June
Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 02: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Postmodern Jukebox @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Thu 04: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £17.00. Trio from Texas, USA.
Thu 04: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues excellence!
Thu 04: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05-Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne. Screenings TBC.
Fri 05: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: House of the Black Gardenia: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). House of the Black Gardenia evening performance. Day 1/3.
Fri 05: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band + IKS Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.00. Big band double bill. IKS Big Band (Germany).
Fri 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 06: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00.
Sat 06: IKS Big Band: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). IKS Big Band evening performance. Day 2/3.
Sat 06: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Northumbrian Revival, West Benridge Farm, nr. Morpeth NE61 3RZ. 7:30-9:30pm. £21.47 (£2.77. child). 82nd D-Day anniversary event.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 06: FILM: The Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 9:30pm. £7.00., £5.00. Dir. Guillaume Maupin & Pablo Guarise.
Sun 07: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Steve Walker (trumpet).
Sun 07: Joe Steels: Celebrating Wes @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Trio: Joe Steels, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Eddie Gripper Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Magpies of Swing: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). Magpies of Swing afternoon performance. Day 3/3.
Sun 07: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 7:00pm. £12.50. Trio from Texas, USA.
Sun 07: Salty Dog @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm. £5.00. Performance in the Studio venue.
Sun 07: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Riding Mill Village Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 07: Swing Manouche @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Feat. Steve McGarvie (clarinet).
Mon 08: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 08: Dave Bristow Quintet @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00., £11.00., £5.50. Bristow (piano); Christian Altehülshorst (trumpet); Félix Hardouin (alto sax); Gabriel Pierre (double bass); Guillaume Prévost (drums).
I started in Windows in '68 as a Saturday boy - 'Can you read music? Can you play at least 2 instruments?' Those were the minimum requirements to work with Ronnie Maclean, Hughie [Aitchison], and Lance Liddle although once they'd given me the Jazz Quiz they were ok to let me talk to their friends. 
7 comments :
Richard! As the last survivor of the Windows triumvirate that you mention, I was the only one who actually could read music and play more than one instrument. In fact, neither could Mr Windows senior or Mr Windows junior play anything other than the cash register! I recall when Ronnie asked for a rise and Hedley Windows huffed and puffed and said, "But you can't read music!"
To which Ronnie played his ace in the hole, "No sir, but I've just sold a grand piano!"
He got his rise.
Windows has changed over the years but it still holds that prime spot in the Central Arcade and will, forever, hold a prime spot in my heart. Me and many other employees and a lot of customers who went on to become friends!
Hi Richard & Lance. I started there straight after school in 77 until I joined the RAF at the beginning of 1980, I worked in the radio dept with Robert Ingleby, Brian Littlefair, Dennis Carr, Chris Barker etc.
I used to get the bus to and from work with Hughie Aichison every day. A real character who I learned a lot from. A real miss in life.
41 years later I’m making my living as a full time singer/musician. Those days at Windows still have an influence on me. But it is different when I get across from Carlisle to Newcastle and go into the shop.
I’m still in touch via Facebook with Lance (obviously) and also Brian and Chris, in fact Chris lives about 12 miles away from me now.
Great to reminisce
Happy new year.
To be fair, Lance, Hughie did play the trumpet and the valve-trombone...... But certainly,l neither he or Ronnie could read music - the closest they got was the sleeve notes on the back of an LP!
One of the first things Ronnie told me was that he'd toured Europe with Teddy Wilson. I'm ashamed to say I'd no idea who Teddy Wilson was.
I worked at Windows as a Saturday worker in the instruments department, from around 1965 and I loved it so much I kept the job going until well past my graduation in 1969. Ronnie McLean was my boss in that department and his second in command was bloke called Tommy Whitworth. Ronnie, of course, had his own jazz band and we used to go to the jazz club to see him. I never went to see Tom's 'combo' who were styled (I think) The TW-5 or something similar. My days at Windows were some of the happiest of my young life. Looking back on it, I would have paid to work there. John Pickard
Hi John, I remember you well -did you have a girlfriend called Jen? I took over from Tommy Whitworth who was a bit of an authority on violin makers. He played keyboards, I'm led to understand, in a band called the Silver Dollars who had a minor hit with 'Rainbow' although this was either before or after Tommy's involvement with them and I've been unable to authenticate his connection with the band. He later became a rep for one of the music trade suppliers and played organ at a club in Tynemouth.
Hi Lance, I did indeed. Jen became my wife and subsequently my ex-wife. I live in Essex now but I still hanker for the fiords. Tommy was a strange bloke, an accomplished keyboard player but always resented being in Ronnie's shadow. Windows was a wonderful part of my young life. I remember the uniformed commissionaire we had. He was a complete reactionary (even for those days) and used to foam at the mouth at young blokes with long hair. "I'd hang one or two in every city", he used to say. He was ex-army and really hated long-haired blokes with a will - this was in the 60s when long-hair was still relatively new on men. He was handy to have on match days when the town was fully of rowdies and we sometimes got them in the shop.
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