Sunday 31st August 1969:

Reading: Three Men in a Boat. JK Jerome.

Nanny and Auntie Joyce came up. Listened to Sun Radio on 239 metres. See last week (pirate).

Saturday 30th August 1969:

John on hols. In morning stayed in. Recorded off radio. A programme about the 1950s on Radio 4 and Rock and Roll on Radio 1 (Emperor Rosko).

Friday 29th August 1969:

Made last Splod recording. In afternoon, went up on the Downs with Hajo and John.

Thursday 28th August 1969:

Number One: In the Year 2525, Zager and Evans.

Not much happened.

Wednesday 27th August 1969:

Practice tape (Rebel Radio). Auntie Marjorie etc. came round.

Tuesday 26th August 1969:

Went down John’s. Went to record shop. Got Ramsey Lewis, Nat Cole, Andy Williams and Frankie [illegible: looks like Legume!]

Monday 25th August 1969:

Recorded with John and Scotty. Did West Indian beat with proper instruments. In afternoon did Rock the Joint and Four-Handed Boogie (with John and I at the piano).

Sunday 24th August 1969:

In afternoon, John Trev. Laingchild, Trev. Scott, Hajo, and I went to a free radio rally in Brighton, and it wasn’t very good. We marched on Radio Brighton, the GPO, and a newspaper. Sun Radio, who read out my request that morning, were there!! Gave out propaganda to me. They asked me if I’ve got a radio station. I replied that we had tried.

Saturday 23rd August 1969:

In the morning got Mum’s shopping. In afternoon, I went into Brighton with John. Bought John Lee Hooker (‘Dimples’) for one shilling.

Friday 22nd August 1969:

Mum ill. Went down John’s in the morning. In afternoon, got Mum’s shopping.

Thursday 21st August 1969:

Number One: Honky Tonk Woman, The Rolling Stones

Scotty and I went down John’s. Mum ill.

Wednesday 20th August 1969:

John went to London. Played with Scotty and Trevor at night.

Tuesday 19th August 1969:

Went down John’s. He bought Wet Dream by Max Romeo. Sent letter to FRA [Free Radio Association] about tape.

Monday 18th August 1969:

Rebel Radio can not broadcast on VHF.

Sunday 17th August 1969:

Reading: Apollo book.

Received SUN RADIO, a pirate station on 239 metres… It played the last 20 minutes of Radio London and the going illegal of Radio Caroline. Have got it on tape. Not very good!! The station is on every Sundays, 11-2. In afternoon, we saw Trevor Laingchild (mentioned in previous issues), and we planned Rebel Radio.

Saturday 16th August 1969:

No BBC.

Recorded ‘BBC’. Poetry and Splod Theme.

John Seed's Manchester August 16th & 17th 1819 : Peterloo in Poetry 200

It is the right day to remember both the Peterloo Massacre and two (of a number of poems about it): Shelley's 'The Mask of Anarchy' and John Seed's early (1973) Objectivist poem 'August 16th and 17th 1819'. Seed is one of our great Historian-Poets, and I wrote about his poem HERE. He utilises techniques drawn from Charles Reznikoff and applies them to Labour History. 

Other Seed posts may be read here and here. I write about him in The Meaning of Form (see here)

and also about the Peterloo poem in Poetry and Praxis After Objectivism. (See here.)

Friday 15th August 1969:

No BBC.

Went to London’s Science and Natural History Museums. Saw many things.

Thursday 14th August 1969.

Number One: Honky Tonk Woman, The Rolling Stones

Went down the beach, and it was soon to rain, so we came home. David Streader and T. Clarke. Recorded with Scotty at night.

No BBC.

Wednesday 13th August 1969:

Non-listening to BBC. Went to London. Kew Gardens.

Tuesday 12th August 1969:

Went into Brighton. Got my coat. Non-listening to the BBC. (Note: Personal protest at closing down of pirate radio stations the year before).

Monday 11th August 1969:

Went to Littlehampton. Wrote to Richard.

Sunday 10th August 1969:

Went to see flying display with Dad (see 13/8/67)

[That would be at Shoreham Airport, site of the spectacular and tragic crash years later.]

Saturday 9th August 1969:

Went down John’s. Recorded Things I Used to Do. Lost key.

Friday 8th August 1969:

Went to Barkham Mills (near Lewes) and went on a river. Lots of hippies there for the Jazz and Blues festival.

Thursday 7th August 1969:

Number One: Honky Tonk Woman, The Rolling Stones

Went to Portsmouth on the Shanklin (we had been on it before) and had a trip around Southampton waters. Notable things we saw at and en route to S/Hampton : - 3 low aircraft, fleets of small craft, entries into the topical power boat race, QE2, Oriana, Canberra (seen it in 1965), etc…

Wednesday 6th August 1969:

Went to Beachy Head (Eastbourne).

Tuesday 5th August 1969:

Recorded Tutti-Frutti. Saw Peter off at Brighton station.

Monday 4th August 1969:

Went to Roman Palace and Bosham.

Sunday 3rd August 1969:

Went to Rottingdean and John and I went on a funfair thing.

Saturday 2nd August 1969:

John, Peter, Hajo came up. Made two splod recordings. Photo taken. Went down fair. Free hour.

Friday 1st August 1969:

Didn’t see John. In evening, I did a show. [Note: see 2^nd Feb]