THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
Brian moved to the Isle of Wight in 1966. He found temporary work in Ryde Arcade on the amusement machines. From there he went to BRITTEN NORMAN AIRCRAFT COMPANY building the "Islander" aircraft, in the experImental section. Over the next ten years he would have many occupations including SOUTERS BOAT BUILDERS as an electrician on power boats and yachts, and chief engineer at THE BLUE LAGOON amusement arcade in Sandown. He also worked for himself selling Hi Fi and TV etc and supplying and fitting 8 track units, (remember them?) He fitted one in Wilf Pine's Bentley (manager of Black Sabbath) Finally back to the Fruit machines, juke box and pintable service industry covering the entire island.
Already collecting records from 1959 during the two years from 1967 to 1969 Brian continued adding to his already substantial record collection of 1950s music. In September of '69 he was asked to bring a few records along to Spencer's Discotheque on Union Street Ryde for the resident DJ to play in a half hour '50s slot this he did, and for the next three weeks every Thursday featured a continually expanding fifties spot. One Thursday the DJ was ill, Brian was asked to cover for him and he suddenly became a DJ. Within a short time he was playing in various nightspots on the Island.
It was at this time that Brian was dubbed as the BIG BOPPER and the nickname stuck with him to this day.
On realising
the need for his kind of music he placed an advert in the local
paper for like
minded
people to get in touch, and by January of 1970 "The Isle of Wight
Rock n Roll Society"
was
born.
Our first show in Shanklin featured "The Wild Angels" in January of 1970. The Big Bopper (Brian was the DJ)
Brian
recalls an exciting event...... "In 1971, April I think.
Imagine my surprise when I read my mail and found a letter to me
from “Goodtimes” Enterprises a film company in London. They had
heard about our Society and wondered if we would be interested in
helping out on a film they were to make on the Island. I replied
that we were and after a further meeting we were told that the film
was to be set in the nineteen fifties, it was to be called “That’ll
be the day” and it’s stars were, Billy Fury, David Essex, Ringo
Starr, Keith Moon, Debra Watling plus others, David Puttnam was the
man behind it....
Work
on the film began and because I pointed out to the producer Garth
Thomas on occasions that the props they were using were not right,
I became unofficial period advisor and was able to work on the film
for the full seven weeks. I enjoyed it immensely and had great
fun".
LEFT.
BRIAN WITH RINGO STARR TALKING ON THE FILM SET.
RIGHT.
THE INNER SLEEVE OF THE LATER RELEASED ALBUM "THAT'LL BE THE DAY" SIGNED BY THE CAST AND PRODUCTION CREW.
Shortly after making this film Brian Divorced his first wife. A new life was to begin with Ann whom he called "ANNIE"
