The Walton Hop in Walton-Upon-Thames, Surrey was a teen disco started in 1958 and was one of the the first disco's in the UK. The Hop was situated only five miles from Savile's haunt the infamous Duncroft Aproved School.
In the 70's and 80's the Walton Hop was frequented by convicted paedophile and former Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning, and peadophiles Jonathan King and Tam Paton (director of the Bay City Rollers)
Sarah Nelson, an Edinburgh University researcher and government adviser on sex crimes, says Paton was involved with an abuse ring involving dozens of teenage boys. Paton was convicted of abusing two boys in 1982. It was Paton who first introduced Jonathan King to the Hop - they met when Jonathan was invited to produce the Rollers' debut single, Keep On Dancing.) Chris Denning, the former Radio 1 DJ, was another Hop regular - he has a string of child sex convictions, is currently in jail in Prague, and was friendly with King and Paton.
The Walton Hop achieved notoriety as the venue where Jonathan King preyed upon under-age boys. Jimmy Pursey, the lead singer of Sham 69, was one of the Hop's most regular teenage attendees.
Who lives close to the Walton Hop well Max Clifford for one lives in Walton-Upon-Thames and suspect Cliff Richard lived about two miles down the road in Weybridge,
Multi millionaire Max Clifford is due to stand trial for sex crimes against girls and his best friend Jewish multi millionaire Steve Less owns Secrets chain of all naked lap dancing clubs. At Secrets young girls high on cocaine perform naked for men and it is claimed Secrets clubs are used by M15 as a honey trap
In a strange twist to the tale Stephen Less engaged his lawyers Garstangs for ex spy and child abuse whistle blower and former Duncroft girl Andrea Davison after the police raided her home. It was Garstangs who conspired with the Prosecution to set-up Andrea and have her silenced. We asked Andrea about the the Walton Hop, Less and Clifford " I heard about the Walton Hop when I was at Duncroft but I did not go myself, as for Max Clifford he is Steve Less's best friend. It become really clear to me that Steve's Solicitor Richard Cornthwaite of Garstangs and Steve intended to silence me"
 |
| Max Clifford with Stephen and Penny Less |
I asked how she met Stephen Less "Steve Less buys up journalists to get good publicity and I met him through my friend, journalist Pete Sawyer, when we were working together on a documentary about Lap dancing clubs called Lap Dance Wars "
I was in Miami with Steve Less, his German Girlfriend Claudia and journalist Pete Sawyer where we met Michael J Peters the owner of a chain of Clubs in America. We were talking about producing a series of programs called Dancers at the time.
 |
| Steve Less and Andrea Davison in Miami |
"It was naive of me to trust Steve Less to choose my solicitors if I had not done so I would not be a penniless refugee in South America. Recently I tested him out by asking him to help with my legal fees, so I can appeal the wrongful conviction. And although he knows he is directly responsible for my situation this multi millionaire who claimed to be my friend refused to help me. That says it all!"
 |
| Claudia Girlfriend of Steve Less with Andrea Davison |
"Max Clifford also refused to help me expose elite paedophiles or contribute to my defence fund. Less and Clifford are definitely involved in something and I was not surprised when Clifford was charged. All these aging men were part of the "in crowd" in the popular music industry. So many of the so called stars are known to have groomed and abused young girls and boys with impunity. All these old men are connected to each other, and connected to the 60's 70's 80's 90's pop culture and organised crime in London."
"People go to Clifford with Scandal involving the stars and it is by this method Clifford has managed to protect a large number of Celebrity Paedophiles who are his friends." read more about Max Clifford from a lady who wished she had never met him
Walton Hop child abuse survivor Kirk writes
" In fact it was I that helped launch Operation Arundel after disclosing rather stupidly to Max Clifford. If you are interested I did not approach Max Clifford Associates (MCA) for financial gain more to enquire if any other boys (now adults) had approached him with regard Jonathan Kings one time promoter at Bell Records and co founder of Kings UK Record label the ex BBC radio One DJ Chris Denning (currently in custody in Wandsworth prison). However that was not the main reason for approaching MCA. 95% of my abuse took place in Weybridge and Walton on Thames and Mr. Clifford lives on the border of those two towns, because of his position in the PR world I assumed that he must of known that certain celebrities were attending one teen disco in Walton on Thames, the Walton Hop also known as the Walton Playhouse.
 |
| Walton Hop |
I had heard by way of Radio Five Live that Denning had been arrested in the Czech Republic for running a paedophile ring, coupled with the arrest of Gary Glitter for downloading Photographic Evidence of a Sexual Assault on a Child my mid went into overdrive, unfortunately Glitters arrest happened just after I had started a three year course at university. On hearing of Glitters arrest the first thing I thought of was Bell records, the second was of my original abuser Chris Denning. Unbeknown to me at the time, my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder began to manifest itself by way of nightmares, triggers and flashbacks, I succeeded in smothering these manifestations by focusing on my studies but that was to prove very difficult with the amount of paedophilia that was in the media at the time. There was the North Wales Children’s Home scandal and the ensuing Waterhouse Report, the disappearance of Sarah Payne and the commencement of the News of The Worlds name and shame campaign, trying to escape reports of paedophilic linked articles etc was neigh on impossible it seemed that the press was reaching saturation point with regards sexual crimes against children.
However I persevered with my studies but it was just prior to my final year exams I read an interview that Denning had given to The Guardian journalist Kate Connelly whilst in Pankrac prison. I was shocked and disturbed at Denning’s complete denial of any wrongdoing but I now recognise this as a typical trait of the true paedophile. The pressure was now on me to disclose the information I had kept secret for over thirty years, unfortunately I suffered a mental and physical breakdown forcing me to miss my final year exams. It was because of this that I decided to disclose. I felt that my past systematic abuse by Denning, King, Rob Randall and others was still acutely affecting me, my dream of becoming an archaeologist had been destroyed, and I thought enough is enough.
The Guardian article can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,297548,00.html
As I have said I approached Max Clifford by email, not naming King only naming Denning and The Walton Hop they contacted me the following day and asked if I had any photographic evidence of which I did not. I was told “no photographic evidence, no go”. (Was Clifford pleased that Kirk did not have photographic evidence of the abuse?) (how many kids have photographs of their abusers abusing them?)
It was at that point that I decided to go to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) as they had assisted the Czech authorities in the arrest of Denning.
When I met Denning in 1970 he was working for the Bell Record label (after being sacked by the BBC for remarks he made on air with regard to young teenage boys) as promotions manager. Bell was perhaps one of the most successful record labels of the early seventies with artists such as Eddison Lighthouse, David Cassidy with and without The Partridge Family, Tony Orlando and Dawn, together with Gary Glitter, The Bay City Rollers with their sex offender manager Tam Paton and one Jonathan King who recorded under numerous guises such as The Piglets (“Johnny Reggae”) and Shag (“Loop de Love”). King also acted as house producer for the Bay City rollers first hit "Keep On Dancing". I would appear that none of the media have picked up this link pointing towards a London based music industry paedophile ring.
The list of celebrities attending the Hop was impressive for the early seventies. Chris Denning and Jonathan king were indeed regular visitors, Denning lived just down the road on Oatlands Drive which was the main road link from Weybridge to Walton on Thames. Others that attended were Tam Paton the ex manager of the Bay City Rollers who has a conviction for sex with an underage boy. The Bay City Rollers were also visitors to the Walton Hop. However these were not the only now convicted paedophiles that attended. I have mentioned Rob Randall, he was a music journalist of national repute, and he was also a part time DJ that had residency at both the Walton Hop and Tolworth bowling alley. Randall was convicted in 2002 for sex with an underage boy. I was to appear as a primary prosecution witness at Kingston crown court against Randall. But on the advice of his defence team Randall pleaded guilty to a more recent sexual assault so as to keep me from the witness box linking Randall to his friends Denning, King and the Walton Hop.
Randall conviction can be read here: http://www.ruralwatch.net/news_item.asp?artid=1126
The Following Comment was made on http://forum.difflock.com/viewtopic....d599289d359e2a
I've been very involved with helping abuse and rape survivors for about the last 20 years, after finally getting help myself !
I've been to Survivor weekend workshop / retreats, and conducted group sessions where I've met people abused by the people involved with the notorious Walton Hop, and Saville's name just kept coming up (along with others who are still around - not for long hopefully )
I have a good survivor friend that has a book ready for publication that exposes the Walton Hop pedophiles, not just those already convicted, but many more new names.
http://www.bedrock.org.uk/socialise/...p?id=54385&p=4
...The Walton Hop, when a quick finger up Uncle Jim guaranteed you a ride around the block in his white Roller, things were all so simple then
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/radio...aims-innocence
BBC DJ Chris Denning. The 71-year-old who was one of the first BBC Radio One DJs...
...Denning was part of a group of men, including former BBC radio DJ Jonathan King - jailed for seven years in 2001 after being convicted of a string of sex offences against young boys - who preyed on young boys at the Walton Hop, a '70s teenage disco.
The Walton Hop was a teen disco started by Deniz Corday in 1958. It is reputed to have been the first disco in the UK. During the 1970s and 1980s, it was frequented by now-convicted child sex offender Tam Paton (manager of the Bay City Rollers).
Denning said the age of consent should be lowered, adding "the average age of consent across the 27 countries [of the EU] is 15 and several members even set the age at just 14".
He said some "elderly men" in Britain lived in fear of being exposed as paedophiles for "relationships" they had had with boys decades ago.
http://www.bioreference.net/encyclop...l_records.html
Bell Records in London was headed by Dick Leahy. Bell had signed to them The Bay City Rollers, The Partridge Family with David Cassidy, Gary Glitter and The Piglets. The promotion manager was Chris Denning a now convicted paedophile.
He had a roster of artists including convicted paedophile Gary Glitter, Tam Paton, The Bay City Rollers manager was convicted of sexual assault of an under age boy, Derek Longmuir of The Bay City Rollers has a conviction for child pornography.
Jonathan King aka The Piglets is currently serving a seven year sentence for serious sexual assault on boys under the age of consent another man Robert Randall Hay - Dangerfield a freelance music journalist and part time disc jockey was convicted of assaulting an underage boy all of those mentioned above all have another thing in common other than Bell Records and Chris Denning, they all attended The Walton Hop disco, managed by Deniz Corday.
The pedophile supporters
King, Denning and Clifford are supported by a group of Jimmy Savile supporters led by Anna Racoon whos real name is Susan Nundy. A former Duncroft girl who sold her soul to the VIP abusers and has worked for them every since. And Barbara Hewson barrister who believes the age of consent should be lowered and that pedophiles are being persecuted. http://www.sott.net/article/264564-Psychopath-barrister-Barbara-Hewson-defends-pedophile-Jimmy-Savile-sez-age-of-consent-for-sex-should-be-13-to-end-persecution-of-old-men And Felicity Gerry QC who supports Jimmy Savile http://google-law.blogspot.com/2012/10/felicity-gerry-corrupt-barrister-who.html
http://www.ukchatterbox.co.uk/msg/3043892
A fellow apprentice came from a place called Walton in Surrey...in the 70`s
they had a big disco/youth club there called the "Walton Hop"and one of the DJ`s for this was none other than Jonathan King who then was sort of a novelty record maker come music producer....that fellow apprentice told me
then it was well know King liked "teenage boys"...now that was something like 25 years BEFORE he was exposed and jailed.
I think there is a lot more to be dug up about this one. Surrey Police have been sitting on this one for decades.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...kend.jonronson
Sport & Leisure | Max clifford associates
maxclifford.com/current-clients-testmonials/sportsleisure/Stephen Less is an entrepreneur in both the Leisure and Property Industry. ... within the last 40 years including Secrets, London's biggest table dancing chain. ... cocktail bar which then turns into a table dancing club later on in the evening.
Read Pillow Talk all about meeting sleezy Max Clifford http://pillowtalkwithsarahsymonds.blogspot.co.uk/
More on Stephen Less http://ukgovernmentwatch.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/westminster-council-shirley-porter-stringfellows-stephen-lesss-secrets-clubs/
Max Clifford on his clients an friends
http://www.theguardian.com/media/video/2012/oct/27/jimmy-savile-celebrities-max-clifford-video
TRIAL DATE SET FOR MAX CLIFFORD
Clifford has strenuously denied the allegations
The trial date for celebrity publicist Max Clifford has been set for March 4 next year.
The 70-year-old, who did not attend the hearing at Southwark Crown
Court, faces 11 charges of indecent assault on seven teenage girls.He is accused of committing the offences between 1966 and 1985, when the girls were aged between 14 and 19.
Clifford pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges last month.
He has previously vowed to clear his name and labeled the allegations against him "a load of nonsense". he said.
"All I know is up until the Jimmy Savile situation, no one ever said anything about me at all.
"What I've got to do now is to prove that these allegations are totally without foundation, which I know they are."
Clifford, from Hersham, Surrey, was charged in April after being arrested in December as part of Operation Yewtree, the national police inquiry sparked by claims of abuse against Savile.
Maybe Max needs a better Spin Dr than himself to get him out of this one!
http://www.surreylife.co.uk/out-about/places/max_clifford_marries_at_great_fosters_hotel_in_egham_1_1638327
Update: Following Max Clifford's 8 year sentence for sex crimes His wife divorced him saying he was a pedophile and pervert. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2830771/Predator-Clifford-kept-bin-bag-explicit-photos-women-home-reveals-wife-divorced-days-jailed.html
I was a lapdancer started at 16 in Secrets where I met Clifford. It was a long time ago it was up to the girls who they took into the back room for sex. But when you are a kid yourself you do what your told. I look at my daughter and I want these evil men jailed to protect her.
ReplyDeleteIn 2004 Jimmy Pursey(SHAM 69) was arrested for an sexual assault on a under age girl and placed on the Sex Offenders register. He was recently subject to a campaign in the US to prevent him and other Sex Offenders entering the country. It appears he has yet to be scrutinised further, though reports claim his time is running out!
ReplyDeleteIf you read into this you'll discover that this case refers to one incident of him forcibly kissing a 17-year-old in a US state that defines under-18 as "under age". Wrong it may be, but it's hardly Gary Glitter or Max Clifford territory.
DeleteWell here you go. This is all taken from emails written by Dave Parsons, guitarist with Sham 69, and from interviews given by him. Whilst forcibly kissing a girl may not be that serious, (to some people), it was not committed in the USA but in the UK and the girl was actually 15. Pursey IS on the UK Sex Offenders Register and cannot go abroad.
DeleteDave Parsons email 3/10/2006: "Are you in cloud cookoo land, Jimmy does not work HE CAN'T FUCKING WELL GO ABROAD"
Why can't he go abroad? Punk Globe helpfully ask that question for us.
Punk Globe: Didn't you run into some trouble entering the US for the Punk Rock Bowling festival last year?
Dave Parsons: "We were supposed to be coming over to the States last year but unfortunately Jimmy's Dad was diagnosed with Asbestosis and he just wanted to be here for his Dad for the short time he had left. I've always enjoyed touring the States and have made many good friends over the years so hopefully we will come back to play before too long"
However, compare that to this earlier reply in an email Dave Parsons wrote on 12th November 2006.
"Jimmy cant play any foriegn gigs even if he wanted to, due to being on the sex offenders
register, and also because he is no longer a member of sham69.
cheers man
Dave"
OOOPS but I thought you said, (Punk Globe 2014)
Dave Parsons: "This was just more lies put about from their lie factory. Timothy Vance was so obsessed with Jimmy that he spent most of his spare time on his lap top trying to find any dirt from any where to undermine Jimmy - Timothy Vance was desperate to be Jimmy Pursey. Jimmy won't stand up and defend himself because he has nothing to defend, if he was a sex offender neither me or Dave Treganna would be working with him, because Mr V has virtually no personality of his own he'll do anything to try and undermine Jimmy. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"
Walton Hop, funny it should be remembered for all the arse bandits, but the fact is most boys like myself that went there and lived in Walton/Hersham in the 70's knew about Corday and his little flat upstairs, I went most weeks and had a great time, only the boys that wanted to be around the likes of King, Corday got more than they might have bargained for, but not everybody was so naive !!!
ReplyDeleteWillis remembers those years but she wasn't one of the naïve ones, enjoyed many of times there....
Deletecliff richard partys.. now follow that !.
ReplyDeleteSince when has Cliff been a suspect? There's been nothing in the news.
ReplyDeleteCliff Richard was named on the Elm Guest House list
DeleteSome would say Cliff Richard has always been suspect! However for information he was named via his nickname of Kitty on the Elm Guest list, after which he disappeared back to Barbados, renounced his British citizenship and became a Barbadian. He then spent a year out of this country travelling (touring?) in Australia , New Zealand and elsewhere, always accompanied by his 'friend', ex priest Father John McElynn. He returned to this country sometime last year thinking things were ok..(maybe he was told it was so?) However by coincidence a couple of weeks ago an unnamed 73 year old man was arrested as part of operation Yewtree and questioned regarding his links with Elm Guest house and a video doing the rounds which apparently shows a very senior ex Minister and now Lord sexually abusing a ten year old boy.
Deleteif you're from the area and went to the Hop then none of this can be a surprise. I often thought Cliff's tireless persuit of God was nothing but a manifestation of his guilt. i am sure it will all come out soon enough. thoughts go out to all them tempered with.. Gillian
ReplyDeleteI agree with the earlier comment that almost everyone who went to the Walton Hop with an ounce of street savvy knew about these people and what they were up to. It was widespread rumour that King, Corday and co. were unsavoury characters and became objects of derision to most. That said, there were obviously some vulnerable kids that went who were less clued up.
ReplyDeleteI've lived in Walton all my life and the stories I've heard would turn your hair white!! Why have Surrey police waited so long to investigate? Who did Clifford have in his pocket all these years?
ReplyDeleteExcellent and revealing blog post. I do feel that many comments here reveal a likely misconception that the victims were naive. Denning's as King, claimed to be 14 and 15 year old's trapped in 'older bodies'. However what they actually reveal in this view is the specifics of their 'tastes'. It runs deeper, body shape, skin tone, height, build and then family and friend network. It wasn't 'savvy' that protected many or being naive that contributed but fitting the specific victim profile of some very particular and nasty predators. Thanks for sharing your research and personal experiences. Generally I steer clear of this issue, for I am fortunate enough to have no person experience or ability to understand the paedophile. However I know it takes real guts to face the demons who refuse to say sorry.
ReplyDeleteThe caption for the photo showing dancers at the Walton Hop describes them as "children dancing" - this sets the tone for this blog - biased and incorrect. The Walton Hop was a great place, and like every other disco that followed, sexual predators were present, but we all knew about them and either kept away or joined them, some quite willingly having sex, others not doing so - never forced!
ReplyDeleteI fear people looking at the 60s and 70s regard the era with different moral standards that exist nowadays.
No matter, we all enjoyed it at the time.
How uncannily like King's writing style - the 'no matter' is a total giveaway!
DeleteI had the misfortune of meeting Chris Denning in 1968 whilst working for Decca records where Chris Denning was visiting in his role for Johnathan Kings UK records.
ReplyDeleteI was 16 at the time and Chris Denning pretended to be interested in a pop group that I was fronting and he invited me out for a drink to discuss recording, managing and promoting the band.
By the end of the evening after being given numerous spiked drinks I was absolutely paralytic drunk and was taken by Chris Denning to his little office somewhere in Wardour street I think and forcibly raped. I never saw him again.
Horrible experience for you! Max Clifford and Stuart Hall had this same MO cynically promising career help. Thanks for sharing your experience
DeleteI also regularly went to Walton Hop circa 1968 until the early 70's. The only thing that shocks me is how long it took for all this to come out. It waas common knowledge that Rob Randall, Johnathan King, Chris Denning & Co were into young boys ..... you just avoided them.
ReplyDeleteDamn, we had some brilliant times back in the day. It was only a couple of months ago that I sold my last connection with the Hop .... my old fishtail parka.
Having just wasted an hour trying to comment using my Wordpress account, and being told that I do not own my own identity, I am trying again as Anonymous!
ReplyDeleteTo the commenter on 5/1/14, I would now say, "About a few days ago!" I notice that quite a few commenters have mentioned that most people were aware of what might go on if one was to venture upstairs at the Walton Hop. If you knew the situation, then it was your own fault if something happened to you. For some, the lure of the pop world was enough to cause them to forsake their senses; afterwards, of course, it was a different matter, and it was necessary to find somebody to blame.
I agree with the comment of 26/4/14. The view of the '60's and ''70's that is currently held is held by people who were not alive at that time, and who do not know what it was like to be in those times.
The danger of this attitude is that people are relieved of any responsibility for their own actions, and there is a culture developing that no matter what happens, the state will look after me, and the lawyers will get me any compensation going.
Where this leads is a disregard that such experiences are part of growing up, and what often causes psychological harm is not the experience itself, but the willingness of the "victim" to have the victim label stuck on him/herself.
I often wonder what would have happened had the Savile saga not occurred; would these people still be going to the police or other authorities, or would they be getting on with their lives and putting it all down to experience?
By the criteria used nowadays, everybody who lived through the 2nd World war would be eligible for post-traumatic stress disorder counselling. They did not get it, and the world did not end; in fact, that generation would not have come through the war had they had such an attitude. "Keep calm, and carry on" was what was needed, and it worked.
Obviously, I am not condoning the use of violence and/or coercion; that would make such acts criminal in themselves, but there seems to be too great a willingness to blame others for acts willingly entered into at the time, now that the tide of public opinion has turned against those times.
If you were talking about adults yes, but you are not only victim blaming you are talking about children,. A child is NEVER NEVER responsible for being abused. And just so we are clear I was an abused child in the 60's. I am not going to let people like you make me feel guilty for being abused. I have lived with the legacy of this abuse all my life. Shame on you and all those like you who thought it OK to sexually abuse children and think you should have a get out of jail card now because for the first time children are being believed.
DeleteIn reply to anonymous post August 15th, 11:47 - How very naive, and shall I say it COMPLICIT' you are to put the blame in the hands of children. Obscene to even argue the case that the 60's and 70's were 'Different' thus people should just get on with their lives - hey, lets tell the people of Cambodia who where the subject of illegal carpet bombings by Nixon and Kissenger that heck it was the 70's different times, keep calm and carry on - 35 years to punish regime members of the khmer rouge this week. Should we have forgotten that? Youre naivety in justifying sex abuse is more than an embarrasment! Hang your head in shame!
DeleteJonathan King re-arrested today along with two other men from Walton the same age as Rob Randall and Dennis Cordey.
ReplyDeleteThere are some really sick people out there who have destroyed lives for their own gratification.
ReplyDeleteI moved to Walton in the early 80s when I was 16 and within a week I knew what was going on at the hop. I can't believe the police didn't know as it was common knowledge to most people. I remember being in a working mans club on the high street run by this guy Ronnie (who I was also led to believe was into young boys) and hearing their exploits bring openly discussed. No-one batted an eyelid. I know many boys who went to their flat where they were plied with drink and drugs. They'd never tell anyone what went on and girls were never allowed up there, but several years later one of the boys told me he and others had been abused. All of the people on this thread who've said the boys who went there knew what they were getting are talking absolute crap. They were drugged up to the point where they barely knew what was going on. Yes, it was their decision to go up there (it was mainly to get alcohol as the hop didn't serve any) but no, they did not deserve to be abused by those scumbags. It must have taken a lot of guts to finally report it so let's hope those responsible rot in jail.
ReplyDeleteI never went to the Walton Hop, but I was 'picked up' by Rob Randall at his disco at the Tolworth Bowl around 1976 when I was 17. I didn't realise he was gay, he had a really good line about how he could help me do this or that, and offered me a lift home. On the way he suggested coming back to his place where he had a roast dinner cooking, and once there the Hirondelle came out - two bottles later and I suddenly realised why I was there when 'the hand' came over. At 17 I was able to resist the spiel about how it wasn't unnatural, everyone was doing it, and how it was fun to experiment - but I think I'd have been overawed and succumbed if I'd been younger. A very, very unpleasant, scheming man who plotted and schemed his seduction in a very well-practised manner.
ReplyDeleteRob Randall raped me at the Tolworth Bowl in 1976. when I was a fourteen year old boy! He plied me with alcohol and pills. He had groomed me for a year after working for him at his Thursday night Surbiton Assembly Rooms disco. I was just a child and just as I thought I may be getting some closure as he had been arrested on my evidence last year the cunt died! Rot in hell bastard! Only was informed about death today. If anyone knows where the funeral is to be held please let me know so I can shit on his grave! Bastard! Ruined my life.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Walton-On-Thames from 1974, and attended the Hop most Saturdays for a year or two aged 15-16 with a small group of mates. Being good catholic boys we knew nothing of what was going on around us although there was always an underlying sense of menace, whether from Jimmy Pursey and his mates or the tough lads from Rydens or Thamesmead. I crossed paths with Jonathan King one evening as he'd parked his big red Rolls up by the Methodist Church (outside Courts the furnishers), ready for a fast getaway to Molesey and thence to the City is my guess.
ReplyDeleteMy mate and I declined the offer of "a ride" but we walked the 5 minutes or so to together to the Hop, oddly enough passing the Working Mens' Club in Church Street (not the High Street) where Ronnie Remnant (a punk name if ever I heard one) had some sort of position. Said Remnant was an acquaintence of my Mum, they both used the "Little Ashley" pub down at the Halfway although RR had a woman with him. It was he who suggested to my Mum that I get in touch with a friend of his with a view to "washing cars" as I was looking to eke out my pocket money with a small job. Said and done, a few days later I got a phone call from a guy saying his name was "Rob Randell" (probably the way he pronounced his name more than a mis-spelling) and that he'd like me to come up to his first floor flat at Wellington Close "for an interview".
This took place one normal weekday evening, and I was let into his flat by a semi-naked well-build male youth who only had a towel wrapped around him and a bottle of beer in hand. Randell was charming, showed me his massive record collection which was literally floor to ceiling, and his equipment (DJ equipment that is). I was very much into music already and he noted I was impressed by the amount of records that I was listening to: Yes, BeeGees, Supertramp, Chicago, Thin Lizzy, etc etc. He had a dog in the flat, called "Pikel" - whom he referred to as a "randy youth" as the mutt was very excitable and for some reason wasn't late in coming forwards to hump anything he could. God alone knows what the poor thing was subjected to, but as they say, it must've been a "dog's life".
I wasn't actually touched or porpositioned more than RR saying I was welcome back "when things were a bit quieter when there was a car around to wash". Needless to say I flew down the stairs and ran home. My Mum would never have believed me if I'd told her - in fact I did many. many years later and she said "I'm not surprised" Ta Mum. Again that overriding sense of menace was rife; apart from the humping dog and the presumably recently-humped male youth I also saw and heard at least two more individual further inside the flat.
Back at the Hop I never saw the guy again and I like to think that I got away by the skin of my teeth, but I can only imagine the sheer volume of youngsters who fell for it. With the benfit of hindsight and having read most of the stuff on this board and many others I can only add my voice and witness to what was going on thereabouts. I never got invited up to the upstairs part of the Hop by Deniz Corday but we all heard the stories about what went on up there and thought nothing of it then - if people were dumb enough to egt involved then it was basically their fault BUT at the time we were 15 ourselves and did not want to rock the boat (although that was a very popular song then), and as I found out myself, our parents weren't about to believe that people in positions of trust like that were that organised and cold and calculating in what they did. I'm sure there's a LOT more people out there with a story to tell.