The Student Life
Table of Contents
The Course
Got the ‘A’ levels to enrol on a 3 Year Busines Studies course in Preston. two of my school friends fancied the same course, so scope for cooperation and not far to get home if we needed to.
Also favoured because it was, what was then called a sandwich course – involved two, three to four months paid placements in a business environment first and second year – with the college helping to find them.
I didn’t expect them to be well paid. but, on a subsistence grant, I thought any little would help.
I should explain to my younger readers -this was 1968 -students did not pay their own tuition fees, they were paid by the government – the logic being that they should encourage students into further education, particularly for courses with a vocational character.
Also, because my parents were not in a position to offer financial support – remember ‘means testing’, I qualified for a meagre subsistence grant to cover food and rent – which it never did – so I still finished my studies in debt, just like students now.
I’m not complaining
The college accommodation service not that effective – so we ended up in a bed & breakfast for the first term at the college – for about two months, and hitched home every Friday and always got there – and back on the train early Monday morning.
not exactly the start to student life we expected, but we got sorted over the next couple of months. I eventually got a small bed sit within hearing distance of Preston station shunting yard – and they do start early! By the November there wasn’t a lot of choice.
The other two eventually rented a three-bedroom terrace with a mate from the college who wanted a move – I was happy to stay where I was.
Proved to be a good move – the three of them grew to hate each other very quickly – I didn’t visit much.
The ‘In Crowd’
I made friends, who were in the ‘in crowd’, Long hair (mine looked like Jimmy Hendrix) and ‘love and peace man’ – I was in the branch of hippies known as ‘Heads’, because I was a student i.e. clever.
Even had a sort of girlfriend – that’s all you had then ‘a sort of’ – you can’t just ‘lay claim’ to another person.
I had a ‘pretty groovy’ time of it, from what I remember!
However, if you can remember it, you weren’t there! So, I would struggle to be accurate – you don’t need the details.
Also, have to be careful, – some involved are, hopefully, still alive.
Show Business
Got matey with a lad on the course called Steve, who was a singer in a band – all dance music cover versions but had an agent and got work, it seemed, pretty regularly.
They played for free at my 21st in Preston Rugby Club – and I joined in on the congas on ‘Love the One You’re With’ (as rehearsed)– originally Stephen Stills (most versatile guitarist I have ever seen – his party piece – twelve bar Blues on a mandolin.) it was also a hit for the super-band he joined – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
A drum and conga solo (for two) for about fifteen minutes in the middle)– I thought it sounded OK, but not a career option.
We were still at college and your peers can be cruel – the band, called “High Society’ (a Bing Crosby – Grace Kelly film) had promotional leaflets and small posters, showing them, all wearing Shetland style tank tops and gold flares – skin-tight (except for the ankles!) high fashion in the late 60s.
Spot the Ball
You need to know that, at that time, a popular competition in lots of newspapers was called ‘Spot the Ball’ – it had a genuine football frozen action picture – with the ball removed completely. Below the picture were helpful facts i.e. weather fine, pitch – dry, wind – left to right approx. 6 m.p.h.
The task was – ‘use your skill and judgment’ to put crosses on the picture where you thought the ball actually was – the more you waged the more goes you got – if only one winner the prize was significant – in the hundreds of pounds.
Disappeared some years ago due to falling demand, but as I write there is news of the launch of an online version – to be known as “Balls Out’.
How things have changed since the late 60s when “Spot the Ball’ was seen as a bit risqué and the competition only ran in the more down-market tabloids.
I had a couple of the band posters. We mocked on up a larger version of the newspaper – big ‘Spot the Ball’ title, with all the blurb around it and helpful hints etc. – ‘wind – front to back’ and the band picture in the middle – Steve in the centre -and pinned it up on the entrance hall notice board.
The point of this, was that a number of people had noted that there was a notable lack of bulge in Steve’s skin-tight crotch.
He was well known and recognised around the college – two or three days later – there was a mass of crosses all over the picture – except, of course, for a totally clear area around `Steve’s – you can guess what!
He took it well -didn’t rip the poster down. He knew I was mostly to blame – but I convinced him that there’s no such thing as bad publicity and he might get work from it. I added -as an almost silent aside -‘you might not pull many girls, though’.
We eventually removed it when there was no room for any more crosses at all – except – you know where.
Thereafter he was always referred to as – ‘Spot the Ball Steve’.
The band split when Korky, the drummer, somehow got a three-month gig with Screaming Lord Such (you might have to Google it) on a tour of America.
I never saw him again, but Steve did – and said that he was an absolute wreck – lost about four stone – (and I thought he was rock star skinny to start with) and had problems with memory and speech – and he never got paid! He thought.
At least he got back to the UK – he wasn’t sure how.
So, no band for Steve – so he started up as a DJ, with the same agent, and quite an initial investment in the equipment. Worked most weekends. And the odd mid-week.
The Roadie
I became his ‘roadie’ – basically humping the speakers, lights and decks into and out of, the venue and looking for a three-pin plug socket.
Then mostly left him to perform – I could change the music while he nipped to the toilet and we did alternate for a danceathon – twenty-four-hour non-stop dancing for charity and a prize – that was very exciting!
I, mostly, just stood next to the decks looking cool. He never paid me – a drink maybe – but it got me out and into some cool places. And some nice crowds and groupies!
We did quite a lot of private house parties – usually pretty big houses and often told to help ourselves to the buffet and – only occasionally, the free bar -Steve was driving, but I wasn’t.
Did a few garden parties -often where they were not concerned with the noise bothering the neighbours -because there weren’t any for miles.
Also, a whole range of clubs – from small basements with one bar, small dance floor and some strange customers who didn’t dance much and seemed to be doing business, just kept our heads down and got on with it.
But occasionally the big places with four or five rooms, all with bars and a regiment of bouncers – sorry ‘security’
I grew to like most bouncers; the good ones saw their job as including looking after the ‘turns’ i.e. us. Even helped with the kit now and again.
But I have to say – that in some places they wouldn’t give you the time of day.
Top gigs – concert hall type venues with a stage and big open floor. We were often just support – there might be an event like an award ceremony or band – followed by open bars and dancing.
Glam Rock
Claim to fame – we did a gig at Edge Hill College near Liverpool – (it was then a teacher training college – now Edge Hill University).
We were the warmup for a Glam Rock band who were big in the late 60s – early 70s called Sweet –major hits – Wig Wam Bam and Block Busters – ground-breaking!
Must have been making money, because they had three roadies who turned up as we arrived and started the set-up of the band’s equipment.
Which I noted, including tuning all the guitars and the sound check -in my experience always done by the band itself.
They were friendly enough – obviously as long as we cooperated.
We knew our place – set up side -stage, where they told us to.
We accepted that we stopped playing immediately we got their signal (as rehearsed) for the band’s entrance – we would leave into the backstage – (shown the route -and stay there until the band finished.
Found out that they were arriving in a helicopter landing within walking distance and would burst into the rear of the hall through the open emergency exit and run through the crowd – with help from the roadies clearing space – straight on to the stage, pick up ready tuned guitars and into their set .
Then straight out the same way to the next gig that night -turned out they were doing three venues in one night, each one with its own equipment and support team. – grab it while you can!
But the real highlight of my show business career was the Main Tent at – Rawtenstall Annual Fair – let’s save that for another time.
Oh, yes – we had some lectures as well!
You have some great memories – those were proper student days – much more carefree than today.