We were all would-be pop stars then!
It was a different era. The “teenager” had just been invented and the pop scene was exploding. Encouraged by the phenomenal success first of Lonnie Donegan and then of The Beatles, the youth of the early Sixties could all pick up a guitar and easily believe that they too might become a pop star.
Maidstone was at the heart of the new pop scene, with Reg Smith (later to become Marty Wilde) and Dave Kingsman (later rock ‘n’ roller Bill Kent) getting their first breaks in the town.
Far from shunning the beat revolution, the Kent Messenger responded by running a “Get With It” beat contest across the county.
Fifteen bands made it through to Mid Kent Area Finals held at the Royal Star Hotel in Maidstone High Street on June 5, 1961.
They were Blackstar, the Cossacks, the Discoteks, the Four Avengers, Knighthawks, the Kingfishers, the Maniacs, the Outcasts, the Pathfinders, the Rebounds, the Sonics, the Strangers Five, the Vampires, the Visitas and the Whirlwinds.
David Hagell, now 74 and of Brockenhurst Avenue, Maidstone, was The Cossacks’ bass player.
He said: “I was 19 and at the time was working with H.Head and Son, the builders, where I met Doug Binskin – we were both carpenters.
“Doug suggested we form a band and we recruited Terry Cullan, who was with us at Maidstone college when we did our carpentry course.
“Terry was our singer, though he could also play lead guitar.
“The fourth member was Tom Smith. He used to stand on stage and strum, but we were never too sure whether he actually played anything, but it was his money that bought the amplifiers and other equipment we needed.
“We didn’t have a drummer at first.
“Ray Cook, a chap we worked with at Heads, said we could build a shed in his garden in Coxheath to practise in.
“We built the shed ourselves and did our best to sound-proof the walls, but perhaps not too successfully.
“One day while we were rehearsing a lad called Gordon Neaves turned up and said he could hear that we needed a drummer and offered his services.
“We played quite a few gigs. We were often at Chart Sutton Village Hall, and at Mangravat Hall and at various pubs in Leysdown.”
By the end, the band had about 65 songs in their repertoire.
Mr Hagell said: “Actually we did a lot of instrumentals, because Doug, in fact, was a terrific guitar player.”
Mr Hagell remembers the KM contest.
He said: “We didn’t win. I have a vague feeling it was the Whirlwinds.”
His musical career finished after a few years. He said: “I got married to Ena Fryer in 1966 and I sold the guitar then.”
Drummer Gordon Neaves has since passed away, but Mr Hagell still sees Terry Cullan occasionally.