artistic director of Western Theatre Ballet, was offered the Prince Charles Theatre for a Christmas season. Unfortunately it was not possible to show London much of the company's normal (some would say abnormal) repertory, and a special programme had to be devised. A ballet with music by three of the Beatles must have sounded a nice, sound commercial proposition, and heaven knows this shoe-lace company needed one, so Mods and Rockers was born. Apart from being one of our leading young classical choreographers, Darrell, who has to eat, has also built up a sizeable reputation as an extraordinarily slick dance arranger of pseudo-jazz. His TV choreography, week by grinding week, for Cool for Cats some years back, remains the best original choreography ever conceived for the British goggle-box.
For Mods and Rockers, however, he was not content to provide the usual jive mish-mash.
He went round a few East End pubs to see how the kids were really dancing. And he returned with a few unlikely sounding names (such, as the 'Turkey' and the 'Mash') and a style of dancing never before seen on the stage. The Beatle-music is a pot-pourri of their more insistent hits arranged for jazz quartet and mouth organ, and it makes a wonderfully lively score. He has trumped up a theme of two rival teenage gangs, the Mods, dressed Beatle-style and dance progressives, and the Rockers, all leather jackets and Honor 'Blackman kits, and dance squares. Jet/Shark fashion, one of the Rocker boys carts off a Mod girl on his motor-bike. That is virtually the ballet, although Darrell, disciple of Antony Tudor that he is, has overladen it with dramatic detail in a manner, typically, reminiscent of Jardin aux Liras.
I would make no more claim for Mods and Rockers than that it is compellingly enjoyable entertainment. But the shaking choreography for the Mods, the controlled quivers and quirks, are fascinating. This is stylistically a breakthrough in ballet, although it needs a great deal more polishing before it can emerge as a viable choreographic idiom. Yet it is new and it is exciting.
The rest of the programme, including Darrell's earlier very amusing jazz ballet, Non-Stop, a couple of new classical pas de deux by Darrell and John Cranko, and Walter Gore's Street Games, with brilliantly fuzzy designs by Andra Francois, adds up to a splendid evening. This is the first time Western Theatre Ballet have been in London for nearly seven years. More and more they are gaining international recognition as one of Europe's leading companies. Please go to see them. They need to sell every seat they can in the first place, and you will thoroughly enjoy them in the second.
The Beatles at the time were neither a purely Mod or a Rockers’ band, but they did have a great influence and were relevant and stimulating to the masses of young people of the era. "With the Beatles", the title of their new released LP record in November 1963, contained fourteen songs. Darrell then selected seven Beatles songs to use, of which two were from the LP for inclusion in his ballet musical arrangement. The choice of solely associating the Beatles popular image and their song material into this show production was misconceived (in my opinion). The two rival youth groupings, the theme of these dance performances, were quite different in style from anything relating to "Beatlemania". Therefore unfortunately for 'Mods and Rockers', it misfired with the intended audience and proved to be a box-office flop on its short seasonal run at the theatre. There are no other known theatre performances by Darrell and Western Theatre Ballet of this piece. A short film exists, of a set performance of 'Mods and Rockers', of which I'll write on and screen later.
22nd December 1963 A Disney film was released "Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow" Storyline. A poor 18th century English coastal farming community survives the King's ruinous taxes thanks to a smuggling ring created by its masked leader called the Scarecrow. The ring's success leads King George to order the Royal Army's General Pugh to capture and execute the ringleaders. It is a battle both of wits and action that the Scarecrow must win to save not only his own life but those of the men he leads while keeping the vital smuggling operation running.
Up until 1964, I often visited Martin and Mark Sandmann at there home in Vicarage road. Their fathers' name Walter and mother was Hazel. Walter was a bus driver for Maidstone & District bus company. An early memory, between 1960-63, of an outing to Leysdown on Sea, Isle of Sheppey, with the Sandmann family, in their Green Bedford CA Workobus van, which had side windows and in the rear interior, bench seats fitted along each side. The remaining memory of it, is the slatted wood bench seating in the van and Walters' strong German accent when he spoke during the journey. I now think that Walter may have purchased the Bedford van via a hire purchase deal financed with the bus company. The only clue being that it was painted in the Maidstone & District Green livery.