As my
latest book, Storm Clouds Gathering is set in 1965 I thought
it would be great fun to take a peek at that amazing era. This week the lovely Rosalind Adam joins The Hippie Shake
and shares some of the memories that represent that wonderful era, the 1960’s.
When
Pauline asked me if I would write a post about memories of the 1960s I knew
exactly which photograph I would centre it around, It was a picture of me
dressed all in black, black jeans, black jumper, my hair long and black and my
guitar hung over my shoulder. I’ve searched every album and every carrier bag –
and in my house there are many bags stuffed full of photographs. I’ve spent a
whole morning being nostalgic about my children when they were cute kiddies and
my dear little past pets, but I can’t find ‘that’ picture anywhere. Neither can
I find any suitable illustration of my life in the 60s. I suppose we didn’t
carry our cameras around with us then like we do now.
So
I shall have to describe my 60s life in words. Every week I went to De Montfort
Hall pop concerts. I saw every 60s star. I screamed at every top of the pops
performer. I queued all night and got tickets to see The Beatles when Mum and
Dad thought I was safely tucked up at a friend’s house. I’ve mentioned many
times about me chasing Mick Jagger, he hitting me across the face and me
swooning in response. When I wasn’t dressed in black I wore flowered trouser
suits with bells round my neck and flowers in my hair or tiny mini skirts that
were hardly wider than a belt. I knew the words to every pop song and the name
of every pop artist. I was obsessed with the music and the music was good.
But
looking back now I realise how innocent it all was. I never took drugs. I
wouldn’t have known how to get them even if I’d wanted to. For me sex was
something that only happened in comic stories. I’ve often wondered if the tales
of the wild 1960s were pure fiction or was I unusual – innocent and shielded
from reality. Maybe that wild life was happening on London ’s
Carnaby Street Leicester – not for me anyhow.
A little
more about Rosalind
I
have been writing professionally for ten years and was a teacher for over
twenty years. I am a wife, mother, grandmother and an obedient servant to two
oversized grey cats called Mabel and Charlie. I have lived and worked in Leicester all my life. I sometimes think it would be
interesting to live somewhere else but I suspect I would struggle to find
anywhere quite so exciting or culturally diverse. My Children’s History of
Leicester book is selling especially well since the discovery of Richard III’s
body under a Leicester car park and I have now
become obsessed with anything to do with Richard III.
A list of my Publications:
Books:
Children’s
History Leicester, Hometown World Publishers, May 2011, ISBN 978-1849931496
Bathtime
Rap, Picture book, Franklin Watts, 2008, ISBN 970-0-7496-7951-4
Jewish
Voices, A history of a community affected by World War II, English Heritage,
2009
Articles and Short stories:
Short
stories published in Yours, Woman's Weekly, Bella, Best, Take a Break, Chat and
My Weekly from 1998 to 2002
The
1950s Menu, Yours Yearbook 2010
The
work behind the project: Jewish Voices, NAWE Quarterly Summer 2009
With
Two Hats On: therapeutic writing workshops, Lapidus Quart. Autumn 2007
Birds'
Eye View; taking part in the bird count, The Lady August/September 1999
Rosalind’s
Links
21 comments:
Thank you for inviting me to your lovely blog. This hippie shake feature is excellent. Just my kind of thing.
Ah, the 1960s ... I went to university in 1968, so we discovered politics ... many thought we were foolish, but I learned so much, about how organisations behave, and how they protect themselves even if that means damaging people who work in them, and how power corrupts absolutely, and if no one stands up beside the downtrodden most are unable to stand up alone.
And we discovered sex, that was good too.
I feel like a baby here!Haha! I went to London with an aunt in 1967 when I was ten,we went to Carnaby st,wore flowers in our hair and cowbells around our neck.We went to Piccadilly Circus to watch the Hippies all standing around making peace signs,it was amazing.
Ros I'm so surprized you were so naughty,queuing all night? Lovely memories which I re lived through Pauline's book.
Hello Ros, it is a pleasure having you here and what a fab post you've shared with all of us. Thank you. xx
Hi Jo, thanks for stopping by and sharing some of your memories of the 1960s. Have a fab day.
Hi Jo, that all sounds very serious learning about organisations and politics but then you went and spoilt it by mentioning the S word! ;-)
Hi Anne, you had to mention age didn't you!! I may be older than you but I too walked along Carnaby Street with flowers and cowbells. What a sight we must have been!
Hello Anne, those cowbells! Thanks for dropping in and sharing some memories. Hugs xx
And you're very welcome, Pauline. It was fun. It's always fun to remember the 'good old days'!
I was in service throughout the 60s, so my hair was short, and I didn't fit in well, but I loved the music, and spent one memorable week in San Francisco on my way home from Vietnam. 1968. Despite the hair, or lack thereof, I wore bell bottoms, flowered huge collared shirts, and had my first marijuana high. Saw and listened to dozens of bands, including Janice Joplin! What a week!
Oh Hap! In 1968 I'd have given anything to be in San Francisco. We all sang the song.... Let's go to San Fransicso...
very fun post. They say if you can remember the 60s, you weren't really there. But it sounds like you enjoyed them. I envy you seeing Mick Jagger, et al up close and swooming. Very cool.
Hi Pauline and Ros .. the 60s - I was at school in Oxford, then the lowly secretarial college (useful now!) and setting out into the world ..flowery trouser suits, drugs there but not touched, music for a girl with no sense of rhythm! not helpful ... and a red sports car .. life was fun ...
Would loved to have had the chance to understand politics - Jo's course sounds fascinating - perhaps I'd have hated it then ..
Cheers those were the days! Hilary
So cool to learn more about you, Rosalind.
Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly
Hi Joanne, I've heard that saying and have to confess to remembering it all! *sober*
Hi Hilary, red sports car! Wow! I always wanted one of those.
Hi Shelly, thanks for hopping across :-)
Hello Hap Your first marijuana, I hope you enjoyed!
Hi Joanna, thanks for calling by great to see you here. :)
Hello Hillary, like Ros, whow a red sports car...!
Hi Shelly, big thanks for coming along and joining in the fun.
Oh my goodness, the sixties! Ros, this is a lovely post! I never saw the Beatles live or the Stones. I am jealous! I was ten in 1965, the youngest of four, so I remember my brothers' music well as they were older. My eldest brother loved the Stones and Francoise Hardy and the younger one liked the Shadows. My sister and I 'shared' the Beatles with a friend. I had George, my sister had John and our friend had Paul. We were definitely going to marry them. Then when I was a bit older, I liked psychedelic trouser suits, floppy hats and the Who. I remember going to Carnaby Street and King's Road with my sister and our friend and being so proud because we went to shops like Biba and the Chelsea Drug Store - just to look. I remember Twiggy being 'the' model and the 'Shrimp'. Records were singles and it was a big event to buy an LP. I remember our first was 'With the Beatles'. But then my parents moved to Dorset, and I left London in 1969. We knew about the drugs scene, but no one I knew took drugs in the sixties. I suppose we were too young. My first real encounters with drugs was later in the seventies. Thanks for reminding me of these things, Ros. I think you were much more of a hippie shaker than I was! And good luck with your book, Pauline!
Haha! The numbers in the word verification are 1961! What a coincidence :-)
Wonderful memories Rosalind. Loved reading about all the Concerts you went to. The only people I saw live in the '60s were The Dubliners. I agree it was an age of innocence, wonderful days, which I am often very nostalgic for as I've got older.
Thanks for the memories ...
This was very fun to read. I was born in 1968 and have always been intrigued by the 60s since I don't have any memories of them myself. Thanks for sharing your memories!
I lived in London 1959-62, so i missed all the fun. But I did participate in some Bertrand Russell Ban the Bomb demonstrations and saw the stirrings of a new age. Then I came to America in 1963 and was by then a bit old for all that Hippie stuff. Plus I didn't like drugs and I would have hated commune life. But the music was great and Rosalind has such a wonderful sense for the music, it was a joy to read your account, dear Ros.
Hi Val, how wonderful to have been there in London. It sounds like you enjoyed it even if you didn't see the big groups live.
Hi Rosemary, the Dubliners, now that's a group I never saw live. Yes, I too am nostalgic for those days.
Hi Julie, soooo sorry you're too young to remember it all ;-)
Hi Inger, thanks for your lovely comments. I do go on about 60s music quite a bit don't I!
I was only talking yesterday to my daughter about my hippie days when I spet all summer in vare feet, even to go shopping
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