The following quotes are taken from Vic King's interview with one of Newport's original Teddy Boys, John 'Dook' Carden on 16th April, 1996. If you are eager to know about the fifties on the Island read on:
TEDDY BOY'S CLOTHES
"Norman Cooke, Oscar Stretch and Dave Moul started it off. I went by the way they dressed. They were the first to have the long jackets and their hair swept back. There was a little shop in Newport, Hipps, next to Lowers. I got a jacket made up in Stewart tartan, it came down to my knees. It cost £13.00 tailor made. It took eight weeks to get it. They sent away for four or five different tartans and then bought the material. I had round lapels, three buttons and light blue trousers with four inch turn ups. It would take about four weeks to save up for a suit. When I was in the Army I pawned the tartan jacket in Hong Kong. I got about 23 Hong Kong dollars for it. East Street in Southampton was another good place for Teddy Boy gear."
ON THE TOWN
"We would meet in the Red Lion and watch The Six Five Special, or on The Lamb corner and decide where we were going for the night. With the 46th Ack Ack Regiment, the Queen's Hall would be shut more than it was open. We would get a Shotters' coach to the Winter Gardens or Shanklin Town Hall. The Royal York was another place.
Ron Planer was a scream. If we went to the Trouville he would often disappear on the way back. Knock up some old dear and ask if her to put him up for the night, sleeping on the sofa. He would come back on the bus in the morning. He was an artful bugger."
NEWPORT IN THE FIFTIES
"The Bell was a tiny pub. Victory Cleaners was between The Red Lion and The Bell. There was the Trooper at the bottom of Hunnyhill. Hit three treble twenties on the dartboard, jump in the air and hit your bloody head on the ceiling it was so low.
Old Ivor would call out 'Football Echo, Football Mail' on Saturday nights. You could hear him a mile away. Wait in the square for them to come in. Pansye Potter, Wayne Pritchett's auntie, used to sell them.
Mr. Fox started a hot dog stall in the Square near the lions. The shape of it was similar to a horse box. A tanner for a hot dog with onions and mustard. Jolliffe's pie shop, flaky pastry, beautiful on a meat pie. Nice apple pie too.
Jack was the doorman at The Grand. He would come in with his torch and say 'You've seen this film twice.' Ivor Rees at the Savoy calling out 'Two 1 and 3s and three 1 and 9s'. Characters like 'Mr. Cock Robin', four or five carrier bags, women's shoes. You would see him in the river scrubbing his toes. He would quote The Bible from start to finish without even looking at it.
A gang of us would go down on the bus to watch Newport play Cowes at Westwood Park at Easter. Barry Price and Geordie Hewitt couldn't even look at each other without starting a fight. Then they became pals later on."
YOU'RE BANNED
"I came back to the Island in 1960 after three years in the Far East with the Army. The doorman at the Winter Gardens, a little, short, baldheaded, bloke, still recognised me. 'I'm sorry you're banned,' he told me. 'I've grown up a bit since then,' I said."
Finally Dook remarked to his grandson, who had been quietly playing as we chatted: "You were born forty years too late. The good times are gone . . ."
John 'Dook' Carden spoke to Vic King (16/3/96)