Do you remember The Summer Of Love ?
I was sixteen, approaching my seventeenth birthday that November and I remember it so very clearly.
Fifty-two years ago, all the music I am playing on today's page comes from that summer long ago and yet I would bet all of my readers, no matter what your age, are familiar with the songs.
This is me in 1967, I am still in my school uniform so it was probably taken some time in the Spring.
The Summer of Love features in my teenage autobiography. I had left school and was working as a management trainee in Lewis's Department Store in Birmingham. The store's buyers decided to cash in on the hippie movement so started to sell bells on chains. I say SELL, we sold but a few, the hippies of San Francisco in 1967 did not go in for bells on chains round their necks. There were no hippies in Birmingham, England in 1967.
I have been to San Francisco nine times and can not wait to
It would have perhaps been in 1965 or round about then, I have a clear memory from school. For the friends on Boldmere High School Facebook site I was in classroom T1. I asked the teacher (I guess it was "Frog") what the Vietnam War was all about. He said he did not know and few would be able to give an honest answer. Is that not also true today ?
I am not sure if that memory appears in my schoolboy autobiography or not.
We sold an e-book of that novel yesterday, I am smiling with embarrassment thinking it must have been a Leonite. one of my former students from when I was head of year at Leon School who is reading it.
Sir wasn't a very good boy was he ?
We are now trying to sell lots of my books to help fund our
In April last year I was the only hippie in San Francisco's Hippie Park !
We also sold a copy of The Autobiography of Billy Harcastle yesterday. CLICK HERE to check out my library shelf and see how we want sales of my books to SPREAD LOVE within our music.
That music itself SPREADING LOVE.
I can't wait to get back into the studio tomorrow, I get withdrawal symptoms not broadcasting over the week-end. I have some important things to share with my audience.
The music yesterday inspired a FIVE HUNDRED POUND donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Wonderful......
So much love......
I have to confess I am also a bit nervous. The audience figures for Friday;s show topped the pops on the station so I have something to live up to tomorrow.
Yesterday I spent time writing another one thousand words for my latest novel, The Fantasies Of A Geriatric DJ. The central character is now working at Golden Gate Radio with the text meandering towards Christmas 1966 and preparing for The Summer Of Love.
The Summer of Love has its roots in January 1967 with a Human Be-In at Golden Gate Park on 14th January.
Wanting to get into the mood for writing I sat and watched my DVD of HAIR. Have you seen Hair ? You should. It is a powerful story with a sad but beautiful ending when hippie George Berger gives his life in the Vietnam War.
I may have been the only hippie in San Francisco last April but during The Summer of Love one hundred thousand descended on The City By The Bay.
At the end of the summer most returned to their homes across America, returning to High School or college but they left behind a truly great legend and with it some beautiful music.
I was in San Francisco to take part in a sponsored walk across The Golden Gate Bridge and to pose in Hippy Park ahead of a sponsored haircut. My hair has grown again so I must go back to San Francisco before too long.
When I am broadcasting LIVE on the radio tomorrow - 6am to 8am - CLICK HERE... I will declare the year of 2019 to be a YEAR OF LOVE...
Playing music to make people smile, be happy and to inspire LOVE for good causes.
The PODCAST will be
Do you remember 1967 and The Summer of Love ?
Are you old enough ?
Were you around at the time ?
The featured book from Max Robinson this week is THE WILD ADVENTURES OF DI CENTRAL EATING
The story is set well before The Summer of Love.
I wonder if Di became a hippie ?
He would have been a teenager in 1967.
BUT WE ARE ALL HERE IN 2019 - YOU, ME AND ALL READING THIS PAGE.
We can all make 2019 a YEAR of love, With LOVE we can all make the bad times good.
Join THE SUNSHINE SMILE CREW and let's make this happen. Come and join in the music to help people smile, be happy and to inspire support for good causes.
On Virgin Atlantic's flight to San Francisco last April staff came round handing out packets of sweets. How appropriate these were LOVE HEARTS.
One final picture, taken on Pier 39 San Francisco.
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