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The Hautboy, Ockham
Now residential “units”, The Hautboy Inn, Ockham was built by William 1st Earl of Lovelace in 1864, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey and owner of Ockham Park. It replaced the old Hautboy and Fiddle Inn at Bridge End, Ockham, which the Earl had acquired in 1833 when the previous owner went bankrupt.
The Hautboy made the news in 1898 when it refused admission to the coffee room of a lady cyclist wearing ‘rational attire’. There was also a brief appearance in “Pit of Darkness”, starring William Franklyn, in ’61.
Vulgar Bros played their first gig at the Hautboy, Ockham c’76. Picture courtesy of Paul Trew The mid-70’s were its heydays as a live music venue, with bands performing from the gallery. At this time it was managed by the owners of the Restaurant Ship Hispaniola, berthed on Victoria Embankment, London, with a Mr. Plata as General Manager. Then it had a Spanish bar and an English Pub. January to July ’74 saw Pepe Todoli and his group hold a regular spot playing Spanish music. The venue was reknowned for it’s great atmosphere and great beers, but musicians of any worth could tell you in not uncertain terms what they thought of the slapback from the wall at the far end.
Then sometime in ’76, The Vulgar Brothers played their first gig at the venue. It is also rumored, but as yet unproven, that The Enid played from the gallery. John Sammes recalls playing there almost every Friday in ’77 with Bob Evans, which occasionally featured guest appearances by Rob Jacob of The Volunteers and others.
The Hautboy, Ockham boarded up c’2008. Picture source: Russell Judge In the mid-80’s it became a bit of a bikers’ pub with a pair of macaws flying freely inside, but we know Vic Cracknell, who also appeared at the Crown & Cushion, Haslemere, was still playing there in 2006. The Hautboy closed in 2007 and the Grade II listed building converted.
Gallery:
The Hautboy’s Dining Room c’1938. Source: Jackie Helm 
The Hautboy -
Memorial Hall, Hawley
The Memorial Hall, Hawley was built just after The Great War to commemorate the 60 Hawley residents who fell between 1914 and 1918. It has hosted many events over the years, including Farnborough Folk Clubs’ 2nd Concert on 27 September ’69 that featured Jon Betmead, Roger Nutbeam, Fiona, Canticle, Borderers, and Chris Jant.
Gallery:
27 September ’69 
The Memorial Hall, Hawley more recently. -
Grant’s Tomb
(c’69-’71) – Joe Breitenfeld (bass), Mike Taro (vocals/guitar) Grant Clifton (guitar/vocals), and ? (drums)
Robert ‘Bob’ Oliver offered to manage the band, but they were with the Wally Dent Agency at the time; they later signed to Bob Potter. We know the band played The Red Cross Hall on Walton Road, Woking. The band also swelled from a four to six members after signing to Potter’s agency.
Grant’s Tomb, Red Cross Hall, Woking. Source: Mike Taro Breitenfeld’s mother used to clean for the Rolling Stones and the band got a lot of their old garb! In ’71 members of Cryptic Evil joined the band and Grant’s Tomb were rebranded Luvaduc, and were also signed to the Potter’s International Entertainment Agency.
Many a band and DJ may recall Mike Taro’s Disco Supply Store on Boundary Road, Woking, also known as Light & Sound Centre. Taro had also previously played in Cactus Incorporate. We would later find Breitenfeld in Redwood and the Lakesiders, but he unfortunately passed in 2022.
Gallery:
Grant’s Tomb. Source: Joe Breitenfeld 
Grant’s Tomb. Source: Mike Taro 
Grant’s Tomb. Source: Mike Taro 
Grant’s Tomb. Source: Mike Taro 
Grant’s Tomb. Source: Mike Taro 
Grant’s Tomb, Red Cross Hall, Woking. Source: Light and Sound Events 
Grant’s Tomb 
Promo Card for Grant’s Tomb -
Redwood
(c’78) – Linda Smith (vocals), Joe Breitenfeld (bass) and ?.
The band played predominantly country and western covers at working men’s and British Legion clubs around the Guildford, Farnham and Godalming area. Bruno Bannerman (guitar) joined the band in ‘78, completing a dozen or so gigs over about 5 weeks before being fired for ‘bad attitude’ and lousy playing. A few weeks later Bannerman turned down the invitation to return after they fired his replacement too.
Smith and Breitenfield, who’d also been in Feast, Grant’s Tomb, and Luvaduc, went on to form Lakesiders circa 1980.
Gallery:
Redwood (l-r Smith, Bannerman, and Breitenfeld) 
Redwood (l-r Breitenfeld and Bannerman) -
Earthforce
(c’77-’78) Steve Bayfield (sitar, guitar & vocals), Alan Shipgood (bass & tabla), James Gleave (electric piano & synthesizer), Tony Pettitt (harmonium, synthesizer, acoustic guitar, & percussion), and Mick Marsh (drums & percussion).
Earthforce’s Steve Byfield on Sitar During the Summer of ’76 Bayfield bought a sitar and a 12-string guitar and pursued a non-electric, acid folk rock style of music. In March/April ’77 Bayfield started jamming with Shipgood and Gleave – from Ken Hyder’s Celtic-roots band, Talisker – Pettitt and Marsh. Jenie Critchell (guitar & vocals), Raymond Critchell (guitar & vocals) John Bland (percussion) and John Lathey (guitar) also joined.
28 May 1977: Advert for Music for Socialism Festival featuring Earthforce The group played at a Music for Socialism indoor festival held at Battersea Arts Centre, London on 28 May ’77 along with Henry Cow – who co-founded Music for Socialism – Red Balune, Talisker, 0dB and many other performers and groups. But, by mid-’77 the collective was beginning to crack as the Critchells planned a move abroad, Pettitt to South Wales and Gleave would later depart for Europe. Before this, Norman Jon Kissoon and Bayfield set up a recording session in Farnborough on 30 and 31 July. Unable to get it all down on tape that weekend, a second session in Merrow completed the recordings on 20 August. A limited 60 copies of the “Eathforce” cassette LP, featuring an image of three trees near Glastonbury Tor on the cover, were ready for distribution in October ’77.
On 13 September ’78, Earthforce joined Hot Vultures and John Lathey Crofter’s Folk Club, The Wheatsheaf, Alton. The Bellerby Theatre, Guildford hosted the collective for their final gig in November ’78; with the addition of members of the Oa Band, and supported by John Lathey.
In 2002/03 the groups original recordings were remastered and an 11 track CD released on ShroomAngel Productions [SAP 002] in May 2004 and described as a cross between Popul Vuh and Gong by one reviewer. Then in April 2021 a selection of those tracks was released on Vinyl by US based Lion Productions [LP 181]
Jenie Critchell left us in 1995.Gallery:
The 2021 vinyl version of Earthforce’s “Earthforce” LP 
Cover of Earthforce’s 2004’s CD re-release of “Earthforce”. 0dB, Alan Shipgood, Alton, Battersea Arts Centre, Bellerby Theatre, Crofter’s Folk Club, Earthforce, Farnborough, Guildford, Henry Cow, Hot Vultures, James Gleave, Jenie Crithell, John Bland, John Lathey, Ken Hyder, London, Merrow, Mick Marsh, Music for Socialism, Norman Jon Kissoon, Oa Band, Raymond Critchell, Red Balune, ShroomAngel Productions, Steve Bayfield, Taliskar, The Wheatsheaf, Tony Pettitt -
Magic Alice
(c’69-’71) Alan Harvey (drums) with ?
Magic Alice were a Camberley / Farnborough band. They supported Status Quo at the R.A.E. Apprentices’ Rag Queen Inauguration Ball held at R.A.E. Assembly Hall, Farnborough on 1 August ’69, along with The Late; as well as at the Technical College, Farnborough in ’71
On 1 October ’69, Magic Alice were one of the many bands, including Sky, Wishful Thinking, The Embers, The Late, Canterbury Tales, Chimera, and Crazy Paving that played a benevolent concert at Samantha’s Club, as the Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley was called for a time. This was compered by Dave West and also featured the Radio 1 D.J. Ray Moore.
Harvey had been in The Modern Art of Living prior to Magic Alice
Gallery:
1 August 1969: R.A.E. Assembly Hall, hosted Status Quo, The Late, and Magic Alice. 
1 October 1969: Crazy Paving played Samanthas (Agincourt Camberley). Image courtesy of Maureen Gamble -
Army & Navy, Aldershot
The Army & Navy sat on the corner of the Kings and Western Roads and opened in the 1850’s. It was very well known for its cellar bar disco, but it also featured live acts.
Local Opportunity Knocks winner, Billy Bacardi (Bill Watts) used to perform there at weekends and in the 80’s Spliff Riff often hired the cellar bar for rehearsals. In the early 90’s Who Moved the Ground?, The Flowers of Sacrifice, in early November ’91, and Thieves of Dreams roused the locals. The Army & Navy was in fact Thieves of Dreams home venue throughout ’91, a residency that saw the band perform on the 16 and 30 June, and 14 July ’91. Ten days later, on 24 July ’91, Who Moved the Ground? played the pub with Thieves of Dreams returning on 28 July and 18 August ’91. Who Moved the Ground returned again on 21 August. Thieves of Dreams performed two more times at the Army & Navy that year, the first on 29 September ’91 and lastly with Blue Velvet on 13 October ’91.
16 June 1991: Thieves of Dreams were at Army & Navy, Aldershot. Source: TOD Thieves of Dreams The next year, on 5 January ’92, Thieves of Dreams were once again at The Army & Navy, Aldershot and Blue Velvet would return the following month, on 9 February ’92. It was later called Hogans but closed in the late 90’s with planning permission to convert to flats granted in May 1999.
Gallery:
The Army & Navy, Aldershot. Source: Paul Atkins via Historic Aldershot Military Town 
The Army & Navy in 1987. Source: Paul Atkins via Historic Aldershot Military Town 
30 June 1991: Thieves of Dreams played Army & Navy, Aldershot. Source: TOD Thieves of Dreams 
The Army & Navy, Aldershot today, after conversion to flats in the early 2000s -
The Conchords
(c’63) Stephen Lindsey-Clark (?), and ?
This Churt based band played locally, including the Village Hall, Churt, and up into London. One notable gig at the The 2i’s Coffee Bar, 59 Old Compton Street saw them offered a contract in Germany. But being somewhat green, didn’t take it thinking it wasn’t enough cash to live on. There are fond memories of the Bush Hotel, Farnham‘s Vine Bar hosting The Conchords in ’63.
Churt’s Conchords are not the band that went on to become the Mungo Jerry Blues Band.
Gallery:
The Conchords at Churt Village Hall. Source: Stephen Lindsey-Clark via Guildford Town Past & Present -
Running Dry
(c’70-’71) Sev Lewkowicz (keyboards), Richard Ashworth (vocals) Peter Jones (bass), Gary Deeves (guitar), and Steve Carruthers (drums).
Rehearsed at the Youth Centre / Youth Centre Annex, Guildford and supported Brinsley Schwarz, with Quiver, at the Civic Hall, Guildford on 13 December ’71.
Under his own name, Richard Ashworth, became a singer / songwriter. Lewkowicz went on to perform in the Ashworth managed Asylum, with Deeves, Headwaiter and Soho. Deeves has sadly passed.
Gallery:
13 December 1971: Brinsley Schwarz, supported by Quiver and Running Dry played the Civic Hall, Guildford. Advert taken from Melody Maker 11 December 1971. -
R.A.E Hall, Farnborough
Variously referred to as the R.A.E Main, Assembly, or Concert Hall, Farnborough, we believe the Assembly Hall had replaced the original Concert Hall and was subsequently called the Main Hall.
The Concert Hall was demolished in the 1930s and the new Assembly Hall built during WWII. It was near the main entrance to R.A.E., opposite the junction of Boundary Road and Farnborough Road. “Popular music” concerts had been held in the hall from the early 1920’s. The RAE Orchestral Society, which had only come into being on 6 March ’22, presented a programme of classical music – it was rather popular at the time – on 13 December ’22.
On 1 October ’64, the combined Farnborough Tech & R.A.E Rag Ball was held at RAE’s Assembly Hall and featured The Art Woods (Ronnie Woods eldest brothers band), Reading based The Moquettes, and Guildford’s Phillip Goodhand-Tate and the Stormsville Shakers. The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, supported by Locomotive, Episode Six, and Ten Percent Butter appeared there on 27 June ’69 and The Chronic rag mag listed Status Quo, The Late, and Magic Alice performing at the Rag Queen Inauguration Ball on 1 August’ 69.
Second Adam appeared in concert on 10 May 1980 at R.A.E. Main Hall, Farnborough.
Gallery:
RAE Assembly Hall on the left and fates to RAE in the mid 1920s Source: Wendy Diane via Farnborough (Hants) Nostalgia 
13 December 1922: The RAE Orchestral Society, which had only came into being on 6 March1922, presented a programme of classical music. 
1 October 1964: RAE’s Assembly Hall hossted The Art Woods with The Moquettes, and Phillip Goodhand-Tate and the Stormville Shakers. 1 August 1969: R.A.E. Assembly Hall, hosted Status Quo, The Late, and Magic Alice. 
Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Episode Six, Farnborough, Locomotive, Magic Alice, Phillip Goodhand-Tate, R.A.E., R.A.E. Assembley Hall, R.A.E. Concert Hall, R.A.E. Main Hall, Ronnie Woods, Second Adam, Status Quo, Stormsville Shakers, Technical College, Ten Percent Butter, The Art Woods, The Chronic, The Late, The Moquettes, The R.A.E. Orchestral Society
Our Soundscene 
Human beings takes me back to 1981. Followed them all over the Surrey reading area for a year a great band and 3 good guys playing well written songs of the era. I wish john Tim and steve well what ever they are doing now. Should reform for a few shows just like Oasis but do the wooden bridge.
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