It all started about a month before, in June 1979. I was walking down Mill Hill Broadway with fellow band member Pete Conway. We had a band rehearsal and we were walking from my house to our studio in Bunns Labe. As we turned onto the Broadway, walking towards us were three blokes dressed in a Mod style attire. They were a bunch of likely lads from Burnt Oak, who I'd never seen before. As they approached us in our punk rock attire, one of them made a comment to Pete saying he looked like something you found under a hedge. Pete responded by ridiculing him, with pointing out that he looked stupid wearing a Fred Perry shirt with a tie. As used to happen, before we knew it, we were all squaring up to each other. Pete was quite small, but I've always been a big guy and I got in the leaders face and told him to do one. They backed off and walked down the road issuing profanities. Pete yelled at them "My names Pete Conway, your worst nightmare" or words to that effect. I'm not really into violence, I was happy they backed down. Pete was all for starting a fight and called me a pussy or something, for letting them "get away with it".
A couple of weeks later, I'd forgotten about it. I went to a gig in town and arrived at Burnt Oak station on the last tube home. I'd missed the last bus. As I started to walk back, I heard a shout. One of the "Fred Perry and ties" shouted from behind me "Not so brave now without your mate". I turned around and the three likely lads were there. I didn't like the odds. They chased me all the way from Montrose Avenue to the Bridge at Mill Hill Broadway. By this time, my adrelanline was pumping and I was furious. I was fit and have always been a decent long distance runner, so I easily outpaced them. They were totally out of breath. I turned around and shouted "Stay there, I'll be back in a second and you'll be sorry". They shouted "Come on then".
In an act of supreme stupidity, I ran home, picked up a crowbar and ran back. When they saw me running towards them waving a crowbar, they lost their bottle and ran. I chased them all back into the direction of Burnt Oak, screaming all of way. I lost them in Lyndhurst Park where they hid in the bushes. I realised how stupid I was being and went home. A day later, I told Pete what happened. He thought it highly amusing. I realised that it could have got very ugly. A couple of weeks after that, Pete and I were going to see Crass, the anarcho punk band in Town. He was meeting me at my house and we would get the tube up to town. At the appointed time, Pete turned up. He was in a terrible state. He was covered in blood with his lip almost hanging off. We were shocked. It seems that he'd got off the bus in Mill Hill Broadway and bumped into The Fred Perrys. They had given him a proper beating and told him to pass on the message that I was next. I realised that it wasn't fun anymore. My mum wanted to call the Police and take Pete to the hospital, but he was adamant he was going to Crass, so we patched him up and off we went. He said he "wasn't a grass".
Two weeks later, I was in the Wimpy in Mill Hill with four of my mates, who were in the Polecats. I was at the counter ordering a burger, when the Fred Perrys walked past. Seeing me, but not my rockabilly mates, they entered looking to 'settle the score'. As soon as they entered, they realised their mistake and we chased them out. They scarpered, but challenged the Rockabillys to a ruck the following Saturday. The Polecats had a bunch of Rocker / Ted mates and at the appointed time, they gathered at the Wimpy. I think maybe they thought that a rockabilly riot would give them some notoriety. A group of 15-20 Rocker/Teds had gathered for the ruck. At the appointed time, a larger group of Mods turned up. There was an almight punch up. One group of Mods broke off. One of the Rockers lived on Hartley Avenue and had a customised car with a Rebel flag on his drive. The Mods set it on fire, whilst the main ruck was taking place on the Broadway. The police eventually turned up and everyone scarpered, with both sides claiming victory. Most of the participants seemed to enjoy the experience. It wasn't what you expected in sleepy Mill Hill. One of the Fred Perry's, the original protaganists, had been given a good duffing up. We assumed that was the end of the matter.
Sadly, it wasn't. Two weeks later, The False Dots had a band rehearsal. Our drummer was a guy called Dave Edwards at the time. His girlfriend Mandy was the sometimes singer. After the rehearsal, Dave and Mandy were waiting for a 221 bus back to their flat in Finchley. The Fred Perry's had spotted the four of us walking from Bunns Lane. Pete and I went to the pub, the Railway at the Green Man for last orders. They decided to follow Dave and Mandy. As they waited for the bus, the Fred Perrys ambushed them, throwing Dave through the window of WH Smiths as Mandy screamed. Their crime? Being Pete Conways mate. Dave received a severe laceration of his arm. He managed to get away and tried to run up the Broadway. They followed him and threw him through the window of the Jewellers, where Rockman is now. One of them severed a tendon. Luckily for Dave, a Police car passed. Two of the Fred Perrys were arrested. The one with the severed tendon was taken to hospital. Dave had run off, but the police found him by following the trail of blood. He was also taken to A&E, sitting opposite the bloke who'd thrown him through the window, who was handcuffed to an copper.
The two Fred Perrys who got caught were given eighteen month custodial sentences. Dave left the band and I never saw him again. Mandy came to see us in Camden in 2011, and told us they'd split up a year or two later. As for the third Fred Perry? Well about six months later, Pete Conway excitedly called me. Pete was working at Dewhursts in Mill Hill. Fred Perry 3 had just been taken on as an apprentice butcher. Pete said that the manager, Mickey Rees always went to the bookies at 12.30. As soon as Mickey went to 'lunch', I appeared and we bundled the said chap into the meat fridge as he protested that it wasn't him, it was the other two. We left him in there for ten minutes, only letting him out when he stopped screaming. Rather oddly, Pete ended up becoming friends with him, having decided that scores were settled.
I'm not a fan of mindless violence. Graham Ramsey, who is our drummer now, was a Mod at the time and recalled the events, but never knew what it was all about. All he recalled was that the local Mods were well up for a punch up with the rockers. I also discussed it with Boz Boorer from the Polecats. Boz didn't get involved in the trouble and could only recall the car getting set on fire. No one seemed to recall what it was all about. Two people in prison for 18 months one with a severed tendon, someone with a severe laceration, a classic car set on fire, a riot in Mill Hill Broadway. Why? Because someone objected to being wound up for wearing a tie with a Fred Perry shirt, as two musicians went to a band rehearsal.
The whole thing set the band back a year. We split up when Dave officially left in September 1979. We'd been scheduled to support The UK Subs in Derby, Pete was mates with them. That never happened. We had an interview with Xpert-I fanzine that went horribly wrong. Pete and I reformed the band in January 1980. We did our first gig in December that year. Our then drummer Dav Davies recorded it on a cassette player. This was what we sounded like! We celebrate our 46th Birthday as a band on the 16th February 2025 at The Dublin Castle at 2pm. Please come along. We promise you a riot, but only in a good fun sense!
1 comment:
Great stuff Roger
One could have so much fun back in those days …😎👍
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