West Runton Pavilion & Cromer Links
North Norfolk's Legendary Live Music Venues of the 1960s, 70s & 80s
WHAT FLO SAID NEXT
If you have a story about the venues which is not featured in the book, please e-mail it to me for inclusion on this page. Please check out the comments in the Guestbook for further memories.
KARL JERMY
I was listening to Vardis on i-tunes and got very nostalgic about WRP. I once was hitching a lift to the Pavilion and the Tygers of Pan Tang (who were headlining that night) stopped and picked me up. What a claim to fame for a 16 year old head banger!
ALEC BLYTH
Alec was lead singer with Mister Toad, who played at the Links several times in the early 70s. He says:
Mister Toad was based in
In the mid-sixties the band was to be auditioned with Hughie Green's Opportunity Knocks. It was just prior to this that the band split up. It reformed with Stephen Kerrison (bass guitar), Chas Mayes (drums), David Loombe (sax) and now joined by Keith Lamb (vocals) and Phil Baldwin (lead guitar), both from Sleepy Talk. The band now moved from mainly local gigs to a circuit covering
Mister Toad playing at Ely circa 1971: left to right Stephen Kerrison, Alec Blyth, Chas Mayes, David Loombe, Chris Mortimer
Chas Mayes left mid 1972. He was replaced by Roger Green (origin unknown) and the band changed its name to Shaft, playing gigs at Cromer Links in July and August 1972. Roger Green failed to turn up for some gigs and the band decided to call it a day. However, there was another attempt to reform. The band was named Argosy and only played two gigs. The line-up being Stephen Kerrison (bass guitar), Alec Blyth (vocals), Alan Fish (lead guitar), Clive Button (vocals, guitar, organ, flute, sax) and Paul ? (drums). Alan Fish had been in Sleepy Talk.
Clive Button is credited with inventing the electronic drum kit. Follow the link below for more information.
www.synthmuseum.com/mpc/index.html
Kiss, RAW, Precious Few, Music Hath Charms and Sleepy Talk all played at Cromer Links. Alec sent a flyer for another local band of the time, Eyes of Blond:
ROBIN AND LINDA DAVISON
We met Curved Air after their show at the Links. We had stayed behind and were watching the roadies clear the stage when one of them said, ‘Would you like to meet them?’ Naturally we said ‘Yes,’ cos Linda fancied
At another gig Babe Ruth were performing with the diminutive Jenny Haan on vocals. Afterwards, as we were going out of the doors she was sitting on the steps so I sat down beside her and praised her for her performance, which was brilliant by the way. She was very happy to sit and talk and we sat there for 15 minutes. Linda was getting a bit impatient while waiting for me. I don’t know whether I was very coherent as I may have had more than one pint!
Finally I would like to say a word about Cookie. He was a mate of mine and he was one of the good ol’ boys. Many's the time when his old banger broke down we would give him a lift back to Marsham, as we lived in
MIKE ARNOTT
I saw a few bands there in 1979/80 and I'm sure either Iggy Pop or Elvis Costello was supported by a band called 'The Zones'.
Does anyone else remember them playing at Runton? They were a punk and power pop band formed in 1977, recording a few singles, an album, and sessions with John Peel. They split up in 1979.
ANDREW GIBSON ('GIBBON')
Charlie Harper of the UK Subs was 65 on May 25th. He still fronts them and gigs between 120 - 200 nights of the year, what a trooper! Recently he told me that he happily remembers the old Pavilion and early evenings drinking in the Village Inn before they went on. This prompted me to dig out some of my old photos which I took whenever the chance came my way. Cookie often had to pull me off the speakers as I was always trying to get better angles - most of the time I was so pixxed I'm lucky I ever got anything in focus!
Top: Billy Idol from Generation X
Middle: Charlie Harper and the UK Subs
Bottom: Captain Sensible and the Damned
Top: The Members
Bottom: Jello Biafra from the Dead Kennedys
Top: Adam and the Antz
Middle: Ten Pole Tudor
Bottom: Max Splodge and Splodgenessabounds
Photos from 'Gibbon'
GARY WOODS
Gary played at The Links as drummer with three different bands - Barabbas, Soul Reaction and Jay Lane. Amongst the stars they supported were Chicken Shack, Desmond Dekker and the Aces, and The Paper Dolls who, he says, 'were advertised as "Direct from
PHIL SEATON
I lived in
ALAN HOOKER
Alan has been sorting out his old magazines and came across a 1980 copy of 'Motorhead Magazine' which is dedicated to Frank Boswall and includes a five-page review of one of Motorhead's Runton gigs, written by a journalist who had travelled all the way from Bournemouth. Further info to follow...
GARY SMITH
The Dead Kennedys was one great gig and meeting Jello Biafra afterwards is a great memory.
WILLEM MOLENAAR from the Netherlands reports on the Be Bop Deluxe concert at the Cromer Royal Links Pavilion on 29 November 1975:
In 1975 I spent the last two months of the year as a foreign student at
One day Melody Maker announced a British tour by the band, which led to extreme excitement with my English friend; it was completely clear: we had to see them playing ‘live’ and Cromer would be the place to visit.
On the day Lance wouldn’t take any risks at all, so we left rather early at noon. He had rented a car (a not too promising looking old Ford) and was as nervous as could be. His girlfriend and two fellow-students went along as well. It was a cold day and already a bit foggy. Soon we found out that the heating system of the car didn’t work, but we couldn’t really bother then.
When we arrived in Cromer, the place was almost deserted, the fog had become denser and the misty streets added to the impression of a ghost town. Lance and I found out we had to wait for at least one and a half hours for a tearoom to open. We decided to park the car near the pier and waited there in the cold, with the deserted, gloomy and forbidding-looking Hotel de Paris looming above us.
Finally the tearoom opened. There an incident took place: while we were warming up a bit, suddenly the lights went out, there was a loud crash and people screaming in panic. It turned out that one of the chandeliers had fallen from the ceiling, right on a table where some elderly ladies were drinking their tea.
At about five o‘clock we moved on to a pub. This was a rather large place, which wasn’t very crowded. Someone played Roxy Music’s ‘Love Is The Drug’ about 30 times. Here, there was an accident too: some joker had twisted one of the flushing hoses in the Gents, so that the water didn’t flush to the ground, but straight into the groins of the unfortunate guys who attended this place.
By the time we got to the Pavilion I had a terrible migraine and wished I had never set foot in the place, but here we were. My recollections of the actual concert are rather vague: I can’t remember the supporting act (‘Bliss’) at all. I remember being surprised by the way Bill Nelson looked when he came on stage: I didn’t expect him to be so smartly dressed. The band started very impressively and Nelson’s playing was outstanding.
Soon it became clear that the band was rather annoyed by the number of people in the audience: attendance was disappointingly low. This resulted in each band member giving an extensive solo, while the others went to the dressing room upstairs. At the end of the concert I got the impression Bill Nelson wanted to make up a bit for all this by giving very inspired renditions of 'Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape' and (especially) 'Sister Seagull'. I still remember how his guitar sent seagull cries echoing against the walls of the Pavilion.
We drove back to Norwich in a stone cold car, with Lance talking all the way, still being very impressed by all he had seen, even taking into account that we hadn't seen the band performing at their peak. There was still one surprise for us in store: about 3 or 4 miles before we reached Keswick Hall, our car broke down, so we had to walk home through the thick fog.
When I went back to The Netherlands I immediately bought all available Be Bop Deluxe albums and turned many of my friends into fans as well.
When I returned to Cromer this summer I hardly recognised the place, it being sunny, crowded and everything looking so bright and cheerful. It was only when I was near the pier and looked up to the Hotel de Paris that I remembered that Saturday in 1975 all too well.
RON FROM NORTH WALSHAM
Ron used to work at Postles in Cromer and helped with publicity for the Saturday dances at West Runton Pavilion in the 1950s. He and George Roper used to drive around in a van calling at all the caravan sites at East and
OBITUARY
Condolences to the family and friends of Bernard Phillips, who passed away September 2008. Mr Phillips, who in the 1970s was Head of English at the former King Edward VII Grammar School in King's Lynn, took a party of sixth-formers to Cromer Links on Christmas Eve 1977 to see the Sex Pistols' gig. As he told the Eastern Daily Press in July 2004, 'It was a remarkable atmosphere. It was the first time I'd ever been to anything like that... I seem to remember one of my students was wearing a bin bag!' In recent years Mr Phillips had established The Quay community magazine in his home town of Wells and kindly publicised the launch of WHAT FLO SAID. R.I.P.
MARK COTTON
Ian Mac was a good ol' boy! I remember he had a telephone earpiece on his deck instead of headphones, and I sat on stage one night listening to a Nik Turner album through it! I'm sure I've some old photos of us in the Pavilion somewhere, including one of Ian getting debagged! I wonder if he remembers the group of bikers from the midlands and the beer fights we had back in '78 at the 'Family Discos'. The last night of our fortnight’s holiday at Runton in '78 we came into the Pavilion for Ian's disco to find that our tables near the side bar had all been reserved for us and there was a bottle of 'fizz' on each one with the compliments of the house. Mind you, they had had most of our holiday spending money over the bar!
On page 151 of your book Martin Chapman is reminiscing about Hawkwind and recalls "…the area in front of the stage was empty, everyone was standing well away from the noise, apart from this one bloke who had his head inside one of the speakers, headbanging…" Do you know I believe that may well have been me, as I always used to get as close as possible to Dave Brock’s speakers, and I was certainly there that night!
One thing's for sure, there'll never be a couple of places like the Links and the Pavilion putting on the calibre of bands that we were lucky enough to see.
GARY ROPER
Gary says he saw lots of punk bands at Runton. He remembers reading a 'likes and dislikes' article in a magazine once. Toyah had been interviewed and in the 'worst gig' category her reply had been 'West Runton Pavilion'!
KAREN LORD
My sister and I both frequented the Links and
PLAQUE AT THE SITE OF CROMER LINKS PAVILION
TIM HILL
I was part of the Sheringham group of lads and we were friends with all the local gangs. We were not much into causing trouble but I think Frank Boswall [Runton owner] saw me as a nuisance. I had to help him out on one occasion, though, when a big American soul band were playing (maybe the Four Tops) and the car park was jammed solid. Frank had some gifts for the band but had forgotten to bring them and his car was totally blocked in. As my little mini was parked outside, I gave him a lift back to his house in Sheringham. He lived up this incredibly steep and winding drive and, unfortunately, my little car could only get half way up. So Frank had to walk up and come back with these huge cardboard boxes. He had to make a couple of trips and refused my offer to help carry them. He was well out of puff by the time he had got everything he needed. The gifts? They were coloured tins, maybe biscuits or chocolates or soap, who knows? But we made it back to West Runton and Frank gave me a couple of free tickets to the concert.
I remember when American Bob was working the Box Office - for a joke we used to crawl under the level of the counter. However, Ronnie Carroll or Danny Hagen would be standing at the other end watching us, so we always had to go back and pay up anyway.
MERV COUSENS
Saw Queen at the Links:
I was the young man to whom Freddie Mercury spoke and said, 'Shut up, you drunk,' when I led the singing of ‘I do like to be beside the seaside’ after they had played ‘Seven Seas of Rhye’!
PETER BROWN
My wife and I enjoyed many terrific dances there, the young people today do not know what they have missed!
PAUL THAXTER
I saw a few bands at Runton Pavilion in the 80’s and still have two original tickets, one from Magnum and the other from Wishbone Ash, with the guitarist’s plectrum! I saw
SUZANNE CROWN (WAS O'CONNOR)
I used to go to the Links regularly from about 1969 until I left for Oz in 1975. I have some recollection of great times. Remember Cookie too. Those were the days, no great security barriers and dozens of security staff. I can remember being close enough to the stage and musicians to share a cigarette with Mike Rossi! Bloody great Marshall speakers .... no wonder my hearing is shot!
KEITH ALLISON
I started at the Links in August 1969 on Saturday nights. I was in the box office every performance without fail until I joined Rod as Entertainments Manager. Then I was General Manager through 1974 when we put on Judas Priest, UFO, Kilburn, Queen, Hot Chocolate, Cozy Powell, Raymond Froggatt and Bilbo Baggins. The 4x5 light show was an old school friend, Alan White. The Rubettes had a silly rider clause about distance from the audience to the stage so we stood across with rope on sticks to overcome this. I remember having a problem with Refugee as well. I also started Friday nights with Will Reynolds from Overstrand.
I remember I was at the [Links] Pavilion one evening having spent some time during the day with Steven and crew renewing the balcony lamps. Each had been double-checked to make sure they were safely fitted. That night I was working at the front of the stage and playing with Rinty [the dog]. He suddenly became quiet and not himself. I had a cold shudder come over me and realised something was wrong. I checked to make sure I had locked myself in, in case someone had entered without me knowing. The door was locked. I then walked about checking the downstairs area - behind the bars, in the toilets etc. I thought I caught a movement on the balcony above the cloakroom on the far side. I went to the stairs but Rinty would not come. Eventually, I managed to pick up courage and go up. There was nothing there. I returned, quite perturbed, to doing what I had been doing. Rinty kept by my side. A while later there was a bang followed by another. Rinty ran to the office. His food, Chappie, had not been touched and was still in his bowl. I turned to see glass on the floor near the cloakrooms. I was cold and my spine was tingling. I then realised that two of the lamps we had replaced during the day had come out of their sockets and fallen!
Straight away I called some friends. One of them knew someone who was into ghosts etc. She came later and walked about and pointed out where there were cold spots to her. She felt the far balcony was particularly cold. Whether this was coincidence or not I will never know, but I would never go on that balcony without some trepidation again.
I saw lots of punk bands at Runton. I saw The Cure in their early days and there were about fifty people in that night. I also remember when Siouxsie and the Banshees played - they had just had a mutiny of two band members and Robert Smith and another from The Cure stepped in to finish the tour. Siouxsie leered at us all the way through their performance and pissed the crowd off, turned them against her. Her voice was not on form that night. After the gig she sent her personal bouncer to have a go at the crowd. He kicked Tony Warbouys in the face and the bigger lads grabbed the bouncer, trying to pull him into the crowd. Looking back, it looked funny, seven or eight lads hanging onto this monster of a man - brave or foolish?! Great, great times, but like many I took them all for granted. I also remember the sophisticated punks wearing their Malcolm McLaren suits, trying to look disinterested, while the rest of us jumped around like nutters!
SANDIE GARROD
Saw a lot of punk bands at Runton and remembers when Stiff Little Fingers' drummer (Jim Reilly) fainted at the back of the drum kit and all you could see were his feet sticking up!
MONTY MUMBY
Took this photo of Screaming Lord Sutch at the Links:
BILL BERWICK
Remembers a band called Inner Vision:
They hailed from Thetford or thereabouts. I spoke to them after their set and have a 4-track 12” white label that they released themselves. I saw them soon after when they played in Thetford but they seemed to disappear without trace. I have never been able to find anything about them on the web. Style of music was space rock - they were all fans of Hawkwind which is probably why I liked them.
PAUL KING
My first gig was Iron Maiden in August 1980. Memories include getting off the college bus outside about 5 for the Motorhead gig and the queue was already twice round the car park. When Blue Oyster Cult came we queued all day so not to miss out and helped unload their equipment. Does anyone remember Bob Catley getting blown up at the start of Magnum's set? The Tygers of Pan Tang must have been the unluckiest band to play there. The original singer left shortly after the first gig there, their equipment failed the second time and the last time the bass player was rushed to hospital and they played without him. The best night was definitely Slade and Spider in 1981.
DAVE SURRIDGE
Dave's brother found this poster in a secondhand shop about ten years ago:
DENNIS TEMPLE (Guitarist with Kamakazee and Childe):
I was guitarist in Kamakazee with Mick Hudson, Brian Wise, Clive Tully and Peter North, and I also played at West Runton Pavilion with my band Childe. We had the great honour of backing Lemmy and Motorhead (heady days!) I can't recall the exact date but it must have been 1977 or 1978. Childe members were Kenny Rivett (drums), Dave Lawther (bass), Richard (vocals - can't remember his surname, sorry!) and myself on guitar. Our best mates/friendly rival band was Zorro!
I also played in Throb with Dave Marshall (vocals/frontman), Peter North (drums) and the legendary Dopey Dave (bass) in 1974-6.
RICCI TITCOMBE (Drummer with Cosmic Love, Teezer, Crabs, Zorro and Sploginessabounds)
His band played at the Links five times, first as Cosmic Love supporting Sweet Sensation during May 1975 when they were paid £40.
In July 1975, as Teezer, they supported Hot Chocolate then in August it was the Heavy Metal Kids. Ricci says:
That night changed my life. We changed musical direction after that. We became friends with Gary Holton and later joined him in a band. One night at the Links I went to use the phone box and Gary was in there with a girl giving her the old 'one-two'! Gary often stayed in Yarmouth and once said he wouldn't mind living in Cromer.
Teezer were meant to support UFO at the Links but there was no room on the stage. During 1976-77 they played at Runton supporting Raymond Froggatt, Slik and The Boys, earning between £30 and £50 a gig. In 1979 Ricci joined Zorro and the band received £50 for supporting Toyah.
IAN 'FRITZ' WRIGHT (drummer with Hieronymous Bosch, Spiny Norman and Zorro)
Ian saw this poster in a Hard Rock Cafe in Australia last November!
DAVE SMITH (lead singer with Poacher and Zorro)
The venues were certainly a huge part of my musical upbringing and it was there that I not only cut my performing teeth, but also met many artists who gave me the inspiration to grow, not only musically but in the dramatics that I found just as important. It was at these venues that I first met the now legendary Gary Holton and the Heavy Metal Kids, who epitomised what I still believe today to be what the live scene should be all about. Their live show was extremely theatrical and it was a great privilege after the sad and shocking death of Gary that I was asked to join the Kids. Gary was a strong influence on me then as he still is today and I am very proud to include him in memory as a mentor and friend.
ANDREW GIBSON
The last time I saw Cookie he was in the cab of a truck carrying turf. He was in mid conversation, happily chatting with a mate. I passed travelling in the opposite direction but hollered 'Wha-hey Cookie!' He beamed, waved his big old hairy arm out of the window - even though it would've been so quick he wouldn't have been able to see who it was shouting. He was a jolly bloke. We were all spotty berks but he seldom gave anyone a cuff who didn't deserve it. That's the way I'll remember him.
Chris Balls also worked at the Links as a bouncer for a while. I don't know how many will recollect him, he was a Cromer guy (you could hear it), pretty tall and broad-shouldered and ran his own builder's firm. Sadly, he passed away just after Christmas following a short illness, but his son, Nick, now works with me in Norwich.
THIN LIZZY AT THE LINKS
Link to a website with photos of Thin Lizzy at the Links in 1971:
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BARBARA EMERY
Worked at West Runton between 1969 and 1972 and had her wedding reception there. Her brother, who is ten years older than she is, went to Runton a lot in the big band days.
KEV CLAXTON (from local band RIBS)
Photo from 1971:
Top: Kevin 'Rubberoid' Claxton (Guitar), centre left: Rodney 'General' Gall (drums), centre right: Barry 'Hovis' Brown (vocals/harmonica), bottom: Malcolm 'Talc' Buchan (bass)
JANICE SMITH
My friend Elaine and I used to go to the Pavilion in the seventies. My mum and dad had a caravan in East Runton and we used to travel from London every weekend. We saw Billy Ocean, Glitterband, Hi-Tension, Boomtown Rats and lots more.
GRAHAM PHILPOT
Mostly attended the heavy metal gigs at West Runton from 1979, starting with Def Leppard. He has kept many items of memorabilia and says:
I would often try to meet bands after they had performed and most were amenable, sometimes letting myself and others backstage. Of special interest are autographs by the complete Ozzy Osbourne band Blizzard of Ozz (including the late Randy Rhoades) and the one by Budgie which their vocalist/bass player Burke Shelly has inscribed 'West Runton Rules OK 21/6/80..
Graham also remembers the Wishbone Ash/Mama's Boys gig in 1982. He says:
It was notable for the appearance of a dead seagull being passed over the heads of the crowd. This event must have stuck in the mind of Andy Powell, their guitarist/vocalist, as I'm sure that he mentioned it when the band made one of their regular visits to the Waterfront in Norwich a couple of years ago.
BLUE OYSTER CULT GIG
Steve Andrews has sent me the introduction to the BOC gig, the announcer beginning 'Citizens of West Runton...' Click on one of the links below to listen:
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WHAT IS THERE NOW?
Twelve houses on the site of the Links Pavilion, Overstrand Road, Cromer
Flats on the site of West Runton Pavilion
JIM BALDWIN
Remembers Muriel Ward from the early days at West Runton Pavilion ('What a singer!') and met Glyn the glass collector many years ago whilst on holiday in Sheringham (although he didn't realise who he was until he read 'WHAT FLO SAID'):
We came across this chap with a barrow and broom and with a multitude of badges on his jacket. He stopped us and told us of all the good things that Sheringham had to offer... [he was] worth a thousand publicity leaflets, he was so loyal to his home town.
BRIAN WISE (Guitarist with local band Spiny Norman)
We had a great deal of involvement in West Runton Pavilion as Frank Boswall was our manger and so we played as support to many top bands there. I have some fantastic memories of that time in my life.
Spiny Norman on stage at West Runton Pavilion. Left to right: Brian Wise (guitar), Ian ('Fritz') Wright (drums), Mick Hudson (vocals), Rob Seales (guitar), Clive Tully (bass)
RODNEY WHITLAM (West Runton Bouncer)
I have many happy memories of my years at West Runton. I can't remember the dates exactly but I was certainly there in '77 and still there in '83. I have found a photograph of myself and Cookie taken by a journalist - as far as I am aware this is the only copy. Cookie refused to have it taken without me!
GEOFF BLYTH has identified the unknown band at the Links on page VIII of the photos as the Challengers:
The guitarist is Fred (surname possibly Rumsby) who played a Levin Goliath accoustic. The left-handed accordionist was called Will or maybe Wilf - I can't recall the surname. He later got himself a Vox Continental organ and also played sax.
I don't recognise the rest of the band, I suspect this is early in their career. Later on, the regular drummer was Nick Bush and the bassist Dick Ward. When Nick couldn't make it, a friend of mine played drums. As he hadn't passed his car test at this time, I drove him and occasionally 'sat in' on organ or bass. I remember helping out at the Cherokees' gig when the Challengers were the support band. The Cherokees had one hit, 'Seven Golden Daffodils', in 1964.
COLIN WOODYARD
Remembers queueing up to get BA Robertson's autograph, and some of the girls who were also waiting there asked him why he was there; they were being nasty and saying it wasn't the sort of thing a bloke did. BA Robertson got quite cross with them and told them to 'Eff off!'
Colin also remembers seeing Paul Nicholas (of 'Dancing with the Captain' and 'Grandma's Party' fame) and KC and the Sunshine band at Runton, although no date has been found.
The Wombles came and did an afternoon show for children and Colin thought he would go along for a look. He was surprised to see that there were far more adults than children there!
COLIN KERRISON recalls his memorable moments at the venues:
Never seen Runton so packed as for AC/DC. What a night! Budgie were the first rock band I'd taken my future wife to see (and she enjoyed the evening ... phew!) The Ian Gillan Band were a brilliant bunch of musicians and gave a tremendous performance (I think, round about the time of the album Clear Air Turbulence). At the Links, it was always a good night with the Groundhogs. Thin Lizzy should have become a much bigger band and Nutz were excellent, a brilliant new band. Rory Gallagher's visit saw the man at his best.
Taken in 1972, my very good pal, the late Tim Sapsford, living it up on stage with Crow
TONY WALSH:
The Screams gig on Friday 30 November 1979 [at Runton] was cancelled. This was going to be my first gig at the Pavilion and even though Chris Grief had told me it was cancelled I still got him to take me there to see for myself, as he was always winding me up and I didn't believe him, he still charged me as well!
My first gig was Rockpile the following February where Dave Edmunds was being spat at by a guy behind me and Mr Edmunds gave me a bit of a telling off in no uncertain terms believing it was me.
RAY DORSET (MUNGO JERRY):
I always enjoyed the gigs [at the Links], the buzz was great and we always had a good time, not only on stage but also mixing with the staff and the punters. Happy memories.