David Cretney’s column: Jim’s memories of the Rolling Stones

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It’s always good to receive feedback from my stories on here.

This time Jim Duke remembers the Rolling Stones gig in the Palace in 1964 because he was a cadet in St John Ambulance and was on duty that night.

He was posted to the foyer and remembers helping to treat dozens of young ladies who were stretched out on the floor in various states of being overcome by Stone Worship!

I was also gently reminded that The Falcons gig in 1965 was supporting the Searchers not the Swinging Blue Jeans when over eleven thousand people were crammed in to the old Palace ballroom!

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Jim Duke and Gavin Morling started off as a duo at the Groudle as ‘Rubber Band’…remember them?

They played that venue for a couple of years. T

hen Harry Christian joined them and added a country feeling to Rubber Band.

He had a wicked sense of humour and they graduated to incorporating fun and some audience participation games in the shows.

I recall Harry’s dad Billy entertaining in the pubs and clubs years ago.

They were joined by Dave Quayle in 1980. Gavin rejoined the band after Dave passed away.

Jim told me the story of a night at the Palace when Rubber Band’were booked to appear with the Dubliners.

He said the Irish legends were superb and very professional and they went on to share a pint or two with Ronnie Drew and the lads after the show.

Rubber Band spent many years playing in Ron Ashton and Dave Sayle’s folk club, pubs and hotels in the 1970s and 1980s.

They were lucky enough to appear with such stars as Jasper Carrott, Tony Capstick, Mike Harding, Julie Felix, Vin Garbutt, Brownsville Banned, Jake Thackray, Johnny Silvo, Cambridge Buskers, several of the Manx bands of the time and of course the lovely Christine Collister!

Jim says they had lots of fun and met many talented people.

He also reminded me that Gavin whom I worked alongside at the Isle of Man Post Office with his brothers Grayson and Colin is still working as a driving instructor (and still telling the same old jokes!… never?).

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Following up on the piece about outdoor swimming pools, John Chadwick said he believes the family of Alex Jackson were resident managers of the Majestic Hotel in the 1960s.

I certainly remember her family living at the far end of King Edward Road.

Alex represented both Great Britain and the Isle of Man in aquatics.

For GB she won the bronze medal in the women’s 100 metre freestyle at the 1970 European Aquatics Championships in Barcelona.

She also competed for GB at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City in the 100m and 200m freestyle and as part of the 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay events.

She was a four times winner of the British Championships in 100m freestyle (1967-1970) and the 200m freestyle in 1968.

At the Commonwealth Games in 1970 in Edinburgh she won the bronze medal in the 200m freestyle swimming for the Isle of Man.

I was at the games in Edinburgh supporting Manx athletes and will never forget the sound of the piper’s assembling outside Meadowbank Stadium before they marched in.

John remembers Alex training in the Majestic pool before going to Blackpool most weekends prior to the achievements mentioned.

He told me that he and a couple of his school friends had one practice session in the Ballakermeen pool, Alex swam three lengths of the 20m pool to their one and she still beat them.

A bit of practice for her, a real thrill for John and his friends!

He remembers swimming in Noble’s baths in Victoria Street against the school team and also played water polo there and at the Derby Castle Aquadrome.

Our ‘new’ facilities at the NSC both 25m swimming pool and 400m synthetic running track were used to great effect both for the Island Games in 2001 and the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011.

John also remembered that the building attached to the old Ramsey baths was used after the baths closed as a night club and show bar for a couple of seasons.

Wasn’t that the ‘Talk of the Town?’

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I try not to get involved these days but must admit to not being convinced about the present appetite for the ‘one step detached’ model in some government circles.

Having been around as long as I have I remember the old boards system of government and a very senior member of Tynwald using an analogy of the House of Keys being 24 unguided missiles.

The buck was often passed and this in part led to the development of the ministerial system.

With this the electorate were much better able to hold politicians to account.

This in turn has seen the end of the career of some in political office and on more than one occasion unfairly but it does impose a real discipline on the elected member.

As I understand it the government department makes the policy and the one step detached body oversees the day to day.

Recently, however, an announcement about the closure of Cummal Mooar in Ramsey required the minister to step in with a clarification stating: ‘I understand the announcement by Manx Care about the future of Cummal Mooar has caused concern for residents, their families and communities in the north of the island.’

He went on to say: ‘I want to reassure residents that it remains the Department of Health and Social Care’s intention to build a replacement for Cummal Mooar and it is the department’s position that the facility should remain open while the department, Manx Care and the Treasury work together to determine a plan for the future.’

The island’s demographic issues are key policy areas.

We require an increase in the younger economically active tax paying population.

When I was a Tynwald member I moved unsuccessfully to try to obtain a champion for older people.

The reason being that fortunately more people are living longer but there are a range of policy matters that revolve around this.

Ideally a properly-resourced system to enable older people to remain in their own homes when possible and practical is ideal.

But it will not be possible for all and with an inevitable increase in dementia and stroke-related health issues as just two examples a range of residential and nursing care options will continue to be required.

I’ve stated here before about how I see the present unfairness in the present funding model and it is important that progress is made to alleviate this.

So for me at the present time the jury is out on the ‘one step detached’ policy.

It’s also a little disjointed as it seems at least one government owned entity is off the table as far as policy input is involved even if such cooperation would undoubtedly benefit the over

all economy.

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I was invited to the Ellan Vannin home recently and met a number of friends.

It was nice to catch up with Stuart Christian who reads this column each week.

He said he used to buy the Examiner for the Terry Cringle page and he now enjoys my stories.

I’m very grateful but I am no Terry Cringle, a journalistic legend!