Taylor Square in the 60s - blog: Graham Richards

Showing posts with label Graham Richards. Show all posts

Cremorne Revisited 2010

2010 (Oct) Contacted by Diane Willard

Outside Miller Street, North Sydney

We were kids, experiencing life, such wonderful memories 1964, New Year's Eve at Surf City Sue Toohey, Diane Willard and I met a crew of English migrants we were invited to their terrace house in Glover Street, Cremorne, and 'move in'. Keith Longman, Cliff Bowles, Barry Clover, Mick Adams, Patrick Crow . . were our hosts and parties and music dominated our lives. It was at Glover Street that met Denise Tsolakis, Sandy and Rhonda Nolan at that point they were living in a grand mansion on the Harbour called the Britannic. Denise and I had attended Darlinghurst Public School together!

Over the years there were many newcomers as the boys moved from Cremorne to St Leonards and finally settling in Miller Street, North Sydney with Rick Debenham and Malcolm.

Regular visitors were: Ivor, Roger & Sue, Dave Burrows, Twiggy, Dal (Del) Turner from Buffalo, Greg 'Bear' Hill, Jed, Sandy and Rhonda, Lucie Hedman, Margot Edwards, Noddy, Roma, Bruce, Zorba, Robin, Denise Tsolakis and scores more.

The 'boys' had travelled and settled here from the United Kingdom on The Big Brother Scheme .. there was always an abundance of males. Di and I brought along a succession of females friends and we partied religiously for the next few years. When Graham died, I drifted away and secured a room in a share house in Mosman Junction with Sue Toohey, Diane Willard, Denise Tsolakis, Tony 'Zorba' Bales, Elaine and Brian. This 'crew' partied for many years and drifted apart by 1970. We have had no contact since then.

My introduction to 'real' music: Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Leadbelly, Sonny Terry, Broonzy and Brownie McGhee, Dave Van Ronk and Donovan, At nights we partied to The Stones, Kinks, Manfred Mann, Beatles, Animals and Yardbirds. What an amazing journey.

Pat Crow was dying, and apparently, Sandy had been trying to trace me for several years. I am now in touch with Keith Longman, Sandy Adams, Rhonda Randall, Ivor, Robyn Baker, Lucie Hedman, Sue Toohey, Diane Willard and Denise Tsolakis.

"Hi it's me Shane Hannah, my mother is Denise Tsolakis and I have been trying to track you down for Sandy Adams .. I googled found the name Lynne Best and found you. My mum identified you I am great, married with three kids and just left Theological College to attend UWS to be a teacher of English and Ancient History. I am 41. Sandy is English and I gather was a mutual friend ... had a Greek boyfriend I gather. Do you remember my mum Denise? ... Shane Hannah"

"Hi Lynne!, I hope you are our Lynne from Miller St. ?? I feel sure you are the Lynne we have all been looking for over the years. I stumbled on your great 60s and beyond entry on the web last week and have just received this site from Sandy (Adams) Have much to tell you and would love to hear what you have been up to. Good to see you are living in one of my favorite areas, have been to Byron in particular, many times. love Keith Longman."

Hi Lynne, How wonderful it was to see the ‘Cremorne’ photos and all those familiar faces. Keith rang to tell me to google Barry Glover and in doing so your information came up, a real blast from the past. Robin (Longman) Wade

Hi there Robyn, isn't this just amazing! I was wondering if you ever hear from Kitty McDonald and Lorraine Radford? Gee, this is a surprise .. where are you living?

I have been writing for years now and recently contacted well over 100 musos from my days in Taylor Square, after Cremorne, . I organized a renunion at Manly Jazz Festival and that was unreal, with faces I hadn't seen for over 40 years all jamming together. I was exhausted and sat back to rest lol
Blow me dead this is starting to unfold. having heard from Keith, Sandy, Denise and Rhonda and of course my friend Sue Toohey. Also, am in contact with an old friend of Zorba's so have three photos of him.
Do you have any photos? .. of the crew maybe later down the track. love lynne

Photos courtesy Keith Longman

1964 Cliff Bowles, ?, Mick Adams and Graham Richards

Graham and Pat

'64 On the ship from England

'64 c.May

Graham & Keith

1966 Barry, Lucie and Robyn in Miller Street

'66 Cremorne 'The Crew'

1966 Keith & Robyn's Wedding

Graham, Cliff, Barry and Mick

See my original Post: My Graham

Mid 60s: Graham Richards

Graham doing what he did best, he was such a talented lad and we were all so sad to see him go. I have never discussed it and have mourned him for 30 years

1964 - The Beatles and Stones had arrived! Surf City had become quite a haven for 'mods' ... gone were the surfies ... Ray Brown and the Whispers had replaced Billy Thorpe. New Year's Eve 1965 I met Graham, he invited me to a party at Glover Street, Cremorne. My father restricted my comings and goings from our home in King's Cross, my mother had recently moved to Queenscliff.

'I'm going over to Mum's', I'd say, and headed north, to Cremorne.

When I arrived at Graham's, I noticed a pretty girl sitting nearby him, her name was Roma. To this day, I don't know their connection, didn't think to ask. I believed I had found my one true love and I developed tunnel vision. Graham it seems had been very drunk ('paralytic', in fact ) that previous night, and he had 'slept it off' in gaol, and I doubt whether he remembered me.

In the terrace house in Glover Street, resided Graham Richards (Cambridge), Patrick Crow, Barry Clover from Acton, Cliff Bowles, Mick Adams and Keith Longman who hailed from Essex. The boys had migrated here on the Big Brother Scheme.. I spent hours, days and weeks there, listening to, Dylan, Donovan, Leadbelly, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, BB King, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Big Bill Broonzy, Bo Didley, and my hero Dave Van Ronk. At nights we would party to the sounds of The Stones, Yardbirds, Manfred Mann's 'Five Faces', the Animals and the Kinks.

At times, I would sit under Graham's window and listen to him playing his guitar. I was 16 and I honestly believed (as I diligently copied every note) that once he heard me play, he would realize that we should be together forever. When I mastered Dave Van Ronk's "He was a Friend of Mine" I played it to him and he was most impressed .. "everytime I hear his name I just can't keep from crying ..". I followed this up with "Cocaine" and "Tell Old Bill".

I was young, Graham would be so pleased with me, we may even marry! Well, marry me he didn't, he took off with my girlfriend Margot, didn't he! Margot was a talented pianist, she worked in the desk next to mine in The Sales Dept. of the Sydney County Council. He would ring her everyday at 4.30 when finishing work at St. Leonards railway station. Still, I continued to be 'engaged'. I knew that one day he would come to his senses and return to me where he belonged.

Early 1966, the crew moved into Miller Street, North Sydney. Graham and Cliff packed up their gear and headed off to Western Australia .. I went to Central to see them off. Graham promised to post me a Mercedes Benz. I continued to visit his flat. On one such visit, Cliff opened the door. 'Someone here for you Lynne'. Graham was back! Of course, he had realized he had loved me all along. We officially became a couple, ring and all.

April, 1966, I was recuperating from my termination, I dreamed that I would spend my life with a one inch barrier around myself. No-one was able to touch me. I told Mum that I had a terrible feeling. May 12, 1966 Graham left his job at St Leonards station and secured a position at an advertising firm in Cammeray. I moved into a flat in Neutral Bay behind the Big Bear. I was so excited, this would be our first night alone; I prepared Risa Risa and waited his arrival. I must mention that I had neglected to boil the rice and the meal was rather crunchy. During the night I moved my bed over next to his, I may have been sleep walking as apparently I was painting the wall. 'Don't go, I pleaded He suggested that I spend the day with Robyn and Keith. I watched him through the window, he turned and waved, and that was the last time I saw him.

He was keen to form a band, and practiced with an old friends Twig, Greg 'Bear' and Dale Turner, from Buffalo, on drums. Graham played 12-string lead. Everything was beginning to happen for him. During the day, he phoned many times, no doubt looking forward to his next meal. I reminded him several times that he had to go to band practice after work.

May 13, 1966 Graham never returned, a victim at age 19 of a longhair bashing in North Sydney; he was chased and fell 20 foot to his death.

I wonder sometimes where these people are that chased him? I wonder if they know he died as a result of their actions? Losing him and our baby was a double shock, it was the beginning of my slow decline into the murky world of depression. Gloom was my life for many, many years. I found solace in my guitar playing, spending time jamming with Wally Mudd (Starving Wild Dogs)Note; He did some guitar work on a Don night and Day lounge advertisement, (this may be kicking around in some where!).