Its only Rock and Roll but I like it

Rock and Roll for beginners Part Two

I remember this particular event in my early life so well.

On a Saturday, I used to do an evening paper round from about ten year’s old.http://www.mediauk.com/newspapers/38907 This meant I couldn't’t go to my Nana’s house with my Mum and Dad for the afternoon.

Dad and Mum were away from the house, therefore, from about two-ish till nine, coming back in a black 100E Ford Prefect (coral pink seats) with my younger sister asleep in the back.

I lived in a country village away from any city bustle. We didn’t have a telly and .Saturday evenings were characterised, on winter’s evenings, by open fires, rubbing chilblains and listening to the radio mostly. Our old valve radio felt like a member of the family.

In particular, listening to Saturday Night Theatre on the Home Service was a secret pleasure. Plays were a wonderful way to see pictures in my head.

From productions of Sherlock Holmes to Quo Vadis, from the Archers to Dick Barton, the BBC had a wonderful drama department that sought to both entertain and educate ordinary people in those days.

In 1962/3 the Radio Pirates moored themselves off Frinton and, for any self-respecting youngster, listening to Radio Caroline and Radio London was hugely important to your culture despite being subject, to what I now know( because I was in the RAF and was an Electronic Engineer) as selective fading. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_selective_fading

Additionally, Luxembourg-later known as Fabulous 208- was also an option http://www.offringa.nl/radioluxembourg.htm and played the popular tunes of the day, during the evenings inter spaced with exciting advertisements for Oveltine and the Horace Bachelor “Infer-draw method” A patented system for winning the football pools. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Batchelor

Anyway, I’m sitting at home one Saturday evening, alone with the radio. Luxembourg is on and I’m eating bread, cheese and pickles that my mum has left me. It is late winter and there has been a lot of snow.

On the radio there is a new noise. The presenter, Barry Aldis says, this is a new pop group called The Beatles. They are from Liverpool and have been playing in Germany.The unusual sound is of John Lennon playing a mouth-organ on the song “Love me do”

The impact was instant. I remember so well thinking, “that’s new, that’s different, didn't know whether to like it or not……but more to the point…..it's exciting, fantastic and English.

So, a second chapter in how English Rock and Roll found it’s voice in a boy’s heart.

It’s certainly been there ever since. More soon

JVIP