The Orpheus
And then there was the Orpheus. The Orpheus was the mods’ cellar coffee bar, under two shops in London Road. Sandra and I spent most of our lives down the Orpheus. Everything else was just school. The Orpheus now What…
Search Results for: orpheus
It’s Friday – it must be RSG!
The Story of Ready Steady Go went out on BBC4 on Friday 20 March 2020 (available to view until 20 April). What a joy it was. It had the same excitement, the same exuberance it always had. I was taken back…
Sixties Celebration
Bank Holiday Monday It’s 55 years since the historic meeting of mods and rockers on Clacton beach. Where were you on Bank Holiday Monday 1964? It was August 31st – I was in Chelmsford. ‘Have I the right?’ by the…
The Girls from Greenway
The Girls from Greenway, the next book about mods in Chelmsford has just gone to the typesetters and it will be out on 19 September 2019! The book features all those iconic aspects of Sixties life – scooters, the Orpheus,…
Hi-Heel Sneakers
I’m on the Robert Elms show on BBC Radio London today at 10.30 am (94.9FM) to talk about The Saturday Girls, mods, Motown and milkshakes. The big question is – when you’re going on the radio, does it matter what…
The Saturday Girls – countdown
In four weeks time The Saturday Girls will be on the shelves. I really enjoyed writing the book, much as I really enjoyed those days. How iconic they were, and still are. Everyone has a story to tell about the…
The Four Tops
Yesterday I was having lunch with Val Wilmer and the conversation turned to the Four Tops. Val had photographed them at a concert they were doing. We recalled their greatest hits, and the fabulous voice of lead singer, Levi Stubbs.…
Good Morning Little School Girl
This week it’s all been about The Essex Girls (formerly known as Beyond the Beehive). I’ve been editing the book for its new publishers, adding a couple of extra scenes, re-reading it all, reminding myself about Linda and Sandra’s exploits…
Writing
I’ve been working on The Girl in the Green Mac, the next 60s Chelmsford book. The year is 1966, the Orpheus has changed its name to the R&B and the new owners are putting a stop to the four-hour cup…
All or Nothing
I never was a great fan of the Small Faces – I think I thought they were too…. small. But also that they tried too hard to be mod or something. But 50 years on I can see things through…
The Sixties Made Me 