Richard's Blog

On this day (August 13, 1969), the two-day Wonderland Pop Festival was held at London’s Wonderland Gardens featuring Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Alice Cooper, Cat Mother & The All Night News Boys, George Clinton, The Nice, George Olliver & The Natural Gas and others for the whopping price of $7.00!

I was there, were you?

Here’s an article about Wonderland Gardens I wrote for a local magazine several years ago. London musicians Ken Thorne, Jim Chapman, and John M. Sharpe share their memories of Wonderland.

Remembering Wonderland Gardens

Mention the name Wonderland Gardens today and most Londoners will probably respond “Wonderland what”?

The site of the legendary dance hall, which burned down in 2005, is now called Springbank Gardens and all that remains of the original venue is the outdoor bandshell.

Managed by Chuck and Don Jones, Wonderland was London’s favourite concert/dance hall for London area young people in the 1960s and early 1970s.

For the thousands of Boomers who flocked to Wonderland to see major acts like Sly and the Family Stone, Deep Purple, The British Modbeats, The Five Man Electrical Band, The Mandala, Grant Smith and the Power and many others too numerous to list, the venue conjures up fond lasting memories of their youth.

It’s also remembered fondly by the London musicians who played there – bands like The Bluesmen Revue, A Small Experience, Stage 7, The Soul Agents, The Comic Opera, Freight, Solid State, and The New Set, who mostly opened for the headliners.

For John Sharpe, The New Set’s former drummer, Wonderland holds a special place in his musical career.

“A group could play any number of teen towns or private events, but everyone knew you had not really ‘made it’ until you played Wonderland,” recalls John. “It was a magical place that attracted hundreds of teens to its weekly rock ‘n’ roll shows, so every group in the area wanted in on the action.”

Jim Chapman, former bass guitarist for The Bluesmen Revue, a very popular London R&B group, remembers headlining at Wonderland many times.

“The room had excellent acoustics both on the stage and in the hall. In those days that was the exception rather than the norm,” Jim recalls. “And it had one of the smallest dressing rooms I ever saw in a venue that size. How the multi-person big bands ever managed to get their people dressed for a gig I can’t imagine!”

Ken Thorne, of A Small Experience, another London band that regularly played Wonderland, remembers the venue’s dressing rooms, too.

“The original dressing room walls were scrawled with the signatures of many of the artists who performed there.  Whenever we played there, we used to try and find the new additions while waiting to go on stage,” says Ken.

The three musicians have high praise for the Jones family and their management style.

“Don and Chuck Jones always treated our band in a professional manner, and they remain friends to this day,” John says.

“The Jones family, Charles Sr., Chuck and Don, were always very good to our band and Mr. Jones supported us by writing letters of reference to other venue operators. A very thoughtful thing to do. I think Don and Chuck enjoyed the music as much as we did, we played there a lot,” recalls Jim.

“Thanks to the Jones brothers who were great at giving local bands needed exposure, Wonderland was the place to be in those days,” says Ken.

Some Wonderland trivia. In August 1969, Wonderland hosted the two-day Wonderland Pop Festival featuring Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Alice Cooper, Cat Mother & The All Night News Boys, George Clinton, The Nice, George Olliver & The Natural Gas and others for the whopping price of $7.00!

Rumour has it that after his set, Zappa waterskied on the heavily polluted Thames River which flowed behind Wonderland! To this day, the rumour has never been proven or disproven.

As the 1970s and 1980s progressed, touring acts moved to other venues in town and Wonderland became more of a location for special events like company parties, conventions, rallies, and receptions.

“In its final days, the City of London had an active interest in Wonderland, but council would not invest the money needed to refurbish it and keep it a top live performance venue,” Jim laments. “When Wonderland burned down there was a lot of talk that something political and fishy had gone on, though I have no way of knowing if that was the case. Like many people, when I heard news of the fire, I shed a tear for all the great days and memories gone by.”

So next time you pedal or walk through Springbank Gardens, take pause to see if you can hear some of the strains of great music that was once played on the site.

Best line I have read on the internet in a long time comes from Robert Reich, American professor, author, lawyer, political commentator and former US Secretary of Labor:

“Life is short. But retirement is not the end. It just means more time to do what you like and less of what you don’t.”

It reminds me of what I told my friends when I retired from a thirty-year teaching career in 2008: “I may be retiring from teaching, but I’m not retiring from life.” Not to say I did not enjoy my teaching career, I did. But, after thirty years in the classroom and on the playing field, it was time to move on.

Indeed, since retiring I have published an independent arts magazine, The Beat Magazine (2009-2013), written freelance for an advertising/marketing agency and numerous local publications (something I continue to this day), and put together the Program for Silver Spotlight Theatre’s production of Babes In Arms.

I have also travelled abroad with my partner Val Cavalini as much as finances and time will permit and spent plenty of time with my daughter’s family Hilary Peraza Young

My advice: Don’t view retirement as an end, but as an opportunity.

A while back, my daughter bought me a baseball cap that reads “Retired, Not Expired.” I wear it with pride.

Residents of Wortley Village and Old South London woke up Sunday morning, April 16, to the devastating news that one of their community’s cherished landmarks and favourite gathering spots, The Black Walnut Bakery Café, had been destroyed by fire.

Deemed suspicious in nature, the fire led to the demolition of the nineteenth-century building that housed the café. Damage was estimated at $2 million.

On Tuesday, a 20-year-old suspect was taken into custody and charged with arson with disregard to human life and arson causing damage to property.

The co-owners, siblings Mandy and Ed Etheridge, have vowed to rebuild as soon as possible.

To say that it’s upsetting to walk or drive by the corner of Wortley Road and Craig Street where The Black Walnut once stood would be an understatement. All that remains is a gaping hole in the ground after excavators cleared away the rubble.

Old South residents and patrons are understandably shaken by the senseless destruction of the beloved café. To be sure, it was one of those establishments that you took for granted and figured would always be there. I had a coffee and muffin there just days before the fire.

Many patrons had formed an emotional relationship with The Black Walnut and its staff over the years. Something that was evident by the number of people crying as the café was demolished.

Other Wortley Village businesses and residents have expressed their support for the cafe’s rebuilding.

One of the most poignant post-fire photographs was of a fireman carrying The Black Walnut’s sign to give to the owners.

I am sure I speak for other Old South residents in saying that I can’t wait for The Black Walnut Bakery Café’s reopening.

One of the things I most appreciate about the coming of Spring is sitting on my back porch in Old South London with a coffee in hand watching the sun slowly rise, listening to the birds sing and watching the squirrels run to and fro.

For me, it’s an opportunity to shut out the usual din of urban life and think about the day to come and the one just gone into the history books.

It’s a time to meditate and think about life. I hope that does not sound too pretentious, but it is the honest truth. Indeed, I do some of my best thinking during early Springtime mornings.

Like Spring itself, I find mornings a time of renewal and a reminder of challenges and opportunities ahead.

My alone time is something I cherish.

A piece of music that always comes to mind while I enjoy my mornings is Joe Walsh’s Birdcall Morning off of his 1972 album, Barnstorm. While the lyrics do not necessarily conjure up Spring, its haunting melody always puts in the right frame of mind.

Give it a listen: https://youtu.be/4wVSI3u4LVw

How do you spend your early Springtime mornings?