Blog post

WC JULY 22.

Went to the home of an old friend on Monday morning – Paul Dyer from Ryde. We had worked together on the Weekly Post for many years. The founding editor of the Post, Keith Newbery, tipped me off that Paul has quite an amazing story. I found this all out on Monday – and even Keith will not know the complete story. Facinating facts just kept coming and coming.

I’ve also been working on and editing an interview I have done with TOM CLIFTON. Tom, who grew up in the West Wight, once read the news on IW Radio. Now he’s an airline pilot. I never expected to be at the controls of an Airbus!!

I went to Totland Bay on Friday night to see a 60s night featuring a few old friends. The packed audience loved every minute. I had quite a shock – I never realised Billy Fury, Johnny Tillotson, Bobby Vee, Freddie Garrity and Bob Everson had so many similar features!! There were only five in the show and their enthusiasm and workrate was quite remarkable. It was so nice to see Bob back to his best on the tiny Totland stage.

On Saturday morning I went to Lake to meet up with my first-ever work boss LESLIE HARVEY – who is now 94. He was the general manager of Gould, Hibberd and Randall, the soft drinks manufacturers in Church Litten, Newport. I wanted to record the history of this famous old Island firm – which was on the site now occupied by Marks and Spencer. The donkey-in-the-well logo of Gould, Hibberd and Randall, is preserved on the Marks wall in Church Litten. Leslie is on John Hannam Meets on Sunday August 4