The bastard who took control of the UK mod scene in the early 1980s was another one. In retrospect the presence of vast numbers of under 16s was probably his only real interest. He certainly used to dress like crap.

Johnson. I had the displeasure of meeting him once when I was 17 years old. Fortunately I had a mate with me at the time so no untoward behaviour but I was struck by how badly dressed he was.  I was naively expecting a famous London mod to look a lot better than an 11 year old who had discovered the mod scene a week earlier.

Garry Glitter- good piece of cockney rhyming slang that I've heard used on occasion.
As in 'he takes it up the'

I think you were lucky.  I witnessed some terrible scenes.  Harmless Elvis fan hurled against a plate glass window.  I had my nose broken twice.  Mods went rampaging through what became Westfield.  A stand-off on the market place between mod revivalists and teds/rockers, with the police in between.  Manchester was an oasis of calm in comparison.  I read, went to the cinema, theatre, galleries.  Even treated myself to a French or Italian meal occasionally.  Grew up a bit, thank God.

Nottingham was incredibly violent in 80s. I have too many stories, being hidden in Littlewoods storeroom by the staff when Skin/Boneheads came in coach loads one Saturday, a huge ongoing fight in Broadmarsh centre among the shoppers, Forest 'fans' had their own violence based pub and would tear up either in or at edge of city, a rocker who pulled out an axe when confronted. Many normal Friday nights drinking involved water canons on Market St back then.  At a Mod wedding in Kettering it went off so badly I was on News At Ten running away, so bad it spilled into the hospital with running fights in A&E.  I was threatened, chased or worse every week, it was constant.  It was little better in the week in the local area. Former friends who years later were sp wasted they threatened you in bars. Scooter boys turning up in vans to find me and kick my head in. How I got through unscathed I don't know when others ended up on different paths.

I pity the adults now just trying to shop and live life back then.

But having Joe Tucker and full Notts Mod scooter crew turn up at school lunch to sort out bullies for me unprompted, was kind of amazing. Full on Quadrophenia moment, them all on scooters in the grounds, me calming it down. Teachers asking me to come sort it as it was about me.  Never had even a collar ruffled after that.

Commanhay was mentioned early, that was worse. I had a girlfriend in Ilkeston and the violent far right were based in Cotmanhay. I was chased for even going near it.

Last edited by An Unseen Scene (2021-09-29 11:29:49)

Apologies to Woof for derailing his thread.