And FOUND!
LAST month, Peter Bolt asked: ‘Could you help me locate ronnie Aston from the Wirral? He was the drummer in a local rock ’n’ roll group called The Deesiders in the late Fifties and early Sixties (I was lead guitarist).
‘I’ve recently made contact with the bass guitarist, John Sanders, and the singer, Keith rowlands.
‘ The group s ometimes supported The Beatles at the Big Beat Nights at the Neston Institute on the Wirral. My photo of ronnie was taken at the Quaintways Jazz Club in Chester in 1960.
‘The four of us rode to gigs in an Isetta bubble car. One day ronnie accidentally let go of the bass drum he was hanging on to through the roof opening! After that we acquired two A35 vans and a roadie called Chris Wharton.
‘At gigs ronnie would often perform a f antastic Max Wall impersonation walk, to thunderous applause.
‘He was an apprentice fitter at the Bowater Paper mill in ellesmere Port, but in 1961 got a j ob as an assistant engineer on a tea plantation in India. I have a feeling he married a policewoman and they returned to the tea plantation together.
‘John and I have been looking for ronnie for years without success — he owes me a ten-shilling note!’
ronnie, who lives in Hereford, emailed us immediately: ‘I’ve been trying to contact The Deesiders for a while. Wow, what a surprise when my wife Gaynor noticed the article.
‘ Great picture — wish I looked as young now. I still have the drums I played back in 1960. Maybe we could we make a comeback!’