This is not one we would normally add to the site but as it settles the argument on whether the Rolling Stones did or did not perform at The Outlook Club in Middlesbrough we have relented on this occasion. The clipping was supplied by Brian Swales and is reproduced with the kind permission of the Evening Gazette. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
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Hi. I am at present writing a book on music venues of the 1960’s and artists that appeared. Can anyone tell me what was the exact date of the opening of the Outlook Club in 1963,and what date it closed? Any info will be very much appreciated. Thanks
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I remember being at the kid club first night getting the open top bus back at Middlesbrough Town Hall we got off and the bus driver told us he was going to Berwick Hills not to Stockton as most of the other bus travelers wanted, no problem to me I only lived I’d Stamford St off Borough Road.
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I was there that night. There was probably no more than a couple of hundred of us crammed in there. In 2003 my son went to a Stones concert in Downsview Park, Toronto, and the estimated crowd was 490,000!
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I asked this question a few years ago but never had a reply so I thought I would ask it again. Does anyone know when John McCoy opened the Outlook Club and when did he start booking acts at the Kirklevington Country Club?
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The Young Outlook Club was owned by The Imperial Tobacco Co when it opened in 1963. I was fortunate enough to win the contract to design the club and all that went into it! Long John Baldry was the opening act, which was a substitution for the Beatles that was originally going to be there, but they had another Gig and cancelled. John McCoy was also their at the opening, but was not employed there.
Maureen Travers, formerly known as Maureen Rogers from Darlington.
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Wasn’t Owen Yarwood the Int. Design lecturer from M’bro Art College also involved in the design process of the club?
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I was responsible for all aspects of the project. Owen Yarwood was my Textile and Design teacher at the time. He was enlisted as Facilitator and supervisor of Design along with Joan Haswell, my Stained Glass Lecturer. Together they gave valuable and objective criticism of the visuals in morder to maintain a cohesive theme when several of my fellow students contributed the mural designs for the alcoves. Everyone was paid out of the design budget.
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Hi, just had to set the record straight, I was employed by Imperial Tobacco Co. in June 1962 to manage the Outlook Project, Chas Tennant was the main contractor. I briefed him to dig out the existing cellar to facilitate a cellar club based on ‘Jazz Shows’ in 100 Oxford Street, Chris Bailey is correct… I briefed Owen Yarwood, my former lecturer when I attended the college of Art in ’58, then in the Crescent, Linthorpe as to exactly how I wanted it to look and we decided it would be a great project for the college students providing they stuck to my brief which is where you guys came in… as the manager of the club, and record dept., yes of course I was there… The Beatles were not booked for the opening night in fact but for several weeks later, they did cancel as they secured a recording contract and were in EMI Studios… a substitute date didn’t take place as with a hit on their hands they transferred to ballrooms venues and appeared at The Astoria, Wilson Street much to my chagrin, so there you have it… de facto…
John McCoy, 24 July 2017.
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1963… started Kirk June 1965…
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Just to show how this appearance by the Rolling Stones was highly unusual in being so far from their normal ‘gigging’ schedule around London, here’s the venue list for that same week back in July ’63;
10th July: Twickenham, Eel Pie Island
11th July: London, Scene Club
12th July: Twickenham, Eel Pie Island, ‘Twickenham Design College Dance’
13th July: Middlesbrough, Outlook Club
14th July: London, Ken Colyer Jazz Club, Studio 51
14th July: Richmond, Crawdaddy Club, Athletic Ground
15th July: London, Ken Colyer Jazz Club, Studio 51
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I remember seeing The Who at the original Purple Onion in the 60’s.
I’m a Darlo girl, but Stockton and Middlesbrough were always our weekend haunts. I remember seeing The Who at the Purple Onion in Bottomley Street and the Beatles at the ABC Stockton. I was in front row at Jimi Hendrix in Darlo Imperial Hotel. But The Kirk was always the best Thursdays and Sundays, we had to hitchhike from Darlo to get there. Great days.
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Hi Maggie, I am writing a short story based largely at The Purple Onion and McCoys, deadline end of this month! (July ’18). I started a thread on Facebook on the ‘Memories of Middlesbrough’ page and had a really good response; some of the names I see on this thread too. The beginning of the story is likely to involve The Who playing at Mccoys. Would you be willing to share any personal memories you have of that night, in particular? Or any other stories specifically about the Onion (in 1967, to be precise). I am not sure if you joined the thread I mentioned above, I am about to go through the whole thing again whilst writing the first draft. If it’s too much to share here, I am willing to give you my email address of ‘phone number! No probs if you can’t or don’t want to add anything.
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Good to see Barry Faulkner on here…at last! A 16 year old ‘face’ at The Outlook (and even the ‘Twisted Wheel’, Mcstr) way back then and still to be seen locally, though more often in Stokesley these days. Barry picked up ‘the baton’ of John McCoy in central Middlesbrough in the early 80’s, some years after after John moved out to The Kirk and at the same time, went into the management of singer Chris Rea. Local lad Dave Rea (now living in Brisbane, Australia) and Barry, managed, against all odds, to negotiate a lease and drinks license for the former Young Outlook basement ‘club area’ which had been used as a confectionery/tobacco warehouse, i.e. ever since the store closed in 1966. This club/bar ‘Ossies’ was then followed by his solo-projects Blaises Club, Charlie Parker’s Bar, Faulkners Bar (a former Grade II listed bank) and Dempsey’s Bar. His efforts culminated in him taking over the huge former Middlesbrough Empire, a building which had morphed from a Vicwardian music-hall, into a late 50’s/early 60’s cabaret club, thereafter becoming a Mecca Bingo-Hall for nearly 30 years. His ‘investment’ in this magnificent, iconic Grade II listed building, at first as a ‘super-bar’, then later as both a UK and International ‘staging’ venue for DJ’s, musicians and bands across a broad spectrum, not only preserved the building, but established the town as major entertainment destination nationwide. A status, the Empire continues to maintain under Barry’s son, Barry Jnr. and his partner Ashley Wem. Though now ‘retired’, Barry still has an eye for what is trending in the bar and club world and given the right option, would probably set up yet another small-bar where people of a similar lively mind-set and an appreciation of great music, could once again gather.
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Have I eventually found you? You disappeared. Barbara Waters
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Happy birthday Chris! …where are you now?
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Good reading!! After speaking to Mr Bailey earlier in the day.
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Great times with Mick Iley, Terry Eaton, and of course Barry Faulkner.
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Just a note to add to Chris Bailey’s comments on Jenny Kehoe. I knew her younger brother John – Johnny Kehoe. Johnny’s father was Commander Kehoe – ex Royal Navy – and he is buried in Nunthorpe Churchyard. Johnny’s other siblings included at least one brother who was an opera singer. I hope Johnny [sounds like Ronnie] didn’t end up mumbling around the streets of Middlesbrough though he certainly had an intellectual disposition.
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Is Chris Bailey the lad who designed the Kirk’s membership card, and DJ’d at the club. It must be as he worked at the Gazette and I remember him as a really nice bloke. I still have one of my cards which is hidden in a draw along with my Twisted Wheel card. Although it’s now nearly 40 years since I left Teesside I remember with affection nights at McCoys and the Kirk,in particular The Steampacket. Unfortunately they never made an album together, but a collection of demo tapes has been compiled by Munster Records on a 10inch disc ‘The First Supergroup’. It was Chris who gave me one of my favourite tracks ‘The Entertainer’ by Tony Clark, I play it to this day. I also spot the name Tony Hargan above, and I remember a small room at the back of the lanes at Redcar Bowl – we had to walk alongside one of the lanes to get in. I liked that – and associate the place with a ballad by Little Anthony and The Imperials, ‘My Love Is A Rainbow’.
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Ref: Mark Wier. John Rogers was the owner of the former Outlook premises at that time. The vacant basement premises, which had been used as a Confectionery/Tobacco warehouse after the Outlook closed in the mid-60’s, were leased by Barry Faulkner and Dave Rea in the early 80’s and re-opened as ‘Ossie’s Bar’. Later,this partnership split and Dave Rea then later ‘sold’ the Bar lease to John Rogers, before he emigrated to Australia in 1986. It was a surprising purchase by John Rogers as the building was already earmarked to be demolished for the erection of the new Crown Courts building which stands on the site today. Whilst the ‘signed’ plasterwork (the stage wall also bore the ‘signatures’ of many other early ’60’s bands) may have been swept away by this development. John Rogers still owns the original Rolling Stones 1963 ‘signed’ contract (discovered in a discarded file) which had then later been displayed behind armoured glass in the Ossie’s Bar front entrance.
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Ref: Mark Wier. John Rogers was the owner of the former Outlook premises at that time. The vacant basement premises, which had been used as a Confectionery/Tobacco warehouse after the Outlook closed in the mid-60’s, were leased by Barry Faulkner and Dave Rea in the early 80’s and re-opened as ‘Ossie’s Bar’. Later,this partnership split and Dave Rea then later ‘sold’ the Bar lease to John Rogers, before he emigrated to Australia in 1986. It was a surprising purchase by John Rogers as the building was already earmarked to be demolished for the erection of the new Crown Courts building which stands on the site today. Whilst the ‘signed’ plasterwork (the stage wall also bore the ‘signatures’ of many other early ’60’s bands) may have been swept away by this development. John Rogers still owns the original Rolling Stones 1963 ‘signed’ contract (discovered in a discarded file) which had then later been displayed behind armoured glass in the Ossie’s Bar front entrance.
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The club ‘Manager’ at that time was John Rodgers, he was never the owner.
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The club ‘Manager’ at that time was John Rodgers, he was never the owner.
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Re the Rolling Stones at the Outlook. My Band the King Bees had a residency at the reopened Outlook in the 1980s. When plaster was stripped from the wall behind the stage during renovation there were signatures found underneath of The Rolling Stones. I remember them being very clearly legible, though I don’t know weather they were preserved in any way. The Clubs owner at that time was John Rodgers.
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Re the Rolling Stones at the outlook. My Band the King Bees had a residency at the reopened Outlook in the 1980s. When plaster was stripped from the wall behind the stage during renovation there were signatures found underneath of The Rolling Stones. I remember them being very clearly legible, though I don’t know weather they were preserved in any way. The Clubs owner at that time was John Rodgers.
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Wrong! I and few pals did all the work. Johnny Rodgers was not involved at all until about 3/4 years later.
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Is that Jackie Blythe, one of the finest administrators we ever had, in the Ev.Gaz. department known as ‘Creative’? Please feel free to ask the Picture Stockton site moderators for my email!
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jackie blythe (simons)
Completely getting off the subject is this the Chris Bailey who worked at the Evening Gazette in the early 70’s – graphic design dept
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I recall Mr Duffy as being quite a distinguished ‘gent’ who knew an awful lot about tailoring, or what was known as ‘bespoke outfitting’ back then. He also worked at Dormand Stewart’s a largish store on Linthorpe Rd that specialised in high-quality clothing , especially rainwear (it was the owner of this shop that gave Stewarts Park to the town in the 1920’s). Ged, Mr Duffy’s son, being a gifted bass-player, later went on to form popular local band The Videos in the late 70’s. Sometime later, he then went on to hold an executive position at Peter Gabriel’s ‘Real World’ recording-studios in Wiltshire.
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“WE SHALL HAVE RAIN” was their motto.
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Yes I do remember him, if I remember he was brought in as manager when the store was in trouble. I think he was Irish.
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I think you maybe right about the Keogh’s I am sure she lived in Gunnergate lane. (I have not lived in the Boro since the day the Outlook closed so am a bit rusty ) Outlook was such a fantastic project… We had a hairdressers from London I think called Richard Henry who specialised in the haircut like Twiggy’s and another of Macoy’s babies was the record department which was wonderful as many of the groups we watched went onto record so we all felt part of the scene —- John also set up the odd jazz night. He would sing and a chap called Brian Thacker used to play the piano. We had many of the top jazz bands of the day…. Jonny Dankworth., Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball and many others….. thought of another man on the door – Rocker Rowlands Chatting on line has opened up all the old memories of a fantastic time if you are reading this John, thank you so much.
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He’s referring to the ‘scene club’ not ‘the outlook’…
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I wonder if Beryl Thompson recalls a Mr Duffy working at the Outlook, in the Menswear dept?
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Yes I do I was only 17 and remember him as being quite grumpy
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Was Jenny’s name spelled Keogh,…or Kehoe? There’s a presence of Kehoe’s in my local Nunthorpe Churchyard, I wonder if she was related? On a more up to date level, there was a ‘street-person’ character that used to roam central Middlesbrough a few years back. Known simply as Ronnie ‘Kee-ho'(sic), he could be extremely funny and had quite an intellectual disposition. It was rumoured, somewhat sadly, that he’d been a solicitor in his former life. Talking of another local ’60s-chick’ who seemed to possess a certain confidence far ahead of their years, here’s another name, Jo Dale. I wonder where she ended up? I recall her as being quite a dancer and at that time sported a very sharp ‘classic bob’ hairstyle. I assume the Mr Tennant that Beryl Thompson speaks of was Brian Tennant who along with his wealthy father Charles (a locally based large Building Contractor) opened the KD Club at Billingham. This, no doubt after observing the success of the Outlook basement club area. He is listed on the copy of the ’63 ‘Young Outlook’ store-flyer that I have, as being a member of the ‘young-persons’ committee (a sort of ‘trend’ advisory panel). After the Outlook closed, Howard Mays, or as he was better known ‘Mazz’, stayed with John McCoy in a managerial capacity thru’ the Scene Club and then as the long-time manager of ‘The Kirk’. He left around the late ’80’s to live in Northallerton,(or was it Thirsk?) where I believe he opened a car-showroom and subsequently went into pub-ownership.
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Jenny came from a very talented family, not sure about the model agency and dont know Jenny Forbes I remember vaguely going across to look at a place in Billingham with Mr Tennent as he was opening a shop over there and wanted staff. I decided to go to London. I am meeting Georgina Leslie on thursday outside of Selfridges (we both worked there and the Outlook), I will try and gleen some information out of her but don’t hold your breath, I am the one with a mind of usless information.
Just had a thought, there was a man on the door, a great friend of John McCoy called Mazz or something like that. I was working in Northallerton a few years ago at Barkers and recognised him (see the usless information) he might be worth getting in touch with.
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Yes I too remember the Outlook and Jenny Keogh in the 60’s. Does anyone know Jenny’s whereabouts now?
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Absolutely fascinating recollections from Beryl Thompson! Didn’t Jenny Keogh (whom I recall as being a real ‘it-girl’ in the 60’s) go on to open a local modelling-agency? I’m also interested in whatever happened to Jenny Forbes who opened probably the areas first 60’s style ’boutique’ for women called ‘Target’ within a tiny converted street-house in Fletcher St, M’bro – just behind the old Corporation Hotel.
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I so loved reading all of the above. I worked at the Outlook in the daytime as the window dresser with Jenny Keogh and in the evening I worked in the coffee bar just selling hamburgers and coffee – no booze, we had to go to the town for our barley wines. Yes we did have the Rolling Stones playing there, I was working that night.Charlie Watts spent the whole evening in between sessions sitting in the walk in fridge. I also remember Jonny Dankworth playing there on the day his son Alex was born and him getting quite drunk backstage. I loved Cyril Davis and remember just how much he loved the newcastle brown ale. He usually had Long John Baldry in tow and on one occasion Rod Stewart was with him. It was a fantastic time, we saw so many groups who went onto be mega. When the shop closed 4 of us went off to London as there was no other place like it – Georgina Leslie, Olwen Craggs, Janet Catchpole and Jo Stokeled.
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Don’t forget there wasn’t any alcohol sold in “the outlook”.
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I remember the chipmunk crisps
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RE; Brian Swales above posting; You may like to team-up with Paul Delaplanque at the Evening Gazette’s ‘Remember When’ supplement on this one. Rather than wait until 2013 for the 50th Anniversary of The Stones appearance at The Outlook he’s considering a feature in the July edition of his supplement. I know you’ve done some sterling work as to archive research (i.e. the advertisement above) but I can distinctly recall ‘The Young Outlook’ (as the fashion retail store was originally called) having some rather large pre-opening press-ads appear in the Ev Gaz around 1962-3 which may be worth searching out.
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Does anyone know when John McCoy opened the Outlook Club and when did he start booking acts at the Kirklevington Country Club – better known simply as the Kirk.
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In respect of Henry Anderton’s posting above. Ooops!! You appear to have really missed out on that mid-70’s visit Henry. As for as Barry Faulkner & Dave Rea reopened those basement premises around 1984 (as Ossie’s Bar) they discovered ring-binders full of the original contracts (including The Rolling Stones) abandoned in a the back-office drawer. You’d have probably been given them free-of-charge back then. Certainly more transportable than chipping the autographed plasterwork off the columns and back wall of the stage! I believe local bass-player John Rogers has now possession of The Stones contract, which was still displayed behind armoured glass when he purchased the Bar from Dave Rea in 1986. The fascinating thing about it, was the fact that next to the fee-payment there was an acknowledgement of receipt to be signed by the ‘Group leader. This has been signed orig. by one ‘M.Jagger’, which has then been crossed out, and the name B.Jones signed instead.
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Also with that chris, a five pound sub signed by Brian jones. It was 1980 we opened. Ossies (named after my dad) it was a pleasure for me to go solo, the rests history.
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Many years ago as a young rep in the mid 70’s I called on a wholesaler of tobacco and confectionery that was situated in the old outlook buildings. I mentioned to the manageress that I went there as a younger man and she told me that the club was still downstairs and intact. The tables and chairs were still there as was the counter and coffee machine. What amazed me was that the backboard of the stage was still in place with all signatures of the bands that had performed there including The Stones, Hollies, Merseybeats, Searchers. I lived in a small flat and had no room for it but it would have been a talking point in a room. I always imagined an enterprising demolition man might have taken it and I half expect one day to see it on Antiques Roadshow.
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If it is the same May Brown (which I think it is) she is now living in London. I could probably put you in touch.
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Further to my posting on the night ‘Eric Burdon and The Animals’ appeared at the Kirk in December 1967; The group was not the original line up of Eric Burdon, Hilton Valentine, Alan Price, Chas Chandler & John Steel. Eric Burdon’s backing group at that time probably consisted of Vic Briggs on guitar/piano, Danny McCulloch on bass, John Weider on guitar & Barry Jenkins on drums.
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Eric Burdon did have a distinctive bluesy-rock voice back in the ’60s, possible because the genre was so new to our ears. Subsequently, that vocal style was adopted a lot more by many frontmen to rock bands that followed, local-lads Paul Rodgers and Dave Coverdale to name two. However Jean Vogler should beware, especially if her tickets for Eric’s appearances in N.Cal are expensive, for when I saw Mr Burdon in concert in Newcastle, a few years back, he was singing decidedly worse and possibly very much off-key. Regardless of this comment, I saw on TV recently that his killer 1965 rendering of ‘We gotta get out of this place’ has been voted ‘Most popular song’ by US Military personnel serving in years as far apart as the 60’s-70’s Viet-Nam conflict and the more recent Iraq war. His seminal vocal-status is therefore confirmed. Brian Swales’s posting above surprises me, for whilst I was at the Jimi Hendix appearance at The Kirk, I would have bet even money that Mr. Burdon & Co were well beyond playing mere club-gigs by late ’67. But, it was Chas Chandler, bass-player of The Animals who originally managed Jimi Hendix, and as a pal of John McCoy, booked Jimi at the Kirk for a £50 fee during his early 1967 U.K.’showcase tour’. Jimi also played The Imperial Hotel, Darlington (now a Joe Rigatonis Restaurant) on the same tour, where I believe someone stole his Fender ‘Strat’ guitar.
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Eric Burdon is still touring, and hope to see him in May in N.California. Another Northern lad with a unique voice. Last time I saw him was with his original band at the Globe in Stockton in the 60s. Do any of you remember going to the ‘Twisted Wheel’ in Manchester? It took till Midnight to get from Mbro to Manchester. People would get dressed on the coach and then dance all night. Saw The Drifters there ….Not sure it was worth the long trip when we had excellent clubs locally. Oh and best wishes to John McCoy – I hope his health improves.
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I also spent many great Sunday nights at the Kirk. As a matter of interest, Jimi Hendrix appeared at the Kirk on Sunday 15 January 1967, I know this because I looked out the Gazette advert for his appearence there for Stan Laundon’s forthcoming website page on the Kirk. The advert bills the appearence as ‘The Jimmie Hendrix Experience’! Another date was for Eric Burdon & the Animals – Sunday December 17 1967.
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Yes, I think we can all agree there was some great clubs in Teesside in the sixties and seventies. The Kirk was my fave especially when you had great bands like Alan Bown, Gino Washington, Jimmy James, The Peddlars, Traffic, Julie Driscoll, Chris Farlowe. I kick myself because I had a chance to see Jimi Hendrix, but he was on the sunday night and as usual, like a lot of us, I didn’t have any money left, plus I had to go to work on the monday.
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Followers of this thread might be interested to know that I’ve been having talks with John McCoy and working closely with him (and Alan Fearnley) on the history of The Crawdaddies and The Real McCoy. John hasn’t been in the best of health of late so progress has been a bit slow. We also plan to do more on The Kirk and other venues he was involved with.
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Mr McCoy’s Club ‘morphed’ out of The Outlook, via The Scene in a period of just 3-4 years. The common denominator of course being John McCoy, who promoted or owned all three. The other factor being that all of these venues were ‘unlicensed’, i.e. selling only soft-drinks. Probably the last ‘dance-music’ and ‘live-acts’ clubs to do so on Teesside. Being unlicensed, meant that it was perfectly legal for persons as young as 14 to attend on any given evening. In my own case, I was at a grammar-school which meant that ages 15-16 were all about studying for GCE’s, whilst my pals at Sec Mod Schools had already left school at 15, and were ‘earning a wage’. As a consequence, I couldn’t attend The Outlook quite as often as I may have liked thru’ 1963/64 mainly due to my ‘pocket-money’, and my Saturday-job wage, not quite stretching that far. However, I do recall that Peter Sibley was the undisputed ‘style-king’ at The Outlook. Being possibly 2-3 years older than most of us fellas and working in the Building industry, he always seemed to have the best ‘clobber’. As to Don Harris, Tony Gallacher and Barry Faulkner, (as mentioned by Jean Vogler above) all started, (to borrow modern parlance), ‘clubbing’ at The Outlook, before graduating to Mr McCoys in ’66. In fact I have an old b&w group-photograph, taken in The Outlook that shows Don, Barry and myself!…and Tony Gallacher, (onetime D.J. at Mr McCoy’s) called in to see me just last week! The Outlook ‘crowd’ represented the new ‘modernist’face of the early ’60’s, in a town populated by other young people committed to the Brylcreem jar, or the ‘beehive’ hairdo of the ’50’s. Their venue of choice, or gathering-place, being The Astoria Ballroom on Wilson St, M’bro. By contrast, I recall Mick Iley, (having worked ‘the season’ in Jersey with the early ‘mod’ Londoners), once or twice attending The Outlook wearing his g/friends ‘eyeliner’. Not such a big ‘statement’ these days, but in a drab, northern-industrial backwater, of over 45 years ago? Now that truly was ‘cutting-edge’ style.
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‘Brian Warne was here’ – I remember the day Brian died. His girl-friend was May Brown, a friend of mine in the 60s. Thanks to John McCoy for bringing the best music to Teesside. I remember seeing Eric Clapton at the KD and having to walk home from Billingham to Thornaby having missed the late transport. I remember seeing John Mayall, Julie Driscoll, Long John Baldry, Chris Farlowe, The Who and Geno Washington at McCoy’s, the best club in Mbro at the time. Some of the ‘In crowd’ such as Don Harris (who used to do a good impression of James Brown), Barry Faulkner, Tony Galisher (spelling?..) and others who’s name’s I don’t recall, all looking cool in their mohair suits. Great times and the best music!
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When the KD first opened just to the left hand side of the stage was a sand pit for the in crowd in their frayed bottomed bell bottoms (if you were really in, bells down the sides) to dance in.
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As to Gill’s question about Brian Tennents whereabouts, I understand he emigrated to Australia in the mid-70’s.
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As mentioned above, Brian Tennent was always ‘on the scene’ around Teesside in the 60’s and had been on the appointed ‘young persons’committee of the original ‘Outlook’ Club, an experience which no doubt prompted him, via his dad Charles, to open the Kave Dwellers Club at Billingham. As the son of a large, successful local Contractor / Builder, Brian always seemed to have a ‘few quid’ around him and whilst we, his contemporaries, were relying on public transport or second-hand Lambrettas to get around, he had a brand new MGB convertible (in British Racing green)that had in it an amazing ‘sound system’ that played 45 rpm ‘singles’, much in the fashion of a modern in-car CD player. I also have memories of that seminal ‘Otis Blue’ album. There was a typical ’60’s all night party held at a house in Brentnall St, M’bro,the year of its release 1965, at which what seemed like every 18-20 yr old from the ‘Outlook’ attended. Early next morning, I awoke on the sofa surrounded by other ‘bodies’ to hear the sound of that Otis Redding album repeatedly playing in another room, due to the ‘arm’ being left in the off-position, on the ubiquitous Dansette record-player. As I switched it off, I noticed scrawled on the over-mantle mirror in lipstick, ‘Brian Warne was here’. Brian was a pal of ours, and a bit of a ‘face’in the Outlook crowd. He had left the party earlier to walk his girlfriend home along the ‘Wilderness Rd’ to Thornaby.
Tragically, later that day, we learned that he had been killed by a drunk-driver whilst cycling home along the same road, after borrowing his girlfriends bike.
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I did go to the Outlook club when I was at secretarial college in Middlesbrough at Pickerings College by the Exchange as lived in Redcar. I did also attend the opening night of The Scene and saw the Rattles with a couple of mates. My late mother and late stepfather Nelson and Margaret Appleyard had some connections in the music world and we all got in without a ticket I believe. The KD club here in mentioned. My real father, a Mr. Ronald Walker, worked at Charles Tennent and they built the KD Club which I believe Brian Tennant ran. I recall going to see Zoot Money at the KD club one evening and then a few of us went over to Brian’s flat nearby and he played an album Otis Blue which I never forgot and rushed out to buy it. I did eventually buy a CD of it. I often wondered what happened to Brian Tennant. Seemed to disappear. Sad to say I do not get back to Teesside much as I have lived out here in Los Angeles for the past 25 years and a lot of family have passed on. Thanks for the memories all of you.
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Remember my cousin Brian Tennent going to Australia sometime in the seventies to work at Sydney opera house I believe
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Perhaps the final word, regarding the above appearance of The Rolling Stones at the Outlook Club lays with a website I recently discovered that compares ‘now and then’ U.K. prices. If, as John McCoy states in his posting above, the band were paid £65.00 for the gig back in 1963, this evidently equates to apprx £1010.00 in present day value. Similarly, the 10 shilling entry price (for guests)works out at around £7.80. I have copy of the contract that John McCoy (when later at The Kirk) received for another star in their ascendancy, i.e. Jimi Hendrix who was paid £50.00 in 1967 for his appearance there. This figure, apprx 3-years later, equates to a mere £677.00! That same year, I recall starting work at the Evening Gazette, and my first pay-slip shows I earned £10.00 per week….it seems that I was therefore on ‘good money’ aged just 19. Just where did it all go?
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I recall hitch-hiking up from the Newport Bridge to get to the K.D. Club on a fairly regular basis.We also used to hitch home afterwards. On one occasion I hitched up there with my pal guitarist Bob McConnell. Our pal Denny Chatto ,drummer with ‘The Firefly’s’who were appearing that night at the club,and in those halcyon student-days of being perma-skint, had previously arranged to ‘sneak’ us both in, via the emergency doors adjacent to the main front entrance which led to the ‘entry staircase’and cash-desk. We’d been waiting sometime in the cold for Denny to appear, when two ‘Teddy-boy’ type drunks,(who’d come out of The Black Horse’) and somewhat older than ourselves, started mouthing-off at us. Suddenly one of them pulled a huge kitchen-knife out of his inside pocket! Bob immediately took off one way, and being cornered, (and terrified) I then ran into the KD’s front entrance, bounded up the stairs, and kept going straight thru’ the lobby, past the Cash-desk and into the Gents. A few moments later the door swung slightly open, and the voice of no less than Mrs Tennant, mother of the owner Brian and matriarchal ‘taker-of-the cash’, shouted in the doorway ‘young man…you, I believe, owe me 3/6d!….I’m waiting’ The best laid plans, eh?
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And that would be my Aunt Doris, she was made of stern stuff bless her
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