Harry Buckle: On becoming Pete Lennon.
I was born in Laleham On Thames, I left school soon after my 16 th birthday- needing a job - I found work on the River Steamers that transported day trippers up and down the Thames. Needless to say this was seen as a somewhat less than satisfactory career move by my school teacher parents! But luckily for me- my Aunt- my mothers sister-became involved.
Determined I get a proper job -she enlisted help from James Bond Author Ian Fleming whom she’d known during the war– during which she’d been in the SOE(Special Operations Executive –part of the UK’s Secret Service). Prior to his Bond books and then the films really taking off Fleming had been a long time working director of Kemsley Newspapers- publisher’s of The Sunday Times. Lunch at Aunties as she and Fleming discussed my future was quite scary-as he and my aunt decided that with my lack of any decent language qualifications- except English-I’d stand no chance with the UK’s Secret Service, which as I was already an avid Bond fan was a tad disappointing.(Although as future events then showed, apparently I did qualify.) But as he was leaving he scribbled a phone number on a card and said, ‘Ring this chap, mention my name and he’ll hopefully get you some kind of interview with a newspaper publisher…after that it’s all up to you.’
Some months later as the winter nights closed in and river life became both wet and cold-I found the card with Fleming’s writing-made the call and a week or so later after some extensive interviews in the Fetter Lane offices of DCT, in October 1962 I was engaged as ‘an editorial trainee.’ I was expected to attend night school to learn Pitman’s Shorthand (a speedwriting system) which was hard work…mainly as I was the only blokey in a class of 25 girls!
Soon learning my way around - I ran messages, I delivered sandwiches, collected printing plates, photos and copy from the many news and picture agencies in Fleet Street and the nearby alleyways and courtyards. Day by day I was encouraged to find items of ‘Scots interest’ in the London and European papers we had in the office and rewrite them for possible use in Scotland.
Of course no computers - no spell check- then- all manual typewriters and carbon paper-so plenty of incentive to learn accurate typing ASAP. Although the London Editor and senior journalists were busy they all took time to correct (or file in the waste bin) my early attempts at writing useful copy.
Some months later -so early 1963- Dundee based Gordon Small -soon to be Jackie editor-then running Romeo and Cherie, noted that being in London, I was well placed to chase up the record companies and artist managers for stories and photos, and it soon became clear that DCT had some ’secret’ plans for a new magazine.
Summonsed to Dundee Gordon encouraged me to (very nervously) speak my mind making the point that teenage fad fashions and musical trends moved fast- and Jackie Girls wanted the latest in teen idols not news of golden oldies or klast weeks charts! Low and behold my very ‘junior views’ had confirmed what the research was showing and I was (somewhat grudgingly by the London folk) given a cupboard sized office in 185 Fleet Street and Gordon told me to “Get on with delivering the hits to us before they are hits! “ No pressure there then!
Before I got the sleeper train back to London Editor Gordon said “While you’re here let’s get some photos of you as you are now Pete Lennon !” I have no idea why they had chosen to use that name or how they chose ‘Cathy and Claire, Samantha or the other's byline names…The use of my photo - ten times or more in some editions-caused me endless problems. As they did with their favourite pop group vans - gangs of fans soon started to lipstick ’we love Pete’ messages on my (aged) red Triumph Spitfire sports car, and to the dismay of the London Manager on and around the front door of 185 Fleet Street.
Most of the bands and solo singers in and around the charts, as well as Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans the Beatles personal managers who’d known me since my Romeo and Cherie days were greatly amused by my fan following and yes, they now called me Pete. With the car covered in pink hearts and scrawls tending to attract even more interest-eventually the commissionaires at the BBC TOTP Studios kindly let me park every week in the patrolled place reserved for the super stars...I’ll post more of my ten years as Pete and Jackie days over the next weeks. Jan 2024.
Continued....
I had not expected…
...When I was assigned the by-line- pen name of Pete Lennon & set to report on the world of pop for the remarkably popular Jackie magazine I had not expected such a variety of odd events to add variety to so many days spent at Top of the Pops or or Ready Steady Go...these storylines coming here soon or in my book now- Sometimes Music is My Only Friend. by Harry Buckle. From Amazon & Kindle.
'It's Good News Week' A surprisingly cheerful number one hit despite the lyrics. +++I had not expected on Monday January 17 1966, in the course of my Jackie Magazine journalistic duties, to have four- yes - four Atomic Bombs dropped on my head by the US Air Force. Real ones. Dust and Deadly Plutonium everywhere...to be continued here …or in my book now…Sometimes Music is My Only Friend..now.
From Russia With Love. The very blonde Russian lady started to nibble my ear. +++neither had I expected whilst on my Jackie Magazine duties to encounter the slight problem of being detained by the Russian security services in Moscow and accused by a steely eyed and very unsmiling gentleman, of being a British Spy. At that moment it went through my mind that maybe Fleming's hadn't been the best career advice I could have taken. The other slight problem being: The Russians were right. I was also working for MI6...So not a slight problem as then 'The Russkies' asked me to spy for them…to be continued here…or in the book Sometimes Music is My Only Friend...now.
Of Song Festivals and Loff. 'I Loff my Hard Working Hero of The Nation. ' +++ I had not expected in the course of my Jackie editorial duties to find myself walking - in the light of a new moon - past the gates of Dracula's Castle. I was at a 1968 'Song Contest' in deepest and still very communist Romania. Song contest? Think 'Eurovision' in black and white. My expertise as 'Pete Lennon' had been requested by some of the local songsmiths and big wigs who wanted to modernise, after years of state controlled propaganda songs: 'I Lof my Hard Working Hero of the Nation'...and 'We are the winners with our turnip crop'. Really!
"Mr. Pete, we want to have songs like Beatle's, "Loff Loff Me Do," or "She Loffs You.' My explaining the previous nights Dracula Castle excitements to the 'International Special Guest Star: Cliff Richard' the following day causing him great merriment...It had all started in a public square in Ljubljana, where incidently in later years I -owned a Pizzeria much frequented by students, including it seems one Melania Knavs Better known now as Mrs. Melania Trump...To be continued here…or in my book Sometimes Music Is My Only Friend...now…
Radio Adventures " Rodney. You Plonker" A close shave .
+++ I had not expected thanks to my Jackie Magazine reputation in February 1967 to be sucked into a meeting with various London gangsters, later convicted of murder...that's the gangsters not me, doing the murdering, and offered a job starting a radio station for them.
By year end 1966 early 67 the Wilson Government had succeeded in closing most of the very popular offshore Pirate Radio stations, but then I was called in by some London gangsters who wanted to re-start of one of the stations/And they wanted my Jackie Magazine contacts and my skill at picking hits.
The gangsters : Malta's Mifsud's and London's Kray Twins. The Krays were later arrested after radio engineer Paul Elvey who had been at the meeting with me, was caught boarding a plane in Glasgow with a bag full of sticks of dynamite stolen from Scots quarries.
I must point out as I recently discussed with Minder star Dennis Waterman, back then, before the detail of their appalling crimes were disclosed in court, The Krays and others were regarded as genial East End London villains in the 'Arthur Daly' or Only Fools and Horses -in Del Boy Trotter mode.
Considering my full name is Harry Rodney Buckle, as Del Boy would have said about my near miss at becoming a radio impresario, "Rodney you plonker." To be continued here…or in the book Sometimes Music is My Only Friend...now…
Dad dancing...Mainly my fault? Surely not.
+++ I had not expected all these years later folks would still be blaming my Jackie Magazine Pop Picking skills for the phenomenon known as 'Dad Dancing'. Now as it happens, my music company had many hit records around the world and won Grammy's and other prizes for our much respected Blues, Jazz, Folk and other genres of music. But when people talk about me or my company on the radio they insist on mentioning- Agadoo, Yviva Espana, The Birdie Song, not to mention the Lambada, The Macarena. YMCA, I'm too Sexy...Living Next Door to Alice and many more.
Why blame me ? Err OK...as Ottowan sang: Hands Up!
To the eternal and ongoing embarrassment of my children, I released some of those records on my label, published some, distributed others around the world, found & promoted others. So I guess I have to plead at least partly guilty...I now hear rumours of a new musical using all them: 'Sangria Daze and Prosecco Nights' so it seems I am unlikely to be either forgiven or forgotten very soon...To be continued…or in my book Sometimes Music Is My Only Friend...now.
'Donald Where's your Troosers?' Security Alert. Blame Scotland's Andy Stewart. +++ Neither had I expected to be accused of causing a 'gas leak' alert at a major London post office. Having used that Jackie Magazine training to start, with some success, my own music company, it was a re-released Christmas hit with ‘Andy Stewart’s Donald and a stinking box of Arbroath Smokies that caused a major security alert and shutdown of the London Postal system...to be continued here… or in my book...Sometimes Music is My Only Friend..now.
"Psst! Mr. Pete, you wanna' buy some guided missiles."
"They, no person Russia- never not miss what they not know they not have not still got." ...I had not expected whilst still working for Jackie to be accosted at midnight in a freezing forest by an Arms Dealer. For some unaccountable reason my journalist training manual seemed to lack any advice on becoming an arms dealer. It also lacked the pages on clandestine meetings by moonlight with dodgy blokes and a well armed Police Lady in big fluffy boots, a very short skirt and a double duvet style hooded jacket.
So I ask "Won't the Russians soon realise that these things have gone missing?" The Police Chief for it is he who is keen to sell this stuff has the answer. "They, no person Russia- never not miss what they not know they not have not still got." To be continued here …or in my book Sometimes Music is my Only Friend..now…