Mod Wall
A Memory of High Wycombe.
In the early to mid 1960s High Wycombe Town Hall was a wonderland for the emerging music scene. On Tuesday nights for 7 shillings and 6 pence you could see improbable acts like The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Animals, Yardbirds Spencer Davis Group etc, etc. Even on one momentous occasion The Ike and Tina Turner Soul Review.
Does anyone have any memory of any of we young oiks who would gather beforehand at "the Mod wall" surrounding the library, on the corner of the high st and (was it) Amersham Hill Road?
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If there was not much going on Saturday Nights it was then to Burtons night club in
Uxbridge to watch Amboy Dukes great nights in High Wycombe area
Friday night was the Blues Loft at the Nags Head down the London Road
Steve Shearsby and I were good friends,and I recall when he announced to me that at short notice that the Ike and Tina Turner Rythym and Blues Review were appearing one weeknight (a Wednesday?) on account their appearance at the loca U.S. air base at Daws Hill could not be accomodated due to space or whatever,so they fixed it with the council to use the Town Hall,on condition the public went in as well. Steve and I surely did go. To be six feet away from that powerhouse Tina Turner and her Ikettes...... and Ike Turner I recall was wearing a pale blue mohair suit,and when he turned and swung around at one point the top of his jacket opened to reveal he was carrying a Saturday night special (American term for a small gun,usually favoured by bandleaders to ensure payment at the end of the night;little did he know or care it seemed that in England that wasn't the thing!)
Conceivably the finest nights' entertainment I have ever attended.
The wall,well..... the meeting place for all things mod in High Wycombe,located at the library corner and the High Street,at the traffic lights.Scooters would park rear wheel in angled away from thr kerb along the High Street side.Some very sharp and extremely cool characters inhabited this launching off point to all places mod and afar ---- The Flamingo Club in Londons' Wardour Street. Thr Ricky Tik Club at Windsor,The Marquee Club, anywhere it was the place to be.
A mention that across the street and a hundred yards along London Road on the left was a small shopfront,a bakers it seemed,which it was,but it carried the sign: The EL PALMA,with of course a small illustration of a palm tree. Enter,go past the cakes and loaves and you would be greeted by Angie,who worked in the cafe which was longish and narrowish and darkish (no windows if any,only a skylight in the back above the jukebox,on a slightly elevated section with a few seats).
Hundres of local mods met here,and visitors from other towns,anyone remember the mods from Hemel Hempstead? Or Dusty from Slough? That jukebox held many mod classics.We asked if they could be obtained,and by and large it happened.
Mods were not great ones for drinking,but we sometimes went to the other end of the High Street and nipped into the Antelope public house.
I recall Petes' Club,good on a Sunday night often.
I recall the mohair suits,the shoes from Ravel,razor cut hairstyles courtesy of Brian Day the hairdresser,and the amazing mod girls with the cropped sassonish hair the white slacks and those incredible "granny shoes".
I have two pictures to date of these times........
Best years,best years ever.
Russ.