Sue remembers Jumping Jack Flash Video Recording

A few weeks ago I was sorting out a bag of old clothes and I found an old silk bed - jacket with lace that I bought in the Portobello market in the 60s. I had dyed it a gunmetal grey (it was originally pink of course) the grey caught up the sheen of the silk and it was quite beautiful and I wore it as a blouse. One evening Tina Leigh rang me up and said that her boyfriend at the time was a tape jockey (recording technician) at a recording studio and they were going to record The Rolling Stones and would I like to come? I donned my grey silk blouse and some mustard yellow sailors pants I had made and went to meet them. I had been taking methedrine for a few months, not shooting up just licking the ampoule, carefully keeping the dose low. I was doing a pre-diploma at Hornsey art school. It was the spring of 68 and of course Hornsey had a revolution. I didn’t notice the goings on at Hornsey because I was too high and eventually the dose of meth had increased beyond what I considered reasonable. Finally there was a sequence of four days and nights which I spent drawing intricate designs nonstop with a biro on a piece of A4 paper. When the drawing turned completely black and the biro started to make holes in the paper, I realized that it was time to stop with the drawing and the methedrine too. I got my hands on a couple of railway carriages which were speed capsules with tiny time released pills inside that exploded every hour for a while and I thought this would be a good way to come down off several months of speed fairly lightly. I had taken the final one when I left for the recording studio.

The Stones were very sweet to us. They were actually making the TV video for the single Jumping Jack Flash. They painted their faces as we imagined indigenous Americans and it was a gas gas gas! We sat in the control room together with them and smoked some dope and I remember Mick talking about the baby at home - this was Marianne Faithfull’s baby with John Dunbar. Brian Jones was there and it must have been right at the end of his life.

Towards the end of the night the railway carriages started to wear off and I started to shake uncontrollably, coming down from those months on speed, lack of sleep during the last four or five days and probably not having eaten very much either. I was very shy and probably didn’t say very much during the whole night, they were a little surprised when I started to shake, but then I don’t remember much more, not because I conked out or anything but because it is after all 53 years ago, half a century has passed.

Silk eats itself up after a while and when I found the garment again it was only a small bunch of shredded rags so I chucked it in the bin. If it had remained viable I would have saved it for my granddaughter, but it wasn’t. It was probably by now more than a hundred years old.

A fun memory though!

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I dont know if the video still exists

This is the best I could find

The Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash (VH1 TV) HD 1968

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSjmgmyUXzU

A Poet at the Witches

Sometime, probably around 1960, I got talking to this tall handsome guy in black at the Witches and I asked him what he did and he said "Poet". I was terribly impressed and we chatted for hours about our favourite poets and poems (mine were quite limited, being a 17 year old) and we agreed we both admired Rimbaud,  He said he was following Rimbaud's path of the "disordering of the senses" music to my ears as a young fool eager to embark on an adventure in the world of drugs. I vowed to try everything 4 times and no more to get the experience. The evening went on and I asked him where he was staying and he said nowhere so I took him back to mine. We still lived at the time in a flat at 13-15 Frognal, a large double-fronted block divided into 8 quite big flats. We were on the 2nd floor on the right hand side. The poet bedded down on the floor in my bedroom, and we slept all night, In the morning I fed him a light breakfast and then he went on his way. I never saw him again. I don't remember his name or what he looked like. He was a good talker, maybe a good poet, but I never saw his work. I often wonder what became of him. Lost? Changed his career plans? Became a successful poet? I shall never know!  

How many memorable encounters have you had that left an indelible mark in your mind even though nothing happened except talk?  In the 60s maybe the highest point of intimacy I had (before I had proper girlfriends and sometimes after that) - was amazing deep conversations with somebody - maybe talking all night on speed - where you get to understand each others' interests, desires, passions, hopes, dreams, your very self - on an intellectual level. You build an empathetic  bond of intimacy from such sharing  and you always carry a love of that person because you have known them and they have known you. I felt that way about Jules Holley. No matter how he ripped me off and screwed me over (as well as the gifts of self and caring he gave me) I always carried a love of Jules.  And he was another poet at the Witches.

A Gun at the Witches

Sometime early, maybe 1960 or 1961  while at the Witches some guy came up to me with a gun and asked me to return it to its owner at some address in Elsworthy Road, maybe 15 minutes away, as a favour. I agreed and set off with 2 or 3 companions to return the gun.  We walked all the way down Belsize Park Gardens and then crossed  Adelaide Road and walked down Elsworthy Road. It was number 80 and something. We got to the door, rang the bell and someone answered. I explained my mission, and they said it was nothing to do with them. So we started back to the Witches - it was daylight. After a while a police car approached and stopped and said somebody had rung in about a man with a gun. I showed them the gun. It looked like a .45 automatic but it was in fact an air-pistol, unloaded. The police warned me about carrying what looked like a pistol in public.  So I concealed it in my jacket.

Amusingly in 1966 in Kabul a policeman also warned me about walking around with a revolver butt visibly protruding out of my Levis pocket. So I wrapped it in a hankie for discretion. However that was a real gun. Loads of people had them in Kabul. They were mostly tribesmen with muskets on their back. But it was reported that the Narcotics Agent working out of the US Embassy walked around with two pearl handled revolvers sticking out of his holsters, like Billy the Kid or something! I had bought the gun off a French hippie for $10 with 3 bullets in Herat. I never dared fire it. I put it in my shoe in a  teahouse when sitting on a cushion having some tea  and buying a last kilo of hash before flying  from Kandahar to Tehran on the way home. Some guy in the teahouse we were talking to took it and shoved it in his pocket. When we left one hour later I forgot to ask for it back. I had no intention of bringing it home anyway. That would be a needless risk crossing all the borders from Iran to the UK overland. So what the hell?

However in London guns were rare (I never saw anything more than a shotgun although maybe somebody's dad had a Luger).  However my schoolboy friend's father Inspector Strath had a big collection of bullets of different types.  But that is another story.

I walked back to the Witches with the gun. Never saw the guy who sent me on the wild goose chase. I think I kept the pistol for a while,  Just another funny day at the Witches. 

Another Gun Yarn

Tim:  I enjoyed your gun yarn, here's another for your delectation, not alas concerning the Witches but rather Jimmy's flat in West End Lane.  My old school pal, Alphonse, was a desperado who had acquired an old army service revolver which he slept with under his pillow.  One day when he was dossing at Jimmy's the front door burst open and in poured the drug squad.  They were rather crestfallen on finding nothing incriminating until they reached Alphonse's room where their eyes lit up on finding the floor littered with needles and works however their disappointment was so great when Alphonse produced his registered junkie diploma that they lost all enthusiasm and left without bothering to look under his pillow and so Alphonse went back to sleep snuggled up to his pistol.  

Jo Goffe, Berni, Jill and 42 Warrington Crescent

Hi Paul, just found your Witches cauldron site via Masha, I am Jo Goffe who lived under Jill st 42 Warrington Cres in the late sixties, would love to chat to Jill again sometime, I lived with Olly Woulnough for some years in the sixties, I now live in New Zealand, great memories of good friends from your Witches site... Berni Osgood, Vaughn O'leary and I travelled to Kabul in 69 xxx

Tues 13:18

You sent

Wonderful to near from you! Just found your message. Jill will be so pleased too! I remember you, of course!  Do you have any photos from the 60s - or stories for the site! Didn't Berni end up in Meshed clink?

Tues 18:35

Josephine

Hi again Paul and Jill, I realise I dont have any photos from the 60s   but lots of stories, this is a picture of me and Berni Osgood in the early eighties. (See below)

Berni, Vaughn (o'Leary) and I planned our Kabul trip in a pub in st Johns wood over some lunchtimes, I had the money (recent inheritance from my Jamaican grandfathers brother!) we had heard that you could fit 60 lbs of hash into the shassis of a citroen safari. Berni was the master mind, Vaughn was along for the ride (adventure) we left in July 1969. It took us 3 months, Vaughn jumped ship in Kabul, got repatriated by the UK embassy i think it was. Berni and I drove back loaded up, as described, we took the ferry in Izmir to Brindizi Italy and drove home getting cold feet in northern France, buried the stash in a wood to be collected later. (another story) 

This all happened when I was living in 42 Warrington Crescent (under Jill, does she remember any of this?

later, 1971, Berni wanted to repeat the success of the first trip and persuaded me to invest in a brand new red shiny VW van for the trip, I didnt go because I hadjust started working at Friends/Frendz magazine and was more interested in that, this time the trip went down in Mashad Iran/Afghan border and yes, Berni was slung in Jail, he did 2 years before being swapped in some deal, the Shah was still in power. [PE.  was that the deal in which Mic Parsons was swapped for Greville Wynne? Correction - Greville Wynn was swapped in 1964 - Mic Parsons was busted in Tashkent in 1968 and was swapped out as part of the Kroger spy deal in 1969 before this trip]   I lost my lovely van!

Amazing that you and Jill got together and are still... I remember her well  xx

Tues 18:50

Josephine

we all relished being dodgy in those days we were such a mix from all classes and we didnt give a fig about anything except living, loving and having a 'good' time it really was sex and drugs snd rock and roll.

There is another Berni, Berni Phillips, a real london boy, lived in a flat with his mother just off kilburn high road  he was across between a mod and a rocker knew all the 'London  scene' knew the Witches well connected to lots of the names in your list, notably Paul De Mille and others. 

He moved here (NZ) in '94' we have been in touch ever since snd have been enjoying reminiscing about your site, thanks. 

In the years 64-68 that I lived with Olly in the basement of his parents house in Mansfield Road we were special friends with Pete Rasini and Rob Andrews, that  was high times and the Witches figured, i thinkon those Sunday afternoons

Paul replied

Wonderful stories. We're still in touch with Rob Andrews through Dave Young. Pete Rasini was a great friend but was offed in the 80s by a gangster. What happened to Olly, any idea? We heard Berni died in Ireland, is that true? I travelled to Afghanistan twice, 1965 & 66 with friends on the same mission as you but on a smaller scale bringing back 5 kg. I was travelling by public transport. I think Duncan went in 1968 because I was selling his stuff for him in Brighton that year. Late 68 I bought stuff off Berni and post a couple of oz to myself in Sweden when I went there April 1969. It was low grade brown. But 69 was a bad year for me and I gave up all drugs forever in September on my return from Tangiers with Alan Shoobridge. I danced with Jill at 42 Warrington Crescent in October but we did not click. But we met again Easter 1970 after she moved out and it was love at first sight and we have been together ever since! Married 50 years next summer and 2 grown up daughters in London. So nice to be back in touch!  

Remembering Olly Woolnough 

Jo Goffe  (Josephine Anne Goffe Robertson)

In the years 64-68 that I lived with Olly in the basement of his parents house in Mansfield Road. We were special friends with Pete Rasini and Rob Andrews, that  was high times and the Witches figured, i think on those Sunday afternoons. 

Paul Ernest 

Wonderful stories. We're still in touch with Rob Andrews through Dave Young. Pete Rasini was a great friend but was offed in the 80s by a gangster. What happened to Olly, any idea? So nice to be back in touch!

Jo Goffe

Olly is around London, I caught up with him last time I was there (4 years ago) He and his current wife Lynn have grown up kids, quite politically active, workers unions etc, he was / is still maybe talented maths teacher.

I would love to be back in touch with Rob Andrews, he was a special mate of Olly's, Dave Young would have figured significantly too xx

just caught up with Ruth Andrews, Rob's sister we are enjoying texting across the world 

Paul Ernest 

Great! I don't really know her - Dave Young does - but I am occasionally in touch with Rob over the years. He almost came to the Witches reunion last summer!

Jo Goffe

Hi again Paul, just been speaking to Olly and Lynn on messenger, they would love to be i touch, through Lynn Woolnough on messenger, Olly was a maths teacher for quite a while, they live in Muswell Hill xxx tell Jill I am still remembering 42 Warrington Crescent xx 

(Thurs 17 March 2022)  Olly has died 

Jo Goffe

Paul, do you know about Olly's funeral? 

Paul Ernest 

No, I'm so sorry to hear he needed one! I just heard from him a few weeks ago! We chatted about being a maths teacher etc. What a shame! So young! My guess is 75? 

Jo Goffe

Yes, just turned 75, fell off his bike, heart attack, no oxygen for 28 mins, had to turn off life support a week later... funeral 25th March, will txt details, there will be a lot of Witches there.. good you spoke (thanks to Witches), I was lucky to have a good chat only a few weeks ago too...xx 

Message about Olly's funeral

Here is Olly in all his youthful glory, extreme left in glasses and suit. 

The photo caption reads: Olly, Jeff, Malcolm, Petes Browning and Burns, Mike Bishop - June 1964