Wednesday, October 16, 2002

When did I see David Bowie in Guildford? According to www.bowiewonderworld.com/tours/tour58.htm it was either 11 or 14 March 1969, as Feathers, with John 'Hutch' Hutchinson in the upstairs Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Club, as part of Rick Welton's Guildford Festival.

Friday, October 04, 2002

Just added a page on Arts Lab gigs (the ones I know about!!) click the link on the home page!
This weblog thing is very strange -- you really should start from the bottom and read upwards!! Found an amazing website that lists all David Bowie's gigs, including the time he played with Hutch in Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud theatre upstairs studio in March 1969. Part of the Guildford festival's late night entertainment. I was there!

Thursday, October 03, 2002

An excursion! Free Festival at Holcolme Court, Holcolme Rogus -- a commune set up by Nick Black in Somerset (?)
Friday 18 September 1970 featured Quintessence, Marsupilami, Loadstone, Phoenix Press

We went down there a year later with Poppa Ben Hook, and on the way back called in at the very first Glastonbury Fayre!!
19 September 1970: Formerly Fat Harry (with ex-Country Joe's Bruce Barthol), Poppa Ben Hook, Frendz, and Crysanthemum at the Youth Centre, Haydon Place

23 October 1970: Tir Na Nog, Poppa Ben Hook, Band of Hope and Glory, and Crysanthemum at the Youth Centre Gym

7 November 1970: Jelly Bread, Marble Orchard, Poppa Ben Hook, Exhibit 'A' and the Paranoids, University Hall, Stag Hill

19 December 1970: Wishbone Ash, Band of Hope and Glory, and Crysanthemum at the Youth Centre Gym

5 February 1971 at Guildford Civic Hall: Clark-Hutchinson, Lindisfarne and Cage. I think we lost a load of money on that one! Before I arrived in Shyneford, Clive and Graham had lost money on a benefit at the Civic Hall with Fairport Convention, Third Ear band, Roy Harper, Bridget St John, Barclay James Harvest, Ron Geesin, Tim Hollier and John Peel!!!

Friday 9 April 1971: Jo-Ann Kelly plus John Ellis, Youth Centre Annex

Sunday 11 April 1971 Marx Bros at the Circus, plus Paint (body painting film!) and Tom and Jerry shorts

Friday 16 April 1971: John Martyn and friends

Sunday 18 April 1971: films Privilege and Lolita

Friday 23 April 1971: Ron Geesin

Sunday 25 April 1971: films Blow-up and Danish Blue

Monday 4 October 1971: Summer of 69 (we were nostalgic even then!!): David Ambrose, Keith Besford, Fred Pipes, Nick Gray and maybe Video wal, Lecture Theatre D, University of Surrey, Stag Hill
More Arts lab dates:

17 January 1970: Bridget St John!! best act yet! plus film 'Relativity'

24 January 1970: Dylan film 'Don't look back' -- I did a really nice poster for it!

After that I think Bridget asked John Martyn to do a gig and he in turn brought Al Stewart along with him!!

4 March 1970: The assassination of William Blake as performed by the inmates of Guildford Arts Lab under the direction of the Marquis de Pipes!! starring Mike Horovitz, Brian Patten, Graham, Clive, Gus, Robin Shirley, John White, Dave Ambrose, Nick Gray and Cyberdescence. Wowie Zowie! what a line up. Part of the Guildford festival.
Reading through my Journals (should be getting on with some work!!) and found some Arts Lab dates:

All at the Youth Centre annexe, formerly the Officer's Mess Territorial Army HQ, Leapale Lane -- later became the Bellerby theatre I think!

22 November 1969: Heron, a small acoustic group plus Clive (up from Sussex) with Paul Clamp and Bryn Davis and Graham back from his PO course!! Chris Gange DJed. Cyberdescence light show.

29 November 1969: Trees, electric folk band with girl singer, plus me and Robin Shirley. A roadie asked us if his band Hawkwind Zoo could play sometime. We said no!!!!

6 December 1969: Presto and Calico plus Bob Hamblett reading his Encyclical and John White down from Edinburgh

13 December 1969: 'Towers open fire' Burroughs film plus Gus and Nick Gray

20 December 1969: 'The Fugs' film plus Dave Ambrose and Jumble (Gus's band, with Randy McDonald, Chris Greenwood and Bernie ??) with Rob Thomasson on electric bass!!!
trying to get this blog sorted!!

Despite many people thinking so – I never did live at Millbrook Cottage! I first encountered Shyneford when the band I was in – Helix – played at an Arts Lab gig at the Stoke Hotel late 1968. Clive Young, Graham Clarke and Poppa Ben Hook were on the bill, I think!. It was where I met Schoolgirl Jenny. She wrote to me (got my address in Clapham Junction off Steve Whitehead, I believe) and invited me to a (New Year's Eve?) party at the Cottage. I came and began to visit Shyneford most weekends, staying at the Cottage. Clive and Graham lived in the main room with a pontling pot (sp?) between them. Cherry was upstairs. After a while I got fed up with living in London, packed in my job at Academic Press, and moved to Shyneford.

Wednesday, October 02, 2002

Added some links to links page. Also added lots more people photos to people2 and people3.

The first place I lived in Shyneford was at 38 Wodeland Avenue (not 26!) in a crummy bedsit for 2 weeks. I then moved to a front room in a flat in 19 Harvey Road, sharing with two law students. Moved to 7 Mill Lane end of July. I think the deal was that Gus was moving to Wimbledon with 'Groovy' Rob Thomasson and I would take his room, but he stayed and we shared!! We had a foolproof way of indicating that we were otherwise engaged – we would leave an empty milk bottle outside the door!! We were in the downstairs room, facing Mill Lane (the front door was facing the car park and Plummers (Debenhams)). Upstairs lived Pete Durant, and the landlord Jonathan Adams slept on the sofa in the front room. Ian 'Jock' Macadie (sp?) often fell asleep there after a session at the Legion. Tony England was in the back room upstairs when I first moved in, but several people passed through – Clio, Tommy... Eventually I found an unfurnished flat of my own at 65 Epsom Road; Pete bought 'Sweet 16' Stoke Road and I think Gus lived there for a while too.