The "Flower Power" bubble had burst, the seams of the silk shirts were in tatters; the dance of life was to take a new twist.

 

I was now able to walk without crutches by wearing a calliper. My right Tibia bone had reluctantly fused together at last, but the leg muscles were too wasted to support me. Plenty of physio was needed to strengthen it, pain and perseverence was my watch-word now.

 

Roger Heywood had bought my old drum kit and was now enjoying the odd bash with "The Alan Keel Trio". He introduced me to the other members, Alan Sidwell & Dave Powis. Alan was a lorry driver whilst Dave had just started as an engineer ? at Bath T.V. Service at 78 Walcot St.  Well, he said he was one, but I had my doubts after a week or two in his company.

 

A Guy called Malcombe James rented this shop from Bath City Council and owned another TV shop in Timsbury. The Timsbury shop had unfortunately been set on fire by his wife Jean and needed to be rebuilt. (A chip pan on the gas cooker left unattended.) I was transported to this shop along with a washing machine in the back of a "Hillma Imp" van, I'd never been to the village before, much excitement at exploring the world then at aged 20!.

 

Under the stewardship of Gordon White in the Bath Shop I was to rekindle an old skill for a while, and together with Dave Powis we made the odd attempt to repair and sell TVs. Tom Tomazio from Birmingham came quite regularly with his transit full of Black & White ex-rental TV sets.  Our job was to convince people of Bath that they needed one of these for their entertainment.  Two channels now, BBC 1 on Ch.6 & ITV at last on Ch.8 Bathhampton.  A boom time for Rodney Baker at Bath TV Aerials (new business), another friend of Gordin White and Malcolm James.

 

"How often are you going to make £500 in a day in your Studio?"

 

I was becoming impressed with my Barrister; (I had spent my teenage years with things pressed against me). I considered his wisdom of playing the long game, I wanted to play the short game, take the money and run, this was our second long day at Bristol Crown Court.

 

The driver from Hells brief had put an offer of on the table, full settlement of his clients liability for the motorbike accident on 16th July 1965.

 

Go in the box or take the money, box, money, money box, (Never had this trouble with Michael Miles), decisions decisions.

 

"It`s a good offer, but you could risk less if we go into court", brief words from the Barrister. A small fortune for my 21st birthday then; first, (second & third) aid for the journey. ... But I couldn`t wait for another 9 months until I was 21 to get my hands on it!

 

"Do you think the Judge will let me have some now to get my recording business going?" said I expectantly. I had bought my crutches along (for the sympathy vote) and on them I waddles into the box, puts my request to the Judge for £700 up front.

 

A Greed, job done then, drinks all round when we get home. My Solicitor Basil Platt and the Bath Liberal Building Society shared interest in the balance of my justice for a while then until I was 21.

 

The floodgate opened, Duck Son & Pinker here we come.

 

"How many?" said Dave. "Just 4 Beyer M260 ribbon mikes for now, and some good solid stands. Oh, and 600ohm balanced extension cables, and some with step-up transformers. Got a couple Shure 555 uni-directionals as well?"

This conversation made Dave Southalls day, all those years of his encouragement paid off, sales at last! Mr Lewis at Lewhay Radio in Moorland Road demonstrated a Ferrograph 634 from Huntleys (of Old Bond Street) to me, a quality green product of the Weare & Wright Co. Stereo machine, twin VU meters, three seperate heads, separate record / play & erase channels for over dubbing, microphone. & line level  ins/outs. Headphone sockets and one monitor speaker.

 

Semipro kit then, sold. "Can I take it now?" A new Eagle Amp & Full Range Speakers sated the retail therapy lust for now. Off home them to make the 3000cu.inch bass ported cabinets for these little 8" beauties.

 

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. "Percy boys Club, they`ll meet you there" said Bob Pierce, a friend and fellow audiophile.

A Practice room, soundproof, with padded walls. (I felt at home here). Specially built into the basement of the club in New King Street,  Bath.

 

(Bob Pierce also aspired to set up a studio in Bath, so in a joint effort we toured the local "cheap" property that was available, none of which was deemed suitable for our needs. The rest was way beyond our pockets.)

 

I chatted with Chris Warnet, Mike Stewart, Nick Bigsby and Bob for a while about what songs to record for demo. The band were being managed by Doug Miles, their agent at the time was Vincent Rudman. Their first floor offices were in Thomas Street, Bristol. I remember going there with them, they were trying to negotiate a Recording contract with Philips in Eindhoven, Holland.

 

We also went to the "House of Sound" studio in Bristol one evening to make an acetate demo disk version of the songs they had made demo tapes for.

I couldn`t afford a disk cutting lathe at the time for my studio.

 

"Ginger Bread Man", "Faster than Light", "Pretty Patterns" and "Magic Carpet" were a few of the original songs penned by Bob and Mike, they were to be the chosen few. "Faster than Light" made it to the presses, so did "Pretty Patterns". The boys made it to Holland to record them, and to Germany to play "Gingerbread Man" live. It was recorded for Television broadcast in Germany by the boys in this year. (Watch it on the Internet.)

 

On reflection, I can`t remember being paid for this job.

 

Hopefully, not a sign of things to come.     

 

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