CHAPTER 13   THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT   JUNE 1967 to JULY 1969     Bang! Bang! Bang! It sounded like somebody was trying to break down the front door of 8 Prospect Place, at 1am in the morning. Ray opened up the door to find out what all the banging was about, to be confronted by his irate neighbour. Complaining about the noise the guitars were making, as he had done many times during the past couple of months. In a very unpleasant manner, he told Ray to give it a break, as he needed his sleep, having to be at work by 5am that morning. To make matters worse for Ray, he worked along side of the guy at the Richard Garrett’s Engineering factory. Two young people thrashing away on guitars, while oblivious at times to their surrounding, can sound a little deafening at times, especially to the untrained ear of an unappreciative irate neighbour. Now and again might possibly be acceptable, but not three to four nights a week. Playing through to the early hours of the morning would try the parents of many a poor soul. Ray’s big problem in teaching Dave to play the guitar was that in order to learn one must constantly keep playing the same piece over repeatedly. That coupled with the volume that seemed to have to accompany their style of music. Would be enough to turn the most placid of neighbours into axe waving maniacs and judging by the neighbour’s actions, this seemed to be the category that he slotted into. It was all Ray could do to calm him down and send him on his merry way promising to turn it down. Knowing Ray like I did, I would take a guess that while he was trying to make promises to the neighbour, he would have had his fingers crossed behind his back. In his teaching of the guitar to Dave, Ray had started at the beginning by going over the rudiments of music, which meant the complete basics. However, slowly they moved onto the hard-core of Rock n Roll. The twelve bar blues, everybody has to learn the twelve bar blues. This was all new for Dave and it took a lot of practice, playing it repeatedly. Sometimes Ray would accompany him on his guitar, while other times he would use his Farfisa keyboard. Slowly it all started to take shape as David picked it up. One of the first tunes that they practised together was “Yellow Bird”, with Dave playing the rhythm and Ray picking out the melody line on his guitar. Ben and I were always watching on and giving them all the encouragement in the world. By telling them that it sounded just great and of course it did. To any person who hears them selves making music for the very first time, it is always awe inspiring, the word bad or awful does not seem to enter in their vocabulary. A couple of months later and I had managed to scrape the money together, to purchase a Bass guitar. By working overtime on Saturday mornings at Richard Garrett’s and by saving as much spare cash as would allow. I found it very hard, because at the same time I was still trying to bring up a young family. However, we always seem to find a way, especially if it is something we urgently need. One Saturday morning after taking directions from Dave, Ben and Ray, I drove to Lowestoft to find the music shop that had been described to me. Halfway up the main High Street and around to the left and there it was, Morlings Music shop. I did not have a clue of what I was going to buy, in fact I had never even seen a Bass guitar close up, let alone handled one. Most people who enter a music shop are never going to admit to the shop assistants that they know absolutely nothing about what they are about to purchase. Therefore, I spent a little time looking at all the different guitars all hanging up in neat rows. There were dozens of them and they all looked so different, indicating to me that they all sounded very different. Finally, I had to admit defeat and called over the shop assistant for some advice and to maybe point me in the right direction. The assistant started pointing to a few of them while calling out their names, Fender, Gibson, Hofner, Echo and Burns to name but a few. By now I was even more confused and when the assistant went into the terminology of the sounds that they made and all about their pick-ups. I found myself nodding my head in agreement with the assistant. I was allowed to take a few down from the racks just to handle them and was surprised by the weight of some of them. When he came to the Echo, I could not believe how light it felt. The assistant went on to explain that it was a semi-acoustic, unfortunately that meant nothing to me. However, I did like the feel of its curved body and especially the weight. Once around my neck it was well balanced. By that I mean that when I took my hand away from the neck it stayed in place, some guitars are neck heavy and will drop down wards, so that while you are paying you are constantly holding the neck up. At this stage even the name Echo sounded good to me. In addition, the cost was very impressive at £36, it being only about a quarter of the cost of the other funny looking Fenders and Gibson’s. Unfortunately, I had only brought £40 with me, so most of the other guitars were out of my buying range anyway. Nobody likes to part with big money when they are purchasing items and I was no exception. Now it was just a case of making up my mind as to whether the item was worth the money. Was it a good deal and more to the point was I being ripped off. I was satisfied that I had screwed the shop assistant down to their bottom price for that item. Although it did not really matter, because the shop is always going to come out on top, they have to, other wise they would go out of business. I had managed to knock the assistant down to £35 and thought I had made a killing. After an hour of trying the assistant’s patience, I told him that I needed time to think about it and that I would come back later. Therefore, I went for a stroll and had a cup of tea to think the deal over. However, there was no need really, because deep down inside I liked the look of Echo and anyway on the financial side, it was all that I could afford. Twenty minutes later, I went back in the shop, to be served by the same assistant that I had spoken to earlier. In his haste to make the sale, he threw in a carrying bag for the guitar and all for the ridiculous price of £35. At least I thought it was a ridiculous price and I felt good that I had finally screwed him down. How was the shop going to make a profit on a deal as low as this, I thought. It clinched the deal as far as I was concerned and so I took delivery of my very first Bass guitar and walked out of the shop with the broad smile on my face. It felt great believing that I had beaten the system and pulled off the deal of the century, not only that I was now a fully-fledged Bass guitarist. It being a Saturday I knew Ray would be at home. I drove at break neck speed straight to 8 Prospect Place in Leiston, to show Ray my latest acquisition. It did not take long before the neighbour was receiving a full sample of what it was capable of and to what was to come over the next few months. The Bass guitar seems to have the ability with its very low frequency notes to penetrate most walls. Wooden walls were even better usually amplifying the note louder as it passed through. Unfortunately, the walls of 8 Prospect Place were in fact made of very thin timber, so the neighbour was going to be in for a rough time during the next few months. However, there was one little ray of hope for the neighbour, because for the moment I did not have a Bass Amplifier. For the time being I had to plug my guitar into Rays lead guitar Amp, a Vox AC-30 the same type that the Beatles used. This meant that I would have a severe reduction in the bass sound and volume that the guitar could pump out. Because I did not want to blow up Ray’s two very small twelve-inch speakers in his amplifier, as we would have to share them for now.             Quite by chance, the Wild Oates had decided to call it a day and disband after a few internal problems. This meant that there was a possibility that some of their musical gear would be up for sale. Ben started to harass Styx Scarlett about his drums and to what he would be doing with them. At first Styx was intending to keep them, but with more and more pressure from Ben, he started to contemplate that maybe he should sell them. Depending on the price there was a slight chance that he might sell his beloved Ludwig kit. He had cherished the double-chromed demonstration kit for many years. It being the top of the range as far as drums went at that time. If you owned a Ludwig kit for some reason, you were one of the best drummers around, I don’t think playing them came into the equation. Ben’s persistence of constantly harassing Styx at work finally paid off. Styx got a little worried that his supervisor at work was watching the comings and goings of Ben every hour or so. Although, it was more the case that if he did not sell the drums he would more than likely lose his job and he could not afford that at any cost. Eventually Ben did a deal that included Styx teaching him how to play. Finally and just like myself, Ben had a big smile on his face as he considered himself a drummer. That first night Ben took his drum kit around to 8 Prospect Place was the night that Rays neighbour almost had a fit. His banging on the front door did not seem to make any difference. The drumming just got louder and louder and it did not even sound, like it was some sort of beat, it was a bit of anything and all over the place. It was so loud that he did not think that his banging on the front door would even be heard. That night as he tried to sleep, in his mind he started to think of the possibility that maybe he should gather up his family and emigrate, even in Africa the drums at least keep in some sort of beat and are not amplified. Styx would come around to Rays at least once a week to help Ben. At first, he only showed him a basic 4/4 time and how to hold a constant time. The fancy stuff would have to come later, when and if he could control the basics. However, Ben seemed to be able to pick things up quite quickly and started to take to the drums like a duck to water. Anyway if all failed he could at least twirl his sticks around his fingers. Just like, we practised everyday while up on the roof tops of Richard Garrett’s engineering works. I approached Styx to see if I could purchase the Bass Amp and Speakers from the “Wild Oats” and received the surprised of my life. As he told me that, I could purchase the lot for £204. Feeling over the moon I told him that I would have it, but that I would just have to work out a way of raising the money and so could they hold on to them for me. Therefore, I had to work as much overtime as was possible and still keep my practice up with the boys. While also trying to put in an appearance with my family now and again, who were by now seeing less and less of me. It was now becoming apparent just how musically gifted Ray was, as he was showing me how to play the Bass guitar. At first it was just the simple single finger stuff and of course he had to teach me the famous twelve bar blues. This being fundamental in the music of the fifties and sixties, so I had to learn it, one way or another. Looking back it was one of the best things that Ray ever taught me. Wherever I have been around the world, it has meant that I could always join in and jam with the musicians. Poor Ray, as well as teaching Dave and I and the learning of new songs for himself. Now he was also assisting Ben with some of his beats, or lack of them, but mostly with his timings. When drummers first start to learn, they have a bad habit of speeding up and then slowing down and Ben was no different than any other drummer that had come before him. The practising was getting better now, all four of us were managing to get a reasonable sound to the “Yellow Bird” tune that Dave and Ray had started practising together. With my attempts at a walking bass riff, while getting the notes all wrong and Dave’s irregular rhythm strokes that were all over the place. Add to this Bens timing that was usually up and down, along with his fumbled attempts at a run around the kit. The neighbour must have been packing his bags or at least booking himself into the local mental institution. If he were not mad by now, he sure as hell would be by the end of the month. Because that was when I would be taking delivery of the Wild Oates VOX AC-100 Foundation Bass amplifier and two eighteen inch matching speakers in separate cabinets. Most evenings as we pulled up out side of Ray’s house to unload our gear for the evening’s bash. The neighbours would all be looking from behind their lace curtains and thinking, here we go again, another night of the old Chinese water torture. It was even noticed that one set of curtains that moved was six houses up from Rays house, surely we thought it couldn’t be heard that far up the street. Ben remarked that he bet the Rolling Stones never had all that trouble with their neighbours, when they were practising. When in fact they did and they were even threatened with eviction. If we had known that, maybe we would have played a little quieter. Came the big night that Ray announced to us that he was going to introduce a second song into our repertoire, “Midnight Hour” by Wilson Picket. He’d been working on it for a week and reckoned that we were ready for it and we were, as we had just about flogged “Yellow Bird” to death. “Midnight Hour” opened up a complete new music sound to us and we took to it very easy. It all seemed to drop into place quicker and easier than “Yellow Bird”. In fact right from the start it sounded just like the song we were attempting to copy. Maybe this would quieten the neighbour down, after all here was a song that was in the hit parade so he could sing along to it. Unfortunately, we did not know that he was tone death and had an utter hatred of all forms of music. “Midnight Hour” the instrumental version, was receiving a lot of exposure at 8 Prospect Place, but sadly it was lacking a singer. Ray would do his best and sing where ever he could, but trying to correct our mistakes at the same time, was very hard. Trying to sing at the same time was just that little bit beyond even Ray’s musical skills. A couple of months had now passed since all four of us had been practising together. Word went out that we were looking for a singer, but this was going to be a hard position to fill. Leiston being such a small village, where everybody knew everybody, there were just no known singers around. Therefore, it was more than likely that we would have to settle on a complete novice just like ourselves. Although after practising for two months, some of us felt like we were old hands in the business. At one time we were almost thrown a life line when it was suggested that there was a slight possibility that maybe we could poach one of the two singers from the “Wild Oates” out of retirement. However, became highly unlikely, because for them it would be like taking a step backwards. To play with beginners is just like starting all over once again. Life at Ray’s house was coming to a head because of the noise we were creating. The irate neighbour had been in touch with Ray’s parents who owned the house, complaining about the noise. However, they lived in London so they did not understand his urgency. To them the house was just a holiday home, a place to stay during the odd weekends break. Both Ray and David his brother liked Leiston and both had jobs in the town, their parents had allowed them to live in the house as long as they looked after it. Therefore, the hunt was suddenly on to find a new practice venue as well as a Singer. Unfortunately, things were not going our way, there always seemed to be another problem around the corner to deal with. I was experiencing big problems at home, because I was constantly practising with the boys. Sometimes I was out as many as five nights a week. I was the only married guy in the group, so it was hard for me to keep up with the life style of the other single members. When we were not practising and especially on a Saturday night, we would go out to see other bands in the area, at the Framlingham Assembly Hall or the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall. I always wanted to be part of this, not wanting to miss out on anything. I had set my heart on becoming a musician and I felt that whatever it took, I would have to do it. Besides I now thought that whatever the little something that the group had, it was going to help us make it someday. However, my family life was suffering badly and as with any thing in this life, whenever it is happening to you, you are the last person in the world to realise what is going on around you. Ben and Dave were unattached at the moment, while Ray had a steady girl friend named Sarah. With all this practising Sara’s world had also been turned up side down. In the past a night out for her and Ray meant that they would spend it at his home in front of the TV, or listening to his records. Unfortunately, because he lived with his brother, during those nights David would have to go out for the night, so that they had the place to them selves. Suddenly Sara’s whole world had taken a drastic change, suddenly there were three other males in her life, but not only that they had taken over. We were spending more time with Ray than she was. In fact most nights they practised Sarah would go home before we left, so there was no time for them to be on their own. Because of this, Ray was experiencing problems with his home life, just like I was with my marriage. Poor Sarah must have thought that she was having an affair with four guys all at the same time. As Ben, Ray and I all worked at the Richard Garrett factory an approach was made to see if we could use part of the social club hall as a practice venue and were very surprised to get the okay. Unfortunately, we would have to pay a fee and we would only be allowed to use it two nights a week and only on condition that we kept the noise level down.  Ray’s irate neighbour was going to be one very pleased little cookie when he heard this news. Now he would be able put away the rope noose that he had thought about testing. Now if only he could disconnect the power to No 8, so he could stop Ray from having his nightly solo practices. Then once again he would be able to rejoin the human race as a sane individual and begin life as a normal person. Maybe there is such a thing as a normal life, especially after living next door to a pop group. If he was lucky and the band made it to the top, may be neighbours from hell might just go out and purchase a mansion on a desert island. The social club was based in a long timber building, with a pub at one end and a couple of other rooms leading off from the bar. For the practice, the band was told to go to the furthest end of the hut, away from the pub, so that the noise would not disturb the drinkers. The hut being made of timber was not the best of materials to muffle the sounds that could be expected from the practice. Unfortunately, the landlord was not aware of this until the first night that the band practiced. During one practice night a local guy turned up for an audition by the name of Bob Jarvis, one of the boys had got hold of him and talked him into coming for the trial. He was reluctant and very nervous, so nervous in fact that he would not come out of the toilet and face the band to sing a song. After a long period of time, with band members constantly trying to coax him out. It was decided to leave him inside and to pass him a microphone under the door. In this way, he could sing from inside the toilet and not have to face us. I made the remark that this was going to create a few problems. How on earth would we be able to cart a toilet around all the future venues and set it up on stage. Anyway, the band did its best and played in the practice room, while Bob was warbling down the mike from inside of the toilet. The end result was not very good and I remarked that I was sure that at one point I heard Bob grunt. Ben added that he thought he heard the rustling of paper in the back round. “He’s only reading his words,” I told Ben. More like wiping his arse on them,” Ben replied. Bob Jarvis had claimed upon his arrival at the club, that he was not sure if he wanted to join the band. However, the sounds he made during his audition left a ringing in our ears that lasted nearly three days, so without hesitation we let Bob go. “Maybe another time” someone told him as he left, maybe when you have got over your nerves, you did look a little flushed. This episode led to all manners of toilet jokes amongst the band for the next few weeks. The best being when Ben told us that it was a good job we did not play “God save the Queen” other wise he would have had to stand up.  Then came the best news we had heard for a long time, somebody had located a would-be singer, the news got better when we were informed that he worked for Richard Garrett’s. This was becoming a family affair, now there would possibly be four of us. I just hoped that things would work out a little more easily at the audition, than it had for the last guy we tried out. Ben was wondering what strange quirk this guy would have, Dave added that he would probably be wearing a toilet seat over his head. That was a good joke from Dave who never said much, but when he did it was always a classic. Ron Knights worked in the light machine shop and was an apprentice working on a lathe. He had no experience of singing in a band, but was always singing at work. It was because of this, that the word had finally reached Ray and so it was arranged with the band for Ron to have a trial. This was all to take place at the new practice venue at the Richard Garrett social club, just off Haylings Road. Ben, Dave, Ray and I arrived at the club early in the evening to set up our gear and to get ready to try out the new guy. I had just taken delivery of the bass amp from Styx, so was eager to give it a good work out and crank it right up. Just to make sure that it was worth the money I had just parted with. Dave and I had never met Ron so we had no idea what to expect. 7pm came and went, the time that had been pre-arranged for the audition. 7-30pm and still he had not arrived. A few grumbles where starting to be heard from the boys. Ray decided to go down to the bar to get a drink with Ben, may be he did not know where they were set up. On their return, with smiles on their faces, they explained that he had arrived but was in need of a drink to calm his nerves. I asked them how long had he been in the bar, to which Ben told me about an hour. An hour, I couldn’t believe it, Ben went on to tell us that he needed a few whisky’s before he could pluck up the courage to sing in front of people. I could not resist making a remark that it was going to cost us a fortune in whisky when we are on the road, just to get him to sing. “Where did you find this guy, at the brewery”, I asked. Ron finally staggered into the room along with a couple of his mates for moral support, one of them was Nigel Miller another apprentice from the light machine shop. Ron looked at the song list that we had been practising through his blurry eyes. Then after a discussion with Ray, a song was finally chosen. To my delight, it was to be our favourite song at that time, “Midnight Hour”. This was a good choice for the band, as it was the best song that we played, so musically it would sound okay, mind you it was one of the only songs we knew right through. After a few false starts, Ron got into it and together we went through the song a number of times. It did not sound too bad, however after an hour, everybody was starting to feel a little relaxed and it got even better. The night lasted until 10-30pm, when the manager Colin came down to tell us that he was shutting up shop for the night, he also mentioned that he thought we had been a little too loud. Mentioning that the next time we practiced, he hoped that we could turn it down just a little. We had run through about seven songs and we were all very pleased with the way the audition had gone. It looked like Ron had got the job, well at least he didn’t seem to have any competition, being the only guy in Leiston who was game enough to sing with us. Although I was worried about Ron's drinking habit, but decided not to make a big issue of it at this point in time. I thought I would see what the next practice brought, on the other hand maybe it would be cheaper if we bought the whisky in bulk from the local co-op. Ray had obtained a new LP record by “Gino Washington and the Ram Jam Band”, it being a live recording made in one of the London Clubs. The music excited Ray so much that he wanted to do covers of most of the songs, as did the other members of the band once we had heard it a couple of times. What we liked was the constant drive that the music seemed to be pumping out, and it was nearly all in medley form with the audience joining in with lots of clapping and yelling. This we liked as it meant that we could keep the music pumping for at least fifteen minutes without a break. Therefore, we wasted no time in adding some of these songs to our repertoire. Songs like, “You Don’t Know Like I know”, “I Can’t Turn Me Loose”, “Que-Sera-Sera”, “Think”, “All I Need” and “Michael”. These songs required Ray playing on the keyboards and all seemed to suit Ron's voice. By a quirk of fate we also found out that Gino Washington had been an American Serviceman and had been based at the nearby RAF Bentwaters Airbase. Making a name for himself singing around the clubs in the Ipswich area. Realising the potential that he had in the entertainment world, on his return to the states he had bought himself out of the service and returned to England to take up a career as a singer. The group was now practising twice a week at the social club, but we were taking a lot of criticism because of the volume the band was playing at. Unappreciative bystanders do not seem to realise that some music has to be played at a certain volume, just to obtain the sound required, or at least that is what we told the manager of the club. However, it did not look like Colin was buying in to this argument, as he insisted that we keep it turned down. He claimed that his regular drinkers were complaining that they could not talk to each other in peace and they were about a hundred metres down the other end of the club. It was not looking good for us, as we all felt that our presence at the club was not going to be a long-term engagement. Maybe the time was right to start looking once again for a new practice venue. However, for the meantime it was practice as usual at the sports club. Ron settled in very quickly with the group. After only just a few practices, he slowly gained a little confidence in himself and felt at ease with band. The boys gradually helped to wean him off his whiskey confidence booster. Much to the delight of myself, I was pleased that we would be able to keep our money in our pockets. Ron put the whiskey drinking behind him and surprised everybody how quickly he could learn the words to a new song and produce good results immediately. Some nights he and his friend Nigel Miller would go into another room, with an old record player that the group took to all practices. Together they would get the words to a new song in about ten minutes and then come straight back to the practice room with the band and sing the song without too many mistakes. For a guy who had never sung with a band before, this was a quite remarkable feat. If he were good now, what would he be like after some good practice sessions. With the ease that Ron had settled in and the ability that the other members had of learning a new song. The practice sessions were moving along fine. However, it was also noticed that the major praise was to be heaped on to Ray, for the progress of the band so far. By this time, all the members had realised that Ray was a major influence on the band and appreciated it. He had the ability to find the right songs and very rarely did a song have to be thrown out, because it was in the too hard basket. He was a very talented musician and it seemed that he was destined to go far in the music industry. It was also hoped that he would not succumb to a better offer and move on to another band. With his talent, he would have been able to play for any top band of that era. It was Ray that had brought us this far. It was his skill in choosing the right material that he knew we were capable of learning quickly and they were also songs that we all liked and wanted to play. It did not take long for us all to realise that maybe, just maybe we had what it takes to go further and to be serious about the band. Suddenly we were thinking that maybe we had that little something that it takes to get a band on the road. The style of music that we had been practising so far was, Black Soul Music from America that was sweeping the country at the time and dominating the British Hit Parade Charts. It was because of this style of music, that Ray had concentrated his playing mostly on his Farfisa Organ. “Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett had been one of the first songs that we had learnt. Moving on, we had learnt almost all the tracks from the live Gino Washington album. An album we all liked to listen to regularly and hoped we could emulate the same crowd response that Gino achieved on record. Later we had moved on to Eddie Floyd and his, “Knock On Wood”, Sam and Dave’s, “Hold On” and “Soul Man”. Even having a go at Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”, to which Ron had done a great job. It was with great excitement that the boy’s greeted the news from Ron that he had been successful in his quest to find another practice hall for the band. Ron lived with his parents up by the Leiston High School. Within the grounds of the school was a hut that housed the Leiston Youth Club. Ron’s Father was one of the local Councillors and had given him the idea, to approach Ken the Manager of the club. Which he had, while not expecting too much, he had been very pleasantly surprised when Ken told him that there were no problems, that we could use the club and at no costs. That seemed the best part of the offer. Ken had thought that it was a good idea, maybe the word would spread and attract more young people to the club. I lived on the same road as the club and had no idea that it even existed. So that very same night the whole band went up to the club and was introduced to Ken. We explained what we were looking for and what we intended to do in the way of practice. Ken gave us a guided tour ending up in a very large room at the back, just for us. The group could not believe its luck, here was the absolute perfect place for a band to thrash out a good practice session. We would be on our own and undisturbed. It was perfect having curtains in front of the windows and a thick pile carpet on the floor. The nearest houses looked miles away, so it did not seem like we would interfere with anybody. Coupled to this, all the young people at the club would love every note we played, or at least that’s what we hoped. We agreed with Ken that we would practice on a Monday and Wednesday nights, 7-00pm to 10-30pm. We were even allowed to back our vehicles right up to the main front door to unload the gear. It just kept getting better and better for us. Ben made the remark, that at this rate it was a good bet that each night they arrived Ken would be there with the kettle on, so we could have a cup of tea before the hard nights slog. All this and all Ken wanted in return was a couple of free shows when and if the band did make it on to the road. This was an offer we could not turn down. What of Ray’s irate neighbour, well he had calmed down by now, this practice venue was at least a mile away from his home. Now if only he could convince Ray to practice with an acoustic guitar at home, or better still, maybe he could mime to the record player, somehow he might be able to manage a complete night’s sleep. I suggested that after all this time without the sound of guitars twanging away and coming through the walls of his house. It would be more than he could bare and that with the quietness of the night, he would properly not be able to get to sleep anyway. We did not take long to settle into our new practice venue. Gradually the young members of the club got used to us and the novelty wore off, leaving them to get on with what ever it was that young people do in a Youth club. This was not good for the group, because the constant stream of young people in to the practice room was holding us back. At any one time there was always at least a dozen onlookers watching every move that we made and listening to every note that was being played. With this amount of eyes on you the worse thing you could do was to make a mistake. So not wanting to look silly in front of these people, the group would only practice the well-rehearsed songs that we knew off by heart, so that there would be very few mistakes made. So most of the time during those early practice sessions, the only music that could be heard coming out of the new practice room was the sounds of the by now well rehearsed old faithful “Yellow Bird”, and the Wilson Pickett hit, In “The Midnight Hour”. The record had gone to No12 in the British top twenty charts on 23.09.65 and stayed in the charts for eleven weeks, it then re-entering again in September 68 for a further six weeks. I was set up with my back to the door, preferring it this way. Being very nervous, I did not want to stair at all the onlookers as they came into the room. Ben was set up with his drums on my left-hand side just in front of a window. On my right was Ray with his keyboard, amp and guitar, with his back to a solid wall behind which was the garage come-storeroom. Dave was in front of me but to the left with his amp and guitar and Ron was in front, but to the right with his microphone. This was a good way to set up as all the boys were looking at each other so it was easy to talk to one another and to hear what we were playing. Two regular faces that spent many hours with the group during those early months was Nigel Miller, who was always willing to help the boys carry all their gear in and set it up. Shaggy was the source of all our new record material, which we were in constant drawing on, in our never ending quest for new songs. In fact it was this constant requesting of records that led to Shaggy realising that he had one of the biggest and best record collections in the area. He would always be playing the group new songs that he had found. This was to lead to him considering that maybe he should start a discotheque, something unheard of in those days. Maybe he could play a few records with the group during its breaks, if they ever made it on to the road. One young girl was always in the room watching and talking to me whenever she got the chance, this was a little embarrassing, as I knew that she was still a schoolgirl and at that time I was twenty-five, but it was all innocent fun. I believed her name was Sonia. One day she turned up and gave me a very small rag doll that she had made. I hung it on the tuning pegs of my bass guitar and did so for the next couple of years. Forty years later and I still have that little rag doll, it is a little tatty and battle scared, but at least I still have it and all the memories that go with along with it. For many years it became my lucky charm. Styx Scarlett came along to help Ben when ever he could, who was surprising everybody with the speed at which he was learning. Styx was mainly showing him fills that he could drop into the songs during the odd occasion. At one time he was so impressed with the group’s progress that he started to wish that maybe he should have kept playing and not sold his drum kit to Ben. Dave was also improving dramatically with all the help that Ray was giving him. Unfortunately, he became the brunt of many jokes concerning his speeds. On some songs, the group would give each other a nod and quicken up on purpose catching Dave out. We would get quicker and quicker leaving poor old Dave thrashing away at his rhythm struggling to keep up, but it was all in good clean fun. In fact we did this so much that in the end it actually helped Dave to play faster on some of the later songs that they under took. Ron’s singing was also getting stronger and stronger, he had fitted in well with no problems and was now an old hand in the band. The singer is always the front man, so it would be down to him to talk to the audience, something he was not looking forward to. In fact he did not have a clue how he was going to under take this task. One of the most amazing things with this group of people was that we all got on very well with each other, there was no friction no bickering, as we were one big happy family. After only two months at the youth club, Ken the manager was approach to see if the group could practice on a weekend. To our amazement, it just kept getting better and better. It was unbelievable as Ken agreed that we could use the club on Saturdays and Sundays. He even gave us a set of keys so that they could come and go as we pleased. Now we were practising four days a week, this music thing was really taking over and nothing else seemed to matter. During the day while we were at work Ben and I would tour around the factory in a sort of pattern, talking to Ray then moving on to Styx and finally on to Ron. It was always music talk and the department supervisors were constantly telling us off, while the people we spoke to would also get a blast. However, it did not stop us, we could not help ourselves, it was an infectious bug being in the music industry and nothing got in its way. What with trying to see bands that came into the area and my daytime work I was never at home, so the strain on my marriage was almost at breaking point. I was never at home to see my family, my children were still in bed when he left for work and they were in bed when I rushed home to wash and change, only to rush straight out to the band practices. Life between Margaret and me was becoming unbearable, especially with our constant augments over the situation. We were living like two strangers living under the same roof. Unfortunately, I could not read the signs, I was blind to all these things in my pursuit to become a successful bass player in a Rock n Roll band. Ray came up with the suggestion that the group should purchase the public address system that the “Wild Oates” owned, as it was still up for sale. It was agreed and Ray should try and talk Styx into a free trial, as we wanted to try it out before we purchased it. It was a Selmer Treble and Bass 100watt amp, pumping two Vox column speakers, each containing four eight inch speakers. That had chrome frames so they could be angled back rather than sit up straight on the front of the stage. Also in the deal was an old brown leather suite case that contained a selection of wires and five beautiful Shure microphones. We had struck gold once again all for the knock down price of £120. It did not take the group long to make up our minds and to have a whip around, we all paid a one fifth share of the money. Now that we had the gear, now all we needed to succeed was the talent to make good music. The weekends were the best times to get down to the serious practising, as we were on our own, so there was no need to show off in front of people. During the week day evenings, there would always be a steady stream of young girls popping into the room or just sticking their heads around the door to see what or who was making the noise. Saturdays and Sundays were long practice sessions that went on from 9.30am to at least 4 or 5pm, with just a short break around midday. We would usually go to the Valdor café that was situated opposite the Richard Garrett’s main factory entrance by the Leiston railway station, for a bite to eat and a drink. Very often, we would meet up with somebody we knew, who would craze us to come back to the practice so they could have a listen, it was always hard to say no. Ray by this time had introduced the group to the sounds of Jimi Hendrix and we were busy learning some of his easier material. Songs like, “Hey Joe”, which got to No 6 in the British pop charts on 05.01.67 and “Purple Haze”, which went to No3 on 23.03.67 it then hung around the charts for the next fourteen weeks. For these songs, Ray was using his guitar. Therefore, the band had taken on a completely new sound. First we emulated the America Black Soul music when Ray was on keyboards and now we were in to the very heavy Rock n Roll with a three-guitar line up. Most bands sound pretty much the same going through their repertoire. However, with us, it looked like we would have two distinct different sounds. If we were to use this situation to our advantage, it would give us an edge over many other bands. Ray had also been spending a lot of time with me, showing me some new and very hard bass riffs. In trying to play a Hendrix song, it was realised that Hendrix's bass player was in fact a lead guitarist. Therefore, his bass runs were very involved and not easy to copy by a well-seasoned bass player, let alone a beginner like me. I had been used to playing American soul, with its constant repetitive riffs and I liked the style very much. However, this was more of an erratic style that was constantly changing, it still rocked along but it was going all over the place and it took me a long time to master it. Something I would never have achieved without Rays help. One Sunday morning while we where practising somebody tripped over a live wire lying on the floor, pulling it out of the back of the PA amp plug. The music slowly died with everybody looking at one another wondering what had gone wrong. I knew what had happened and could see the bare live wire lying on the floor. I bent down to pick it up thinking that maybe somebody else might not know that it was live. I also knew that Ray had a bad habit of baring wires with his teeth whenever he put new plugs on to wires. In a way I was trying to protect Ray more than anybody else from getting a shock. I grabbed the wire a couple of inches back from the exposed wires tips, as I looked around for the switch to turn the power off. Unfortunately, in doing so the wire became tight and pulled back in to my hand, I now had hold of all three bare wires, Live Neutral and the Earth. I suddenly started jumping around making all sorts of strange noises and waving my right hand in the air. Ben thought I was being the comic once again and was impersonating the comedian, Jack Douglas. Who used to do this sort of thing, with an irritating twitch in his right arm and a catch phrase of “Ah, Ah, Har”. At the same time lifting his right arm and hitting his chest with his fist. My antics went on for what seemed like hours to me, but in real time it was actually only just a few seconds. Ray being electrically minded realised what was happening and grabbed the other end of the wire and yanked it out of my hand. By now everybody in the room could smell burning flesh and as I had slumped into a heap on the floor, they tried to work out what had happened to me. My right hand had a hole in the palm about an inch across and looked like it was about an inch deep. The flesh had been burnt and was raised around the hole, looking like a volcano. Ron tried to perk me up with a cup of tea and they all sat around laughing about the antics that they had just witnessed. I was the only one that could not see the funny side of the incident. This must have been the first time in my life that I had made people laugh with out really trying. All this and I had not even cracked a joke, maybe I should try this more often. Ray replaced the plug using his teeth to bear the wires as usual and we attempted to carry on with the practice session. However, it was too painful for me and after a few false starts, Ben offered to take me to the Aldeburgh Hospital. Practice was suspended for an hour while Ben sped off at break neck speed with me to get the burn dressed by a lovely nurse at the hospital. Within the hour we were back and it was practice as usual, but with me taking it a little easy, as I had felt a little dizzy for a couple of hours. A footnote to this story is that Ray did repair the offending wire, just like I thought he would. While later, he replaced it for a new wire, using the old one that had burnt me at home, on another electrical apparatus. 31 years later and Ray still has this piece of wire that coursed the problem (or at least that’s what he told me). I had also been having a lot of trouble with my guitar strap that was too narrow and cutting into my shoulder. Nigel surprised me one day and gave me a broader well-padded strap, he’d had at home for a long time and was about to throw it out. Therefore, it went to a good home I used it for many years and still have it amongst my treasured musical memorabilia. Some nights after we finished practice a couple of the boys would go down to Walter’s International Club for a coke and to unwind from the nights tensions. Just to talk to somebody about anything other than music was a nice way to relax. The club usually had a few people there. One particular occasion I was just sitting back taking it easy when a girl came running out of the toilets screaming, “There's a bomb in there”. Everybody started rushing around, with half of them not knowing what to do or where to go. This was the last thing that I needed, I had only come in for a quiet glass of coke and to unwind. The last thing I wanted was to end up flying through the air like an angel. Finally, order was restored after Walter’s wife called the police, who in turn called out the bomb squad. Most of the young people stayed around just to see what it was and what all the screaming was about. This was a bad move as it took hours for the bomb squad to arrive from RAF Bentwaters to defuse the suspect package. The girl said that it was on a shelf in front of the mirror in the ladies toilet. It looked like two rolls of something, she thought that it was dynamite with curly wires coming out of the ends. It also had a clock taped to it and that it was ticking very loud. All those who had stayed were kept for hours to be questioned, so it was hours before we were allowed home. To cap it off it was a false alarm, it was a fake bomb, a hoax. It turned out that it was a practical joke set up by Lee Southgate. Lee also worked at Richard Garret’s as an apprentice electrician and was well known for his practical jokes. In fact he was so well known that his jokes left us all standing, he would have been the best in the business. Ben and I used to spend a lot of time talking to him at work, he was a good laugh, but not this particular day. I did not get home till the early hours of the morning and Lee, well he had left just after he set up the device and headed straight home for a good nights sleep. Another practical joke Lee played wrecked the local cricket field at the Richard Garrett sports ground, where we used to practice. Late one night he dug a large hole in the middle of the wicket area, throwing the dirt around the edges of the hole so that it resembled a large bomb crater. Then in the middle of the hole, he stuck what looked like a large body of rocket that he had made with large fins on its tail and some American flag stickers on it. This life like rocket stuck out of the hole at least four feet and was an exact replica of an Atomic Bomb. Legend has it that when the police arrived there was even smoke hanging around the site. Lee became a bit of a legend for these and other pranks that he participated in, although the police did not think too highly of him at the time for wasting valuable police resources. Ben and I walked on to Lee one morning in the long shop down on the bottom works of Richard Garrett’s, diving off the balcony, that was about fifteen feet above the ground, down into a very large heap of old fibreglass insulation material that was being stored there. As we walked in to the building there was Lee standing on the balcony giving a rebel yell at the top of his voice, to be followed by a long, Ahhhhhhhhhhhh as he dived into the heap at the bottom for the umpteenth time and emitting a large cloud of dust into the air. I tried to tell him that fibreglass was not good for him, it would make him itch and he definitely should not be inhaling the dust. Too late, he told me that he had been there for about an hour. Adding that he had felt a little itchy, by the time we left him he was scratching himself raw all over. That was Lee never a care in the world and if he wanted to do something, nothing in the world would stop him. One Friday night the group went along to the International Club to see what had been advertised as a Soul band. This was the style of music we wanted to hear, while learning from other musicians. Maybe we could learn what we were doing wrong and to get a few tips as to how we might put it right. We sat though the first bracket that consisted of only eight songs. Ben and I had been watching them very closely, when suddenly I noticed that the second bracket was made up of the very same eight songs as the first. Therefore, we were not long in informing the other members what was happening, it then became the topic of conversation. The third and fourth brackets were also the same eight songs. It was unbelievable and the only people in the audience to notice, was our little group. Not one other person in the club had noticed what was happening. We had a talk with the band at the end of the night and they explained that the band that had been advertised had let the club down. Therefore, these guys who had come from Ipswich, had just stepped in to help out. Unfortunately, between them, they only knew eight songs, but it was enough to get them though the night and they had just proved it. Our little group learnt a valuable lesson that night, of how easy it is to con a crowd. You can play anything you want, as long as you do it professionally. The evening for me was marred because of an incident that involved Margaret my wife. I had taken her along with me to get her out of the house, so she could meet the other members of the group, who I was spending so much time with and to generally just let her hair down. Unfortunately, it backfired on me, because during a conversation with Ben, Dave, Ron, Ray and Sarah, the subject came up about where was somebody’s wife, or girlfriend. Somebody just for a joke said, Oh she is at home cleaning the house where all women should be. With that, Margaret just blew her top giving whoever it was a big mouth full of her mind. It had only been said in fun, but Margaret did not see it that way and kept on and on about it to that person. It got so bad that some of my friends started to move away from the table that we were all sitting at. Given the chance over again, nobody would make that same statement, but it was to late the damage had been done, but it had only been a joke. I felt hurt and embarrassed and was worried that my now close friends might take offence with me. That was the last thing that I wanted. It was hoped that nothing would come between the group now, as things were working out well. This was one of the last times that I took my wife out with me, especially where the band members were. At the next practice session, Ray announced that he thought the group had improved and that it was time to think of a name, this was something that had been talked about in the past but not seriously when a few funny names had been suggested. Ben had been canvassing me with a couple of his ideas. “Bohemian Bipeds” was one of his better ideas followed by, “Grotesque”. He told me that a girl friend he once went with had told him that he was good looking, but in a grotesque way, at least that is what he told me. Funny but some how he had always thought that she had paid him a complement. Then there was “Thespians”, although at the time I thought he had said “Lesbians”. That would course controversy and laugher around the clubs and would more than likely attract a different kind of groupie for us. Fortunately, the boys vetoed the ideas without putting too much thought into any of them. A couple more weeks passed and Ray turned up at a practice session with the name the “Forbidden Fruit”. It was a great name and everybody liked it from the start, it had no rival and so it was adopted right there and then, being unopposed. Ray never did say how he came up with the name, but it certainly was a good one. “The Forbidden Fruit” had been born. Shaggy worked for Hubbard’s an Electrical Shop in the Leiston high Street by the traffic lights. At that particular time they were running an advertising campaign and in their shop window they had on display a life size cardboard barrel full of red rosy apples. Ben and I picked up on this and talked Shaggy into getting it for us after the campaign was over. This was to become the major centrepiece of the band while on stage and was to have pride of place whenever we played, being positioned in front of the drums. Other bands had banners behind them but this band was to have its name out front, on the front of a barrel of apples, telling the world that we were the “Forbidden Fruit”. The group kept its word to Ken, to repay him for the use of the club, as a practice venue. A date was fixed for the very first booking to take place at the Leiston Youth Club. Now the nerves were starting to creep in as the intensity of the practice increased. From now on, it was to be full steam a head. We stopped all the onlookers from coming into the room during practice sessions and the number of breaks was reduced. It was music, music, music and no other subjects were allowed to interrupt each session. Ray was trying to polish our skills and was doing a good job of it. Most of the songs that the boys had practised were sounding good with only the occasional mistake. However, when you perform in front of a live audience it is another ball game completely. Nerves can play a big part and they are something that cannot be practised or allowed for. On the odd occasion when people had walked into the practice room, while we were halfway through a song, each member had at one time or another made a mistake and somehow got through it. Unfortunately, this was to be different; this was to be a full show. Four hours of full on music with only a couple of short breaks in between It was 29.03.68 a Friday night and the Leiston Youth Club was packed to the rafters, all anxiously awaiting the debut of the “Forbidden Fruit”. Shaggy had set up a disco and was enjoying his new role as the local DJ. He had the music blaring out to set the scene for the evening, while at the same time he was getting the young people into the right frame of mind before our appearance. Not that they needed any encouragement, because the word had spread around the area that the “Fruit” would be playing their first gig at the club. Many of the young people had travelled some distance to hear us. It was one of the hardest tasks that most members of the “Fruit” had ever tried to do. To walk out on to the stage area in front of all those people, there being at least a 100 of them, all shouting whistling and cat calling. My legs were like jelly, I was even scared to lift up my head and look at the crowd. I took up my position in front of the bass amp, which was on the left-hand side of the stage, Ben climbed onto his drums at the back and he was suffering the worst attack of nerves. Unfortunately, it was to be his job to count us in for the start of the very first song. Ron was standing at the front of the band looking at the floor with the microphone in his right hand held up in front of his face trying to hide behind it. David seemed a little calmer than the rest of us, standing in the middle of the stage hiding behind Ron, while in front of Ben. Ray was on the right hand side of the stage and in his element, enjoying and soaking up every minute of this new found fame and attention, standing behind his Farfisa keyboard with a broad grin on his face. Suddenly after a nod from Ray, Ben shouted, One, Two, Three, Four, and the “Forbidden Fruit” launched into “Midnight Hour”, our best song. It was now a reality the “Fruit” was on the road and its success was up to us and how we performed that night in front of our first live audience. Yes, we made mistakes, lots of them, but nothing to drastic, so they were easy to cover up from the audience. We were a big hit with the locals and that did a lot to the band's moral and confidence, giving us an appetite to play more. At the end of the evening we were all on a big high, the adrenaline had pumped us up to such a level, that it was going to be a long time before we came down. Later we sat around the club just talking and annualising the evenings playing, it went on into the early hours of the morning, as it took a long time to for the adrenaline to wear off and so bring us all back down to reality. The main thing that came out of the nights work was that we needed more gigs like it and so the hunt was on for more work.   Another young local band in the area was known as the “Krums”, a three-piece unit with a very young 15-year-old on the drums. In a months time they would be playing at the Snape Village Hall. It was suggested that maybe we should approach the “Krums” to make a deal, so the “Fruit” could play on the same bill. Shaggy the DJ, who was by now receiving the same adoration as the “Fruit”, knew the “Krums”. This was why he was nominated to approach them at the first opportunity. The “Fruit” was very pleased with the news that Shaggy brought back to them. The “Krums” had agreed with the deal, on condition that they were top of the bill and went on stage last. In addition, the “Fruit” would not be paid, it was to be for experience only. Unfortunately, the “Krums” were not aware of the plan that was being hatch to ensure the “Fruit” a successful night at the Snape Village Hall. It was to be a lousy trick but if you want to get on in this very keen competitive industry, chances have to be taken. The “Krums” thought that they had secured a good deal, it meant that they would only have to play for two hours that evening and not four, plus they would still be able to hang on to all the door money that would be collected. They were mistakenly under the idea that all the “Fruit” wanted out of the deal was the experience of playing in front of a live audience, which was in one way very true. Friday 26.04.68 was a big night at the Snape Village Hall, dances were not held very often in those days and so they were well attended. People would come from miles around just to dance to a live band and each band had its own following. The “Fruit” had ensured that all their new won friends from the Leiston Youth Club were going to attend. We arrived early to set up the gear and because I had an old Austin A35 van to cart my gear around in, I assisted Ray, who was looking after the PA equipment. Ben had an old Austin A30 and somehow managed to get all his drums inside. Ron had a Bubble Car, a BMW Isetta the one that opens out from the front, it being the brunt of many a joke from the band at the time. However, to this booking he travelled with Nigel. The “Fruit” managed to talk the “Krums” into only setting up one of the bands sets of gear, to make it easy when the bands changed over at half time. After showing them that the “Fruit” did have a better PA system, it was agreed to use our gear. Plan A had been successful, because it is not wise to use other bands gear, because it is new to you and you never know what settings to use. It is always best to stay with the gear you have practised on it over a long period of time. The hall was full that night, when suddenly the lights dimmed leaving just a single bare 60watt bulb hanging above the stage. After a nod from Ray, Ben could be heard shouting, One, Two, Three, Four and the band launched straight into the “Midnight Hour”. The crowd by this time was in frenzy jumping up and down shouting and calling out. The whole audience was divided that night, some were supporting the “Krums”, but the vast majority were there to support the “Fruit”. It was a certainty that there was going to be some sort of trouble during the evening. The “Fruit” played good and got the audience worked up especially when Ray went on to the guitar and started to play some of the new Jimi Hendrix songs that we had been practising. Then it happened, what had been expected all evening, a large fight started, luckily it spilled out of the Hall and on to the main road outside. The band had just finished a song when suddenly Ray’s amp started spewing out a police message. “Reinforcements are requested at the Snape Village Hall, where a large fight is in progress on the main road”. The band just looked around at each other not understanding what was going on. Rays guitar strings must have been the correct length for that wave band and were on the same frequency to that of the police radio, something that we did not understand at the time. All those left in the hall at least knew exactly what was going on outside because the police radio was giving us a running commentary. The fight was soon over and everybody returned to the hall and the music that the “Fruit” was still pumping out. We never stopped playing, having been told by an older wiser musician that it’s just not done. Mainly because if you keep playing the crowd will not hear themselves trying to talk their way out of trouble and also it ensures that the band does not get involved and to possibly have their gear smashed up in the process. After what we had been through trying to get the cash together to purchase our gear, there was no way we were going to loose it, before we had even started. By the time we had finished our second set, the audience was in no mood to be told that it was our last song for the evening. They had been worked up into a Rock n Roll frenzy and the “Fruits” music had been responsible for it. They wanted to hear more and started to jeer and boo, and stamp their feet in a show of disapproval, being annoyed that the “Fruit” would not be back any more that night. It got very ugly and rowdy, so much so that the “Krums” did not want to go on stage while the audience was in an ugly mood, this was all new to them as well. In a hastily conferred meeting, the “Krums” agreed to let the “Fruit” keep playing and to finish the night, but that we would still be playing for no money. The “Fruit” accepted this knowing that all we wanted out of this gig was the experience gained on stage. Okay the “Krums” were going to be paid, having not even played a single note. However, the “Fruit” knew this before the night had started. Plan B had also been successful, Nigel, Shaggy and a few others from the Leiston Youth Club had planned it all, helping to whip the crowd up into the ugly scene that we were now witnessing. It was a dirty trick to play but it had worked giving the “Fruit” the valuable experience it needed. In addition, we would now be the main talking point during the coming weeks, by all the young people in the area and so insuring the “Fruit” of a very large crowd at the next venue where ever that was to be. Ben approached Mrs. Berry from Yoxford, about a gig at the Yoxford Village Hall. She was very interested, but insisted on hearing the band first. Therefore, a booking was hastily arranged to take place in about two week’s time. The band would be paid a small fee, but only if she liked us. She also added that she was looking for a band to play at the up coming Yoxford Village Fete. This was usually the largest gathering on the Yoxford village calendar I was trying to look good whenever the band played and was informed by Ron that his Mother was prepared to make me a flashy pink shirt, with large frilly cuffs and frills all down of its front, if she could get hold of some nice material. I was over the moon and could not wait for the day that it was finished, so that I could wear it at a gig. Remembering my first glimpse of Cliff Richard at the Gaumont Theatre in Ipswich, way back in 1959, when he walked out on to the stage in a bright pink jacket. Saturday 04.05.68 found the band at the Yoxford Village Hall, this was to be the third booking for the “Fruit” and if all went well, it would be our first paid booking. The hall was a large wooden hut with a very high large stage and the wooden walls helped to give the music a nice deep bass sound. We kicked off at 8 o’clock and played through to 11-45pm and it turned out to be a great night, so much so that Mrs. Berry gave us £10 for the nights work. Being paid made us feel good, it also meant that we were now classed as semi-professional musicians. We had been paid for doing the one thing that they all loved to do and that was to make music. Mrs. Berry had been looking for a band to play at the Yoxford Fete. Until the “Fruit” came along it was a toss up between the, “Krums” and another local band known as the “Trodden Earth”. The “Trodden Earth” she did not like, because in the past she had fallen out with their manager, Vic Last a Yoxford guy. Against all the odds, the “Fruit” picked up the gig and were highly delighted in beating the other local bands. However, a little friction was starting to build up between us and the other local bands owing to our below the belt tactics. The general feelings were who are these up start new kids on the block, who are stealing all of our bookings. Finding out about the “Trodden Earth” and that they had a manager got our group thinking. That maybe we should have a manager, maybe that was the way to go. After all, didn’t all the top bands in the country have managers. Therefore, Styx Scarlett was recruited to try to raise our image and to assist in the finding of future gigs. It was also agreed that he would receive 10% for any bookings that he set up for the band. It was also in May 1968 that one of the local newspaper reporters and cameraman turned up at a band practice session one night at the youth club, having been tipped off by some very quick thinking publicity seeking person connected with the band, namely Styx.  The practice session was in total disarray by then. Therefore, everybody just accepted that no music was going to be played that night. We all just sat around giving details on one another and relaying stories to the reporter. Many of the details in that first newspaper article were incorrect. This can be put down to the constant skylarking that took place during the interview. However, the end result was good for the band, giving us lot of much needed publicity around the area, once our pictures had appeared on the front page. For a few weeks, we were the talk of the place and unfortunately one of the subjects was the age I had given. Like the time Ben went to the Friston Chequers public house, with a friend for a quiet drink. Standing by the bar was a couple of local middle-aged men, who were also having a drink. Ben could hear that they were discussing the newspaper article that one of the men had in his hand. Ben just stood there with his drink without identifying himself and had a good listen to what they were saying. One of them reckoned that the band would be on thousands of pounds a week, with twenty young girls by their sides, at any one time. The booze would flow every night at the big parties that they would throw and of course, there was the usual reference about drugs. These guys just did not have a clue and were totally living in a fantasy world. If only they knew that the boys only earned £10 a night and that was to be shared amongst the five of us. What we got out of it was the excitement of being on a stage in front of all those people and the adrenaline rush that it brought. There was also the dream that a chance just might come our way to make it big one day, if we were lucky and then the thousands of pounds could possibly become a reality. Ben left the pub in the knowledge that at least he was unrecognisable by the local drinkers. The Yoxford Village Fete was a yearly event and usually drew large crowds. During the afternoon, the fete would be held on the large grassy area in front of the Village Hall. This particular year the celebrity to open the fete was to be the BBC TV news announcer Michael Cole. It was 01.06.68 and it was the “Fruits” fourth gig. At 2.30pm, Michael Cole opened the Fete, to which the “Fruit” immediately followed on stage and played to those attending. With Ray’s nod of his head and Bens, One, Two, Three, Four, the band launched into our by now well rehearsed, “Midnight Hour”. The band played for a couple of hours for Mrs. Berry and we all enjoyed it, but it sounded a little strange at times. This was the first time we had played outside and were not prepared for the difference in sound. It was a beautiful sunny day and the event drew a large crowd. At its completion, the band moved all the gear inside the hall and set it up on the large stage ready to repeat it all during the evening dance, which was still part of the Fete. We then retreated to the local pub the “Griffin”, for a drink and something to eat, while trying to unwind from the afternoons show. The evening show was a mind blower, the stage being high meant that the band was looking down on the very large sea of seething, sweating people below us. The place was alive and rocking, every single person was having a ball. I was wearing my new bright pink shirt that Ron’s Mum had only just finished for me the night before. During the intervals, we all retreated to the dressing room behind the stage. Where we were inundated with girls all wanting to talk to us and in some cases were hoping to be picked up by the band members. Ben remarked that now he knew what the Beatles went through. From this point on it should get better, or at least we all hope it would, this was going to be fun, if we let it. This was also the first night I tried to ad-lib some of my playing. For some time now Ray had been trying to get me to move away from constantly playing the same exact riff all the time. A good example of what he meant would be when we changed chords. He had told me that instead of just going straight from one chord to another. I should try and walk up the notes until I reached the right one. Well I had been practicing at home for some time but had never had the courage to try it out. However, that night during one of the songs that was going well I just gritted my teeth and had a go. To my amazement it worked and I got away with out making a single mistake. I can remember looking over at Ray as if to acknowledge his satisfaction of what I had just achieved. To be greeted by Ray with a broad grin on his face as he lipped the words over to me “Well done”. From that point on there was no holding me, as I used the ran many times during the nights entertainment We all agreed that it would be good to play at the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, a venue that we had all visited in the past, to see some of the top acts that visited the area. Bands like “Tony Rivers and the Castaways”, “The Equals”, “Pinkertons Assorted Colours”, the American “Paul Revere and the Raiders” and “Crispen St Peters”, who had the hit record “Pied Piper”. Styx and his band the “Wild Oates” had been his backing band, during his previous appearance. If we could manage a booking at this venue then that would be a big achievement for us. So the Jubilee Hall became our goal for the future, it gave us something to head for. July saw another booking at the Snape Village Hall, arranged by our manager Styx, this time we were the only act on the bill. We also did another free booking for Ken at the Leiston Youth club. It was our way of repaying Ken because we were still using the Club for all our practices, still trying to pack in at least four a week. At the Youth Club booking, a busload of young people arrived from the Beccles Youth club for a night out. They had a great night and the band was invited to play their club in Beccles. On a hot August Friday night the band played the Beccles Youth Club, the music we made was good. Unfortunately, what the local Beccles boys did not appreciate was the interest that their girlfriends were paying to the band. Not realising what was happening, the band played to the girls, with a wink here and a remark on the microphone. This all added up to a highly charged atmosphere that started to get out of control. A couple of the locals started throwing things at the band. The band had suddenly realised what was happening but it was too late. I got hit by a couple of coins, Ron got some drink thrown at him, something hit Dave’s guitar and Ray was worried in case drink was thrown on to his keyboard. After an anxious time the rougher members of the crowd were thrown out of the club and the situation was defused for a time, so that we could carry on playing. I remarked to Ben that the Beatles did not say much about this side of the music business did they, boy we were nearly killed here tonight. The rest of the night was good, in fact it was better than expected after the louts were thrown out. The band had a better time playing to the girls left behind, the field was now wide open. Until that is, the time came to leave the club, nobody had expected a departure committee awaiting us outside. As we left the building to load up the gear in to the vehicles, we had to run a gauntlet of angry frustrated young men. All wanting to vent their anger on whomever they could get hold of. With the help of a few club officials, we managed to load the gear in to our cars and beat a hasty retreat from Beccles never to return for a repeat performance. It was a good thing that Ron was not driving his little Bubble car that evening. The mood the troublemakers were in, they would have picked it up and thrown it over the nearest hedge. One thing that we did learn from this experience was to be more careful with the girls, they can get you in to a lot of trouble even though it is just an innocent flirt. During a practice session at the Youth club one night, the boys spent along time considering whether we should use Go-Go dancers on stage, during our stage show. This type of dancing was becoming very big, mainly because of the TV pop shows of the day that were using them. The idea was to have about four or five scantly dressed girls going through a sexual dance routine to the music being played. The more the girls wiggled and gyrated the better the audience liked it. However, there was a chance that the attention would be taken from the music being played. While on TV this would not happen because it was all very cleverly edited, but on stage, the audience would not miss a thing. The band had a vote on the subject and it was decided to give it a try. By the next practice session two young girls had been recruited as potential Go-Go dancers, one was Sonia who had given me the little rag doll to hang on my guitar. They spent the next couple of practices sessions working out and going through a few routines with us. The group was very impressed and liked what they saw. Unfortunately, that was the trouble, in spending so much time looking at the girls the mistake rate rose dramatically with our music. After a few long debates on the subject, the whole idea was dropped in favour of concentrating on the music side only. We knew that we could sell a sex angle very easily, unfortunately it was our music that we wanted to get over to the audience and we did not want to be side tracked. I got Ron’s mum to make me another couple of frilly shirts, one in yellow and one a lime green, thinking along the lines that the audience would notice me more. I also did a deal with Ben and we decided to swap our floral waistcoats. With me ending up with a bright pink and black one, while Ben ended up with a Japanese silk style one. I still have mine forty years on. September 1968 saw the “Fruit” playing once again at the Leiston Youth Club for Ken and again at the Yoxford Village Hall for Mrs. Berry, who had taken a big liking to the band and booked us whenever she held a dance. The other bands in the area did not stand a chance, because the “Forbidden Fruit” were the flavour of the month as far as she was concerned. September was also the month that my marriage took a turn for the worse. After a long flaming row, I had moved in to the spare room at home, convinced that the marriage was over. I had done my best to try and patch things up, but it had not worked, mainly because I was not prepared to give up the band. The band was all I lived for and so it seemed like Margaret and I were miles apart. At this point in time, we did not have anything in common. One night she went to the American Airbase at Bentwaters, with a local girl Sue Thornley from East Bridge, returning home in the early hours of the morning quite drunk. I am afraid that as far as I was concerned the marriage was over and we started living our own separate lives. From there, it went steadily down hill and was just a matter of time before we would finally part. Because of these incidents, I tended to spend even more time with the members of the band, just so there were no hostilities between us in front of the children. Looking back, I feel very sad and sorry over what the children had to go through during that time. I guess I was only interested in achieving my goals and that other peoples ideas did not come into the equation. I can only answer the criticism by saying that Margaret and I were not compatible and that neither of us would give an inch on our stance. It is also very hard to explain to those who were not there to experience the disagreements between us.  At the beginning of October the boys clubbed together and purchased a Ford Thames 15cwt van, from a chap living on the Cupola Caravan Park site near St Margaret’s Church in Leiston, incidentally the church where I was married to Margaret. We paid him £65 for the van, along with all of its problems that the group intended to fix. Dave had played a major role in the looking over of the van, because of his trade as a car mechanic. It was Dave who considered it a reasonable bargain, and it was a descent size to hold all the gear. The other big deciding point was that nobody knew of any other van for sale around the Leiston area at that time. It was agreed that I would look after the van and to be its driver, so I sold my old Austin A35 van and took delivery of my new challenge. We wasted no time in getting the van on the road, the road tax was still current but the third party insurance cost us £3-18s. The mechanical problems also needed to be fixed up. This was to be achieved by booking it in to Keeble's Garage at Theberton. Ben was very friendly with Pat Keeble, and ironically, it was Dave’s Father who under took most of the repairs. As he was the head mechanic at the garage, that cost us another £33-19s-5d. While the van was at Keeble’s Garage Ben organised a friend, known as Toddy to do some artwork on the out side of the van for us. Along both sides of the van was painted the name of the band the “Forbidden Fruit”, on the front end of the van on its flat nose was painted two very large eyes and across the back double doors was painted the word Fruit Mobile, for this we paid him £2-3s-7d. Now everybody would know who we were and the parents would be able to lock up their daughters just in cases. On the 05.10.68.the “Fruit” reached their goal by playing at the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, we supported an out of the area band called the “Reformation”, unknown to most of the locals. However, a large crowd packed into the hall just like they did every Saturday night that a dance was held on the premises. The “Fruit” went on first and played a blinder of a set in front of one of the biggest crowds that we had ever played to. Most of which knew us and by now appreciated our style of music. Therefore, it was a hard act to follow for the “Reformation”. The bands had two total different styles of music and by the end of the evening, the “Fruit” had up staged a major band, but even more for us we had reached the target we had set ourselves, only a few months earlier. This band was pumping and most of the local young people agreed by following us around wherever they played. On the 10.10.68 Ben, Ray and I went to the International Club café, where we met up with many of the local people, who were chatting and having a drink. It was suggested that the “Equals” were playing at the Baths Hall in Ipswich that night. The “Equals” were our idols, we had been to see them months earlier when they had played at the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall. Long before their hit record “Baby Come Back” had reached No1 in the charts on 15.05.68 and was in the charts for 17 weeks. We were so impressed with them that we had included the song into our repertoire. It did not take much to talk the band into a quick trip to Ipswich to see them. I was driving, also in the front was Linda Meadows and Emily Thorp, in the back was Ben, Ray, Bob and Les Jarvis, Shaggy, Leo Picket, Janet Jukes and Sandra Cook. Unfortunately Uncle Tom Cobbley was not with us that night. We stopped off at the Volunteers Pub on the way out of Leiston, so Les could buy a load of beer for the people in the back. The show at Ipswich was great, the support act being “Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds”, who had a No1 hit with “Out Of Time” which reached No1 on 23.06.68 and was in the charts for thirteen weeks. During the interval, most of our gang left the Baths Hall heading for a pub and a drink, because alcohol was not available at the dance. While walking down the street Linda persisted in calling out to a coloured guy on the other side of the road, asking him if he was Wilson Picket the American singer. I was a little worried in case an incident might arise and that as we were strangers in a strange town, the last thing they needed was a black eye and a couple of broken ribs. We were lucky nothing developed from the incident. Back in the hall when the main act finally came on stage there was pandemonium The “Equals” had a knack of whipping the people up into frenzy, with there driving beat. This was accomplished with two rhythm guitar players. When the band performed live, they did not have a bass player, unlike on record when they used a bass. As a live band there was nothing better, they had the crowd eating out of their hands. Eddie Grant the lead guitarist was a coloured guy with his hair dyed orange, playing some fantastic lead breaks. The singer also coloured would waltz around the stage as if in a trance and drugged up or drunk, you did not know which. The music was very infectious, there was not one person in that hall that would not have been tapping their feet. The hall was packed and the Full House signs were up outside long before the band came on stage. The excitement continued all the way home in the Fruit Mobile. In the back, everybody was singing and making merry after a stop over at a pub in Rushmere, where Les restocked up with some more beer. Linda and Emily were still in the front of the van and so I struck up a conversation with Emily. This was the first time that I had ever spoken to her, since the day I first saw her while following Ben to the Thorpeness Swimming Pool a couple of years earlier, when Ben had given her a lift home. On the 12.10.68 the “Fruit” played their regular monthly booking at the Yoxford Village Hall for Mrs. Berry. In front of a large crowd that was made up of, many supporters and followers of the band. It was becoming a dream debut into the pop world for us five guys from no where. After the booking, Ron and Nigel suggested that we all go to London for a skylark. Ray and Dave who stayed behind vetoed this idea, because they had girl friends. When it was sorted out where the gear would be left Ben, Ron, Nigel Miller, Shaggy and I set off for London in Nigel Millers Ford Cortina, or to be more precise in his Fathers Cortina. It was a wild ride with Nigel giving it the big foot on the accelerator, everybody was cracking jokes, singing and generally having a good time. By the time that we reached Brentwood somebody, notice a loud knocking noise coming from under the car, so we pulled over to investigate. The back axle was red hot but we still did not know what the problem was. After letting it cool down, we decided to turn around and head back home. Driving a lot slower and hoping that we made it safely and with out further damage to the car. London was not to be this trip, but at least we had a good laugh amongst ourselves. Although it was thought that Nigel’s Father would not be in a very good frame of mind, when he heard the bad news. It turned out that the back axle was completely empty of oil and somehow we had all been very lucky not to do any sever damage to the car, much to Nigel's relief  On the 13.10.68, Ben and I went up to the Ipswich Manor Ballroom. To see the London blues band, “Fleetwood Mac” with Peter Green on lead guitar. Where we hoped they would be playing such hits as, “Black Magic Woman” and “Need Your Love So Bad”. Both singles were released in early July 68. Ben at that time was dating Linda so he took her along and I persuaded Linda to bring along her friend Emily. “Fleetwood Mac” was at the height of their popularity at that time and gave an incredible show, finishing with an instrumental tune called “Albatross”. This tune became a No1 hit on the 04.12.68 and stayed in the charts for over twenty weeks. During a break in the show, everybody went up stairs to the bar for a drink. This was positioned in a small room and was crammed full of thirsty patrons, all trying to obtain a drink at the same time. All from the one and only bartender who was trying to do his best and serve them. I offered to get the drinks in, this being a first for me exclaimed Ben, as he stood back and let me go. I found myself leaning up against the bar waiting to be served, like most of the audience. However, I suddenly realised that I was standing beside the Bass player from “Fleetwood Mac”, who luckily had a drink in his hand. I suddenly found myself talking to John McVie and I was very keen to ask him an array of questions. He was very obliging and did not hesitate to answer every thing that I threw at him. The conversation lasted nearly ten-minute’s and I enjoyed his company immensely. From that day on, I tried to base my playing on the way in which he played. To this day, it is a style that I still use and I’m proud to say that there are not too many other people playing this way. To me it is a type of blues, using mostly runs and riffs, with very few single notes. To those who over the years have asked me what style I play, I have always answered the “Callahan/McVie way”. Mean while Ben was getting thirstier by the minute and thought that I had done a bunk so I did not have to buy him a drink. They did eventually get their drink but they had to drink it in record time, as by this time everybody was returning to their seats for the second part of the show. On Saturday the 19.10.68 the “Fruit” played at the Benhall Village Hall, this was a new venue for us but at least it was very close to Leiston. It was a small wooden hut on the Village Green. The “Fruit” followers insured that all had a goodnight. By this time, many of the people who were organising the dances relied on cash taken at the door, while only paying a small fixed sum to the bands at the end of the evening’s entertainment. Most people had realised by now that the “Fruit” had a very large following, which meant money in the bank for them. Now the bookings were starting to pour in, so the up and coming entrepreneurs started moving in for what they hoped would be an easy kill. Then on Sunday 20.10.68 Ben and I along with the two girls returned to the Manor Ballroom to see “Chicken Shack”, another London band featuring Stan Webb, with a very beautiful Christine Perfect on keyboards. Later she was to marry John McVie of Fleetwood Mac. These trips were worth going to because Ben and I were learning from all the musicians we were watching. After watching John McVie I had started playing some very hard and long riffs that I attributed to him. The biggest problem that I had was in trying to remember a riff the next day at home, so that I could practice it. I worked out a system of notes that I said to myself, like boom bar boom bar boom. Another system I worked out was the way I tapped out positions on my leg, a type of code that only I could decipher the next day. However, it certainly worked for me. The other thing that I did was to only try to remember one riff per show, hence I had an excuse to keep going to lots of live shows to learn more and more riffs. During the bands weekly practice I would show Ray what I had picked up and Ray would help me where I had got it all wrong. On the 27.10.68 Ben and I along with the girls returned to the Manor Ballroom. “Jethro Tull” was led by the amazing Ian Anderson playing flute, in a three-guitar rock band line up. This was an unusual act, not the type of music that we were performing, but never the less well worth seeing if only for the stage craft that they had achieved. Saturday the 2nd November saw the band once again playing at the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, another booking we had been looking forward to, because of the great atmosphere the place always seemed to conjure up. I can’t remember who the band was that we were supporting, but I do know it was a good booking and we all thoroughly enjoyed our selves. That night was also another land mark day for me, because months later I was to learn that it was the night when Emily had to make up her mind whether to continue going with me. Linda was back stage and I kept asking her if her friend Emily was coming to the booking. Later she was to disappear while she went looking for Emily. She found her in the Cross Keys Pub not far from the venue. Unfortunately, she was with another boy who had taken her out for the evening, being a friend of her neighbour Tishy. Linda called her to one side and explained that I was looking for her back at the Jubilee Hall. That evening Emily had a big decision to make as to whether she wanted to continue going with the boy she was with, or my self. With out going in to finer detail what I do know is that she turned up to see me back stage a quarter of an hour later. Emily has never told me how she broke the news to the other guy who had lost out on the deal. During the last booking that the band had played, I had noticed a funny sound coming from my speakers. The notes that I was trying to achieve from my Guitar were not clean, it was a type of fuzzy sound that seemed to be coming from the speakers. Therefore, Styx was brought in to try to tell us what the problem was. It only took him a few seconds to diagnose blown speakers. The cones next to the magnets had probably moved or had grit in between them. He went on to tell us that it was possibly caused by the volume that the band had been playing at. Styx being an Electrician he soon got out his meters to check his diagnoses. Ron and Nigel took the speakers on the bus with them one Tuesday morning, when they went to the Ipswich Civic College, as part of their apprenticeship. It was no mean feat carrying these two very large cabinets that housed the 18-inch speakers. They left them at the music shop opposite the college run by a Mr. J.O Donnell and kept their fingers crossed that they would be repaired and returned by Saturday when the band had a booking at Ipswich, these repairs cost me £17-10s. At the weekends when Ray’s parents came down from London for a holiday break in their house at Prospect Place, they would bring their other children with them, three very good looking young girls. Ron was spending a lot of time with Ray at the time learning his new songs, so he got to know the family very well. It was not long before Joyce the second eldest of the girls and Ron started going out with each other. Joyce would accompany Ron whenever it was possible to the Bookings During our visits to the Manor Ballrooms on Sunday evenings, there had been no romance between Emily and me. It was just a case of making up an even number in Ben’s car. Ben along with Linda and me would pick Emily up outside of her house in Aldeburgh and after the show, she was dropped of at the same place. I would carry on with Ben and Linda to Leiston. I liked Emily’s company very much and there was the occasional kiss but that was about it. In fact after four visits to the Manor it was surprising that something hadn’t developed more positive between us, after all Ben was going with Linda. At that time, I had not told Emily that I was married, once or twice I had tried to. Unfortunately, I chickened out at the very last moment, thinking that it might upset the boat and that she would not come along on any future visits to the Manor. Saturday the 02.11.68 was a big day in the life of the “Forbidden Fruit”. We were playing at the Ipswich Baths Hall the biggest venue in Ipswich. Many bands would have given their right hand to play there. This was a venue we had dreamed of playing, but never thought that we would ever achieve it. The Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall had been a dream but we had reached that goal in only a few short months. We were the support band to the, “Shoe String Soul Band” and went on first to warm up the crowd. I always used to say that the best bands always go on first. If the first band is doing its job correctly, an Ape could take the stage last and still get applause. I drove the van with all the gear while the other members followed in there own cars, while bringing lots of friends with them including Joyce, Linda, Emily, Shaggy, his girl friend Sue and Nigel with his new girl friend Elaine. It was a great night and the “Fruit” played well, but were over shadowed by the main act and their very large vocal following. However, it did wet our appetites to play the big venues more often and we just loved the big stages. What we liked most about this gig was, that this was the place that we had come to see one of our favourite bands the Equals just a few months earlier. Once the band had finished its show we returned to the dressing room at the back of the stage. We walked onto the girls that had accompanied us to the booking, who were having a laugh and a joke with the main act. Emily was wearing a dress with a zip down the front, as I walked into the room one of the young band members had pulled the zip right down. I was not very happy with what I had just seen and felt like punching the guy between the eyes. Somehow, I managed to hold my temper, so the incident did not get out of hand. Suddenly I became aware that I was feeling very jealous and she was not even my girl friend.  It was about this time that I had to admit to myself that I did have a soft spot towards her. Sunday 03.11.68 was the first time that I had taken Emily out on our own and we went to the Manor Ballroom to see the “Nice”. We sat in the front row awaiting the band to come on stage, but they were delayed by bad snowy weather or at least that is what the promoters told us. Then after a one and a half-hour wait the “Nice” finally arrived on stage and proceeded to play an immaculate set. At one time Keith Emerson the keyboard player started doing all sorts of tricks. During the playing of one tune he went around the back of his Hammond Organ and pulled the thing over to about 45 degrees while still playing it, by leaning over to touch the keyboards. He then dropped it down onto its back flat on the floor with a terrific crash, all the time the Hammond was still letting out the weirdest of noises. During another song he crawled inside the back of the organ and used drumsticks to tap on the valves, giving the thing an unusual sound, the audience enjoyed it all. With the playing of their hit tune “America” that went to No21 in the hit parade on10.07.68 and stayed in the charts for fifteen weeks. Emerson then brought the house down by burning the American flag. This song was later to become one of the most rehearsed and confidently played tunes in the “Fruits” repertoire. It was one of the best shows that I had seen. Although the show only lasted one and a half-hours and the audience had to sit around waiting for them, at the end the band got a standing ovation. Not one person was heard moaning or complaining, all agreed that it was a fantastic show. Another reason why I remember this gig is because it was very cold and the hall was not heated. Not only that, while we awaited the bands arrival I could feel a cold coming on and it was making me feel very uncomfortable. By the time the evening had come to an end my cold had broken and I felt absolutely terrible with an uncontrollable running nose. Friday the 08.11.68 and the “Fruit” played at the Airman’s Club on RAF Bentwaters, the American Air base near Leiston. This was a surprise gig being a hard club to get into, but an Ipswich agent had given us the booking. We played well but were plagued with the Servicemen all wanting to get on the stage and borrow our instrument to play with a long the band. An action that was new to us and at no cost would we allow it to happen. We were all glad when the booking was over and to get away from the club. However most of the Airmen had enjoyed our music especially the Gino Washington songs, Gino had been an Airman at this particular Airbase a couple of years earlier and was well liked and remembered. The “Fruit” played at the Yoxford village hall on Saturday 09.11.68 for Mrs. Berry, by this time a deep relationship had developed between her and her band as she called us.  At the moment, the “Fruit” were the flavour of the month and could do no wrong. However, Mrs Berry was also a very shrewd businesswoman who saw a pound in everything she looked at and the “Fruit” to her had pound signs, all around them. She was happy because she was making money for her beloved village hall fund. Therefore, while the “Fruit” had the draw power she was not going to use any other band and loose out on a good thing. The band played from 8 to11-45pm to a packed house made up of all the usual supporters. By now there was a regular contingent consisting of about one hundred young people who would attend every dance that was held at Yoxford and that the “Fruit” played at. The band always looked forward to a full house at this venue. This was also the night, while during one of the band breaks that I told Emily that I was still married, as we took a walk out side of the hall. Unbeknown to me, Emily had known from the start that I was married. However, she had made up her mind to give me a chance to explain my self. She had decided that if I came clean and told her within four weeks and that I was honest in my explanation that I was completely finished with my wife. She would know that I was not stringing her along. Otherwise, she would stop seeing me, not wanting to go out with a married man and become the gossip of the local area. I had been trying to pluck up the courage for a couple of weeks. However, it was Linda who finally persuaded me to do it sooner than later. Because she informed me on the quiet, that if I did not, then I would loose Emily for ever. Lucky for me, Emily accepted and trusted me in what I had to say and we started to meet each other on a regular basis. Up until now, we had only been out together on a couple of occasions, to visit the Ipswich Manor Ballroom. From now on Emily started to attend the “Fruit” bookings on a regular basis to watch me play and to later meet up with me after the booking. She usually made her own way to the bookings, but after the gig I was allowed to take her home. After the Yoxford booking, while we were packing up the gear on stage, Shaggy suddenly announced that he had heard on the grapevine that Lord and Lady Batho, who lived just a few miles down the road, were having a party for their daughters coming out Ball. Something the rich people of the day would do when their children reached the age of twenty-one. Shaggy added that he had heard they were also looking for a band for the night’s entertainment. It being very late at night did not seem to worry Shaggy, even after somebody pointed out that it was already way past midnight. No worries he said they are probably only just starting to get into the swing of things. It was hastily agreed that we would all drive down there in convoy and give it a try. With all the cars parked the band including Emily, Linda, Joyce, Shaggy his girl friend Sue, and I believed Ray’s girl Sarah, we all approached the front door of a very large stately home. Music could be heard coming from inside. Nobody knew what to say if the front door was answered or indeed, who was going to have the courage to knock in the first place. In doing so they would be the one to confront the Lord or Lady, or whoever was going to answer the door. I dealt with the problem directly and told everybody to follow me. Then holding Emily’s hand I dragged her along with me, I strode up to the front door and rang the bell. As the door opened, I got a shock when it was answer immediately by a lady with a glass in one hand and a bottle of bubbly in the other. “Mrs Batho” I blurted out, telling her that we a pop group and that we had been told that you were possibly looking for a band for your entertainment tonight. She stuck the glass into my left hand and the bottle in my right and invited us all in side. Adding that we were welcome to come in, as she put it to play for them. We were all lead giggling and laughing to a very large room that contained a half a dozen tables. All laid out with every type of food imaginable and told to help ourselves while the speeches were going on in a Marquee adjoining the back door. Mrs. Batho then informed us that she would come and get us when it was all over. The food spread was just amazing there was every conceivable meat dish that had ever invented, from game birds to salmon and trout, you name it and it was all laid out in front of us. The band had just completed a four hour gig and as usual we were very hungry, so we did not need to be told twice to tuck in, plus we had been left on our own with no prying eyes. A lot of skylarking took place, with food being thrown at each other, while other culinary delights were rolled up in napkins and placed into our pockets for later use. We did not worry about making a mess because there was all ready food all over the place, including on the floor and in one area on the wall. It looked like a battle had already taken place in the room. After we had finished eating, we retreated to the large staircase and sat around awaiting a signal from the lady of the house. The band set up in the Marquee and completed a sound check, but before we struck up, the daughter of the house came over with a crate of Champaign for us. It turned out that Shaggy knew her, she was the one who had asked him to suggest this party to the band. Once we were well oiled with Bubbly we climbed onto our instruments, then with a quick nod from Ray, Ben went into his customary One, Two, Three, Four and we launched straight into the “Midnight Hour”. The band played well, but then we should have, as we had just played at Yoxford, only a couple of hours earlier, so this was a cinch. Most of the young people at this party were already drunk long before we had arrived and were lying around the marquee. While their girl friends seemed quite sober and ready to dance. The band was the only sober young people there at that time. However, it was not long before some of the girls started to eye up the band members and all this took place right in front of our girl friends, who were all sitting around at the tables watching every move that was being made by all parties. One particular girl was making it very obvious that she was after Ben. Another one danced in front of me, while wiggling and grinding her hips, pouting her lips and trying to look me in the eyes. I am sure she was teasing me while trying to pick me up, at times it became so blatant. She also had a boy friend or husband with her, who had to watch what was going on in front of me. Eventually he just came over and grabbed her, dragged her away because she was so drunk. It was all a little embarrassing for those who were watching. The band was a little worried in case a scene would arise from a drunken boyfriend, if he were to realise what was going on. However, it did not stop the Champaign flowing freely with the band. It was not long before we were starting to get merry our selves. It was amazing just how much bubbly was lying around the area. I had four bottles standing by my amp, while most of the other members of the band had pretty much the same at their disposal. During one of the breaks that we took, Ben laid a couple of bottles inside the brown leather case we used to carry the microphones and wires in. Ray’s speaker cabinet was hollow in its back and so he neatly laid a couple of bottles in amongst the speakers, while I placed one inside a bag I used to carry a lot of my junk in. The band played through until almost 4am, by which time most of the party guys had passed out. It became a little embarrassing for the host and it was becoming a bore for the band, as we were becoming a little tired having played for so long. To our relief the lady of the house informed us that we might as well call it a day, so we started packing up the gear. While all this was going on most of the band were smuggling Champaign into their equipment to take home. After all, there was a lot of the stuff just lying around and nobody seemed to be worrying about it. With the contraband all neatly stowed away and ready to leave, the lady of the house came over and gave me some money for the night’s work and thanked us all very much for playing. She then proceeded to apologise for all the drunks in the place and for the mess that they had all left. Then she said, “Do you know we have had some rotten people here to night, they have all been stealing our Champaign”. With a grin on my face and a secure hand on my junk bag with the Champaign neatly hidden inside, I said, “Oh that’s terrible Mom, you can’t trust anybody today can you”. With that, we exchanged our farewells and headed to the vehicles were a shock awaited us. The whole area was bathed in a thick pea soup of a fog, so thick that you could not see your hand in front of your face, so the convoy of vehicles limped back home at a leisurely 15 to 20mph. That night I took Emily straight home arriving just after 5am, I left her very worried at what her father was going to say about getting home at this hour of the morning. Emily told me that she crept in trying not to make any noise, but soon as she got inside, she heard her father moving around the bedroom up stairs. More than likely getting ready to go fishing, as his full time job was a long shoreman. As she heard him approach the top of the stairs she just laid down on the bottom part of the stairs and pretended that she had just fallen asleep there after coming home a little the worse for drink, from the party she had been to. The explanation seemed to satisfy him and Emily got away with the whole episode very lightly. A further footnote about the night for Emily and me, we kept one bottle of our Champaign, on the understanding that it would only be opened on a very special occasion. That special occasion became the Christening of our first child Sharon. At that time, we were living at the Black and White Bungalow in Aldringham. Upon opening the bottle, the cork flew out of the garden and across the main road almost hitting a young boy on a motor bike. Many years later and we still have that very same Champaign cork and a silver coin that was given to Sharon stuck in its end. I took Emily to the Ipswich Manor Ballroom that Sunday 10.11.68 to see the “Taste” that featured Rory Gallagher on lead guitar. I had waited along time to see this guy, being one of my all-time guitar heroes. As usual, it was packed and we had to queue up a long time just to get into the venue, however it was well worth the wait. It was a pity that all the other members of the “Fruit” did not witness this extraordinary guitarist and the stage show that he was part of. The guys would have learnt a lot from this band. I tried to explain it to them, but sometimes it is hard to put into words what you have just seen. If only they had taken just five minutes of their time to watch this show it would have lasted them a lifetime, as it has for me. The running of van was costing the band a little money, like on 06.11.68 when we had to fork out £15-15s to the East Suffolk Council for road tax. At least we were earning a reasonable amount of money from the bookings that we were playing at. After costs were taken out from the gigs we still ended up with a little cash in our pocket. I kept the van at my house along with most of the gear. Every night without fail, I had to unload all of the gear into the house and store it all under the stairs. I was always paranoid, (that’s a good name for a song), about thieves taking it from the van as other bands had found out to their horror and cost. I felt that it was my responsibility and for this hassle, I was allowed to use the van for my own use, but making sure that I used my own petrol for my running around. Inside the cab section of the van was a wooden partition just behind the driver and passenger seat, with a little door in the middle, so it was possible to climb from the front into the back of the van. I kept a rolled up mattress in the back. It stopped the gear from sliding around while in transit. However, many a guy had also used it as a place to lay their heads after a nights drinking spree, with no means of getting home that night. The van had actually become a bit of an attraction and legend around the Leiston area. With the painting on its side it turned out to be a good means of publicity for the band, everybody knew the “Fruit”, indeed most of the young people supported them regularly. In December, the “Fruit” played at the Leiston Labour Club in Valley Road. This was the first time that the band had played in Leiston to some of their loyal followers since the Youth Club gigs at the start of there days on the road way back in March. The gig turned out to be one of the best attended and one of the best atmospheres ever generated during an evenings playing. The hall was packed, there was not a spare space to be had anywhere. Most of our followers had been loosened up at the local Volunteers public house before they attended the dance. Unfortunately, there was no stage and so the band had to set up on the floor at the far end of the hall. Unfortunately, from this advantage point all we could see was a mass of bouncing swirling heads. Although it was December and cold outside, in the hall it was like an oven. The sweat was just pouring off the band members who were putting as much into their playing as they could. In fact the band knew no other way to play, for us it was full on or nothing that was the only way. We believed that the public had paid to hear