Their name was Mud

The Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth, was a pop and rock venue in Cornwall, which saw some big names play there during the 1960’s and 70’s in what was a fairly modest building. See this link for more information and pictures.

 

http://kernowbeat.co.uk/flamingo.html

Passing through Cornwall in 1974 I saw a concert by the four piece pop band Mud, of which two members have since departed this world. Punk rock was still a year or two away, though the habits of its audience had begun to appear. A young lad near me started spitting at the band. After a while, another lad took exception, and told him to stop. Suddenly there was a fight, and it is surprising how much space can be found in a packed room when necessary. If I recall correctly, the defender of the band came off worst, and received a bloody nose. Like the orchestra on the Titanic, during the incident the band played on. That’s right, that’s right, that’s right, that’s right… 

...Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum

Bazooka Joe was an American brand of bubble gum, which was promoted by a cartoon character with an eye patch and, in the UK, by a Magic Circle club.

With each purchase, one got a small pink oblong of sugary bubble gum and a humourous cartoon on waxy paper roughly three inches by two inches, of which some examples below.

Laugh? I thought I'd never start!

...two censored postcards of the Great War

These two postcards were sent from the Front, presumably by a serving soldier, in the early part of the First World War, probably in November 1914.

Censorship of communications home was introduced for obvious reasons, to avoid information falling, however innocently, into enemy hands. The images here of St. Martin's cloisters and the Butter Market at Ypres in Belgium however would not tax the intelligence of any competent spy, despite the name of the town being struck through with blue pencil on the one card, and being clipped from the corner on the other. Especially as the name of the publisher, a Bartier of Ypres, appears on the back of one card.

The cards are nevertheless interesting examples of their type.

...General Science 'O' Level Exam Paper 1969

This was my General Science practical exam in 1969, and I challenge you to take this exam, though I admit it would be rather difficult without the apparatus in front of you. I recall that specimen F in question 4 was a kidney. 

I did pass the exam, though I forget what grade I obtained.

You have two hours starting...now.

...Turf cigarette cards

The brand known as Turf cigarettes was first sold in the 1920’s by Carreras Ltd, a Jamaican company now part of the giant British American Tobacco. 

The cigarette cards for this brand were incorporated into the packet, and had to be carefully cut out by those who wished to collect them, which has clearly not been done with my examples above. There was one card on a packet of ten cigarettes, and two cards on a packet of twenty, and many different series were issued over the years, each of about fifty cards, including Film Stars – Ronald Reagan, for example, was number 27 of that set – Footballers, British Aeroplanes, and the Locomotives above in 1952.

 

I have not been able to establish when the somewhat oddly named brand was discontinued, but it was probably in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s. Their Craven “A” brand, established in the same period, is still sold today.