Bass player Ron Drakeford begins his occasional reflective blog about jazz in Kingston-upon-Thames in Surrey. He and we would like you to contact us with any of your memories brought back by Ron’s reflections. Ron played with The Canal Street Jazzmen and Dennis Jones’s Preacher Hood Jazz Missionaries Band and then joined Bill Brunskill when the Missionaries were disbanded.
It was almost inevitable that Kingston, with its Arts College and Polytechnic (now a University) was likely to be a mecca for the jazz enthusiast. Within the town itself in the early fifties onwards, several venues became the predominant haunts of the student classes. Their patronage helped secure the lifeblood of the jazz scene there for many years.
The Canal Street Jazzmen circa 1958
Pete Webb (clarinet), Jim Susans (tenor banjo), Rob Davies (trumpet/cornet),
Brian "Dipper" Duddy (drums),
Ron Drakeford (bass),
Mick Hill (trombone).
Photograph © Ron Drakeford
Notable venues were The Fighting Cocks in London Road, The Swan in Mill Street (near the Arts College), a venue over Burton's the Tailors, always known as Burton’s and The Grey Horse in the Richmond Road. Later in the sixties The Railway Hotel at Norbiton became popular too. Other minor venues came and went notably the Jazz Cellar, the Jazz Boat (a converted Thames barge complete with sails etc) and the Commodore Club.
Of these The Fighting Cocks probably played the most significant part in the jazz scene as there was music there three to four nights a week at one stage. Burton’s was eventually to close around the mid-fifties as the venue was alcohol free. The growing trend amongst enthusiasts was not only to enjoy the music, but to enjoy the social activity associated with public houses - even if most of the crowd could barely afford a pint!
Probably around late 1955 to early 1956 I "found" the "Cocks" (as it was locally known) indirectly because of my elder brother – he was now into jazz and he used to frequent the haunt. 
It was a Sunday night and I found my way in, not through the pub (I was more than a bit underage), but by a back entrance which led to an open yard adjacent to the pub via some high double gates. A detached building, which was probably a former stable block was the venue. This building was about fifteen feet wide and forty feet long internally and was inhabited by the band at one end and about a hundred others crowded in and still finding room to jive. Amazing!
The Bill Brunskill Band outside The Fighting Cocks in 1964
Ron Drakeford (bass), Tony ? (clarinet), Bill Brunskill (trumpet), Bob Parr (drums), John 'Pedlar' White (trombone), Bill Skinner (banjo).
Photograph © Ron Drakeford
I paid my shilling and mingled. Bill Brunskill's Band was the resident Sunday night attraction. That first experience lives with me today, and Bill Brunskill was instrumental in helping budding musicians (myself included) along the way....
Sandy’s Barn was quite an appropriate name for the club at the Fighting Cocks, given the nature of the building. This club was born (so I am led to believe, as it was slightly before my time) out of the demise of the Bun Shop in Surbiton, regular players being the Jubilee Jazzmen. It was a great line up headed up by Dave Reynolds (trumpet), Dave Tomlinson (clarinet), Dave Cutting (trombone), Don Coe (banjo), Don McMurray (drums) and “Uncle John” Renshaw (bass). This band was later to form the basis of John Shillito’s band when Dave Reynolds became ill and Sammy Rimmington was later to join the line up.
I first heard the band with Sammy playing at the Commodore Club, situated above a boathouse on the banks of the Thames where the Hogsmill river meets the Thames. This was accessed via a narrow road along side the long-gone Odeon cinema in the High Street.
Sunday nights at the “Cocks” were always something to be anticipated as inevitably, apart from Brunskill’s resident musicians, there would be other aspiring players and well established musicians in attendance. All would get their chance to “sit in”. Bill was most accommodating. Grand finales were something else with last few numbers being played out with all musicians in attendance - assuming they could get on stage! Sometimes, an extra “front row" would be formed at floor level. Great stuff!
Names that spring to mind that were part and parcel of the scene then and were regular guest musicians, are the likes of Mike Peters, Neil Millet, Mole Benn, Mike Pointon, Dave Cutting, Bill Wilkinson, Jeremy French, Bill Greenough (who later became a band member), Les Allen (who also became a band member and is still playing). I am sure Geoff Cole was around too as he was (and still is) local to Kingston. Many more, I am sure readers will remember, that came for a blow. That was the nature of the scene, then.
Brunskill’s line-ups varied considerably over time, but in those early years the rhythm section was pretty much the same for a while. Resident and “borrowed “from the Jubilee Jazzmen were “Uncle John “ Renshaw (bass) and Don McMurray (drums). Bill Skinner on banjo was with Bill Brunskill “for ever”. The band played regularly on Sundays until the mid-sixties by which time they were relegated to playing in the bar because the landlord at the time decided to turn the “Barn” into a wine bar for his offspring to manage (Bad Move).
I, for my sins, was soon to take over the “second half” in those early days playing bass whilst Renshaw propped up the bar and downed his scrumpy. This was my apprenticeship. I knew nothing about bass playing at the time but I was not short on enthusiasm. Renshaw’s bass was stuck together with Araldite and excursions up and down the finger board made little difference in note (just as well!). I joined the band around eight years later, following the disbanding of Dennis Jones’ Preacher Hood’s Jazz Missionaries.
Kingston was well prepared for the jazz influx due to the American Forces having a base in Bushy Park across the river from Kingston. This was a great source of unheard of records on this side of the Atlantic, and some lucky people got to listen or get hold of copies. Regular dances at the base also served to enlighten the populace. Residents of 
Kingston and shoppers from nearby areas were occasionally treated to quite a spectacle of a marching band from the American base marching over Kingston Bridge belting out such well known chestnuts as “St. Louis Blues March” Great stuff!!!
Quite a few pubs in the town tried to put on jazz but did not really succeed, The Dolphin and Three Fishes were two examples as the regulars in those pubs were a different “breed” and did not really gel with the jazzers who were out for entertainment and not a punch up! The Grey Horse however was successful and looking back, maintained jazz content longer than the Fighting Cocks. The Grey Horse had a different approach, and that was to encourage different bands to appear, so quite a selection of bands appeared at that venue.
The Cocks had purely residential bands. From looking at the Grey Horse website (click here), they seem to have a mix of music still on offer and it would be interesting to find out
what jazz content is still available.
The Grey Horse, Kingston
Fast forward a couple of years and the new wave of young “talent” was beginning to emerge around the country (skiffle inspired?) and the Kingston area was no exception. I was press ganged into the Canal Street Jazzband by one Brian “Dipper” Duddy who is still drumming today with his Vintage Jazz ensemble. Brian went on to play with the likes of the Mac Duncan band and led the Georgia Jazzband which has been active on the scene throughout his life. Brian was replaced in the Canal Street band when National Service called, initially by Dave Preece and then by Lloyd “ Bumsey” Taylor (Lloyd sadly died in Australia a few years back and was still playing there with the Unity Hall Jazzband - a local favourite of vocalist Carol Ralph.)
After a short-lived jazz club experience at Weston Green, the Canal Street band took up residency at the Fighting Cocks on a Thursday night. This proved to be a popular evening with the student population in the area. Other venues were soon to spring up and the Canal Street band was often sought after to play. Notably at the Jazz Cellar, and the Jazz Barge. Both were short-lived affairs but had a quirkiness about them which appealed to the students.
Once the “Trad Boom” took hold, concerts were held at the Coronation Hall where 
approximately once a month bands such as Bilk, Ball, Colyer, Dick Charlesworth, Alan Elsdon, etc. entertained the folks. Needless to say the local Canal Street band was hired to complement the program on each occasion. This was great from our standpoint as usually there would be an invitation to join the main band for the last few numbers. Great experience!
Ken Colyer
News of the increased popularity from the student classes led bands from further afield to try the Kingston scene. Keith Smith and his Fron-Zi-Me Jazzmen set up residency in the Swan, Mill Street. This had been a venue for the Continental Club so was well used to musical evenings. It was well located also for the Art College, so one would have thought it would be successful. It was for a while, but again not too long lived.
Benefit nights at the Cocks were held on a few occasions for the likes of Punch Miller and Kid Sheik and other New Orleans musicians (click here to listen to Kid Sheik on trumpet playing with Captain John Handy on alto). The Thursday Canal Street club night hosted these and were organised by Barry Martyn. Typical benefit nights were played partly by the Canal Street resident band but the majority of the evenings were the province of guest bands and musicians. Barry had his Ragtime band at the time with a useful trumpet player (from Mill Street Kingston) Clive
Blackmore, and was very much in the Kid Howard vein, ably assisted by the late Pete Dyer on trombone. Other participating musicians were Norrie Cox with his San Jacinto band and Keith Smith’s band, renamed The Climax Jazzband by now. (This later reformed when Keith turned Pro and became the Confederates)
The likes of Mike Pointon, John Dix, John Coles, Bill Cole, John Boddy, John Rodber, Alan Day, Gerry Green, Gerry Card. Dave Evans, Ron Rumbol, Eric Flood, Neil Millett, Roy Maskell, Brian Rutland, Jim Holmes and Barry Johnson amongst other were regular contributors to these evenings and of course were well attended. The proceeds were appreciated by the New Orleans recipients. Indeed Barry Martyn still talks fondly of those evenings to this day.
Towards the end of the fifties and beginning of the sixties, and with the advent of Rhythm and Blues becoming popular with the younger generation, many of the local musicians of that genre were inspired to some extent by the jazz scene and took inspiration from it.
As far as Kingston was concerned, the likes of Eric Clapton, Keith Relf, Paul Samuel-Smith were present and would have congregated initially in the yard between the hall and the pub itself at the Fighting Cocks. Hence it is widely thought that this was the origin of the name for the Yardbirds.
Frequent followers of the Canal Street Band at their venues both at The Fighting Cocks 
(Thursdays) and The Swan in Mill Street (Fridays) took to playing during intervals to get that all important experience of public playing. Disputes at both the aforementioned public houses with the landlords at the time culminated in a move to the Railway Inn (Tavern?) at Norbiton.
The Yardbirds in 1966 -
Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Keith Relf, Jim McCarty & Chris Dreja
By now the Rhythm and Blues brigade both following and musician-wise were gathering in strength and the move to Norbiton proved to be the spring board for the Yardbirds and Eric Clapton. (Click here for more about Eric Clapton and the Yardbirds).
By now the Canal Street band line up had changed as Dipper Duddy was away on National 
Service, replaced by Lloyd “Bumsey” Taylor on drums. Pedlar White had taken over trombone duties from Mick Hill who had now joined the Riverside band at Eel Pie Island. Rob Davies had departed to Norrie Cox’s San Jacinto band and his duties were taken up by Lennie “The Lion” Williams on cornet. (Click here for more about Eel Pie Island).
Eric Clapton
Pedlar was to show Eric Clapton some chord changes and he made some bottlenecks for Eric out of wine bottles for him. The two, along with a long time friend “The Vicar” became quite close. It was a great time for both the traditional jazz fraternity and the emerging Rhythm and Blues followers. Both under one roof at the Railway, the joint was jumping. Vicar was to move Canada later and write his “memoirs”. I have a set of excerpts from his manuscript which cover this period that make interesting reading and describe the origins of Eric Clapton’s “Slowhand “ tag.
I have just come back from holiday and today (23rd September 2011) heard that an old “jazzer” friend, Barrie Evans, has sadly passed away. Our thoughts go out to his family and especially his wife Sheila who is equally enthusiastic about the music. Barrie was well known 
around the jazz scene from way back, even at Eel Pie Island when the Ferry was still the only means of access for the public. Some of his old associates went on to make successful careers in jazz music. The names of Bob Dwyer, Keith Smith, Dave Evans and Barry Martyn come to mind. Barrie will be sadly missed. To that end and to jog a few memory cells, this month I have included one of my old club membership cards, which some of you still have tucked away no doubt.
I mentioned last month Eric Clapton’s “Slow hand” tag. This came from Vicar’s memoirs (papers left by 'The Vicar' - see earlier episode) which is still being studied for usable content. Apparently it was Lennie Williams who coined the name and Vicar heard it initially from Lennie’s mouth at a gig when Eric was playing at Coronation Hall in Kingston. Lennie at the time was cornet player with the Canal Street band. From that day the tag stuck!
As an aside, and probably more relevant to this website, is my first encounter with the Sandy Brown Jazz band. I was studying together with our website’s host Ian at Wimbledon when I heard 
on the grapevine that Sandy Brown was playing at my old school fairly soon. I thought that was rather odd, but made some enquiries. The story was 99% correct. The band was to appear at Kingston Day Commercial School, which was, in effect, the grammar wing of Hinchley Wood School. I think I must have been about 13-14 years of age at the time, so that would have put it around 1954-55.
The concert took place in the main assembly hall of the school and my recollection is that all of Kingston Day Commercial together with Hinchley Wood Secondary School’s pupils and staff must have been in attendance. It was absolutely jammed packed, spilling out into the corridors. Needless to say it was a successful evening, and both Sandy and Al Fairweather blew a storm, backed up by a great rhythm section and Bruce Turner to boot, if my memory serves me correctly. Sadly that was one of the rare appearances in our neck of the woods at the time. Future encounters with the Fairweather-Brown band meant a way to travel, but always proved worthwhile.
A chat with a neighbour here in Sussex, who was born in the same village I grew up in (small world) and who also has a keen interest in Jazz, led to another mutual acquaintance, one Brian “Dixie” Dean. Dixie came from New Malden and was well known around the Kingston, Eel Pie Island, and environs scene. By a mere co-incidence he also happened to be Head Boy and captain of our
school soccer team (Pelham County Grammar). (Ken Tree, who attended the same school, adds: Dixie was a hero of mine, I played as a 13 year old for the 15 year olds on a Saturday, to make up the numbers I guess, Dean was playing and we beat this private school 13-0. To me that team should have represented England against Hungary!).
Brian 'Dixie' Dean
Brian went on to play with many established musicians and took up photography following his musical career. A couple of years ago Dennis Jones, trumpet player with the San Jacinto Band led by Norrie Cox (and later the leader of Dennis Jones Preacher Hood’s Jazz Missionaries) asked me “whatever happened to Brian Dean”, well, his photographs of the Rock and Roll world are commercially available and you can read his story by clicking here.
Nice to hear from Don Coe and Alex Revell (click here), and I have also been in contact with Yvonne Fowler whom Don mentioned as living next door to the Fighting Cocks pub. Don and Yvonne have been communicating with an exchange of photos - let’s hope some may be forthcoming. The line up of the “Jubes” as mentioned by Don is pretty much the same as I recall but with the exception of the bass player. Uncle John Renshaw was playing bass the first time I encountered the Jubilee band, and I hazard a guess that the 'Don' mentioned on bass by Don Coe could have been Don Smith, if the band was playing at the Mike Daniels club. Don Smith was playing with the Daniels band and the Jubes may have borrowed him.
I left my last part of the story with the emergence of Rhythm and Blues coming to the fore on the Kingston scene in the early 60’s and the winding down of jazz at the Fighting Cocks. The Brunskill Band left the 'Cocks' around 1966 and Bill set up a residency at the Lord Napier (Thornton Heath) and was to continue there for probably 25 years. The Grey Horse was then destined to be the jazz venue in Kingston and they presented a wide variety of bands, mainly from the London area, including local bands and musicians. To some extent the venue took over from the 'Cocks' as the premier jazz club in Kingston, and still holds a variety of music there to this day, including jazz.
Brian Duddy formed the Georgia Jazz Band, probably around the mid 60’s (following the break up 
of the Canal Street Band) and played regularly at the Grey Horse and also at the Southampton pub located outside Surbiton station. Another local band to emerge that is still playing today was/is Brian White’s Magna Jazz Band, regularly featured at the Grey Horse at the time. Brian White went on to professional status and still frequently tours the clubs. He also set up a residency at the Berrylands Hotel on a Thursday and has been playing this for many, many years, with many more to come we hope. (In 1989, Brian and Alan Gresty played a Tribute To Muggsy Spanier concert which was recorded live as 'Muggsy Remembered' and the three CDs can still be found on various internet sites - the line up was Alan Gresty (cornet),
Brian White (clarinet),
Geoff Cole (trombone),
Goff Dubber (tenor sax),
Alan Root (piano),
Tony Bagot (string bass) and
Graham Scriven (drums) - ed).
It must be said that the majority of jazz played in Kingston in the 50’s/60’s was on an amateur/semi-professional basis. The only venues to feature professional bands were the Kingston Empire where mostly big bands played, and the Coronation Hall where the likes of Colyer, Bilk, Alan Elsdon, Dick Charlesworth, Terry Lightfoot etc. entertained the faithful. Fortunately, Kingston was well situated being close to Richmond, Hampton Court, and Twickenham, where other great venues had been established. This enabled residents from all around these areas to find jazz on most nights of the week. Personal favourites of mine were The Thames Hotel at Hampton Court (Thurs/Fri/Sat and Mondays at one point), Eel Pie Island (Sat/Sun), The Crown at Morden (Tues) and the Queen Victoria North Cheam (Sun).
Keith Smith and his Fron-Zi-Me Jazzmen had set up camp at Sunbury Cross and were well attended. Keith later branched out and opened a club at Raynes Park. The club was in the strangest of places, namely a wooden shed in a field up Grand Drive. Aptly named “The Shack”, but short-lived as I recall. One of Keith’s more successful clubs was to come around the late sixties / early seventies, and that was the Madingley Club over on the Twickenham side of Richmond Bridge. About that time, I was to take leave of the scene as I departed for Australia, and upon my return in 1973, I found the scene had been severely decimated, which was sad but not totally unexpected.
I would like to say a few words about some of the characters on the Kingston Scene in those '50s and '60s as quite a bit has been said about the musicians. Without the support of the followers, there would have been no scene.
During this period the Fighting Cocks had three sets of landlords and landladies. Initially there were George and Daisy who drummed up business with Scrumpy cider at six pence (old pence) a pint. When Dennis and Joan took over, they tipped all the Scrumpy down the drain saying 'we are not selling any of that in our pub'! They were great supporters of the music though and it flourished under their reign. Then there were George and Mona. Jazz was not really their scene but they sort of tolerated it, and sounded the death knell at the “Cocks” when they decided to turn the hall into a wine bar for their kids to run. The band was then relegated to the bar which meant that the darts enthusiasts missed out. What a shambles!
Amongst the regulars at the “Cocks” was Arber, an older person by our standards and a collector of all things Oriental. He had a younger “friend”, Philip, and most of the time propped up the bar. Arber was also an avid Colyer fan and many an after-hours session with the records was held at his place in Raynes Park - more often than not with musicians in attendance after a session at The Crown in Morden. I can recall giving Ken Colyer a lift back to Hounslow on more than one occasion following such an evening. Arber had dyed black hair, waxed moustache, and always had snuff and a silver-topped walking stick with him. Unforgettable character!
Other early names included Peter Pratt (no not a joke!), a trainee butcher in Esher at the time. His normal garb was corduroy trousers and desert boots or hush puppies, the essential Tattersall check shirt and cravat. He was a keen jiver, if only on the slow numbers!
Another keen jiver dressed to kill was John “Don” Donachie, Don usually wore the regulation bohemian double knit jumper together with tapered and dyed khaki drills courtesy of the Toggery in Eden Street. Don played a left-handed, home-made guitar with the Barons Skiffle Group, with Dipper Duddy on drums.
And then there was Joe Jonkler. Whatever happened to Joe?. A short Jewish (we think) lad who had great pleasure in the after-pub hours get together at the Kenya Coffee house. I have heard it said that Joe took the idea of those railway station gizmos that stamped out letters on an aluminium strip, and turned it into a hand held device known as the
Dynotape.
Brian Bailey is sadly no longer with us. He was the local “taxi”. Brian had a Willys WW11 jeep and it was not unusual for a dozen or so of us to climb aboard for a late night session somewhere. Often under the Banking at Brooklands Race Track with the Canal Street on a Saturday night / Sunday morning!
Many of the followers are still around. I have already mentioned Yvonne and John Fowler and Austin and Angela all of whom made such great contributions in promoting jazz. (Thanks to them for all their efforts). Their good friend Mick “The General” Brocking kept us all up to date with the latest record releases. Mick worked in Dobell's music shop in London. Mick is still with us and listening (he has also made some contributions to this story lately). Mick’s close friends Ray Ring and Lawrence Beisly (now no longer with us) were amongst the longest followers of the Kingston jazz scene. Then there were Brian “Butch” Butcher and his wife to be Jen, lovely couple. They are now living in Hersham and still keen Jazzers
Not a jazz regular, but certainly a Kingston character was ‘Wolfy’ Wartman. Wolfy was a larger-than-life car dealer, often seen propping up the bar. His brother Bob was a keener enthusiast and married Diane Watts mentioned below. They are still keen and still jazzing, I last saw them at Hayling Island at beginning of March at Pete Lay’s Sinah Warren Festival.
I would particularly like to mention Bob Watts. Bob was a lifetime jazz enthusiast who died in March. He will be sorely missed. Bob was the eldest of the Watts Family and he no doubt had some influence in introducing his sisters Sylvia, Diane and Christine to the Kingston jazz scene in the mid fifties. Bob was the joker in the pack and always had a gag or a story to tell. Those who came into contact would never forget him. Our thoughts go out to his widow Maureen whose sterling efforts kept Bob on the straight and narrow during their time together. God bless you Bob it was a pleasure knowing you.
Peter Webb writes:
'I was very interested in Ron's article. My name is Peter Webb and I am the clarinet player in the photo, and one of the founder members of The Canal Street Jazzband. I haven't seen Ron or any of the band for over 40 years now and it would be great to hear from any of them again. I live in Basingstoke now and I haven't been back to Kingston in a long time.
I understand that the Fighting Cocks has gone now which is a shame as I had some good times there. I remember playing at the Commadore club on Boxing night 1962. The Yardbirds were our supporting group, and just as they started playing there was a power cut and all their guitars fell silent, so we had to get back on stage! When we finished at one in the morning and came outside, twelve inches of snow had fallen and I had to dig the car out - those were the days !
(Peter would like to get in touch with any other band members who remember him - contact us if you would like us to pass on your email address).
Mike Walmsley also had memories stirred by Ron Drakeford's article.
'Ron Drakeford's article reminded me of how much good trad and dixieland we had in those far off days in that area. Sunday nights we had Bill B at the Fighting Cocks or occasionally, if we got a lift, Mike Daniels, Acker, Alex Welsh or Kenny Ball at the Queen Vic in Cheam. Tuesdays was the Riverboat with a band led by Neil Millet; Thursdays at The Thames Hotel in Molesey (Ken Colyer); Fridays (Mike Daniels), Saturdays (Sonny Morris) - all for a couple of shillings!'
'I like Ron was a part time musician, benefitting from the 'banjo mania' and remember playing a pub on the Middlesex side of Kingston Bridge with Tony Vincent at one time , though I ended up my undergrad days playing with Terry Pitts. Let us not forget that just down river there was the famous Eel Pie Island in its pre R&B days.'
Happy memories.'
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