Gig reports

Stanley’s 54th Birthday, with lots of other wonderful people!!

Well, what a truly fabulous birthday. The day itself (2nd November) was spent fairly quietly, working until lunchtime, then a lunch at the local with two great friends, and a special supper I cooked for Mum and Dad with a splendid bottle of wine. Slightly worried about my nearside front tyre.

Saturday morning, I have promised to take an acquaintance and her paintings to Strawberry Hill craft fair. Backed the car out of the garage, and the tyre was indeed not quite full of air. Quick wheel change, although not quite to Mclaren standards, and pottering off to Hampton to collect said friend, idly listening to Brian Matthew, like you do, when he mentioned a chap called Stanley Goodhew, hang on, did he say STANLEY GOODHEW!!! Yes indeedy, in April or whenever Bob had bought the tickets for Peggy’s bash I had e-mailed Sounds of the Sixties, pointing out that I shared my birthday with someone rather more famous, and I was going up to Birmingham Town Hall with a bunch of friends. Brian played an Ugly’s track from 1966, when Peggy was with them, called “I can’t recall her name”. I have the clip recorded on my mac, and may figure out how to post it on the C17 site in due course.

So, good deed done, drove on up to Birmingham, knowing that Shaggy was on the train, Bill Barbara and Dave Beattie were on the National Express...altogether now, lets sing the Divine Comedy song....or perhaps not.

Neil was due at the concert, together with Chris Cox, and possibly a bassist friend, if a spare ticket could be found.

Without the aid of Sat Nav but a reasonable memory for directions I found the Pallasades car park, which was close to the venue, and the Wetherlodge where we were staying. Wandering straight up the hill, there was a building familiar from the website, and it was indeed the beautifully positioned and magnificently renovated Town Hall. Gorgeous building, tickets were at reception, and as I wandered away, so was Dave Pegg, sorting out his guest list. I did not intrude, he was obviously focused on getting a lot of stuff organised. Sat down peacefully outside in the sunshine and admiring the fountain I called Bill, now about 40 minutes away, and Shaggy, who had found some excellent record shops. We checked into The Briar Rose, splendid Wetherspoons only 100 yards from the venue, perfect result, to find they were hosting a beer festival!

Beer and food with now assembled company, and off to the Town Hall for 7.30 start of the birthday boys bash. Happy Birthday to You was sung by everybody as Peggy came on to huge applause, then Richard Pleasance on hurdy-gurdy got everyone off with a chorus that involved big fish, little fish and a cardboard box... you had to be there.

Set lists, recollections and all the many and various contributors are better recorded on talkawhile and lots of links on the web, there is also some stuff on u-tube.

It was for me, a brilliant night with Peggy having a very enjoyable time introducing guests from the very many stages of his musical career, he was on stage for almost the whole time, playing everything from bass to lead guitar, mandolin, and ukulele. Absolutely wonderfully fantastic. Final finale was meet on the Ledge, and just about everybody involved just about fitted on to the stage. Beautiful night, and peggy had previously professed that he was enjoying it so much, would we come back next year for his seventieth, to avoid waiting another ten years. We all agreed, so something may well happen next year... who knows where the time goes.

Back to Wetherspoons on somewhat of a high, and the beer festival was still on, and they didn’t close the bar until 1.00am, by which time we were a little tired, and possibly slightly emotional, so we retired to our various rooms upstairs, and Shaggy says that I snored, but not for very long...too tired, I expect.

The following Wednesday I received a mysterious package through the post, a big jiffy bag with a BBC label on it. A BBC Radio two polo shirt emlazoned with "Sounds of the Sixties". If I hadn't heard the dedication, I would have been more confused than I am at the best of times.

What a splendid and very memorable birthday,