6.0 Leaving School Teenage Years
19 I Meet Mrs. Knight
My first recollection of any religious person having an effect on my life was when I was about to leave school at the age of 15 years.
My mother had spoken to a Mr. K H Knight who was the propitiator of Central Bucks TV and had arranged for me to have a part time job working after school and on a Saturday. This was until I left school and took up full time work as an apprentice to Mr. Knight. I am told years latter that my letter of job application was so badly written and the spelling awful it was laughable. However I was taken on despite my ability not to write, spell or use correct grammar or read properly.
I first met Mrs. Grace Knight one Saturday morning whilst working for Mr. KK. She was in hot pursuit of her husband and shouting at him for doing some thing she disapproved of. I was in the workshop with Norman Garret the other apprentice and I though-wow what and awful dragon of a woman and pitied Mr. Knight from that moment.
Through Mr. Knight I was introduced to the Radio and Television servicing trade and often went with him into customer’s houses to repair TV’s and install television aerials.
I spent many hours with Ken going to people homes and soon learned that he was not faithful to his wife. Not that it bothered me, as I knew what Grace was like from our first meeting. The idea of sexual promiscuity was very attractive to me. When we went out enjoying our selves Mrs. Knight would be left at home or in the workshop minding their two children Allison and Mark. They also had a big dog called Rufas.
I soon began to realise the things I enjoyed were not the things Mrs. Knight approved of or found interested. I thought she was a right kill joy and was boring. She was a Christian what ever that meant and I soon realise her values were not the same as mine. What I considered good and enjoyable she would call it sin and sinful.
She would also complain to her husband that I was always with him and he gave her no time. It seemed she was often driven to despair by him never being in on time or being very unreliable. He would often leave her for hours whilst we were at work out on jobs.
On one occasion Norman Garret’s mum complained to Mrs. Knight the Norman was not getting the training he needed because Ken was always out with me. I heard this conversation over the shops’ intercom. Mrs. Knight said yes I was a nuisance and she did not like me one bit and it was not good I should be out with her husband all the time. Upon hearing this I felt angry and went and confronted them both saying I had heard what they had said. This embarrassed them both and I am sure did not help our relationship. I really thought Mrs. Knight was an ogre.
I began to attend Luton College of Technology to learn about Radio and Television Servicing and travel by bus one day a week from Aylesbury to Luton about an hour’s run.
I think it must have been due to Mrs. Knight and her religion I began to notice the texts of scripture put up out side churches often called a way side pulpit. As I passed each week I began to memorise the verse which read
“ Righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people”.
and also
“ Jesus said if you find life difficult learn of me and the burden I shall give you will not be too difficult to carry”.
At that time I had no idea of the meaning of these texts of scripture but found it amusing to quote them to Mrs. Knight as any appropriate moment.
On one occasion I can remember being dressed in an old blanket made into an undercoat for a anorak. I was standing on the corner of the street near to the workshop one Saturday morning with Mr. and Mrs. Knight. I quoted at the top of my voice these two scriptures in order to embarrass Mrs. Knight. I am not sure how they felt about it but little did I know that one day I would learn the truth of these texts and become a preacher of the Gospel myself.
I enjoyed working for Mr. Knight because he seemed to appreciate my help and abilities and would trust me to drive the van at 15 years old.
On one occasion he was short of a driver and had to deliver a television so he dressed me up in a sheepskin coat and gave me dark glasses to wear with instructions to deliver a TV to a house in Quarendon. I was very pleased to do this even more do when it turned out that I was delivering the TV set to one of my school friends called Gillespy.
On another occasion I was given the job of replacing a complete I.F. board on a new Ferguson TV
receiver in a customers home. A qualified engineer in a workshop setting normally would have done this but this unconventional approach was normal to me. Mr. Knight had compete confidence in me at the age of 15 or 16 years old. I am sure the customer was not at all happy at this 15 year old repairing there lovely brand new Television.
During this time I was still making music in the group and when I was 16 Mrs. Knight business failed and went into liquidation so I found myself another job. I got an apprenticeship with Sale and Mellor at Radio and TV shop in Aylesbury. I worked her until I got trouble with the police when I was dismissed at the age of 17 years.
20 Pop Group And Scooters
It was shortly after I got in trouble with the police for breaking into the garage and taking away the motorbike I decided I wanted to play the electric guitar. I could remember a lad at Tring Secondary Modern School having this electric guitar and him bringing it to school. He was good at playing this guitar and I wanted to learn. The first guitar I owned was an electric Hofner Futurama II guitar. I put together my own guitar amplifier using the PA amplifier I had stolen from the Catholic Church.
Photo 16 Dave Clarke from the 60’s, with Robby Woods (top) Ian Myers
I began to get more interested in making music and during my last year at school we formed a band and we played at the end or term school dance. Ian Myers war the base guitarist and later Robert Woods became our lead guitarist. On that occasion at school Willie Barrett was lead guitarist and was the only one of us to make musical fame. He became known as Wild Willy Barret and played music with John Otway.
After leaving school we reformed the group and began to play music at various dance halls and I named the group “The Fowler Mean”. Our regular spot was playing on a Saturday night at Courts Dance School.
We would play all cover music by groups such as the Rolling Stones, The Who, The Small Faces, The Kinks, Ottis Reading and John Lee Hooker. I really enjoyed this but was eventually sacked.
During this time I got my first job working as a trainee Radio and TV Engineer.
Malcom Kirkham use to be one of our singers which made 5 in the band and we use to go out together on our scooters. I had inherited my brother’s Lambretta and Malcom had a 150 cc new Lambretta and we began to mixed with the Mods in Aylesbury and district.
He had been sacked from the group because he messed about . Malcom would always arrive late and never be in time to set up the equipment. He would be always combing his hair or having to press his trousers and he general fooled around. He was nick names Co Co the clown.
After mixing with the other lads in Aylesbury I soon found out my brother was well known and when it was made known I was Mike Clarke brother it was like having a license to or say any thing I was accepted. I was one of the boys.
I recalled the times my brother had told me of the parties they use to have and I began to want to get involved in all the fun. Pep pills, scooter, Mod fashions, dances, girls and permissive sex. All of which I found positive and attractive as we were looking for a good time in the world.
The image I had of my brother was that he was quite a character and had a way with girls. I remember that was how I wanted to be and follow him in fame.
I can remember one impressive occasion I must have been just 16 and met on of Michael’s friends who was a Mod. On Saturday night out side the Grosvenor he came dressed in brightly colours trouser and a black plastic mac wearing girls make up around the eyes. This was the in thing to do and I thought this is good and liked it.
The normal mode of transport was either a Lambretta or Vespa scooter with crash bars, back rests , spare wheel carriers and mirrors. The scooters would be custom sprayed and generally a world war green Parker or black plastic cape was the uniform. All of this became the world I wanted to be in.
I remembers my brother coming to see us a Rockly sands in Bournemouth when I was away with my parents on holiday. I must have been 15 years old.
He came dressed in a brown suite with 22 in Oxford Bags trousers with a small turn up. His top was a white crew necked and red stripped tea shirt. Also brown brogue leather shoes. This was some fashion the I had not seen before. It was the Mod fashion.
He told me he had to return to Aylesbury to do some repairs and tidy up mum and dads house as they had a party and the place had been wrecked. Apparently all the Aylesbury Mods and from the district had been to his party held at Mum and Dads house. They had rolled up the carpets and put them in the garage but the bathroom sink had been pulled of the wall as some girl had got drink and sat in it. He told me of the promiscuity and it all seemed good fun. This was the year 1963 or 4 when the Beatles and Rolling Stone came to fame. Also Gerry and the Pacemakers had a hit records at the time called, “I Like it”.
Shortly after this I remember my brother coming home about 9.30 pm in a hurry. Our parents were away and I had a girl friend there. In came my brother and told me of his narrow escape from the police. About six of his friends had been out in and old car, not taxed or insured, when the police had stopped them along the Tring Road. They had all jumped out and made a run for it. It was soon after this that my brother got sent to Borstal Training for some crime or other. Never the less it all seemed a good life style and I wanted more of it.
When Malcom and I began to mix with the Mods in Aylesbury we were both 16 years old and we began to mix with these older lads. We were curious to try pep pills ( purple hearts, black bombers and Dexedrine) and smoke hashish, or grass so we began to make some inquiries where to get some. In the mean time we would experiment smoking crushed codeine tablets and dried banana skins. This was purely to satisfy a curiosity and to experience new things.
I had discovered I could buy chloroform from a chemist and this was much better than sniffing carbon Tetrachloride of the glue substances people began to experiment with. Shortly after this Malcom Kirkham after trying something like this took it in his head he could fly on his scooter. He broke his arm and smashed his scooter in the process but fortunately not his head as he was wearing a dear stalker crash helmet he had stolen a few days before.
The names of some of the lads were knew were and come to mind were: Stuart Knight, Keith Guntrip, Ian Wilson, Dill Dorwrick, Terry Tatem ( now dead), Phil Davis, Brian Collier, Mikey Coil, Roy Miles, John James, Dave King, Jimmy Findly, Phil Davis, and the like all of which all of which had one thing in common. They wanted fun and were the lads of Aylesbury.
At that time after being sacked from the group we began going to a night club called the Banbury Gaff. Here we would stay up all night taking pep pill ( we use to say getting blocked) dancing and talking and in the morning end up in a cafe eating toast before driving back to Aylesbury. Soon after this Malcom began to mix with the lads from Oxford he was later sentence to some time in prison for some crime or otherDuring this time my brother was in Borstal and at the Gaff I met Alan Dod. He was my brothers partner in crime and had escaped from Borstal and was living on a barge in Oxford. He told me at the time he had a gun and all this type of living impressed me as it seemed rather exciting. Times would be spent at the Gaff talking with other lads about crimes done and planning them and other wise bragging and boasting about things we had done.
21 Mods, Scooters,Rockers Bikes
Who Rides In Bubble Cars ?
Shortly after my brother came out of Borstal a form or transport was required for two. A solution to this came through my brother who persuaded me to swap my scooter for a two seater Issetta 350 cc bubble car. I had inherited the scooter from my brother when he was sent to Borstal but by now it had been renovated. I had rebuilt it in the spare bedroom at home re sprayed it British racing Green. It was a Lambretta 175 cc. The fuel tank and tool compartment was stove enamelled gold. It had a dual seat with a passenger back rest with very little extras. There had been crazes whereby crash bars, wing mirrors, wheel racks and anything made of chrome was generally attached to such machines, but not mine. I was proud of this Lambretta. It had to go to make way for the sky blue Bubble Car.
22 The Bubble Car
The bubble car belonged to David Ness of Chiltern avenue in Aylesbury who had been given it by his brother. There was only one thing wrong with it. We had to bump start it as the starter motor did not work. ( Push it and the put it in gear as it was moving) .
Photo 17 David’s Isetta Bubble Car
In this vehicle we had many adventures because we were liberated from the two wheeled scooter and could cram four people in this vehicle if we wanted. Neither of us had passed our driving test to drive a normal car but I had past my test to drive a motor bike and my license allowed me to drive the tree wheeled bubble car. We were able to carry blankets spare clothing etc. all in the dry. All that we needed for a night out. It was ideal for catching girls. The front opened up and it could be driven with the front door open. All we did was drive up to the bird we was to catch and stop in front of her. Open up the door and drive forward. She had no option but to fall in and we would drive off. It was questioned was any girl safe with us around.
On one occasion we set off to Margate, on one Bank holiday. This was a custom amongst our generation of Mods. We all seemed to migrate to Yarmouth or Margate or Brighton. This was Whitsun bank holiday bank holiday 1967 and Mod and Rocker riots were common. On this trip to the coast my brother was true to form he had borrowed a 0.22 webbley air pistol from Pat Jones and was determined to have a good time. He had fired the occasional pop shot at one or two girls bottoms which cause much amusements to us all. This was not what I would have normally done because I remember how shocked I was at 11 years old a boy having air gun fights in the woods on the way home from school. I thought then how dangerous and stupid. However her was my brother older than I acting fearlessly. I just went along with it suppressing my natural cautiousness.
As we past through the various towns in London the air pistol was used to cause alarm. ( As I write I shrivel up at the thought of what was done) We found it amusing to shoot at ladies bottoms as their reactions of shock was funny. As we passed through Lewisham several people must have reported the mystery air gun shooter and at least on lady was wounded.
Traffic police on route to Margate stopped us. These men briefly searched our car but found nothing suspicious and let us go. My brother had hidden the pistol just in time and we did not allow this close shave stop our adventure.
Persons ( girls) bathing at night were targets for our folly am we found it amusing to see and her a scream from a female. It was not intended to wound or harm but that really was inevitable.
During this weekend we moved on the Ramsgate and again moved with a spirit of naughtiness decided to steel a tray of peaches from a fruit and vegetable shop. The bubble car was to be used as the get away car. The shop was half way down a hill with houses on either side of the road, It was decided I should take the peaches and my brother to drive the get away car. I lifted the tray of peaches and jumped in the car as it rolled down the hill making a chug chug noise attracting attention. Naturally we were spotted and reports were made to the police but we did not know this.
Our foolishness was brought to an end when we were picked up but the same traffic police on the way home. I could tell from their faces they had it in for us.
A quick search of our vehicle revealed a stolen handbag. If only we had go rid off it I thought. Then the air gun pellets and finally the air gun itself. That was it we were arrested the policemen having a snarl on his face and almost laughing as us. We were charge with malicious wounding and two cases of stealing. A women in Lewisham had been travelling in a side care and been hit in the neck by the air pistol buy my brother.
I was granted bail but my brother detained in custody. We had decided that I would say I had done the shouting and my brother was a sleep. This was to get my brother off a prison sentence as he had already done two spells in detention centres and two years in Borstal. I had only had a probation order and I had an apprenticeship. I thought I would only get fined but I was wrong.
Our Mum managed to obtain bail for my brother and we appeared in Kent Quarter sessions several months later.
On recollection I can remember a prison officer ,at the Rochester Borstal, where I had visited my brother a year previously, had said to me that I would sent to Borstal if I didn’t watch out. I said you must be joking. I was sent to Borstal just as he said I would be for confessing to this crime we were charged with - Malicious wounding.
On reflection I think my brother was not being a good brother to me. He should not have let me do it.
23 Bubble Car Blows Up
During the time we were awaiting our court appearance we went one night to Bedford in the bubble car. On the way home the bobble car caught light and blew up as the petrol tank was above the engine. We managed to walk to Wobourn Green and decided we would have to sleep the night there. After routing though some ones garage we found an old mattress and blankets and there was a newly piled mound of grass on the village green. This was where we made our bed and it was very comfortable. We put up our umbrella we had rescued from the bubble car and slept soundly until the morning. We were woken up by the police who wanted to know what we were doing - as if they could not see. When we explained the bubble car had blown up they said oh yes they had seen it up the road. So they let us go without any further questions. I arrived at work that morning but was soon to be dismissed because I was due to appear in court and they were not prepared to trust me any more. This was the last of the bubble car as my parents managed to sell it when we got sentenced to prison.
24 My Brother Leaves Borstal
My brother was soon to be released from Borstal and together we were potentially not a good influence on one another as we were always up to some prank or another. I had experimented with chloroform and found it very effective at putting a person to sleep and occasionally I would try it out on a friend or two.
This effect of chloroform caused a small stir at the local dance in Aylesbury, at the Grosvenor on Saturday night. We attempted to put some girl to sleep . There was no malicious intention but I think some of the girls were terrified as to what may happen to them because of out reputation. We would carry the bottle of Chloroform in a small wooden polished case which had written on the side “Dr. Clarke”.
On another occasion we went into the cloths shop called Crombie Brothers to see the manager called Terry. They must have heard about the chloroform and my brother suggested to me we try and put him to sleep. This was because we had not been satisfied with a suite which had been made for me. I saw the terror on his face as we took the bottle out of the case and I persuaded my brother not to go ahead with the idea.It was about this time we went and harassed Victor Prince who had made a Crombie over coat for me. I write about this event later on.
During those day we would do anything for a good time and in particular be on the look out for a good time with the girls. With this in mind we decided to go and visit the girls boarding school in Tring. Not that we meant any harm but just to have a bit of fun. On this occasion we sneaked into the private grounds of this school and managed to get as far as the back entrance without being spotted. We intended to chat up any girl we found.
The school building was a large mansion with a court yard at the rear. The back door was open and we simply walked in when all was clear. We came across a group of girls who just gasped and giggled when they saw us. We then heard the voice of a teacher so we decided we must hid. It was too late we had caused a commotion so we fled down a corridor into a cloak room. This was a dead end and we had to do something to escape. The teacher was chasing us and who knows who else. There was no alternative but to hid in a sliding cupboard.
This old school mistress was in hot pursuit and found no one in the clock room except the closed cupboard. She was not without sense and so opened the cupboard only to find my brother hiding. As she motioned to come out I was able to sneak out of the other cupboard and tap her on the shoulder and as she turned around my brother nipped out quick and we were off again. Not for long, we ran up a flight of stairs and ended up in a toilet. It was no good we would have to escape before the police came so we climbed out of a window onto the roof and got down a drain pipe to the outside world.
We were free again and without a care in the world walked across the lovely cut lawns only to find another group of girls with a person we assumed to be the Headmaster. How would we get out of this situation ?
With the boldness on one on legitimate business I walked towards the Headmaster calling out excuse me sir. As he approached me and I got very close I pointed behind him and said look over there. As he turned to look at what I pointed at I shouted and made a roaring noise in his ear. This him and so we were off running as fast as we could only to be met by a police constable on his bicycle. He shouted to us “oh you lads” but we were off as fast as we could through a church yard and across peoples gardens. We ended up in laughter, shattered, in some ones garden but we were free.
By now we decided to go back to Aylesbury as the police would now be looking for us. We decided to catch the bus instead of thumbing a lift since a police car might just pick us up. How ever we were soon in trouble on this bus. My brother decided to fiddle with the passenger escape door lock as we were sitting at the rear of the bus. We were not aware that this had caused a warning light to shine in the drivers cab. The bus stopped and the driver came to investigate but he pushed his good fortune when he tried to push my brother off the bus. A scuffle broke out and my brother whipped out a cosh from his belt to lay into the man. This stopped the scuffle and we decided to leave the bus and thumb a lift back to Aylesbury.
25 Canterbury Prison
When my brother appeared in the Kent Quarter Sessions court I pleaded guilty to the charges of malicious wounding but my brother pleaded not guilty on all accounts. I was sentenced to Borstal Training which meant I could do any time between 6 months to two years. That would depend on me to some degree on how I behaved. My brother was detained in custody until he appeared in court a month later during which time we were both detained in Canterbury Prison together.
Our time in Canterbury Prison was in one sense a time of continuos fun and just another of our good times together even though I had just received an awful sentence.
Upon arrival at Canterbury Prison we were taken into the reception hall. Here we were with other newly sentenced young persons and being with my brother made it that much easier for me and gave me confidence because he had been to Rochester Borstal and detention centre on two occasions before and he knew the ropes.
These young person we met must have been typical of the criminal population of England at the time. In this prison we shared our experiences with others who had been sentenced to three, four and six months and many had already been to approved schools , detention centres and Borstal before. Some were on their second or even third visit to prison. There was an element of excitement and curiosity what made people like they were ?
In the reception hall we were issued with prison clothing. Our finger prints were taken and photographed and we were each given a number. After this the medical officer ( all prison officers were called screws) had inspected us and we were taken to our cell ( called a Peter). At that time we were three’s up.. My brother and I and a lad from Liverpool. In this cell we were to remain for a few days until we were issued work. The cell was approximately 12 ft by 9 ft and housed a bunk bed and a single bed. A table chair, water jug and urinal pot.
At half past six each morning our sleep was broken with a bang on the door and words saying “Slop out”. This meant we had to get up make up our beds and empty the urinal pot. We then could get hot water for a wash in a jug for a shave and return to our cell. A razor blade was issued and collected after and then we were banged up until breakfast.
At breakfast time we were unlocked and had to line up in single file to collect our food. This was served up on a specially shaped metal tray which was recessed in three places to retain the food.
A typical breakfast would be a scoop of porridge, four slices of bread, a knob of margarine, a sausage or piece of bacon with beans and a large mug of tea.
The bread dipped in porridge became one of my favourite meals but on one occasion this practice of dipping bread in my porridge offended one inmate ( when I was in Dover Borstal) he expressed he though what I was doing was a disgusting habit. I just ignored him with contempt.
One of the ways we past time, when locked up in the cell , was to play “Blind Mans Buff”. One of us would be blindfolded whilst the other two crept about and hid from the other while the blind man tried to catch the others. There were all sort of places to hid in such a small cell. We enjoyed this game we would jump from bed to bed which made the game that much more fun.
During this time I found time killing boring so I tried to read one ore two books. The books I found I could read were James Bond as these were about my level and the Beano and Dandy comics any other reading would be too difficult to me.
On the days we were not working, each morning and afternoon was exercise. This was were all the inmates walked as a body around the prison yard. No doubt each prisoner looked at the high walls and every building for a possible way to escape. During this time we could talk with whom we pleased, those that attempted an escape were made to wear yellow patches so they could be spotted easily. These times became a time of communication and formed the prison grape vine.
On one occasion I decided to change my hair style. So during the wash period my brother removed the safety edge from the government issue razor and was able to shave my head. I was much easier to wash in the mornings with no hair and much fresher. However I had gone against the prison rules and was put on a Governor report and put in solitary confinement for a period of time.
At the meal time it cause an amusing stir and I was to get laughed at when one of the cooks slapped a handful of strawberry jam on my bald head. After this when my hair grew a little I was able to razor a parting in my hair which was really the beginning of the hair fashions for the skin head.
I could not help but notice the various characters and the first points of conversation was “What sentence had you got and what was your crime or crimes”. After this an inquiry would be made as to your previous convictions and prison sentencing. Our time at Canterbury came to and end when my brother was found guilty and was sentence to two years prison at the Kent Crown Court.
I was a witness at his trial and was detained in the cells below the court room. When my brother was brought below, handcuffed to a prison officer, I was shock and disappointed that he had been found guilty. In fact all our plans had come to nothing and I was to do a stretch in Borstal. He was found guilty of malicious wounding as well and was sentenced to 2 year prison.
On that occasion my mother was not allowed to see either of us and we were taken from the cells in Kent back to Canterbury prison that dark wet night. As we approached the prison gate I saw my mum with tears in her eyes out side the prison gate. We both waved and motioned to the prison officer to say she had come to see us and his reaction was, “So what she can’t see you because you are now prisoners”. She had not got a visiting permit. She had travelled from Kent to Canterbury late that night to try and see us but she was rejected. From that time the we hated that prison officer called Titmuse. He was about 6 foot 7 inches tall. My brother weeks later after we were separated laid into this screw because of the hate. He headbutted him ( nutted) and of course was on a governors report and put in solitary confinement. This I heard through the grape vine when I was at Wormwood scrubs awaiting my allocation to Dover Borstal.
26 I Go To Dover Borstal
I was moved from Canterbury Prison to Wormwood Scrubs in London, which was a Borstal allocation centre. After a period of four week it was decided I was to go to Dover Borstal. A closed Borstal called the Citadel.
For the first time I was on my own and was moved from one cell to another having to share some times with others. I did not really enjoy things here as it was lonely being on my own.
We were allowed to go to church on a Sunday which I did to break the monotony. How ever I remember being horrified by the fact that I was some inmate tearing pages out