Rapid Rewind

Back in the Summer of 1998, several old copies of the 'Belper News' came into my father's care as he is the Vice Chairman of Belper Historical Society.
I am something of a 60's music 'nut', so the article on the left, (in the edition of Friday, 20th. December 1963), raised more than just a passing interest for me.

The Rapids were:

Sheet Metal Worker, Tony Beardsley, (19 in 1963), Lead Guitar.

Printing Trade Worker, Roger Smith, (18 in 1963), Bass Guitar.

Printing Trade Worker, John Beniston, (19 in 1963), Rhythm Guitar.

Trainee Analyst, David Whysall, (19 in 1963), Percussion.

They were managed by Roger's father, Mr. Ferris Smith and had been playing for two years previous to the said contest. They had played several dates taking in Birmingham and Sheffield and also locally for charity dances and dances run by Belper and Milford Scouts and Belper Over 60's Club.In the contest, the group had survived the two qualifying rounds, in which 500 groups competed, to become one of the nine groups which appeared in the finals in London. Their prizes included "a set of new band suits, a recording test in London and some provincial engagements". However, they expressed the opinion that they were not interested in turning professional.



More in hope than anything, I placed the above information on the web thinking that it would help me track down Rapids members and find out where they are now and what they are up to these days and heard more or less nothing for about a year or so, so I thought, 'oh well, it doesn't look like I'm going to hear anything...I did at least try, though'. However, fortunately, I had got in touch with various members of the local business community, in my capacity as Internet Affairs Representative of the Bus Station Action Group, set up to save the last Art Deco bus station in existence in the country from demolition, trying to drum up support in this highly influential sector of the community. One of the more favourable replies I had got had been from a Roger Smith of Smith East Associates. A couple of weeks or so afterwards, I was doing some 'housekeeping' on some of my websites, when I noticed the name 'Roger Smith' on this particular page and somehow the gears clicked into action 'upstairs' and I thought, 'wait a minute, I suppose it's a fair chance that a 'printing trade worker' could have got into the sort of line that Smith East Associates are into, according to the entry in my Southern Derbyshire Chamber Members' Networking Directory. I dropped off another E-Mail to Roger, asking if he was the Roger Smith and got a phone call back saying that he indeed was. Roger can be contacted by E-Mail at the following address:

roger@ingeniusone.com

Click on the link below to download a really cool photograph of Roger Smith in his modelling days as 'Best-Dressed Man in Derby, 1966' (713x759 pixels, 70Kb file-size); Picture by very kind permission of Eric Chapman (Tel.: +44 (0) 1159 255895 - no E-Mail, unfortunately - ).

Coincidental with this, I also received the following message from John Beniston in Canada:

Greetings Chris,

I came across the picture of The Rapids whilst surfing the net. My name is John Beniston and I am one of the guys in the picture. What would you like to know?.
I am resident in Canada, and am still involved in the printing industry. I work as a consultant engineer instructor for M.A.N. I also have my own fledgling engineering co. which is giving me fits to get going.
Roger Smith is resident in Derby, where he has his own advertising agency, (Smith East Associates).
David Whysall is also resident in Canada (last I heard) and he owns a pyrotechnics company, (actually called David Whysall International Inc. -my remarks-), providing all the fireworks for Niagara Falls.
Tony Beardsley owns a Pub just outside Nottingham in the village of Lambley or Lambton or similar, (it is actually Lambley -my remarks-) it's called 'The Robin Hood' (what else).

Regards,
John Beniston.

E-Mail address:

jbeniston@sympatico.ca



Also at more or less the same time I had received an E-Mail from David Whysall, saying that Mike Banks (Everest) had been in Toronto just the week before and that Doug Smith had recently got married. David ('Whippet') can be contacted by E-Mail at the following address:

info@specpyro.com

Another late E-Mail has come from the son of an Ex-Rapid. Below is a transcript thereof:
Dear Christopher,
I thought you may like to know that Ian Lennox is my dad and he has just taken a look at your web site. I was informed that the Rapids were mentioned on Radio Derby and that there is supposedly a reunion this year, my dad is playing it a bit coy but I think if you get in touch with him he will be interested. If you want to contact him you can E-Mail me or phone him (1332 661272) or reading your web site I believe you live in Hazelwood, and I only live in Milford and can often be found in the Holly Bush on a Saturday night. If you have any photos of the band I would be interested and if you're interested I could probably send you some of my dad's.

Other 'Rapids People' of whom I've become aware, variously as a result of seeing an article in the 'Bygones' section of the Derby Evening Telegraph at around that time and also after having received a couple of back copies of 'Rapid Rewind 95' from Roger, are as follows:

For the full story of the line-up changes affecting The Rapids Doug Smith, Roger's younger brother, has very kindly just sent me an information sheet. Please click on the link to download the *.DOC file (33Kb file-size).

Please contact: Christopher Bentley, 'Frith Knoll', Chevin Road, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 2UW.

Telephone/Facsimile: +44 (0) 1773 827721.

E-Mail:
old_soul_rebel@yahoo.co.uk



As an interesting 'P.S.' to the proceedings, Keith Walker, who now lives none too far away from our place, in Hazelwood, is known to my mother, who in her younger days used to be involved in the local musical scene herself, though in a somewhat different line, when she was one of the regular leads in the Laurence Lee Operatic Society; one of the best amateur operatic societies in the country, back in the late 40's and early 50's. Read a report on this in the 'Derby Evening Telegraph'. I hear he's been trying to get her to revive her career, though I'm not sure how pumping 'Hammond' and 'Farfisa' goes with Puccini!

If you're into 60's 'stuff' and from around the Derby area, you might like to take a look at the Derby Groups site, dedicated to some more local groups from that era. I at last got to meet Roger Smith at his office in Derby back in the Spring of 2002 and found out, astonishingly, that my Dad taught him when he was at Spondon House School, so there's another family connection.

The 'Big Beat Bash' has been and gone. The van with the link has been kept on the site just in case there's any reports on the main 'BBB' site, so 'watch this space'.
Indeed, it is a good thing that the BBB van is still on the site, since if you do click on it you will see that a Big Beat Bash evening on 16.01.2004 was the grand Gala launch of a regular series of Derby Groups Of The Sixties get-togethers (first Friday in each month) at Rigsby's, Abbey Street, Derby.
The Rapids/Big Roll Band/GG&SB were stunning at the 'BBB' and it was a real treat to see a whole new generation of 'groupies' going stark, raving bonkers over them - just like '64 all over again! There's a CD and video brought out, recorded at the 'BBB' and all proceeds are to go once again to the BBC Radio Derby 'Money Mountain', so go on - give yourselves a treat!

The Big Beat Bash Van

See the on-line photo-gallery from the 'Big Beat Bash'. I hope you enjoy the memories of a great night!

I plan(-ned) to put together another on-line photo-gallery of Roger's memorable 60th birthday party that took place on 11th March, 2005 at Rigsby's. However, I went and forgot to bring my camera to the do with me :-( I should like to ask site visitors who were there with a camera to do me the favour of attaching off to me any good photos they took. You have my complete reassurance that you will be fully credited on the site. Thank you, in anticipation, for your assistance.

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Copyright 2006: Christopher Bentley