This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-27062074
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Mods and rockers 50 years on since Clacton 'invasion' | Mods and rockers 50 years on since Clacton 'invasion' |
(3 days later) | |
Fifty years ago, England was invaded. At least, that's what the headlines claimed. | Fifty years ago, England was invaded. At least, that's what the headlines claimed. |
The invaders? Fans of two-wheeled transport. They were the mods and the rockers who, if the media was right, were "roaring", "rampaging" and hell-bent on "beating up" the seaside in an "orgy of hooliganism". But was that really what happened? | The invaders? Fans of two-wheeled transport. They were the mods and the rockers who, if the media was right, were "roaring", "rampaging" and hell-bent on "beating up" the seaside in an "orgy of hooliganism". But was that really what happened? |
Leather or sartorial elegance? | Leather or sartorial elegance? |
Strange as it might sound, if you were a teenager in 1964 this could well be the most serious question in your life. | Strange as it might sound, if you were a teenager in 1964 this could well be the most serious question in your life. |
Cow hide and motorbikes and you were a rocker. Opt for a designer suit and a scooter, and you were a mod (a compaction of 'modernist'). | |
Half a century ago, these two groups descended on the Essex seaside town of Clacton over the same Easter weekend. | Half a century ago, these two groups descended on the Essex seaside town of Clacton over the same Easter weekend. |
Whether or not the clashes amounted to the rioting portrayed by the media, there were fights. | Whether or not the clashes amounted to the rioting portrayed by the media, there were fights. |
Some of them involved Alan Jones, a rocker brought up in Dagenham. | Some of them involved Alan Jones, a rocker brought up in Dagenham. |
Mr Jones, who now lives in Clacton, still has the bike he rode into the seaside town in 1964. | Mr Jones, who now lives in Clacton, still has the bike he rode into the seaside town in 1964. |
He said that Easter in Clacton was an explosion of troubles whose fuses had a long trail. | He said that Easter in Clacton was an explosion of troubles whose fuses had a long trail. |
"I don't know where the mods came from really," he said. "They used to come down to our cafe and wanted to take it over. | "I don't know where the mods came from really," he said. "They used to come down to our cafe and wanted to take it over. |
"So we used to beat them up and chuck their scooters in the river and all that lark." | "So we used to beat them up and chuck their scooters in the river and all that lark." |
He added: "They wanted to be better than us and we weren't going to stand for it. | He added: "They wanted to be better than us and we weren't going to stand for it. |
"It had been going on behind the scenes and we knew there was this weekend coming up so we thought we would go and sort it out once and for all. | "It had been going on behind the scenes and we knew there was this weekend coming up so we thought we would go and sort it out once and for all. |
"We knew we were going down there for a rumble. We planned it and I think the mods planned it as well." | "We knew we were going down there for a rumble. We planned it and I think the mods planned it as well." |
And yes, he fought. | And yes, he fought. |
"I took on about three or four mods and I got a deck-chair over my head. It was just one of those things. | "I took on about three or four mods and I got a deck-chair over my head. It was just one of those things. |
"We had to make our stand against the mods. And I think we won." | "We had to make our stand against the mods. And I think we won." |
Vehemently still a rocker, Mr Jones's attitude towards the old foe has softened, not least as a result of practicalities. | Vehemently still a rocker, Mr Jones's attitude towards the old foe has softened, not least as a result of practicalities. |
"I don't think I'd be fighting now if I met a mod. I'm 71," he said. | "I don't think I'd be fighting now if I met a mod. I'm 71," he said. |
If there were acts of violence that weekend, there were acts of kindness too. | If there were acts of violence that weekend, there were acts of kindness too. |
Shirley Hall, a mod, rode into Clacton with a protective escort of rockers after they stopped to mend her scooter. | Shirley Hall, a mod, rode into Clacton with a protective escort of rockers after they stopped to mend her scooter. |
"The rockers helped me no end," the 68-year-old said. | "The rockers helped me no end," the 68-year-old said. |
"Because I had to work until midday on the Saturday, my friends all went earlier. So I went to Clacton on my own and I had a nut come off my flywheel so I stopped. | "Because I had to work until midday on the Saturday, my friends all went earlier. So I went to Clacton on my own and I had a nut come off my flywheel so I stopped. |
"A group of about eight or nine rockers came and they were jeering and then one of them said, 'It's a bird'. | "A group of about eight or nine rockers came and they were jeering and then one of them said, 'It's a bird'. |
"I said hello and told them I was having a problem." | "I said hello and told them I was having a problem." |
The rockers stopped, fixed her scooter and then offered to escort her to Clacton. | The rockers stopped, fixed her scooter and then offered to escort her to Clacton. |
"So there I was in the middle of them, a mod being escorted to Clacton by rockers. | "So there I was in the middle of them, a mod being escorted to Clacton by rockers. |
"About a mile outside Clacton they told me to go in on my own because I wouldn't want to be seen with rockers." | "About a mile outside Clacton they told me to go in on my own because I wouldn't want to be seen with rockers." |
But Mrs Hall, whose beloved £65 Vespa Sportique was later given to the fire service by her father to use for fire practice, has a very different memory of the clashes to Mr Jones. | But Mrs Hall, whose beloved £65 Vespa Sportique was later given to the fire service by her father to use for fire practice, has a very different memory of the clashes to Mr Jones. |
"I didn't see any fights or any trouble," she said. "We were just lying on the beach when the police came along. | "I didn't see any fights or any trouble," she said. "We were just lying on the beach when the police came along. |
"There were people being chased. When I got back my parents were very worried. I told them we had just had a good day out." | "There were people being chased. When I got back my parents were very worried. I told them we had just had a good day out." |
Some might wonder what became of these hundreds of young people who were labelled "hooligans" at the time. | Some might wonder what became of these hundreds of young people who were labelled "hooligans" at the time. |
Well, Mrs Hall went on to enjoy a successful career as a police officer. | Well, Mrs Hall went on to enjoy a successful career as a police officer. |
Previous version
1
Next version