11th April 2019 11:12 am
The Vintage Sixties Festival hailed as a resounding success on social media and in the press and we are already planning for next year with plans to extend the festival over two days. Save the date, March 28th and 29th 2020 it’s going to be a blast!
Excitement for the festival was in the air as early as Thursday, the last ever Searchers concert at the pier before their well-earned retirement, climaxed to rapturous applause and set the scene for a fantastic weekend of celebration. The concert sold out with weeks to go, the first 300 tickets were sold on a priority pre-sale at the previous performance in September. Fans queued for three hours to be sure to be a part of this momentous occasion. Northern Soul enthusiasts filled the pavilion bar on Friday evening and danced the night away to their favourite tunes played how they were intended to be heard, on authentic vinyl, by Cromer Soul Club DJ’s Hitman and Half Nelson.
The sun shone and the festival flags fluttered in the morning breeze as the day got under way with the first of the vehicles arriving keen to share their love for their pride and joy at 7.30am. A rare Volkswagen Karmann Ghia resplendent in the sunshine, the proud owner getting a prime spot on the promenade along with other classic car owners, Volkswagen Camper Vans, Morris Minor, E Type Jaguar to name just a few, the arrival of two very noisy 1960s beach buggy’s causing quite a stir. The arrival of scooter clubs from all over the UK in convoy was an awesome sight making their way along the promenade alongside classic bikes and the Harley Davidson Club of Norwich. Vintage traders lined the promenade with a host of vintage clothes and goodies and a vintage 1960s caravan photo booth snapped branded souvenirs of the day. Businesses in the town embraced the festival with a themed window dressing competition and reported exceptional trading.
The five original Pirate Radio DJs Keith Skues, Roger “Twiggy” Day, Nick Catford and Peter “Chicago” Murtha told a packed theatre audience how pirate radio changed everything, the record industry, triggered the ‘Swinging Sixties’ and defied the government both on land and on sea. Shipwrecks, sinking and survival against all the odds, the breath-taking stories told by the guys who were actually there and a chance to meet them and get one of their books signed as a souvenir too. To add to the nostalgia, Melvyn Johnson displayed his exact replica scale models of the ships and a comprehensive Caroline memorabilia collection including a piece of the original mast from the Ross Revenge, complete with handcuffs displayed for all pirate radio enthusiasts. Revellers enjoyed live music courtesy of local club Rock The Lobster throughout the day and relished the return of rollback £1 a pint and iconic sixties sparkling perry Babycham complete with glacé cherry outside in the sunshine on the quarterdeck. The classic sixties sounds continued well into the evening as the West End cast All Or Nothing the mod musical experience gracing the theatre stage to a full house audience with a version of the show especially written for the event by producer Carol Harrison.
Would you like to be a part of the success story in 2020 we would love to hear from you. We are looking for vintage clothing, period bric-à-brac, vinyl and toy traders, musicians, entertainers and of course vehicles from the era. Why not get in touch, let’s get the ball rolling. Please email dlewis@cromerpier.co.uk.
