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Porkpie hats off to the Late Brian Jones!

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Mod History 1963 - 65

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Robert Nicholls, Ph.D.'s Page

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About Me:: "I may be getting old but I've got young fashioned ways"--Muddy Waters

I am in the process of writing about my teen-and-early-twenties, including the time when I was a London Mod. I can claim with some justification to have been a Face. I have a few photos of myself from 1963/64/65 wearing mod clothes and hairstyle
I left England a while ago and currently teach at the University of the Virgin Islands, an American University in the Caribbean.
I am happy to share my memories and catch the attention of other aged Mods (like me) or younger people who find Mod styles interesting.
In April 1963 I bought a Vesper GS Scooter but by November 1964 it had been stolen and trashed. Its exhaust system comprised twin chrome pipes, 1 1/2 inch diameter, which gave a lovely throaty drone like a Second World War bomber. I was fined for excessive noise more than once. By 1964, I was wearing “parallels,” shorter length trousers which fell three inches or so short of the shoe. They hung straight and were neither flared nor pegged, hence the name. I wore linen or tweed sports jackets with deep vents, and shirts with Nehru collars, or light woolen Fred Perry shirts.

I saw musicians like Rod Stewart, the Stones, and the Who (High Numbers) in small West End clubs. Although these acts later came to fill arenas, in those days there were only a couple of dozen people in the audience. I am currently writing about The Scene Club in Soho where I was a regular, especially during Guy Stevens’ Monday evening record sessions. I describe the Block and the Bang, two dances that Mods developed at that time. French chalk would be put on the floor to make it slippery and good for dancing. I have listed records that I remember Guy Stevens playing. Later I had an extensive Bluebeat/Ska record collection.
I believe people who find Mod styles intriguing will be interested in my recollections.
Robert Nicholls (“Rob the Mod”)

Top 5 tunes at the moment:: Slim Harpo “Got Love if You Want It”(1957), Buster Brown “Fannie Mae” (1959), Mary Wells “You Beat Me to the Punch”(1962), Alvin Cash and the Crawlers’ “Twine Time” (1963), Major Lance “Monkey Time” (1964).

Vespa, Lambretta or other?: Vespa GS c 1963 - 1964

Robert Nicholls, Ph.D.'s Photos

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At 17:59 on November 3, 2011, Roy Allen said…: Back in the 60t`s i first saw the Miracles featuring Smokey Robinson , i think it was at Ilford Palais or Tottenham Royal ??? first Motown act i ever saw live what a night to remember,Regards Roy

At 10:50 on November 3, 2011, Roy Allen said…: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsCV7mK3kys

Hi Robert one of my all time favourite groups of all time The Dells tell me what you think regards Roy

At 10:22 on November 3, 2011, Roy Allen said…: Hi Robert sorry for the delay as i run a Satellite company see www.wizardwifisolutions.co.uk

let me know your soul thoughts best regards Royt

At 17:28 on July 5, 2011, Roy Allen said…: Hi Robert,

i guess we moved in the same places in the 60t`s.......... passing ships in the night

bring back the good memories.... Stay Kool Roy Allen Mods got to last forever (right)

At 20:19 on February 6, 2011, Roy Allen said…: Hi Robert

I was a mod around the same time as you at the Scene + Flamingo Club all nighters and had a Vespa GS scooter which got stolen in Balham,,,,,,

Sounds that i like same as you Mary Wells + Major Lance

also Prince Buster Al Capone & Madness......... Stay Kool Mods gotta last forever right

Roy Allen

At 16:44 on December 17, 2010, Aimee Blair said…: Thanks a lot Rob, I'll have a look for it. Thanks again for your help.

At 23:32 on March 8, 2010, Alvaro Rubio Romo said…: Hi ya Rob! many thanks for your kind comment, coming from you it's a real honour for me.

Best wishes from Spain.

At 21:24 on March 4, 2010, gigin ginanjar THE SYNDICATES said…: thanks....GS very rare&collectible item :)

At 2:12 on October 30, 2009, Reid Trotter said…: I will ask them if it`s ok to use their names, they`re a pretty private lot my family so i can`t promise anything. I hope they`ll be ok about it because they have some interesting stories about their clothes. From what they`ve told me and the dates they give they were very early mods. My eldest uncle told me he had a pair of hand-made shoes in two tone GREEN leather and suede! (pretty lairy in `62).Paper collars, one button toreador suit jackets, etc. Middle uncle had his G.S 150 sprayed white (didn`t come in white at the time) only to be gutted when they came out in white just weeks later! The two oldest brothers both had good jobs and spent all their dough on clothes and shoes but my poor old dad (the youngest) says he was always skint and used to nick his brothers gear. He had a nice G.S though and I`ve seen photo`s of him in nice suits so he can`t have done too bad. I think they were pretty well known on their manor being 3 brothers and they were all good looking blokes. I never tire of listening to their stories and hope to be able to share them with you. Thanks for your interest, Reid.

At 20:07 on August 13, 2009, Colin "coileyboy" Coiley said…: Good evening once again rob....

I hope that this finds you well. I have noticed that you have tried to make contact with richard (this would be good). I have his own personal e-mail address, so i will drop him a line and ask him if i can pass it onto you. Excellent recent addition to your memoirs.... totally enhtralled. :)

Keep well...God Bless

Colin "coileyboy" Coiley