The Flamingos c1959

With thanks to Maurice Atkinson for providing the scans.

Maurice wrote:
Left to right... the late Glyn Whiteoak, Vik Longbottom, Maurice Atkinson (Crosshillser!)

Glyn's dad Leslie is on the Black Bull Trip photo. The road in the background is Bridge Road, pictures were taken on Church Road leading from Bridge Road up to Sutton CP School gates. Glyn and I played in a group (The Flamingos). We once played at a New Years Eve dance at St Thomas's Hall.

A Potted History of "The Flamingos"

I was at Sutton CP school, and in Mrs Belton's, Mr Bell's and Miss Wilson's classes I sat next to Glyn Whiteoak. We were friends, but didn't socialise out of school ---he had his own mates in Sutton and I had mine in Crosshills. I think Glyn lived in Wighill Street at the time. After Sutton, we both went to KBGS but were in different streams and we sort of lost touch. Five years went by, and in my last year at school I was travelling home on the Sutton bus when Glyn got on. I had been to Ramsbottoms and bought a record ---Glyn asked me what it was ---it was Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-a- Lula". We got talking and found out we both liked exactly the same stuff! (Sounds like Mick Jagger meeting Keith Richards on a railway station but it's true!) He invited me down to their house (he lived at 7 Bridge Road by this time) to play records. Boy, did he have a collection!! He also had an acoustic guitar which he could play reasonably well ---I was impressed!

Anyway, time passed and Glyn bought an electric guitar. He asked me down to no.7 to show me it ---he must have been practising and practising, he was really good! I bought a bass, the cheapest on the market, a Rosetti Lucky 7 which was all I could afford. We spent hours in the attic at no. 7, practising and learning. Dave Palfreyman used to come up sometimes ----he didn't play anything, he just used to enjoy it. My brother Ray used to pop in and do a few vocals, but mainly we did "Shadows" type stuff with just guitar and bass!

We acquired better amplification and had to move out of the attic. We moved to a hall which ran the full length above a row of houses in Crosshills (Hall Street ---opposite the Conservative Club) I think the houses and the hall have now gone. We were still a trio, guitar, bass and vocals ---we advertised for a drummer and got Colin Storton from Keighley. He served his apprenticeship with us then moved on to play for the Nomads. When we lost our drummer, vocalist Ray cobbled together a set of drums from second-hand bits and took over on drums and vocals. He was a natural on the drums. At one time we had Geoff Birtley on rhythm guitar but for some reason it didn't work out and he left. We were happier as a trio I think. We did a few gigs, our biggest problem was transport ---we didn't have any!! We used to do a regular job at Crosshills youth club ---we used to pile all our gear on a flat 4-wheeled cart and pull it along a snicket from Hall Street to South Craven School!! Those were the days!

I think I was the first to pack it all in ----I never bothered playing again. Ray went on to front "Cheap 'n' Nasty" on keyboards and vocals (versatile guy!) They had a cult following around the Keighley area for a few years. Glyn ended up just playing for his own amusement as far as I know... I totally lost contact with him.

Glyn died quite a few years ago, relatively young. I don't know the cause of death. I went to the funeral at Skipton crematorium. Half of Sutton appeared to be there.

The Flamingos played at:-

RAFA club Skipton ---- Dyers, Low Mill lane, Kly ----- Cycling club, Haworth ----- Crosshills WMC ---- South Craven Youth Club ---- Glusburn Gala ---- West Lane Methodists, Haworth ------ Coronation Hotel, Horton-in-Craven ------ St. Thomas's Hall Sutton.

It was fun!!