What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Discuss the early days of the Club with the manager.
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What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by 13_temple_street »

‘What went wrong?’

I went to Tarleton Street
and lanes not trod these forty years
I muse on folk I used to meet,
Majorca grill and Chanticleer.
Espresso coffee barley warm
Yet to last an hour or so
A Chinese lunch for three and six
With Jewish boys their heads bent low.
Where are they now the ghost’s I see?
Sweet girls from Sheila Elliot Clark
Who dreamed their dreams o’er lemon tea?
How many ever made their mark?
There’s Malcolm Levy writing songs,
Geoff “Iron Door” Hogarth, Ivan Gee
A young reporter righting wrongs,
A laugh with Tarbuck (now Tarbee)
Tip-toe Pritchard, Sister Sue
The blonde from Andres, face aglow
AND Jimmy Harris, Brian too
The guy from Beaver Radio
A guy named Silver, yet sold gold
In suit and shirt from Hymie J.
“Gone to the States” I once was told.
Did he return as I today?
To just relive those heady days
When Paul and John meant names of Saints
As we retrace our youthful ways
What half lit canvass memory paints
The Bass house on the corner stands
A desert island in the way
Of yet another “BANKRUPT STOCKS” and “SALES”
That always “ENDS TODAY”
Now Marks and Sparks command the street
Where Jimmy Ireland once held court
Computer software, mobile phones
Where once guitar strings could be bought
Where did Jimmy Getty show us chords?
we knew we could never learn ,
where Canard cowboys fresh from sea
would blow money, so hard earned
Across the street, old haunt of mine
Dear Rushworths-closed,a century of time
Our city’s flagship for music, song
Please people out there
What went wrong?
ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by 13_temple_street »

Roger Planche was a member of the Cony Island Skiffle group, this group was a particular favourite of the original owner of the Cavern Alan Sytner, who invited them to perform at the opening night of the Cavern.
Peter( Hamilton Square ) may decide to chime in and detail some of the individual's mentioned, at least two names will be of interest.
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by hamilton_square »

Thank you for the invitation Geoff.
Indeed, nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
I went to Tarleton Street
and lanes not trod these forty years
And, less than a 10-minute walk from the Iron Door on Temple Street, via Victoria Street onto Stanley Street onto Leigh Street onto Tarleton Street.
Sweet girls from Sheila Elliot Clark
Who dreamed their dreams o’er lemon tea?
How many ever made their mark?
Refers to the young ladies of the long established Shelagh Elliot Clark School of Performing Arts – see ..

http://www.elliottclarke.co.uk/school.html
There’s Malcolm Levy writing songs
Fellow songwriter ‘Mal Perry’ as he liked to be known attended Quarry Bank School with John Lennon – see …

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... al-3426570
A laugh with Tarbuck (now Tarbee)
Reference to a young Jimmy Tarbuck before he hit the big-time as a stand-up comedian whose choice of material was not always to everyone's taste – see …

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ideos.html
The guy from Beaver Radio
(Liverpool) “City radio shop tunes out after 80 years in business” – see …

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... ut-3537072
A guy named Silver, yet sold gold
In suit and shirt from Hymie J.
Hymie J. or Hyman Jacobs was a bespoke tailor of high regard who I remember had a shop on Birkenhead’s Argyle Street.
Now Marks and Sparks command the street
Where Jimmy Ireland once held court
The ‘commanding’ Marks & Spencer’s clothing department store is on the corner of Church Street and Tarleton Street. While the late Jim Ireland was the owner of the Mardi Gras and Downbeat Clubs and also managed the Swinging Bluegenes and several other local groups.
Where did Jimmy Getty show us chords?
we knew we could never learn,
Gretty.jpg
Jim Gretty, guitar teacher and salesman at Hessy’s Music Shop – see …

http://www.triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/a-z/gretty.shtml
where Canard cowboys fresh from sea
would blow money, so hard earned
“Canard cowboys” – meaning those employed to sail back and forward across the Atlantic aboard such floating vessels of luxury as operated by the British-American Cunard Cruise Line Company.
Across the street, old haunt of mine
Dear Rushworths-closed, a century of time
Our city’s flagship for music, song
All things music and (if in funds) where I used to go on Saturdays to buy records.
RandD.jpg
Please people out there
What went wrong?
Nothing went wrong, that’s just the way it is, life moves on, things change.

How did I do Geoff? How many marks out of 10 do I get?
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by 13_temple_street »

the blonde from Andres, face aglow and Jimmy Harris, Brian too

Peter excellent reply to Roger Planche's poem of his experience of straying into his old haunts in Liverpool City centre returning after an absence of twenty years. Roger wasn't a poet or a writer, but his experience that day alerted him to write this poem "What went wrong". Peter not a word on the two brothers. Perhaps some footage of the young Jimmy Tarbuck maybe at the Royal Command performance.
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by 13_temple_street »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfFLZCdofl0

Coney Island Skiffle group 1955
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by hamilton_square »

13_temple_street wrote:Perhaps some footage of the young Jimmy Tarbuck maybe at the Royal Command performance.
It was 1964 when the then 24-year old Jimmy Tarbuck did his first variety Royal Command Performance, and a year after that of The Beatles. There's appears to be nothing on You Tube of the performance. The earliest video clip I could find was from a 1965 performance of 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium' - hosted by Tarbuck from 1965 to 1967 - of him doing a song-and-dance routine with Cliff Richard ...



To be honest, Jimmy Tarbuck was never my cup-of-tea, he just isn't in the same league as other great Liverpool funny men.
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by 13_temple_street »

Well I know what you mean Peter; regarding your comments on "Tarbee" I entirely agree, it's perhaps more pleasurable to remember him as he was in the 50s/60s.
I am waiting to read your missive on the two Everton footballers that should be worth waiting...!!!
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by 13_temple_street »

The doors to the Cavern opened at 7pm on the first night.
We went into Mathew Street at 6-45 pm and there was a queue from the Cavern entrance down to Whitechapel. We managed to get in with our instruments and we made our way to the band room at the side of the stage. It was already full of musical instruments which belonged to the other bands. At one stage I thought that there must be a leak in the premises above as water was pouring down the walls but it was caused by 600 bodies in close confinement. Roger Baskerfield ( of the Coney Island Skiffle Group ) passed out at one stage and he had to be carried over heads to the door to recover. We performed pretty well and we received £4 between us for our efforts. As it was impossible to get out before the last train to the Wirral it was all blown on a taxi


Roger Planche Coney Island Skiffle Group ..

This is Roger Planche's experience of the opening night at the Cavern. On that evening of Wednesday 16th January 1957, I was passing the entrance to Mathew Street in the dusk light all that was to be seen was a mass of bodies these were the people who were refused entry, what was unusual was the large Police presence and the Police Horses.
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by hamilton_square »

The blonde from Andres, face aglow
AND Jimmy Harris, Brian too
Geoff; thanks for the clue because to tell the truth I really wasn’t 100% certain if it was Everton’s Jimmy and Brian Harris being referred to. In my mind I couldn’t associate the pairing of two professional football [soccer in the US] players with the social scene of the time in and around Tarleton Street & Williamson Square.

Both from my side of the Mersey, the non-related pair of Jimmy and Brian Harris were indeed close team-mates for a while at Everton whose individual experiences at the club were to be as chalk is to cheese.

James “Jimmy” Harris (born Birkenhead 1933) was two years older than his namesake Brian and by far the more gifted and quality goal scorer of the two. He signed for Everton as a 16-year old but never got to play for the club until he was 21. At 18, Jimmy was called up for compulsory National Service. When he’d done his time, Jimmy’s father made him complete the final 12 months of his apprenticeship as a printer before he’d let his son sign pro.

I remember Jimmy Harris as a very speedy attacking player but like most sprinters he was plagued by hamstring and knee problems. Consequently, he was never really fully fit for any prolonged length of time. By the age of 33, he was more or less a walking cripple because of leg related injuries, the science and treatment of sports injuries being still in its infancy back then. The Everton club stats tell me that from 1955 to 1960 he made 207 first team appearances in an under-performing team, scoring 72 goals in the process. Upon finding himself surplus to requirements, due to an influx of new signings, the decision was swiftly made by the management to sell his services to Birmingham City. It’s my understanding that Jimmy Harris is still alive aged 84 and back where he started from, living in Prenton, Birkenhead – see …

http://toffeeweb.com/season/13-14/comme ... 27796.html

On the other hand, Brian Harris (born Bebington 1935 – died 2008) was a versatile and enthusiastic workhorse of a player who when called upon would gladly play in any position for Everton. If Brian Harris had been playing today he’d be what one would call a utility squad-player. From 1954 to 1966 he made 360 first team appearances, in god knows how many positions, for Everton scoring 29 goals – see …

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obitu ... 84894.html

Well-known as a changing-room [a locker-room in the US] character and joker, in the history of Everton FC, Brian Harris is fondly remembered for doing something spontaneously off-the-cuff during a crucial point in an all-important game that was captured in black and white for posterity.

The date: A May Saturday afternoon 1966. The place: Wembley Stadium, London. The occasion: The FA Cup Final. After trailing two goals to Sheffield Wednesday, Everton fought back to 2-2 late in the game. This was all too much for one over-excited Everton supporter who decided to mount a one-man pitch invasion in front of millions of British television viewers. Play was halted as the ecstatic fan was given chase by two of the boys in blue across the Wembley turf and eventually wrestled to the ground, both police officers losing their headgear in the pursuit. Brian Harris picked up one of the dislodged helmets from the turf and, in front of millions, just couldn’t resist doing what he did.

In two images below one can see the fan being chased and then detained by the two police officers (one of whom, by this time, had recovered his helmet) as Everton’s captain Brian Labone apparently gives the misguided supporter a piece of his mind with goalkeeper, Gordon West, moving in to lend possible support. While in the background (and to the left) guess who is the Everton player with the bare-headed policeman’s piece of missing equipment on his head … that’s BRIAN HARRIS for you.
Helmets.jpg
J and B Harris.jpg
Apparently, that wasn’t the only thing Brian Harris tried on his head for size that 1966 May Saturday afternoon according to the right-hand image above.

By then 33-year Jimmy Harris (pictured on the left) was a shadow of his former self due to the effect of injuries. Having been released by lowly Oldham Athletic (Oldham being a Lancashire town in the shadow of Manchester) he was to have one last roll-of-the-dice with Dublin-based, Republic of Ireland club, St Patrick’s Athletic but only reportedly lasted 6 games before deciding to call it quits and get a proper job. Brian Harris however, played on professionally until he was near 40 in the lower leagues with South Wales clubs Cardiff City and Newport County. He obviously loved playing the game. Settling down in nearby Chepstow when he finally hung up his boots. But Everton always remained a part of Brian Harris, for when he died in 2008 he was taken back to Everton in his coffin for the funeral service held at the Anglican Church of England’s St Luke the Evangelist – and, as can be seen from the photograph below, as close to Goodison Park as one can get …
loudone_15212_1358463302_497_v9oyb.jpg
Last edited by hamilton_square on Sat May 27, 2017 5:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by hamilton_square »

As it was impossible to get out before the last train to the Wirral it was all blown on a taxi
Could be sometimes a bit of problem for me also. Though, fortunately never ever had to fall back on the services of a late-night taxi to get over (or should it be under) the river. While I adopted the habit of never wearing my then, one and only, wind up Timex wrist watch when going out clubbing. I was petrified of losing it or having it damaged. Being that back then personal time keeping items weren’t cheap to replace or get fixed. Also, another reason for not visibly wearing a wrist watch was to stop others endlessly asking me the time the later it got. I would sometimes think to myself I’m the only one who knows the time 'round here. Nevertheless, I would have it securing tucked away on my person and out-of-sight in order to know when it was time to make a move.

Unless other return transport arrangements had been made then my usually preferred late night points of departure were James Street and Liverpool Central stations. And, being the considerate soul that I am, I would also take it upon myself to inform my companions of the approaching lateness of the hour. However, there were occasions when one or two of them were somewhat reluctant to accompany me due to being distracted by members of the opposite sex.

“What’s the rush - we’ve got plenty of time.”

“No we haven’t! Just leave her alone will you and let’s make a move. I’m not missing the last train because of what you pair want to get up to.”

“Alright then! Just give us a minute will you.”

That was usually our cue to burst into a couple of choruses of …

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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

Post by 13_temple_street »

Peter, entertaining insight to some of the characters mentioned in Roger Planche's "What went wrong" poem, like your good self Roger was a committed Everton supporter; I occasionally bumped into Jim and Brian Harris along with Albert Dunlop in the Royal Tiger in Manchester Street in the city centre.
The Chanticleer mentioned in Rogers poem was one of a handful of Chinese restaurants to spring up in the city centre, the interior walls were clad in heavy scarlet and gold flock wallpaper. On the opposite side of the road in Tarleton Street was the Majorca Grill owned by Stan Roberts and Jimmy Ireland also mentioned in Rogers poem.
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Re: What went wrong by ROGER PLANCHE 10/20/00

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13_temple_street wrote:I occasionally bumped into Jim and Brian Harris along with Albert Dunlop in the Royal Tiger in Manchester Street in the city centre.
Unfortunately, Albert Dunlop (born 1932 – died 1990) was not held in the highest esteem by the Everton faithful. He was made persona non grata and told, as an ex-player, he was not welcome at Goodison Park.

With a reputation for dubious honesty, I can remember hearing of the occasion when police, acting on information received, called at the home of Albert Dunlop one day to discover a hoard of ‘dodgy’ cigarettes in his garage. While through the jungle telegraph everyone got to know about it, behind closed doors strings were apparently pulled and the matter quietly forgotten.

However, what was not quietly forgotten were the revelations that appeared in the sensation-seeking newspaper, the Sunday People, in 1964 concerning alleged drug taking amongst Everton players during the 1962-63 Championship winning season of the old First Division of the English Football League. And, who was the source of these pill-popping accusations, non-other than Albert “Rent-a-Gob” Dunlop as he quickly became known ‘round Goodison Park. By 1964, Dunlop had been released by Everton and, seemingly short of funds, succumbed to the easy money ‘chequebook journalism’ had to offer.

The question of drugs in football, along with references to Albert Dunlop, being dragged up again in 2015, via the pages of the Liverpool Echo, when Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger, voiced his concerns on the issue. See …

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/fo ... e-10426058
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