Nostalgia

I won't start waffling on in this section, because I tend to get very nostalgic, so not to bore anyone too much, I will put a few thoughts from way back and if it jogs a memory or two, and I recieve some feedback, it will be a bonus.

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Anyone remember the "Ricky Allen Set", who were the resident Mecca band at the Cats Whiskers ( formerly the Locarno ballroom), Burnley, in the 70's? We had caberet every Friday & Saturday, I think we were also resident in the Princess Royal under the culvert, my god it was a lovely pint! Those were the days. (Absolutely Wizard!!!)

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Then there were the Grafton rooms with Ricky Allen in West Derby, Liverpool, grab a granny night! I think it was a Monday and was always a good night & packed out. They used to say if you didn't score on a Monday night, there was something wrong with you!

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"Nelson Imperial ballroom" with the "Astoria" in Rawtenstall were the two main venues in that area. The District blues co. was a regular group to play the Imp up until it burnt down. I wonder if anyone remembers any Sat night at the Imp. I can recollect the driver of a green Commer van at Brierfield asking directions. It was only the Rolling Stones, that was in the really early days, before I started playing there. One of our favourite groups at the Imp was "David John and the Mood". With the "D B Co" we were support to many big names. Engelbert had a no 1 with "Please release me" when he appeared, and i remember we came off stage after a 45 min session, and Engelbert was backstage as the stage turned and i tipped my tenor sax up and put my spit all over his purple velvet jacket. He was ok about it, it was dark so i could not see a thing. Then there was the night when we were on the stax show, which included "Otis Redding, Booker T and the MG's, Arthur Connelly,(sweet soul music)", to name but a few. Yes we had some good nights at the imp. Before we played we used to meet at the "Sparrow Hawke" Wheatley lane, this was before the breatheliser was invented.

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I wonder if anyone remembers the "Manor Blues Club" at Thornton in Craven just passed Earby after the level crossing,(before Beeching). Walt Olyphant, a brilliant blues guitarist & bass player ran it every Sunday night in the late 60's. There was also the late Jack Ash, who did one hell of a rendition of stormy monday & cc rider etc

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I love the beautiful countryside around Burnley, there's the Pendle country with its picturesque villages like Roughlee, Downham, Barley etc, and of course my favourite spot called Heasandford, please don't ever change this special place, with its rust coloured river Calder, (or is it the Brun), I reckon someone will put me right on that, and not forgetting the Bluebell wood further up the river. We used to go dirt tracking along the river bank on our push bikes, long before mountain bikes were invented, this was about 1960.

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I'd love to know if anyone can recollect 2 owls that were resident in a tree in Thursby gardens on Melville street Burnley, in or about 1955. They appeared there every winter for a good few years.

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