ARTICLES. Some articles written on the Nottingham music scene, music in general and other rock and roll trivia.

Gedling School And Beyond – A Musical Journey

I found this thread on the Nottstalgia Forum website and have recreated it here. It is a great account of the local music scene in Gedling during the mid sixties. Gedling is four miles northeast of Nottingham city centre. Of great interest is the lists of groups seen by Parradiddle. I will add some notes at the bottom of the article. The original thread can be seen here.

Gedling School And Beyond – A Musical Journey
By Paradiddle, January 7, 2018 in All other Nottingham Schools Discussions

Posted January 7, 2018

Being a teenager in the 60’s, music was all important and it was at Gedling school that this tale begins. Studying for CSE music, lessons were mainly classical, Handel’s Water Music, Holst’s Planet’s Suite etc.  Music but not what we’d be listening to on Radio Luxembourg!
F.D.Wilson (him with the floppy hair) was both our music teacher and form teacher and one day after assembly we asked him if he could play ‘Side Saddle’, the Russ Conway tune. Without any hesitation he promptly played it on the assembly hall piano – very impressive. Another musical memory, probably a year or two later was John Landon teaching us all ‘Go Now’ on the music room piano – it is about the only tune I can play but has impressed a few people who think I can really play the piano!
Moving along a bit, March 20th 1964 is a milestone in my musical journey. Until then I had only heard music via the radio and records but on that momentous day I saw my first ‘live’ band. I was allowed to go to the school dance and when the band (or were they Groups then?) kicked in with ‘The Cruel Sea’ I was hooked. I have to thank Rob Duffy who was in The Tykons and who runs the www.playedinaband.com website for introducing me to the joys of live music.
In the 60’s there was no shortage of ‘gigs’ and here is a reminder of one which some of you may remember.

…….to be continued…..

philmayfield
Posted January 7, 2018

F.D. Wilson (Fred) was at Mellish during my time there in the 50’s/60’s. He was an accomplished pianist even then and used to play the piano for morning assembly. I think he lived in the Gedling area as he was on the train that I caught at Daybrook Station on the short journey to Basford North. He was a few years ahead of me and must have left the 6th. form for university and then went into teaching. My wife, who is four years younger than me, remembers him teaching her at Gedling school. I’m sure I went to that barbecue on Plains Road.

Paradiddle
Posted January 8, 2018

Regarding the Beefiest, Beatiest, Barbeque,  I spent all day there helping to set up and was given the ‘complimentary’ ticket shown which I insisted on paying for! In the evening I was again hanging about helping The Rave-ons with their set up when I was approached by a tall leather clad bloke who wanted to have a word with the group.  It turned out that The Jaybirds van had broken down and needed some help getting their gear on site.  It was of course Leo Lyons and what a great group the Jaybirds were.  The event was billed as a barbeque but I don’t remember any eats!

FLY2
Posted January 8, 2018

I remember in the early to mid 60’s, similar types of BBQ functions were held in a triangular field at the junction of the Plumtree road at Tollerton. Can’t remember any groups, and the ale was poor. Still, an evening of music and beer can’t be all bad !

Paradiddle
Posted January 9, 2018

Been on Youtube looking at some Ten Years After footage, didn’t realise how animated Leo was, reminds me of Floyd, the bass player in the Muppets!

Paradiddle
Posted January 11, 2018

If you were a pupil at Gedling School in the 60’s the chances were you went to one of the local youth clubs.  On previous threads The Memorial hall has been mentioned and the following ticket relates to an event organised by the church.  I remember helping to prepare the field and was put in charge of a motor mower and had to try and make an area for dancing!  The group stage, if I remember correctly, was a farm trailer,  not sure if it was covered but then it didn’t rain in those days!  

Cliff Ton
Posted January 11, 2018

It’s half relevant to the previous post, although a bit before the date on the ticket. Life before the Memorial Hall.

carni
Posted January 11, 2018

Great picture cliffTon. It is clearest image I have seen pre Memorial Hall.Thanks for posting it, got my imagination going it has. Paradiddle, we went to many garden fetes on the Rectory field and garden. Lovely memories of my childhood. I know we didn’t make it to the Beat Barbecue that you have  shown us, because on that date SueB48 , myself and two others went to Skegness for a week. It is the day I met my hubby (holiday romance) and changed the course of my life. I remember dancing at the garden fetes and also taking a short cut through the side of the Rectory and graveyard onto Arnold Lane. The graveyard always gave me the creeps and I am still the same today. oooer. Lovely memories though. I’m pretty sure the Rectory field garden fetes are on an earlier thread, but can’t for the life of me remember the title.

Paradiddle
Posted January 11, 2018

It is a good picture Cliff Ton, a bit before my time.  Here is a more recent one I posted on an earlier thread but which is now missing thanks to PB! I think on the one I posted before I might have ‘photo-shopped’ the lamp post, can’t see any such thing on your pic, probably still on gas lamps then?

NewBasfordlad
Posted January 11, 2018

Fairly modern street light and they are all still there

Paradiddle
Posted January 15, 2018

Back to the music.  After seeing The Tykons at school it was a natural progression to seek out more live music.  Unlike some of my schoolmates who ventured to exotic places like The Dungeon and the Boat clubs, I stayed fairly close to home and below is a list of some of the groups that I had the pleasure of hearing (most of them anyway).  I’m sure some of the other NS’s would have been there!  As you can see, I was a dab hand with the typewriter, my hand writing would have been illegible.

DAVIDW
Posted January 15, 2018

Wow quite a list and a great record of dates (even though I don’t know most of those bands names !). Presume “Gedling M.W.” is the miners welfare . Can’t remember going there much but probably attended all those Gedling School and Digby gigs 

Cliff Ton
Posted January 15, 2018

I guess all of those groups were local acts who never went beyond being local acts…..with one possible exception. There are two mentions of ‘The Jaybirds’ who may well be the people who went on to become Ten Years After.

LizzieM
Posted January 15, 2018

I remember the ‘Incrowd’, John Landon was the drummer (I think) and lived on Central Avenue in Mapperley, seem to remember his dad was their Manager.  John is still around, playing in local groups.  I went to a few gigs at Digby College and Gedling Miners Welfare but can’t remember who I saw performing, but quite possibly the Jaybirds. 

Paradiddle
Posted January 15, 2018

Lizze, heard from John Landon not long ago.  He sent me some tracks that he’d recorded with ‘Active Water’. Might only be a studio band but I think he said that another ex-Gedling School pupil, Nigel Smith was also involved.  Don’t know him myself, must have attended the school after I left.

Paradiddle
Posted January 16, 2018

As you can see from the list I spent a fair few hours at Gedling Miners Welfare, here’s a reminder.

carni
Posted January 16, 2018

The last time I was in there was the summer of 1980 at my sisters wedding reception, though I have great memories of many Saturdays during the early 1960s twisting and jiving the night away. I remember the long walk home down Westdale lane ( to dark to walk down Arnold Lane) if we missed the bus, or spent our bus fares! Thanks for the picture. Great to see the place again

Rob.L
Posted January 16, 2018

Last time I was at the Welfare was around three years ago, for a charity benefit concert for East Midlands Labrador Rescue. The place has hardly changed since I used to go there in the 1970s, although the beer is better. The singer wasn’t bad, either. He was on stage for getting on for three hours without a break, regaining us with tales from his life in between songs. His name was PJ Proby!

banjo48
Posted January 17, 2018

Met my good lady at GMW on a Friday night in 63,  knew John Langdon from his days at school, hanging around top of Westdale lane in our youth and the band the Incrowd. Last I heard he was in a band with Paddy Flint a few years back and there was a youtube video doing the rounds I think. Remember his dad too, always  in his long blue crombie coat bit of a “Delboy”  and used to brag he’d never worked a day in his life ! John used to say the same that he wanted to be just like his dad workwise.

Paradiddle
Posted January 17, 2018

Here’s the remainder of my list.  A lot of local groups in those days (see playedinaband.com for more info) and as for the venues…

Gedling Miners Welfare – gone
Digby College – gone
Carlton Hotel – gone
Scout & Guide HQ – gone ( now the Blood Donor Centre)

DAVIDW
Posted January 17, 2018

i possibly dj’d at those Digby College dates in 66 . Blues and Roots were pals of my brothers. Here’s a pic of them outside one of the boat clubs.

Will2017
Posted February 18, 2018

Hi Paradiddle, I was the bass player in the Tykons. I am pleased you enjoyed the Gedling Secondary Modern gig  in 1964 and that it inspired you to seek out more live music. The 1960’s live music scene in Nottingham was great with so many groups and venues. Regards, Will2017

Paradiddle
Posted February 18, 2018

Thanks Will, 1964 is a long time ago and I can remember you opening with ‘The Cruel Sea’ and being blown away by the intensity (or maybe the volume) of what was my first experience of live music.  Don’t remember anything else so don’t know what else was on your playlist. Cavendish seemed to be ahead of Gedling as far as school groups were concerned.  Did you happen to know Pete Mee or Graham Pearce who I think went there and played in various bands?

Will2017
Posted February 18, 2018

Hi Paradiddle, thank you for the reply. I did not know Pete Mee or Graham Pearce-I attended Rushcliffe Technical Grammar School and not Cavendish SMS. My first post dated 27 January 2018 contains more info. Three of the Tykons, who went to Cavendish and were in a school group called the Cavochords, asked me to join them. We went to a music night at the school and asked a singer (who also went to Cavendish) to join. There are pics of the Tykons, Litter and Younger Generation on the playedinaband.com website. On the site there are also pictures of various groups with other former Tykons members. I should have posted some of the group info. on the Nottingham Bands in the 60s thread. Regards, Will

crankypig
Posted February 22, 2018

i remember Pete Mee and Graham Pearce, me and some girls used to watch them rehearse in a classroom, we had to sit at the back and keep quite, they were very good. They used to sometimes play in a room above a co op at Gedling. Mureen and lynn were two of the girls who followed the group around, cant remember any other names, i was only 14 or 15 at the time. Graham Pearce lived somewhere off carlton hill, don’t know where Pete lived.

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