Photos: courtesy Leonie Reid

Here are the photos promised to me by Terry Wilkins, via Leonie Reid. I never had the pleasure of meeting Leonie as she had embarked on a journey to the UK just.

Dave Miller "Hi Lynne, Dave Miller here, thank you so much for letting me share Leonie's photos, it was a very emotional experience for me looking at photos of my friends that I hung around with from the age of seventeen. It sure brings back a lot of fond memories whilst at the same time its very sad that some of those friends are no longer with us. How incredibly young they all looked.  Mort's brother Ham Fist (Michael) and seriously is that the same Phil Wood I went skiing with two weeks ago, he'd be pretty safe in a police line up (lol). Lyn Carrick and Carolyn Smith (the Beverly Hills girls) whom I first met at the Folk Attic (their names are on that letter from Howlin Wolf) and of course Veronica Wellman and Leonie who were like sisters to me (as if I didn't have enough already - 4) and rescued me from over indulgence at the many parties at 294 South Dowling Street. These were the formative years for me as a teenage boy and I felt privileged to have shared it with such wonderful people.

I'm inspired to dig through my photo collection and send you anything of interest that I can find and happy Birthday for tomorrow.   love Dave "

Leonie, Mort, Unknown, Michael 'Ham Fist' Fitzgerald,
Is that Anna?

Derek (harp) and Marilyn Robinson

Leonie, Bob McG, Derek, Marilyn

John, Vronx, Terry Wilkins, Leonie Reid and Little Gulliver

Les Proctor, Swannee, Bob McGowan, Wally Mudd

Mort Fist and Phil Wood

Terry, Phil and Anna

Unknown, Leonie, Mort

Frank Cayley

Mort

Wally

Leonie, Vronx and Mort

Lyn Carrick, Veronica 'Vronx' Wellman, Carol and Leonie Reid

Lyn, Carol, Leonie and Vronx

Lyn Corrick

Veronica 'Vronx' Wellman

Ross J Waters

Mort Fist and Terry Wilkins

Mort and Terry

Dave Shultz

Veronica Wellman and Bon Scott

• Red called last night Nov 24, 2010 and said he thinks this photo was taken in a pad in Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo .. Lynne

Reunion: Manly Jazz Festival

Reunion Manly Jazz Festival

To view all Manly Jazz Festival Reunion photos, double click on this image (to return to this post, click arrow on top left side of screen).

Let's not beat around the bush, eh! The reunion was successful and the meeting culminated in an overwhelming flourish of strings, horns and kazoos.  From the onset the venture was dogged by rain and gusty winds, the crew trickled in and out over the three days, wandering around attempting valiantly to make the best of it despite the weather.

Dave 'Sons' Miller and Ross J Waters OBH

My brave bookends appropriately geared for the stormy weather, were a marvellous support to me throughout the long weekend at the MJF.

Manly Wharf Hotel: Bracing myself for new arrivals   ADD PHOTO

.. here's my old friend from Berry Street, Little Judy Miller and her partner Phil Colson (Foreday Riders,  Colin Hay Band). Phil was well prepared for the rain,  formidable in his dri -as-a-bone, Judy remarked that I  looked exactly the same as in Berry Street, she obviously neglected to bring her spectacles? Roving guest artists The New Orlean Wanderers were next to 'appear' Peter Anson with jacket slung over one shoulder and banjo t'other looked exactly the same as the first time I saw him outside Surf City .. I too had neglected to bring my spectacles.  No, seriously except for extra padding and snow on the rooftops we  all looked exactly the same!
Next to make an appearance was the inimitable Terrence Darmody. 

We  arranged to meet Peter in a side alley off the Corso on the Monday .. he had opted to quit his 'roving' and stay put, true to form there he was,  avec his brass section (have names will put up later), we volunteered to be rent-a-crowd. Old favourites were enjoyed including, of course,  Leadbelly.

Dave, Ross, Terry and I went  to search for Tony Burkys .. Terry wandered off and I became nervous, my intuition was telling me that Terry was a 'necessary ingredient' and must not stray. How right I was!  

When Terry returned to the fold, he was excited  having just seen the Jugalug String Band, Philthy  D and Chris Blanchflower.  I managed to get a few shots off  before  Peter and the boys accompanied by Terry on harp broke into "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" .. ahh now tears were near. Must have a ciggie.

I  glanced up and there was Terry and Peter side by side ..  where's your camera girl??!!  Dave's big fat head was in the way so I jumped up on the bench.  God waved his hand, things just started happening - down the alley came John Mackey and  his partner Yuki on tambourine they took up their positions alongside Terry as if prearranged .. then to top it off down the lane, strumming his guitar came Tony Burkys in all his glory.  The lady seated beside me remarked that she could feel something strange and then asked, "what's happening,  they seem to be really enjoying themselves?"

"These guys used to play together in their teens 40 years ago .. and the jam was not prearranged." Terry, by this stage had whipped out his kazoo, Peter had began doing a little two-step, rasping away with gusto, and the grins on  their faces .. just priceless.

Later, Tony Burkys remarked that he was strolling by the lane and heard the kazoo and said to himself that could only be one person .. Terry Darmody. Much merth when Yuki whipped out her kazoo  and matched Terry with an impromtu call-response routine.

Judy and Phil

Ross J Waters and Terry Darmody

New Orlean Wanderers

Amazing backdrop eh!

 War .. an old style barber shop and a psychedelic window

A meeting with Jeanne Lewis at the Piccolo Bar, concluded my week. 

ROYAL NATIONAL PARK - PHOTOS Keltic Ken Adams

Sadly, I regret to say Ken Adams passed away ..

'when I was in Taylor Square (67-68) Cecil Whitty was the proprietor of Whitty's Wine Bar. (I think he used to be a boxer ... and Joan was somewhat younger than him. After I returned Stateside, Joan sent me a t-shirt commemorating their new venture Adam's Apple ... Ken Adams'


These photos were taken by my good friend Keltic Ken Adams, a Taylor Squarian in the 60s. Photos include: Wally Mudd, Charlie Watts, Bill Lockrey, Mort Fist, Terry Wilkins, Swannee, John A Bird, Bob McGowan, Keith, Marilyn and Derek Robinson .. and more .. any comments on 'who is who' would be most welcome

'Hi Lynne ...you don't know me, but I was just looking at your blog with my jaw almost dropping to the floor --- I was THERE: Taylor Square, Whitty's, The Oxford Hotel -- 1967-68!!! I was a goofy 15/16 year-old Yank who was big for his age, so I got to booze it up with the older folks. As I saw the pictures of Wally and the rest, I almost thought I was looking at a world that, 40 plus years later, only existed in my faded memories. I remember Wally and others playing the joints in the square (remember the names 'German John' and 'Swanee'?)...my brother was/is a fellow they called 'Dirty Big Dingo'. Who knows, we probably crossed paths some Friday and Saturday nights from Whitty's to the 'chew & spew' then across the street to The Oxford . , Thank you, Lynne ... what a blast to see and read about a community I got to be a part of...WOW! My family returned to the States in August of '68, but I still dream of the day when my feet will again walk on the streets of Sydney (my late mother was born in Paddington, so I'm bona-fide 1/2 Aussie).Thank you again, Lynne...I'd love to stay in touch with you from here in Central California. Blessings .. Ken Adams"



'Sometime in 67-68 I compiled a list of bands I knew about ... Ken Adams'

REDO

1967 Whitty's Wine Bar


Wally Mudd-harp/Tony 'Mort Fist' Fitzgerald-jug/Terry Wilkins-bass (foreground)


This was Terry's first 'gig', what an historical photo!


Starving Wild Dogs Piano Band @ Whitty's June 3, 1967


Wally Mudd, Mort Fist and Terry Wilkins

June 3, 1967 The Sons of Agamemnon

The Oxford Hotel with Swannee-12 string/Rod Jamieson-bass

or Waldo Hayes

June 3, 1967 Swannee and Jill at Whitty's Wine Bar

L to R Sue Lockrey, Bill Lockrey and Keith

Outside the Chew and Spew




June 3, 1967 Bill Lockrey at Whitty's Wine Bar

June 3, 1967 Bill Lockrey at Whittys Wine Bar

Sat. June 3, '67 Derek and Marilyn Robinson's Wedding Reception at Whitty's

NATIONAL PARK

In 1968 Cec and Joan Whitty chartered a bus to the Royal National Park

1968  Charlie Watts (far left)

1968 'Nasho; Michelle, Mick Scotland, Hamburger Joe's brother
Joan Whitty's Southern Exposure

1968 Swannee and John A Bird

1968 Swannee  at National Park

Terry Wilkins 'Hi Lynne, Great job on bringing this whole scene to life. The photos from Whitty's of Mort and Wally have me as the guitarist in the foreground. It was my first 'gig' of my career. I have not stopped playing since that day. T......'

Allannah 'Hi Lynne, Fantastic to see those 'Nasho' photos - as I recall that event was a 'psychedelic' picnic, I'm surprised anyone was left standing. There were bands playing under the Sun etc. Thanks for posting the photos - I don't recognise anyone else though Red might. Bye for now from Allannah Wooloughan'

Ross J Waters wrote: 'I didn't quite recognise Terry from the early photos, but was thinking the face looked familiar.Your blog & sites have been a fantastic trip down memory lane. And Red's song about Wally & Paul almost brings tears to my eyes. It so sums up what the Taylor Square days were all about. I've played a lot of gigs in many different bands on both sides of the world, but those days & venues were the best.I well remember the bus trip down to the National Park in 1968. I think I was still on crutches after my bike prang, & I took along a girl I'd met in the hospital. She was pretty "straight" & came from the upper North Shore. The next day the Sunday Mirror did a front page story on the drug-addicted crazies & their psychedelic love-in in the Nat. Park!! My breakfast was interrupted by an irate phone call from the girl's distraught mother...I had a lot of explaining to do! Hope all is well with you, Regards, Ross [J Waters]' 

David McDermott 'Hi, My name is David McDermott and I came across your blog whilst doing a search for Terry Wilkins, I went to the same school as Terry in western Sydney and also knew him when he played with Quill in Darlinghurst, cannot for the life of me think of the name of the joint! Is Phil Jones of the Unknown Blues fame on your page? I have "If I had a Ticket" MP3 as well as the Python Lee Jackson song that Rod Stewart sang the lead. Oh what memories .. David McDermott."