The Avengers pop band

[Britbob]

Just came across this website and was shocked to immediately recognise Phil Bryant in the band. Phil used to come to my home in Blyth on Tuesday evenings for tea and sandwiches with friends Tom, Hilton and Alan. He also sometimes worked with me as apprentice electrician at Bates Pit where I was an electrician. Great to have memories come back to me of my "youth". I also married a Bedlington girl and we celebrated our 56th anniversary in January. Sweet times. Met her at the Clayton dance hall.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

You just need @HIGH PIT WILMA to see this and I am sure he will come up with some more info on the band.

Have you see HPWs photos from Bates pit in the Gallery :-

•  
• Gallery > Places Gallery > Bates Pit by High Pit Wilma

 

Edited April 16, 2017 by Eggy1948

[Britbob]

Thanks Eggy1948. I just had a look at the photos of Bates Pit. Did not see anyone I knew of course but, when I saw the old photo of the shipping plant on the river, it brought back memories of my time spent there where I worked for about two years servicing the plant.

I rarely visit Blyth now and wonder if the old plant is still there on the river?

Edited April 17, 2017 by Britbob
to add something

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

2 hours ago, Britbob said:

I rarely visit Blyth now and wonder if the old plant is still there on the river?

Google aerial image, 2016, with David Hayes aerial photo of Bates Pit c1982

[Britbob]

I see that the old shipping plant is now gone. Not a bad run as it was commissioned in 1933. How many machines will run for that length of time if commissioned today?

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

If you ever have a few hours to spare and want to check out Blyth's past then have a walk down down memory lane, via hundreds of images, on Bob Simmons blog :- 

http://aboutblyth.co.uk/

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Britbob,and welcome to the site!

I first met Phil Bryant at the preliminary training centre [mining]at Seaton Burn colliery,in 1959,where I started aged 15 yrs.

He was the most gentlest giant you ever met,I say giant,cos when we were 15 years old,he towered above  the rest of our little group of marra's,who included Tom Pearson,who's Parents ran the Hartford Hotel,[we used to sing Elvis' Heartbreak Hotel but subsitute Hartford for heartbreak!]

Billy McGlen,Willy Wake,Jim Hardy,[are ye in there Jim?!be nice ti hear from ye!].

In those days,most of the lads who were learning guitar or bass,or drums,had to make do with budget instruments,and like me,were self-taught,by playing records at slow speed,learning the riffs or tunes,like me......Hank was my Hero,along with Duane Eddy and all the other masses of instrumental groups...[NOT bands!!!],that hit the charts every week,in the 50's and 60's.

So,when time went by,and our training ended,Phil and me lost touch as we went to different pits.

It so happened that I had started practising with an old friend and two other lads,when one night there was a knock on my Mother's door,and when I opened it,there was Phil Bryant standing,along with some members of a group he had formed.

He came ,upon recommendations from people who had heard me playing,to ask if I would join his group.

Well,I have always been a loyal sort of lad,and couldn't even think of deserting my own marra's,to go with Phil and his Marra's.

This was around 1962-ish,I was about 18 yrs aad by then,and knew Robin Hadaway only in passing,cos he played guitar as weel,starting,like me,with  a Rossetti

"Lucky Seven" guitar,made out of plywood,and was virtually a guitar-shaped orange box!![mind,aav still got mine,but it's in a sad state noo!]

Next thing aa knew,Phil was playing bass guitar in the Avengers,with Robin on lead guitar.

They were about as average as my group,seeing as we had 8-watt Hohner amps,no echo units,cheap guitars,no mikes,had to use the club's mike's which were atrocious......but we passed,until we did get better gear as time went by.

I used to play 50-50 sometimes,at the Clayton Ballroom,with the Avengers,where I met my Wife,in 1962,at the skating rink,one Wednesday night in February.

This was before The Avengers were taken on by Alan McKay,[who was a manager at Bedlingon CO-OP],and who signed for 1200 pounds worth of the top

quality instruments,"Burns Marvin" for Robin,"Hofner Verithin" bass for Phil,etc.[THAT....was a LOT of pound notes!!]

Suddenly,with a top-notch P.A and Echo/reverb unit,and several gud mikes,they would be entering for the "Northern Echo" Group competition...and they were bloody fantastic!

Sadly,Graham Bell passed away, a few years ago,and when he was in his prime,he could match any of the rhythm and blues singers of the day.

His rendering of Stones' early tracks were great,and his Harmonica playing made your hair stand on end!

Last I heard of Phil,was that he had joined the Merchant Navy after the group split,don't know exactly when.

I wud luv ti hook up with Phil again,if he is still knocking aroond!!

He was a great bass-player,and a smashing lad!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Correction to my last post above,which SHOULD read..."..where I met my Wife,in 1962,at the skating rink,one Wednesday night, in JULY[!]",[and Not February!!].

A very rare slip of the mind by Wilma,and one which wud not be forgiven if the Boss knew I had slipped up!!

Heh heh! Gettin' auld's not much fun!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@HIGH PIT WILMA - can you remember if there was a group called the Dinosaurs ever played at the Clayton Ballroom in the ear;y sixties?

It's not me asking, just a young lady on bedlington Facebook group said :- Jean Ord Met my husband on Monday night teenagers as I got a bit older I was allowed to go to Friday night dance can anyone remember the group called the dynasours and who played in it.

I can't remember them or find anything out on the www about them

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Eggy! A  can mind of a few groups, but not the Dinosaurs. Might have been after I got married and stopped gaaning ti thi Clayton. Sorry nae help this time. Aal dae a bit asking aroond me aad marra's. Me Wife has had an op. on  Friday gone ti hae two new plakka joints put in her hand, so aam caring for her intensely. If a dinna post owt for a while, ye knaa aam not deserting thi forums!

[Pete]

There was a group called the Dynacords 1960's

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

14 hours ago, Pete said:

There was a group called the Dynacords 1960's

Cheers pete - i'll see if that name rings a bell with Jean

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

On 13/08/2018 at 10:50, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

Cheers pete - i'll see if that name rings a bell with Jean

@Pete - Jean replied and said :- yes it was the Dynacords, thank you  Peteb.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Heh heh!....it's a small world aint it....?

I never thowt anybody wud have ivvor have remembered!!....a played Lead Guitar..it was a great time ti be a lead guitarist,wi aal the instrumentals in the charts in the Sixties!

Thanks for the references Alan!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Pete,if ya in theor!...Hoo di ye remember the Dynacords?....were they that bad!....

Alan,can ye tell Jean that we ARE aal Dinosaurs noo!...sadly except for wor  lead vocalist,who passed away many years ago,aged only 46 yrs,after a long illness,due to a very rare disease called "Poitsieager's Syndrome", which causes Polyps to form on the Intestines,and which required frequent operations to remove them.

Geordie was one of only 40 people in the UK,who was known to suffer from this awful disease..R.I.P. Geordie.

 

[Pete]

HPW, if I have got it right the Dynachords uses to practice at the Wharton. Did they have a female vocalist at one stage?

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Pete! ..."Dynacords"..no "h" in the name...it was the name of a German -made and imported guitar amplifier,that our Bass-player's Brother,who was in the R.A.F,stationed at Dusseldorf,in the 1960's,brought over here,at a time when only VOX,SELMER,and WATKINS,were the only Amplifier manufacturer's of any real worthiness.

We couldn't afford any of those amps at thi time,in the early 1960's,and ,like loads of other groups...GROUPS!!....not BANDS!...,we started out with little 8-Watt amps,as small as a wee speaker cabinet,about 12 inches high,and 10 inches wide,or thereabouts...and the old-timer pitmen in the clubs used ti shout...."Ya aal reet ,but ya owa lood,man,torn thi buggaas doon..!"

8 watts!!....then Jimi Hendrix came along with 200-watt Marshall Stacks,with two 4x 12" cabinets which stood six feet tall!![the "4x12"..denotes that each cabinet held four 12-inch diameter loudspeakers!

Now THAT used to  lift the roof off the City Hall at the Toon!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

On 16/08/2019 at 22:45, Pete said:

HPW, if I have got it right the Dynachords uses to practice at the Wharton. Did they have a female vocalist at one stage?

 

40 minutes ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Hi Pete! ..."Dynacords"..no "h" in the name...it was the name of a German -made and imported guitar amplifier,that our Bass-player's Brother,who was in the R.A.F,stationed at Dusseldorf,in the 1960's,brought over here,at a time when only VOX,SELMER,and WATKINS,were the only Amplifier manufacturer's of any real worthiness.

We couldn't afford any of those amps at thi time,in the early 1960's,and ,like loads of other groups...GROUPS!!....not BANDS!...,we started out with little 8-Watt amps,as small as a wee speaker cabinet,about 12 inches high,and 10 inches wide,or thereabouts...and the old-timer pitmen in the clubs used ti shout...."Ya aal reet ,but ya owa lood,man,torn thi buggaas doon..!"

8 watts!!....then Jimi Hendrix came along with 200-watt Marshall Stacks,with two 4x 12" cabinets which stood six feet tall!![the "4x12"..denotes that each cabinet held four 12-inch diameter loudspeakers!

Now THAT used to  lift the roof off the City Hall at the Toon!

Eees warse than me @Pete, that @HIGH PIT WILMA - just gans off at a tangent.

[Pete]

A niver could spel properley. 

But back to the question HPW, did the Dynacords used to practice in the Wharton?

Edited August 25, 2019 by Pete

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Heh heh!..apologies to all,for digressing..this forum and aal ye  folks are like a was sitting at yem,and a just get carried away!

Pete,we first  started  to practice at the Wharton Arms,as we had all just gotten togitha,ti form a group.

We were aal young,no group experience,no proper gear,as aa just explained,and we had to learn as we went alang.

One of the other lads knew a lass who was a canny singer,[Sandy Shaw/Cilla Black style],and we agreed to give her a try.She played three or four "bookings"...as we caaled them in them days....not "Gigs"...[which a think came from yankeeland and soonds poncy as hell ti me....!],but wor Bass player and her got together,and were married within a few months...at short notice.

The poor lass died a few years ago,much too early in life,as did wor Singer,who a mentioned in the above posts,but this was in later life,and still much too young to die.

Once we got a bit experience,and a bit better..[proper!] gear,we changed practice venue to a place which no longer exists...

...the place was pulled doon ti put a new road through...but aa digress.....!

....just ti keep ye in touch wi Geordieland/Northumbrian/Bedltn dialect,Pete ,ye spell nivvor,like "nivvor"

Hoo did ye knaa we practiced there Pete,aam ashamed ti say aav forgotten ya sornyem,after we met doon thon Fornace Bank woods orlier in thi yeor...

Can ye mind the big fella who ran the Wharton,Pete,he was a giant of a man caaled Derek,it was kind of him ti let a bunch o yung kids mek a racket and chase customers oot!..whey, a say "Kids",we were aal working men,two of us were pitmen,aa was just eyteen ya- -raad-ish..!..[ ye grew up quick doon thon deep black hole...ye had ti stand on ya aan two feet...!]

Noo aam just torned 75 last month,and a still plonk on wi arthritic fingers and hands,and wrists...but it's as much fun noo,as it was 60 yrs ago when a forst larn't thi guitar mesel.

Cheers Bill.

ps..aam still puzzled as ti hoo Pete remembered wor nyem!

[Pete]

9 hours ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

..just ti keep ye in touch wi Geordieland/Northumbrian/Bedltn dialect,Pete ,ye spell nivvor,like "nivvor"

As a said Bill a cud nivor spel propaley 

There was a few local groups around at that time, The Avengers as you have already mentioned, The Dynacords and the Olympics to name just three.

I remember the Avengers and the Olympics used to practice at the YMCA at the station, I think Alan has mentioned that in previous posts.  

I remember the Dynacords used to practice in the Wharton but I did not see them much, it was good for Bedlington to have so many groups.

Last time I was in Bedlington (a couple of months ago) I was talking to a friend of yours, Bill, Mr Mcgregor and hopefully will be having a pint with him again in September as we are coming up for the week.  

Edited August 27, 2019 by Pete

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Pete,would it have been Billy McGregor..AKA known as "The Elvis Experience",in his earlier days?

He lost his lovely old Dad ,"Old Billy",who moved into my Mother-in-Law's house when she had to move into a Bungalow..years ago.

It was exciting times being a lead guitarist in the sixties,Pete,there were so many instrumentals in the charts at any one time,from so varied a mix of musical genre[..is that the correct word? ...Canny Lass?!!]

In between playing all the lead roles in the instrumentals,almost every song had either dazzling guitar riffs for intro's and little tinkly bits and pieces all the way through the song,and usually a "Middle Eight" guitar solo...and sometimes a guitar outro as well,so I would be busy all night...take the Beatles and Stones for example....just great times!

Cheers Pete,and Alan,and BritBob..!

Bill.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Pete,a just realised!....The Olympics..!!!

Aad forgot aboot them till ye jogged me memory...they called themselves that name,after the budget "Olympic" drum kit that most of the young groups like us had to start out with..they were a cheap but canny sounding kit,better than old oil drums for sure!

A canna mind of any of the lads noo,there were so many groups,in them days,ye cud gaan ti a different place and see a different group any neet of the week!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

1 hour ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Pete,a just realised!....The Olympics..!!!

Aad forgot aboot them till ye jogged me memory...they called themselves that name,after the budget "Olympic" drum kit that most of the young groups like us had to start out with..they were a cheap but canny sounding kit,better than old oil drums for sure!

A canna mind of any of the lads noo,there were so many groups,in them days,ye cud gaan ti a different place and see a different group any neet of the week!

The Olympics - Then (c1964) and Now (2009)

[Pete]

On 09/09/2019 at 19:25, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Hi Pete,would it have been Billy McGregor..AKA known as "The Elvis Experience",in his earlier days?

He lost his lovely old Dad ,"Old Billy",who moved into my Mother-in-Law's house when she had to move into a Bungalow..years ago.

No Bill, it was Bob McGregor. I had a good week last week, stopped at  Cresswell Towers for the week. Met up with a lot of old friends in Bedlington.

Edited September 17, 2019 by Pete