The song 'Imagine'

What's wrong with praising our own shores for holidays and taking holidays abroad, too Greatnan. Isn't that something that lots of us do? I am still discovering parts of Great Britain and could spend the rest of my days doing just that, but I want to see the rest of the world, too.

If I was mega-rich, I would have a home in San Francisco and one here and move between the two.

Going on about how wonderful your land of birth is is a regular pastime for many people. Sadly, for some people it is often only when we live further away that we can look back at our country and see that it's not such a bad place, after all.

Regarding living in your own home town, I remember responding to my teenage daughters' request to 'take us to see Mark Owen's house, mum - pleeeeease!' As I was driving to Oldham and they knew whereabouts his house was, we stopped by. There were hoards of teenagers being moved on by the police, someone with a loudspeaker announcing that no Take That group members were currently in the country, but on tour, and that everyone must move on or be arrested for disturbing the peace. The poor neighbours were trapped in their houses and cars were at risk of damage because children were sat on them. He moved soon after, to the outskirts of Oldham, then moved again. It must be very difficult to stay in your home town when fame and adulation become so intrusive.

I thought it was perfectly obvious that I was referring to mega-rich people who could quite easily afford to live in their home town, but prefer to live in America. Fine, if that is what they want, but why go on about how wonderful the land of their birth is?

And I wonder how many of the people singing the praises of taking holidays in Britain actually jet off to sunny climes themselves? Stephen Fry, for example.

pompa I used to go to Battersea Park I remember seeing Aker Bilk there and maybe Geno Washington! Also Wimbledon Palais. Still love live music.

anagram Hendrix was pretty tricky to see from inside the fences too! We got so wet we spent last night in a B&B room at a pub in attempt to dry out. Not sure where I told my parents I was but they did not know I was camping with my boyfriend (now DH) at IoW festival!

penny your dad had good reason to like the sentiments of Imagine.

Slightly off subject, but I hate Disco's. When we were courting ( we met young ), we would never bother to go to a club, dance hall or even a pub unless there was a live band. We still do search out the live bands, however good or bad they are. During our courting days we used to go to the Royal Ballroom in Tottenham at least twice a week, as I remember Tuesday was ballroom night and Saturday was a big band, Johnny Howard and a rock band, Jeff Rowena. We also used to go to the Ilford Palais, Baslidon Locarno (following Dave Clarke Five).

There were so many up and coming bands in the 60's that are now famous.

My Dad aged 12 was strafed in an Essex field, aged 15 helped dig his first girlfriend out of a bombed building in the east end , she was dead. Obviously saw many other "horrors" at that time.

Interestingly some 20 years after the war one of his best buddies was a German Prisoner of war who had married a local girl and stayed in England.

Later, before the "Troubles", my parents moved to Northern Ireland where the company Dad worked for had built a new factory.

My parents were in NI for 15 years during some of the worst of the "troubles". Any religion they may have had disappeared.

"Image" was one of my Father's favourite songs - mainly for the works "image all the people living in peace" and it was played at his humanist funeral. So it is quite moving to me.

Yes, me! Although we were too poor to buy tickets on the hillside and he was a bit of a pink blur!

jeni misread thought you'd put plug! Anyone do Isle of Wight...Jimi Hendrix?

jeni pugs are adorable much more attractive than Mick Jagger.

Reminded me of a pug!

I always thought Mick Jagger had a wrinkly kind of face, even in his youth, but when you see the others - even Keith looks like a schoolboy....(sigh!)

Are we talking about the same Rolling Stones? In the 60s, they were fresh-faced boys who now look quite conservative in their dress and demeanour when we look back. I saw them several times when they were in their 20s and they never looked ancient. They do now, but that because they are the same age as our generation.

www.cameronward.com/commentaries/rolling-stones-the-photo-xxl-the-rolling-stones-6214887.jpg

greatnan, your comment about people not romanticising the place they have left as "If it was that bloody good they would never have left." seems rather unkind. My brother in law talks longingly about his home town of Belfast but even after 30 years would not consider going back there to live. As a Catholic who served in HM Forces it is just not worth the risk, not just to himself, but my sister too. People there have long memories. Please don't tar everyone with the same brush.

And I thought I was the only person alive who can't stand this drivel!!

The Rolling Stones haven't changed very much - they always looked ancient!
I got a shock when I watched a repeat of Morse and saw how young Kevin Whately was when it began. Somebody remarked on TV that the 60's were nearer to the First World War than they are to the present day!

anagram and we still are..at least on the inside! It is always a suprise to me when a musician I have lusted after liked appears on TV and he is old..how did that happen!

What every teenager dreamed of Anagram - pulling the guitarist!!

Thanks for that link, whenim! Yes, I remember many of those names - Roger Eagle actually moved to Llanfairechan in North Wales, where he died, sadly, a few years ago. I went out with Mark Stone briefly! And I knew Julie(t) Begley very well...her sister and I went to school together. Gosh, how young we were

In my first two years of teaching, I had to listen to Radio Luxembourg on a Sunday night so that I could keep up with the pupils who would always try to catch me out about the latest hits.

I expect it was an accident!

Radio Luxembourg was so hard to tune in!

(I thought you'd remember the Johnnie Ray one Greatnan)

I remember Johnny Ray and 'Cry' very well - in fact, it is on one of my many CDs of 50's and 60''s hits. My first record was Blue Moon by Elvis and my dad sat on it - he said it was an accident. He used to make us listen to The Palm Court Orchestra on Sunday evenings, but my sister and I would listen to Top Twenty from Radio Luxenbourg (208) when our parents were in bed. We kept detailed records for a couple of years.
I like The Carpenters, but it makes me sad to hear Karen singing 'We've only just begun', knowing she died so young of anorexia.

I wish I'd been a bit more northern.

Now you've got me started Anagram! I remember the Magic Village - I only went a couple of times, think I got diverted by a new boyfriend.

Here's a great link - there's loads about the 60s Manchester Clubs on this website:

www.manchesterbeat.com/venues/manchester_cbd/magicvillage/magicvillage.php

I think this is the first real pop song I can remember. Anyone else remember it?

johnnieray

Oh, I remember the Twisted Wheel, whenim! We also used to go to the Magic Village - a bit of a dive, but such an atmosphere! Those were the days...