Pop at Colston Hall Request for memories for a new book
WOULD it be possible for me to make a request via the Post for fans to come forward with comments, memories, information or anecdotes about concerts they have attended?
I am researching a new book on pop music at the Colston Hall which will be called ‘Walk Right Back.’
It’s a follow-up, part two if you like, of Let It Rock, which came out December 2018, and is on sale at the Box Office of the Hall.
I would absolutely love fans to email me (sphurford@yahoo.co. uk) with their comments or programmes or photos, and what they thought of the concert and the artist.
The artists I am writing about are:
Al Stewart; Art Garfunkel; Blondie; Bob Marley; Byrds; Carl Perkins; Cat Stevens; Cilla Black; Clash; Cliff Richard (Shadows); Cream; Delaney and Bonnie (George Harrison); Dire Straits; Elton John; Elvis Costello; Everly Brothers; Free; Gordon Lightfoot; Hollies; Iain Matthews; Jackson Browne; Jerry Lee Lewis; Johnny Cash; Joy Division; Leonard Cohen; Little Richard; Lou Reed; Motorhead; Richard Thompson; Ronnie Spector; Roxy Music; Roy Orbison; Slade; Status Quo; Stax Revue 1967 (Otis); Steeleye Span; T Rex; Van Morrison
Just to be clear; fans can write to me about any concert at the Colston Hall they wish to, not just the ones on my list, as I will devote a chapter to other concerts as well. Simon Hurford email sphurford@yahoo.co. uk
Stumped on cricket club info
✒ A FRIEND of mine has come across some items of memorabilia of the Hebron Cricket Club from c. 1910. This club played its home games at Bower Ashton.
I wonder if any of the readers have any information or photographs about this club, whether it was associated with Hebron Methodist Church in Bedminster and what became of it?
Any information will be welcomed. Many thanks. Geoff Gardiner email geoff@thegardiners. org.uk
The Engine House Network
✒ THE South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group AGM is on Wednesday March 18 2020 in the Miners Institute (aka Coalpit Heath Village Hall) 214 Badminton Road, Coalpit Heath, BS36 2QB AGM at 7.30pm for 8pm prompt start.
It’s followed at about 9.15pm by a talk about ‘The Engine House Network’ – Steve Grudgings will speak about the recently proposed Engine House Network, a new purpose for old engine houses.
Non members welcome - £2 each for the talk (Membership is £17.50 per year, includes talks, newsletters.)
Invitation to ship’s launch
✒ AN interesting letter from Geral
dine Nicholls (BT Letters, Feb 4) regarding the photo of the office in Anchor Road published the previous week.
I remember that office from the early 1960s when I was working for the ship agent Edward Stock who were owned by Bristol Steam. I made daily visits to the Accounts Dept in that office so remember it well, although with it being an office full of young ladies it was a bit daunting at first to a 16-year-old lad!
We were in Queen Square at the time but moved in 1963 to a purpose-built office behind ‘L’ shed. The Bristol Steam Navigation office was across the road and I also made daily visits there, where there were a number of builders’ models of their ships on display.
They had two ships built in 1963 – the ‘Hero’ in February and the ‘Dido’ in June so yes it would have been the ‘Dido’ that Geraldine saw launched. From memory half of the staff were invited to the first launch and the other half to the second. Attached (pictured above) is a copy of the invite I was given for the launch of the ‘Hero.’ Peter Hobday by email
Born with a caul, never drown
✒ WHEN my grandfather, Samuel John Stone, was born on the 18 October 1898 in St Philip’s, Bristol he was born with a caul.
As a boy he was an excellent swimmer and after the First World War broke out, he enlisted in the Royal Navy, serving as a stoker on Atlantic convoy escort ships.
During his service, two ships that
he served on were torpedoed by German U Boats but fortunately Samuel survived both attacks and survived the war.
Whilst serving in the Navy Samuel kept a diary, and there is an interesting entry for May 1918 when a stoker from his ship, HMS Berwick, whilst bathing with a group of shipmates was caught by an octopus and subsequently drowned.
Even in later life he was known to dive off the top diving board in the swimming pool at Pontin’s Holiday Camp in 1968, aged 70.
After prolonged contact with water throughout his life and surviving a number of potential drownings, he presumably believed in the superstition that anyone born with a caul would never drown. Diane Haddrell (nee Stone) By email.
Born with a lucky cap
✒ RE babies born with a caul (BT Letters, Feb 4): I was born with a caul or a “lucky cap” as they are sometimes called, in August 1947.
As my father was serving in the Royal Navy my mother posted it to him. I have attached a photo of the caul and the envelope that it was posted in. Hope that this is of some use to you. Dennis Broe, By email.
» Editor’s reply: That is amazing! For any readers new to this subject, we were asking readers about caul births because of the superstition that anyone born with one, or possessing one, would never die by drowning. We asked Mr Broe if his father was a good swimmer. He replied: “Yes … he served most of his time in submarines coming out in 1953 and I joined the Royal Navy in 1966 leaving in 1973 and yes I was a good swimmer as well.
“Part of your training in the Navy was to be able to swim three lengths in a boiler suit and float for three minutes on your back.
“One of the reasons for this was that if you were at sea and the
weather was hot, the Captain would announce hands to bath and as long as you had passed your swimming test, you could jump off the quarter deck with the rest for a swim.”
Daytime ironing only
✒ RE appliances of the past (BT Letters, Jan 21) I well remember as a child in the 1950s visiting a relative, and when they did the ironing they removed the lightbulb in the living room, and plugged the cable from the iron into the light socket.
It was the round type, and they did the ironing on the dinner table, and obviously this could only be done during daylight hours!
No harm was done, despite this being before the days of “health and safety”.
It’s good to remember these things and they make you wonder how today’s generation would cope if their modern devices broke down.
Happy times when reading your articles. Margaret Davis Fishponds