-
Headley Grange, Headley
Built in 1795 ‘to shelter the infirm, aged paupers, and orphan or illegitimate children’ – it was a workhouse. On 23 November 1830, during the labourer uprising, it was sacked by rioters from Selborne. The damage failed to close Headley which continued as a workhouse until 1870 when it became a private house and given the moniker Headley Grange.

In 1961, and several owners later, a Mrs. Smith started letting the house to visiting Americans, and then as a hostel for Farnham School of Art students. Headley was then rented by various recording agencies and for a period of five or six years it became a live-in practice / recording studio for the likes of OMD, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, The Pretty Things, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, and Clover.
Zeppelin and Genesis both recorded in the drawing room, and in 1971, it was at Headley, that most of Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven came into being, in a single day. In fact, parts of Led Zeppelin’s albums Led Zeppelin III, Led Zeppelin IV – the LP’s Black Dog being named for a Labrador Retriever that hung around the building, although old footage shows a German Shepherd -, Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti were composed / recorded at Headley Grange. Jimmy Page has described Headley as “somewhat rundown; the heating didn’t work. But it had one major advantage. Other bands had rehearsed there and hadn’t had any complaints.”
The English rock band Help Yourself were residents of the Grange twice, in ’71 and ’73, when they perfected tracks for their Beware the Shadow and Strange Affair LPs.
The eponymous Bad Company went platinum five times over, and through the bands association with Peter Grant it had been recorded at Headley using Led Zeppelin’s mobile studio in November ’73. The Grange was booked and the studio installed, but Led Zeppelin were nowhere to be seen, delayed for two weeks. According to Paul Rodgers “Peter told us that if we were quick, we could probably use the studio to lay a couple of tracks down. We steamed in and put the entire album down.”
It was in ’74 that Genesis ‘retired’ to Headly Grange to work on their next LP; and later that year The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was released.

Genesis outside Headley Grange c’74 The house is no longer let, reverting to a quiet private residence. In 2009, for the documentary It Might Get Loud, Page revisited the building and discussed how the drums for When the Levee Breaks were recorded. That sound, captured in Headley’s three-story hallway, is one of the most recognizable openings to a rock song and has been heavily sampled by the likes of Björk, Massive Attack, Sophie B. Hawkins, Enigma, Beastie Boys, Eminem, Ice-T, Dr. Dre, Simple Minds, and Anthrax.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith at Headley Grange in July 2014 In July 2014, Spitfire Audio arranged for drummers: Chad Smith of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Roger Taylor of Queen, and session drummer Andy Gangadeen, who has drummed with the Spice Girls, Basia, Lisa Stansfield through to Jeff Beck, to visit Headley Grange and recorded samples in the same hallway as John Bonham.
Gallery:

July 1974: Genesis at Headley Grange during the writing of ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ 

Jimmy page and dog in the front garden of Headley Grange 
Headley Grange Andy Gangadeen, Anthrax, Bad Company, Basia, Beastie Boys, Björk, Chad Smith, Clover, Dr. Dre, Elvis Costello, Eminem, Enigma, Farnham School of Art, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Headley, Headley Grange, Help Yourself, Ian Dury, Ice-T, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Led Zeppelin, Lisa Stansfield, Massive Attack, OMD, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Paul Rodgers, Peter Grant, Queen, Roger Taylor, Selborne, Simple Minds, Sophie B. Hawkins, Spice Girls, The Pretty Things, The Red Hot Chili Peppers -
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































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.
LikeLiked by 1 person