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06/22/2008

Comments

BroadgateGnome

He occasionally helped out local teachers. I think on the LEA scheme for peripatetic teachers that was one of the flagships of Socialist Coventry. I dont think he actually taught classes, rather was involved with the qualification side. It may even have been completely unofficial. After one visit to Woodlands , there was suddenly another 10 bands on the estate.
Living In Coventry in those days made sense for travelling to shows all over the country.

HOBO - Coventry Music Magazine

Thanks for that BG - interesting. Pete Chambers also mentioned that he and Bob Brolly interviewed Bert Weedon for BBC Radio Coventry programme 'Pop into the Past' and on page 35 of Pete's book Godiva Rocked to a Backbeat Pete writes -

"Bert Weedon was Briatain's guitar pioneer and his 'Play in a Day' tutorial has inspired millions of budding musicians to pick up the guitar. I contacted him about living in Coventry and he replied, "Yes we did have a second home in Allesley, Nr Coventry for some years"

HOBO - Coventry Music Magazine

In fact on the same page of Pete's book I've just noticed a comment by Roy Harrity of the Vendour Twins in 1962 that reflects the BG comment -

Roy says "One night we were at the Bamber Club on Foleshill Rd, guitar legend Bert Weedon was there setting up and he heard us warming up. He must have liked what he heard because he asked us to back him. He lived in Coventry at the time, Allesley way I believe so it was easy for him to go to gigs all around the country. So he told us what he wanted to play and gave us our cues and off we we went. He was good enough to sing a picture of himself."

BroadgateGnome

I wonder where he was calling his " first" home, Ealing or Florida?
Just browsing through some mags from those times.  A lot of his work seemed to be in the North west clubs or the South coast. Theres a smattering of Brum gigs but very little in London.
One of the old Cov bikers used to tell a story about a bunch of them giving  Bert a cavalcade escort back from Watford gap one night. I think it had become a bit elaboarted i the telling over the years.
It easy to forget just how important a change the M1 was to the music scene especially in Cov. And  dont just mean looning about at the Blue Boar all through the night. The Matrix was really in a vey good position for  cashing in on it.
P

HOBO - Coventry Music Magazine

Yes the M45 from Cov and the M1 were opened in November 1959 - good point about this important change - it is easy to forget the developing infrastructure that facilitated the cultural developments.

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