The History of Reigate and Redhill in Surrey

Introduction

This is a subject that keeps cropping up but until now has never been properly resolved. Just who appeared at the Market Hall and when? Individual artists, Pop Groups, Jazz Bands, they all seem to have performed there but there is no known record, sketchy or comprehensive, of their appearances.

East Surrey Operatic Society

There are, of course, several organisations that have also used the Market Hall for their performances. The East Surrey Operatic Society is one of them and as their performance list and history is already available elsewhere.

Jazz Club

See lower down on this page (It seems that the Jazz Club preceded the Teenbeat Rock Club, which possibly sprang from its demise)

Teenbeat Rock Club

Items shown in blue - year probable but not not certain

Steve Coussins from Monmouth used to live in Redhill and took the above photos when he went to see The Who at the Market Hall. They show Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Kohn Entwistle and the late Keith Moon on drums. If the group appeared there only once then the date was 7th of August, probably 1966, as shown on the list of performers further up this page. The group had hits with 'I can't explain' (1965; 'My Generation' (1965); 'Substitute' (1966) and 'I'm a Boy' (1966).

(Photos courtesy Steve Coussins).
These photos and additional information about The Who originally appeared in a Surrey Mirror 'Yesteryear' article on November 26th 2009

Steve also wrote:
- 'Other acts that don’t appear on your (website) list that I can definitely remember seeing at the Market Hall are Them with Van Morrison and the Yardbirds with Eric Clapton. Prob in 1965/1966'. Those groups now added to the list. Many thanks to Steve.

Also from Christine Nunweek

More from Christine Nunweek
August 2007

I went to The Surrey Mirror Archives yesterday and found the following groups to add to the list.
Sounds Inc - August 31st 1963.     The Seachers - January 18th 1964.     Freddie and The Dreamers - March 7th 1964. The Interns - June  20th   1964.     The Redcaps - July  4th 1964       The Hollies - Sept 12th  1964. Dave Berry and The Cruisers - October 3rd  1964.
The advertising is very  random,  it seems as if they relied on the fliers they gave out weekly rather than the local press. 

I went just about every week and as well as those already listed on your site I saw all these acts at the Market Hall but don't know the exact dates. There were: Hunters 1963 - Gene Vincent 1963 - Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages 1963 - Twinkle 1963 - Eagles (Bristol not California) 1964 - Tommy Quickly 1964 - Searchers 1964 - Undertakers 1964.
I also played there a few times with my band, The Sabres. We were then signed up by the promoter - a guy called Banister - to play at his other venues in Tunbridge Wells (supporting the Mersybeats) and Gravesend (supporting the Four Pennies).
Other local bands I think appeared at the Market Hall around 63/64 were: Paramounts - Alphabeats - R+B etc/Blueberries - Flashbakks.
Good memories.
Geoff

Email from Robert Streeter, January 2008.

The listings of the performers at the Market Hall does not include the Kinks and this must be an error - I saw the Kinks at the Market Hall and I am sure they came twice  - they were the loudest band I believe I ever heard - they had huge black vox amplifying equipment........Tom Jones also made an appearance at the Market Hall - his voice was so powerful he hardly needed a microphone - I remember it very well.....but I do not know the dates...
Tom Jones performed at the Market Hall about 6 weeks before his first smash hit ' It's Not Unusual' became number one in the pop charts !

From Chris Fountain,
March 2008

Your website is a source of instant nostalgia for me. I saw most of the acts listed and I'm sure that I also saw The Tornados - after they recorded 'Telstar', Tommy Bruce - who sang 'pennies from heaven' and stopped his performance to chastise the audience for throwing pennies at him and one of the most underrated bands of the 60's Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. Happy days!

Hi - great to see your website and particularly the  references to the  Market Hall. In the 60's I played here (and at Reigate Town Hall). Sad to say  I can't quite remember which was which! But I am just completing a book - written mainly for my own amusement - featuring the 400 or so venues that I played in my pro and semi pro musical career - and wondered if you had a photo of the building that I could include. Thanks...... and thanks for the memories - I played suport to several of the bands shown in the listing - specifically Nashville Teens/ Clayton Squares and the Riot Squad  - (who had David Bowie with them for a short time)! By the way - the guy that used to book  (some of ) the bands here was a cigar-smoking  chappie named Steve Duman. Oh I forgot to say that at that time my band was called Beathoven's 5th ( note the spelling)! 
Brian Brockie

The first time I went to the Market Hall was to see Joe Brown and the Bruvvers, I think it was November1962, when It Only Took a Minute was at No 1 in the charts.  In fact, quite a few groups had high chart placings when they came to Redhill.  I don't know who the organiser was but he was really astute in his bookings.   I can remember how annoyed we all were when it was 'Sorry No Session'.   They used to serve orange squash at the back of the hall but it was considered quite grown up to get a pass out and go over the traffic lights to Fortes for a frothy coffee.   After a few months record sessions become quite popular and at one of these I first heard Love Me Do by the Beatles.   I will try and think back for a few more anecdotes and get back to you.

I am sure I saw the Temperance Seven at Market Hall - round about 1960/62. Sorry cant give you any more info than that (after all I am now 66 so memory not so good as it was!!) - April 2009

Sally Pashby,
Australia

Very interested to come across your web site-- I have memories of those far off days too!!!!
   Also I have autographed fliers-- not too sure of the years but maybe 1966????
   10th July       Heinz
   17th July       The Merseybeats
   24th July       Unit 4 + 2
   30th July       Goldie and the Gingerbreads
   7th August     The Who
   14th August    The In Crowd
    21st August   Donovan
 ............    Also I have  piece from the Surrey Mirror about Wayne Fontana who was "sufficiently recovered from his nervous breakdown to appear with his group" !!! Apparently Wayne was just 20 at the time and they were off to tour the US two weeks later.
   I well remember poor Donovan's appearance--- the hall was almost empty and he tried valiantly to sing  but was eventually booed off the stage by some very determined "Rockers"--- folk music was obviously not to their taste-- it was rather sad really and is the only thing that really sticks in my memory of those long ago days!!!!!!
   Except of course the "frothy coffees" at Fortes!!!!
   I am living in Australia and have not been back to Redhill for 30 years or more--- I doubt I would recognise the place now!!!

Peter Markwick

Hi – looking at your great web site – I live in British Columbia, after leaving England in 1968 – I remember a couple of bands but not the dates, but it was around 63-65 – Jet Harris and the Jet Blacks (He was the bass for the Shadows) Also the Spotnicks from Sweden – I was there when Donovan got booed off the stage – I left that night on my 500 BSA!
Keep up the good work,

Mick Card, who played at the Market Hall, March 2010

In the early 60s I was a member of a local band - Unit Six - which appeared regularly at the Market Hall. On some occasions it was just us but often we appeared in support of visiting acts. I can't supply any exact dates unfortunately but we supported both Dave Sutch and Nero and the Gladiators in 1963. We also appeared with the Fleerekkers, a favourite act of ours as they had a similar line-up, which included a couple of saxes. Unfortunately, I don't know the date  of that gig.

Sorry I can't offer more info but I remember those days and the Market Hall in particular with great affection.

Peter Selby
April 2012

I have just discovered and read the Artists and groups that appeared at the Redhill Market Hall. I was delighted and thrilled to see the picture of the Flashbakks from June 1966, I was at the Market Hall as I was "Roadie" for the Flashbakks during my six years newspaper printing apprenticeship at the Surrey Mirror. 1962-1968.I have a few photos about, also the cutting you have printed. It was a pity the Flashbakks never "made It", they were very good. we all went our separate ways after two or three years. I definitely saw Joe Brown and the Bruvvers and many other bands including the Temperance Seven. The Selby's  lived in Cecil Road so only a short walk to the Market Hall most Saturdays. Joe Brown won't remember but i was standing beside one of his large Marshall Amps. When he came on I waved so much he said "Hello Mate" just at me !. The Flashbakks also skirted with fame. We had been offered a Decca record contract in early January 1966 and our first song was to be "Please stay" which we practised and perfected, We were all part of the audience in April when the Crying Shames appeared and had put "Please stay" in the top twenty, we were robbed!.   Thank you for the Memories, I have just completed 50 continuous years in the Newspaper business and retire in August 2012, all thanks to Mr Ray Tindle,who signed my indentures with Surrey Mirror in Ladbroke Road. 

From Andy Wright
May 2012

Tom Jones and Herman's Hermits at the Market Hall

In the early sixties I was a trainee photographer at the 'Surrey Mirror' and I'm now going through some of my old photos and I've come across one of Tom Jones and I'm sure it was taken at the Market Hall. I also took pics of Herman's Hermits.

Hi, Alan
Have just found your site. Brilliant. Ah, the memories. Having been born and brought up in Reigate, and being a mod, I too used to go to The Teenbeat Rock Club, on my Lambretta, whenever it was on. I can confirm that Manfred Mann appeared there on at least two occasions. Other acts that I remember seeing and which are not mentioned in your list are, The Pretty Things, Hermans Hermits (very recently added above AJM), Brian Poole and The Tremeloes and Status Quo
As well as coffee at Fortes, what about The Wimpey Bar.
As far as The Jazz Club is concerned, my elder sister went there often and I believe it moved to The Colman Institute after The Market Hall.
I now live in Somerset but still go back to Reigate & Redhill to visit my sisters
By the way, who can forget Screaming Lord Sutch.
Best regards
Edward

Thanks for your email, Edward, and for the info re additional groups that appeared at the Market Hall. The Wimpey Bar I'd forgotten about, I don't think I ever went in there so perhaps that's why. It was opposite Fortes where the Cafe Remo used to be. I've also added your mention of the Jazz Club to the section below.

Andy Neill
July 2012

My friend who used to attend gigs around Surrey in the 1960s forwarded your site info on to me. What a great website!

Years ago as part of some ongoing research I went through the Surrey Mirror and County Post - the local weekly Reigate-published paper and noted down (where listed) the acts who played at the Market Hall in 1965. From the looks of the flyers (and from one of the reminiscences by an ex-member of one of the local Redhill bands) the Market Hall gigs were promoted by Fred Bannister who was based in Bristol and went on to promote the Bath Festivals in 1969 & 70 as well as the large scale Knebworth festival events throughout the 70s. Fred also promoted shows at the Town Halls in Kidderminster and Stourbridge in the Midlands; the Public Hall in Wallington, Surrey, the Assembly Rooms in Tunbridge Wells, Kent as well as at the Bath Pavilion. He tended not to advertise his gigs in the local papers - preferring to distribute flyers like the ones you have up on the site as a means of informing local patrons as to which acts were on that particular week. Also, he knew that local teenagers would come along to the weekly dances pretty much irrespective of who was playing.

Consequently this list is only patchy and was gleaned from local reports in the Surrey Mirror. Some of the dances were reviewed in the "Youth Page Conducted by Doug Michael" and even then some weeks the column did not run or did not review the previous week's show (perhaps because there was "No Session") and it was gone altogether by the edition dated 9/7/65. Also pop gigs at the Civic Hall, Crawley (e.g. The Pretty Things) and Fairfield Halls, Croydon (e.g. The Kinks) were reviewed in the Surrey Mirror.

I only checked the year of 1965 but as Christine Nunweek helpfully found, there were reviews and reports in the years prior to this so maybe some intrepid local researcher will have a proper comb through the paer to establish further information.

MARKET HALL 1965:

23/1/65: The Applejacks

30/1/65: Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds

6/2/65: Tom Jones & The Squires

13/2/65: The Nashville Teens

6/3/65: The Zombies

13/3/65: Four local bands: The Soundcasters and The Electrons (from Gravesend), The Hounds (from Sutton) and The Five Aces (from Reigate)

27/3/65: Herman's Hermits

3/4/65: Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders

17/4/65: The Mojos

24/4/65: The Beat Merchants (who played to a half-full hall)

1/5/65: Manfred Mann

8/5/65: Them (featuring Van Morrison)

15/5/65: The Four Pennies (in place of The Searchers)

5/6/65: The T-Bones (led by singer Gary Farr, boxer Tommy Farr's son)

12/6/65: The Beat Merchants (their second appearance despite poor attendance on 24/4)

19/6/65: The Downliners Sect

3/7/65: The Hollies (played to a packed audience of over 400)

10/7/65: Heinz

17/7/65: The Merseybeats

24/7/65: Unit 4 + 2

30/7/65: Goldie & The Gingerbreads

7/8/65: The Who

14/8/65: The In Crowd, supported by local Redhill group The Flashbakks (The In Crowd featured singer Keith West, later to have a hit in 1967 with 'Excerpt From A Teenage Opera' and guitarist Steve Howe, who went on to Yes)

21/8/65: Donovan

I hope all this information helps you. Also are you able to put me in touch with Steve Coussins from Monmouth who posted The Who pictures up as I am currently updating the book I co-wrote on the band - see link - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anyway-Anyhow-Anywhere-Complete-Chronicle/dp/0753510685 and would like to see about possibly using them. All the best and keep up the good work! Regards, ANDY NEILL

Yet another advance in our knowledge of the Teenbeat Club at the Market Hall thanks to Andy. Unfortunately the Surrey Mirror back copies are no longer kept at Reigate, which means a longer trip to check its columns but the 1960s are probably on fiche at Surrey Record Centre, so if any fancies a trip there . . . .. AJM

THE JAZZ CLUB

Ian Van Ryne of Barrow-upon-Soar Leicestershire came to the rescue with information about the jazz club. In April 2009 he sent the letter and poster reproduced below. He was a regular member of the jazz club and says that the letter shows how jazz was on the way out in 1962/3.

R E D H I L L ..... J A Z Z ..... C L U B
M A R K E T , H A LL ............................. R E D H I L L
____________________________________________________

Dear Member,

.................. The Redhill Jazz Club has been in existence for two years and, as you know, presents the best-known jazzbands in the country. As you can see in the enclosed programme, Chris Barber and Ken Colyer are both booked for December and early in 1963 we will be visited by Terry Lightfoot, Kenny Ball and Mr, Acker Bilk.

.................Until a few weeks ago we had an average attendance of 450 to 500 every Thursday night. For some unnacountable reason, the attendance in the last few weeks has only averaged 250 to 300. Our membership is approximately 3,500 and we hope that the majority will agree that Redhill needs a thriving jazz club. There is no immediate intention of closing the jazz club (we have already contracted for top jazz bands to appear until May 1963) but we do need a bigger attendance to make ends meet.

.................If you believe that Redhill needs its jazz club please try and attend more often.

Many bands think that Redhill is the best jazz club in the country. - it's up to you to keep it that way.

Yours sincerley,

................STEVE DURMAN (Secretary)

The letter is undated but seems to have been written towards the end of 1962. The Jazz Club must have started late in 1960 and possibly did not last through 1963, giving it a life of about three years.