what's happening

News from ourselves or others exroadies we know about
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Dominic
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Re: what's happening

Post by Dominic »

Chris S-S wrote:As in the Richmond and Twickenham Times headline
" Hippies dance naked to the sound of live groups"
I don't remember any bands playing in the open-air, where it might have been witnessed by a local journalist. Although there is some evidence in this photo that it might have happened once, at the back of No.7. There's no band in the photo but there is a drum-kit.
patio door No.7.jpg
patio door No.7.jpg (87.67 KiB) Viewed 9783 times
Was that the day when we built that banquet table with the, tripod legs and the matching bench? I vaguely remember Jeremy standing on the table, carving up a roasted lamb with an axe, or something. Can anyone refresh our memories with more details / stories.

The star-dome and the table were made from the same batch of gash timber from a house being demolished in Station Road. If I remember rightly.

I didn't witness LB up a tree, blowing a bugle, wearing leather shorts. Bazaar image! - it seems feasible but not in that photo. - I didn't see any naked dancing either. - Did anyone??

I do, however, remember a day on Eel Pie Island, after a period of hot weather, when there was a sudden heavy downpour, about a dozen people immediately stripped off and danced naked in the rain. - I was too insecure and embarrassed (chicken) to join in.

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Chris S-S
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Re: what's happening

Post by Chris S-S »

Hi Dominic
I didn't witness LB up a tree, blowing a bugle, wearing leather shorts. Bazaar image! - it seems feasible but not in that photo. - I didn't see any naked dancing either. - Did anyone??
You are confusing a story about Grosvenor Road in the Richmond and Twickenham Times with a need for truth

As I remember this party was fairly early in GR history and there was a band playing behind No 7 Gary was also playing a bugle from time to time but in the privacy of his own room and not as an early warning system or up a tree.
Chris
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Joviale
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Re: what's happening

Post by Joviale »

ok, i'm in a bit of a rush but i must says something.
So there was a party, pretty big i remember, with bon fires food, things, and live music, (i'll post photos later), it was as i remember in automn and you will see on the photos that we were fully dressed because of the cold. Andy was playing the drums, i don't remember the names of the others. I'll have a look at weed's website as i seem to remember seing a copy of that article somewhere, probably there!
I think that party was the first big one we had in GR, and that it was somebody's birthday, i don't think mine cos it was a bit cold for mid-september.

And the buggle, yes, fond memories of being woken up at any time of the day or night, the only thing i hated more was bob's gong, right on top of my head also at any time, but preferably at night.
Any way, that buggle was heard often enough for malevolent souls to imagine it was some sort of advance warning, which it was really... of LB arriving!
(all this of course has nothing to do in "where are we/they now, shall i move it?)
If i can't dance to it, it's not my revolution

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Dominic
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Re: what's happening

Post by Dominic »

I had my tongue in my cheek when I wrote that. I know how newspapers trade in truth for a more sensational story. As we might do sometimes for a slightly less depressing story. I was just trying to provoke some response, which I got, - thanks folks!

Jo, I don't think you should move it as there is a thread going back to Carol B, telling us where she is now.

What about the party with the banquet table. Was that an event? Did Jeremy really stand on the table to hack-up a whole sheep,? or did I dream it?. Maybe there are people out there who remember that. Who have pictures or stories. They could also tell us 'where they are now'.

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Joviale
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Re: what's happening

Post by Joviale »

I still think the part of this thread starting with carol's recollections could find a better place in who lived where but that's me being "psychorigid" again!
So well i have here a couple of photos taken at the (in) famous party, already scanned. I have a couple more not scanned yet, with the pile of food in the downstair room and a couple of french people who where there at the time, although no connection with i or olivia, wearing big coats, if i find a minut i'll scan them as well.
... and the band playing, i recognise andy, can't remember the name of the others who played then, any idea?
... and the band playing, i recognise andy, can't remember the name of the others who played then, any idea?
Attachments
the rest of the instruments (so not just a drumkit)
the rest of the instruments (so not just a drumkit)
7Back1.jpg (163.31 KiB) Viewed 9781 times
If i can't dance to it, it's not my revolution

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Weed
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Re: what's happening

Post by Weed »

there's a mix up here between a 1973 (?) party held at the back of No 7 (see drum kit pic) and a very large party in early summer 1976 held towards the end of Grosvenor Road in June (?) 1976

the large party had street band Burning Sensation playing at the back of the Wasteground, and a cooked lamb (roasted on a spit by Chas using a charcoal and sawdust fire) -- i can remember the party quite clearly, including music and conversations

there were lots of visitors, including some who were squatting in Richmond, one of whom was extremely rude to invited journalist Martin Walker, who nevertheless wrote a magnificent half page article about the GR squat and its history which was published in 'The Guardian' later that week -- not sure whether i've got the article myself, but i think Angie may have a copy of it -- she and Bill had been to see MW a few days earlier to try and get him to write an article about the looming eviction -- (Martin Walker, one of the UK's top investigative reporters, went on to establish an international reputation as a journalist, broadcaster and author of books dealing with current social and political issues - amongst many other activities, he's currently Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of United Press International)

PS re the local press, tho the 'Richmond and Twickenham Times' were generally negative and often biased in their reporting (twisting the facts and sensationalising), other papers were more reasonable -- the Middlesex Chronicle tended to be neutral, but had a couple of good articles (i can't remember the name of the reporter... was it Angela... or Marie?), and in the case of the Surrey Comet a series of articles by Phil Cooper were very supportive, again despite paranoia about the press from some of the squatters

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Dominic
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Re: what's happening

Post by Dominic »

I have a couple of spurious time markers in my head that tell me that the big banquet table and bench were made at the same time as the dome. There was a building being demolished near The Albony and we salvaged a load of timber from that. I seem to remember there being a party then with a roasted animal. That must have been before mid 75. :confused:

I think I missed the party with the band at the back of the wasteground. There's a photo in 'forum' 'who lived where' - 'topic' 'wasteground' where there's a makeshift canopy. Was that the stage? The dome had been and gone by then I think. :?

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