Foreword
by Dr Philip Fleming MA. BA, Bch. FRCPsych. DPM
“Converted on LSD Trip”
This book, the personal testament of David Tindale, in an autobiographical style. It charts his life, which became one of criminality and drug taking though an experience in 1970 of finding God whilst under the influence of LSD. Cynics may say that this was just an effect of drugs, but it is clear that the experience changed his life. Later when in court facing charges he admitted to many other crimes and was fortunate in receiving three years conditional discharge and not a prison sentence.
Since then David has combined his work as a lecturer in electronics with his mission of spreading the word of God. This is a scrupulously honest book recording both the difficulties he has faced as well as the successes in his life since 1970. A continuing worry is the fat of his brother, currently serving a long prison sentence in a Philippine jail who himself has recently found God.
“This is an inspiring story of a life that has been
turned from crime to a positive account and may be of help to others who find them selves directionless and involved in crime and drug misuse”.
Dr. Philip M. Fleming. MA. BA, Bch. FRCPsych. DPM.
Consultant Psychiatrist with special responsibility for drugs and alcohol services. Kingsway House is the base for these services in Portsmouth.
What the story is about
This is a true story of two brothers, Michael John Tindale (1946), and David Tindale (1949), who were born in Oldham, Lancashire, England.
The story portrays a remarkable change that took place, in the life of David when he was 20 years old, on the night of the 16th January 1970. His brother Michael was left untouched.
These brothers influenced each other during, the 50’s
& 60’s, and resulted in both David and Michael serving time in prison. David was sent to Dover Borstal, and Michael Maidstone Prison, for charges of malicious wounding, and carrying a firearm without a licence.
The story speaks in detail, of all the significant events in David’s life, from being a child through to the time of his conversion to Christ, and then recounts the consequent difficulties that he experienced, as he tried to follow the way of Christ. This led David to make a confession to the Police about his 24 crimes, and the recovery of much stolen property. The story appeared as news headlines in the Bucks Herald on 11th February, 1971 and led to a remarkable conditional discharge. It was believed, by many of Aylesbury’s criminal world, that Dave had gone mad after taking LSD, or the story was an ingenious plan devise by David to prevent him from being sent to prison again, for crime against society. This was not the case as the story will tell.
Michael continued his life in the direction he was going and married. He had a daughter and a brief flamboyantlife-styleinbusiness.Hebecamethecompany Managing Director of Tudor Charm, a manufacturing company, in Milton Keynes and enjoyed the success of business for a season. This eventually came to an end by his company going into liquidation, and him into deep depression, leading to his broken marriage and divorce. Michael sought to restart in business, after his divorce, and moved to Thailand, starting his company called Paradise Movies, which led to his further trouble, and reports of various scams, in Thailand, that were published in the News of the World, in 1992.
Finally he took the ideas that he had learned in Patiya, Bangkok, to the Philippines, and commenced his Travel Agency, called, Paradise Express selling holidays, whose main attractions were, Adult Pleasures for men only. This hit international news, and led to a criminal conviction. He was condemned to serve a 16- year prison sentence, in New Bilibid Prison, in 1996. Michael always maintained his innocence. When this story was first written Michael was a broken man, in body and in health. He had no hope for the future.
It was during this time that Michael had contacted David and told him of his despair, and his friendship with Sunny Wilson who had been sentenced to death in the Philippines, in 1996. When the Supreme Court, acquitted Sunny, on 19th December 1999, he gave
Michael a paperback book, which was C.S. Lewis’s, Mere Christianity. It was this book, which convinced Michael that Jesus was the Christ and led to his baptism in the prison. David, believed God was able to save Michael and give him hope for the future, even though he had lived a life far from God in the past, and was now serving a near life-sentence, in an awful third world prison.
The story is real, remarkable, and demonstrates the goodness and mercy of God, in saving one through Jesus Christ, and the severity of God in leaving another to himself. But now, it is as though Michael too had been plucked, like a brand from the burning fire.
David now believes that both he, and Michael although criminals in the 60’s, were victims of Manic Depression, and they have both suffered from hypo-manic episodes. However their belief systems conditioned the way that they reacted to their mood swings, and may well account for some of their remarkable experiences that are recorded in this book.
This story could be of real help to Judges, Magistrates, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, Doctors, social workers, solicitors, policemen, ministers of religion, Lecturers, teachers and probation Officers. Also it could be helpful to Christians and those who suffer from manic depression or Dyslexia. It could also be a means of help to reform criminals, and useful to those living in the margins of society, along with unruly youths, drug
users, and hardened criminals. It could also be a help to any one contemplating, or going through divorce.
David Tindale 
Michael John Tindale
About the Author
David Tindale was a lecturer at Fareham College, in Hampshire, England, when he first published the first edition of this book, on the 11th of February 2001. It was there that he taught Electronic Servicing, from September 1989 through to August, 2001.
He was educated and trained to be a lecturer, at Wolverhampton Polytechnic, and graduated with a Certificate in Education, which was awarded by Birmingham University, in 1978. He commenced teaching at Luton College of Higher Education that year, and has taught hundreds of students during his 21 years as a lecturer.
David has six children, the oldest of which is Isaac John Tindale who won the title of King of Southsea in 2011 as he is the BMX champion, in Portsmouth, for that year. His other children are Esther Jane Tindale, Eleanor Mary Tindale, David Martin Luther Tindale, Rebekah Alice Tindale and Maisie Layla Tindale.
However David’s earlier life had been rather different, and since leaving Dover Borstal, which was a young persons prison, in 1968, had a 3-year career of undetected crime, until the night of the 16th of January, 1970, when he experienced a Christian conversion, whilst suffering from the effects of LSD.
David was not the only person of his generation to
Both he and his older brother Michael were both convicted criminals in the 60’s, and had served time in prison, for charges of malicious wounding, and carrying a fire arm without a license.
On the night of the 16th, their life paths turned in different directions and the next fourteen years, David read and studied the scriptures, leading him to join the Bierton, Strict and Particular Baptist Church in 1976, and was ordained as a Strict Baptist minister, in 1983. David married in 1977 and had four children, two of which were twins.
It was after this that David’s troubles appeared to begin. He felt compelled to resign from the Bierton Church, after which he wrote his first book, The Bierton Crisis, that explained his reason for his secession.
Michael mean while, found himself in trouble and was sentenced to prison in the Philippines, in 1996. This
It was then David believed that it was time to complete his student’s education, and wrote his second book, Converted on LSD Trip.
Since then he has spoken to many of his friends of all what Jesus has done for him. He wished to make known to all his students and friends that his bad experience on LSD, was nothing compared to the experience of Hell.
Like Oscar Schindler, and his list, all that were on that list were saved, who otherwise would have perished at the hands of the Nazi’s. So too, this David had a list of over 250 students and friends, that he wanted to contact. He wished to persuade them to listen, and hear in full; of all what Jesus Christ had done for him and what he could do for others. David now wishes to reach a wider audience.
David met Dave Courtney in 2002, and he promised to help David tell his story to help others , think again and may be turn from crime and avoid a criminal record.
Sadly Michael died in the prison in May 2005, from tuberculosis, before their vision of bringing help to many was realised, in May 2005. And now David
wishes to bring a message of hope to all his friends. David believed that at the first publication of his book he had a word of encouragement from the Lord about his testimony, which is this:
And he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of fishes which they had taken: Luke 5 verse 9.
Confession to 24 crimes
It was real, absolutely real, but none of my friends really believed me. All I could do was tell them what had happened to me, and that was what I did. I told them all, the long, the short and the tall. As many of them as I could. They thought I had gone mad after taking LSD.
Jesus Christ had spoken to me and rescued me from a bad LSD trip on Friday evening, 16th January 1970. He had said that what I had been going through was nothing compared to what hell was like. I now knew the way and was determined to tell the others. I had become a Christian and no longer needed to live the life style that I had adopted, which had involved crime, drugs, promiscuity, flash cars and fame. I had been born again.
I was now responsible for sorting out all my stolen gear. What could be done with a builder’s shed and stolen cars? I still had in my possession many stolen goods, which included the 48-foot by 48-foot builders shed, which we had stolen one night from a building site at Berkhampstead, and a lovely “G” reg. Mini, stolen from Hemel Hempstead, which was in the process of being rung. Ringing meant replacing the new stolen mini with legitimate registration documents and number plates from an older scrape car. My new mini was being used to replace it. This was to be my new car. I also had a Morris Minor Traveller, which had been “rung”
I had a lovely Citroen DS car in the builder’s shed, which was being repaired. I obtained this car through swapping it for a colourTVset.The only problem was that I had stolen the TV set from an old people’s at Redfields old peoples home in Winslow, Buckinghamshire.
I also had two nice speedboat engines, getting ready for the summer of 1970. All in all I had a real good time full of excitement and fun.
In fact I had been stopped in the midst of my career, which involved stealing all kinds of goods to have a good time. I had intended to have a caravan, a speedboat, water skis, aqualung diving gear, flash cars, motorbikes, and clothes and so on, all through stealing. I was in fact stopped whilst in the midst of my career but not by the police. It was Jesus Christ who had called me by name and I followed him.
What to do with stolen goods
I thank God he intervened again a year later and His hand was clearly seen once more. I had no one
else to help. As I write this I take encouragement in the faithfulness of God to me, in never leaving me or forsaking me. I realize now I was kept through the power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to bare witness today, to many people of the goodness and mercy of God.
The problem a CID visit
I was sitting at the table in our kitchen at 37 Finmere Crescent one evening in late 1971, when a knock came on the door. I had two visitors, a detective constable Robson and a younger man. I was greeted quite politely but with sure and certain words, You are charged with stealing a colour television set, and would you accompany us down to the police station to make a statement ?
I knew instantly what I must do and say. I saw the hand of God and believed this was all his doing but I did not know the outcome. Leaving the outcome to God I asked the two men to sit down in the kitchen and I admitted the charge. At this DC Robson seemed most relieved, for he said to me later, he had thought I would be very difficult and awkward and deny the charge.
I explained I would certainly come with them to the police station and make a statement but I wanted to speak to them about other things first. I said I had many crimes I wished to tell them about but wanted to tell them first of all why I was informing them.
I wanted it to be known that they would not have been able to find out about my crimes unless I confessed to them and I wanted to testify to the saving work of Jesus Christ that he had saved me from my former criminal way of life a year previously and that I did not wish to get off lightly with this confession but rather bear testimony for Christ. For in no way could my crimes be discovered unless I tell them and owned up to them. I had a lot of property, which could be returned.
I went with them to the police station and spent the rest of the evening making written statements giving details of my crimes. I was detained that evening in the police cells at Walton Street police station in Aylesbury, not that I was a stranger to prison cells as I will tell later. My shoelaces were removed but I was allowed my New Testament (Authorized Version, working mans pocket addition).
I had to appear in Aylesbury’s Magistrates Court on the 9th February 1971 and answered two charges of burglary and one of theft. I also asked for 21 other crimes of theft to be taken into consideration, all of which had been committed since I left Borstal, between September 1967 and 16th January 1970. I had decided I did not need legal representation, as I would speak for my self.
With my past record of probation and Borstal training it was quite expected that I would be sent to prison. I was quite OK with this because I deserved it, and I believed
God was in this, and had a definite purpose in this event. I prepared for this by setting my affairs in order at home and gave directions that my Mini Traveller, which I had rebuilt, was to be given to Barry Crown, if I got sent down. I believed that whatever happened to me the outcome was of God and there would be good reason for it. I thought I might be being sent to prison so as to preach the gospel to inmates. A friend of mine Mr Peter Murray was concerned about my court appearance and suggested I get some written testimonials from some of my Christian friends and he felt he ought to appear in person and speak on my behalf. The friends who wrote were Barry Crown, Cyril Bryan, Tom Thompson and Eric Connet. I am including these letters, which were sent to the court. These people all testify to the saving grace of God in changing my life. These are some of the written testimonies:
Testimony of Barry Crown
R.B Crown 45, Mitcham Walk, Aylesbury. Buckinghamshire
To the Clerk to the Magistrates Dear Sir,
6th February 1970
I am a graduate of Salford University, and hold a B.Sc. In Civil Engineering. I am at present an employee
of Aylesbury Borough Council, working under Mr. Hanney, the Borough Engineer and Surveyor. I have held this post since September 1970.
Shortly after taking up residence in Aylesbury I befriended Mr. David Tindale whom I met at the Full Gospel Church, Rickford’s Hill. I found David to be a true and sincere Christian seeking to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to give personal testimony of the salvation through Jesus Christ, which he himself had experienced.
David told me how he had been miraculously converted on January 16th 1970. And was the reason for the subsequent change in his whole manner and outlook to life. Before his conversion he confessed to a life of drugs and theft, but now he no longer had any desire or pleasure in such things, since Christ destroyed the power of such in his life.
For the six months I have known David I have been a witness to the truth of his testimony and I know him as a person who is a completely honest and trustworthy follower of the Christian faith.
Yours Sincerely,
R. B. Crown.
Testimony of Cyril Bryan
176 Cambridge Street Aylesbury
To the Clerk to the Magistrates 2/2/71
Dear Sir,
I am privileged to write a testimony to you concerning David Tindale, and I count it a privilege because it is to the glory of God.
I have known this young man through conversations and meeting with him, through the church I attend in Aylesbury. The Full Gospel Testimony Church at Rickford’s Hill.
What I wish to bring to your notice is the wonderful change that has taken place in him as a result of him believing the gospel and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal saviour, according to the scriptural instruction and ordinances.
The change of character and speech is miraculous, as are all the works of God, and as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for 30 years; I know that David Tindale is a transformed person, by the grace of God. As are we all who know the reality of the new birth as taught by Johns Gospel.
You will know his past life, I testify to his new life in Christ Jesus. Yours Sincerely,
3 Testimony of Mr E Connet
E.H. Connet 125 Park Street, Aylesbury,
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
2nd February 1971
This is to certify that I have known Mr. Tindale for a period of approximately 9 months since his conversion to Christianity. I am fully persuaded that he has turned his back on his past life and changed for the better.
He is now earnestly endeavoring to make amends for his past mistakes and even influence others to turn their lives over to God, as he has done.
My object in writing this testimonial is that it may help to throw some light on David’s character from one who knows him as a Christian.
Yours Faithfully, E Connet.
I speak in court
I was able to speak of what Jesus had done for me in a way that only God could have worked.
After this Peter Murray spoke on my behalf confirming my testimony.
This happened on Tuesday 9th February 1971, a date that proved significant to me 3 years later.
I was amazed, so were all my Christian friends. The magistrates thought I was trying to be a martyr. I do not know how or why. They obviously thought I should be sent to prison but part of my punishment would be that I was not going to get what I wanted. God smiled. We smiled with him. It was good to be a child of God.
News Head lines
The Bucks Herald Weekly Paper
The whole court appearance was reported in the local newspapers and in the national Evening Standard.
The news headlines of the Bucks Herald read, Why he confessed to 24 crimes and Converted on LSD trip. Whilst the Bucks Advertiser read Man speaks of horrors on LSD”.
The above is a copy of those headlines, all of which were fairly accurate.
Head Line news Bucks Herald (Click to view)
The Bucks Herald 11th February 1971. Read as follows; David Tindale, who had a three-year career of undetected crime, experienced a “Christian conversion” whilst suffering from the effects of LSD, he told Aylesbury magistrates, on Tuesday. After wrestling with his conscience for a year, he confessed to 24 crimes, and gave information leading to the recovery of over £1000 worth of stolen property. In court he pleaded guilty to charges of steeling a £300 colour television set from an old peoples home, a £20 spray gun, and a hydraulic jack. He asked for 21 other charges to be taken into consideration, including stealing a builders shed, two cars, and an electric arc welder, two other TV sets, two compressors, and a road trailer. Tindale (21) of Finmere Crescent said that his reputation in the town had been that of a man who was enjoying himself. I used to sell drugs to young people, and indulge in permissive sex, he declared.
Seeking Truth
Religion to me was rubbish, and for sissy people who could not stand on their own feet, he said. “Within my heart I was searching for truth, and a meaning to life”. He had good prospects of getting on in life he went on but was not satisfied with what I had, I was greedy, selfish and boastful. Tindale had been using pep pills, and marijuana since he was 16 he told the court, but it was after taking LSD that he experienced, what he described as, a major thing in my life. He described the torment he suffered, as a result of taking the drug, and went on I warn any young person who hears my testimony, The effects of LSD are so bad, and I warn you to stay clear. While in this condition he said he, Called on the name of Jesus and his torment went from him.
Voice of Christ
Jesus Christ spoke to me as clearly as I speak here today saying, David, I am with you. Mr Murray, of Manor Crescent Wendover said he was habitually sceptical of sudden conversions, and preferred to put them to the test of time. The time, which had elapsed, since Tindale’s profession of faith had convinced him that this young man would now be salt and light to society”. He is in truth, a new man, and had experienced what Christ called a second birth. Murray said Tindale now put himself out to be of assistance, read the bible intensely, always carried a New Testament, attended a wide circle of churches and would spend hours in
discussion on spiritual things.
Difficulty
Tindale’s difficulty during the months spent deciding how to make amends for his past had been the problem of accusing himself, without informing on others.
Passing sentence the chairman of the magistrates, Colonel I. Tetley, told Tindale, You have pleaded guilty to three offenses and asked us to take into consideration 21 others, and except a record over a short period of time, which is quite the worst we have ever seen, we have considered what we aught to do and have come to the conclusion that your evident desire to become a martyr is one we are not going to gratify.
He gave Tindale a conditional discharge for three years pointing out that the sincerity of his conversion could be shown by his behaviour during that period.
The outcome of the court case was a complete surprise to us all, and we were overjoyed. A Christian friend, Mrs. Chapski of Broughton Avenue, Aylesbury, invited us all back to her home for coffee.
DC Robson informed me that they had discovered I was the person who had stolen the television from Mike West. An enemy of Mike West had tipped them off about the stolen television. Mike West appeared in Court on the same day as myself and was fined £25. He nearly
lost his job with the insurance company that he worked for. His encounter at court, to his embarrassment, also appeared on the front page of the newspaper alongside the article about my conversion.
After this I gave Mike West his Citroen car back that I had swapped for the colour TV. I had re sprayed it a bright Banana yellow, and replaced the engine. At lease he was able to sell it and get some money back. I now know, and take encouragement that God works well and sorts things out when we cannot do so.
As far as the other stolen goods were concerned the police managed to take away most of them but the firm who owned the builders shed sent a trailer. The ironic thing is that I could get no help to load the shed on the trailer. In the end Mrs. Knight was the only one to help. This was very hard work but between us we managed to load it on the trailer late one night. To give you some idea of the value of the stolen items. The shed was said to be worth £400. The mini was brand new and worth
£672. The price of a terraced house at that time was
£2000.
My story
I wish to tell my story starting when I was born (natural birth) and lead the reader until my conversion when the Lord Jesus spoke to me (second birth).
I then wish to speak about being a Christian and
In this account I relate my call to preach and I list the many churches I share the gospel with until the very sad occasion of my secession from the Bierton Church due to a departure for the truth. The church fell into the error of allowing general redemption being taught and a falling away into the error of the Law of Moses becoming their rule of life and conduct, rather than the Gospel. My secession being fully recorded on my publication, The Bierton Crisis, which I now believe could serve as a real help to many churches as in this account I name the many errors that I found to be prevalent, in those days amongst believers, and I point out the truth and scriptural view, which opposed those who held had fallen into error.
It is my desire that this will serve to help and edify fellow Christians, and those seeking the truth as it is in Jesus Christ.
My Early Life
I was born on the 16th February 1949 at 9.50 AM, in Boundary Park General hospital, Oldham, Lancashire. My mother’s name was Elsie Dyson Tindale who was married to my father Thomas George Tindale some time after the war. She informed me that this hospital was next to Oldham Athletic football ground.
Boundary Park Hospital
This is where I was born
We lived with my mother’s father in his house at 26 Fleet Street, Clarksfield, Oldham. My granddad’s name was Watts Ormrod and he was a retired craftsman and senior member of a Trades Union. His hair was white, which I am told happened due to an accident at work when a large rivet was pushed through his hand. I had a brother, who was two and a half years older than me,
Michael John (spelt Michael instead of Michael due to my mother’s stubbornness when he was named at the registrar’s office. The official informed her that the way she had spelt Michael was in fact wrong, and my mum reacted at being corrected and insisted it would be spelt just as she had written it.
My mum and dad were both in the armed forces and were very proud to be British. Dad was in the Army and mum was in the Royal Air Force.
My Parents
Thomas George Tindale Elsie Dyson Tindale
I was christened at Christ’s Church, Glodwick and my Godfather was David Maltby of 382 Barton Road; Stratford and was a sides man at the Church on Barton Road. He gave me at that time a bible with a text of
My Baptismal Certificate
David’s Baptismal Certificate
3rd April 1949
Sunday School
I remember attending the church and Sunday school at Christchurch, which was just along the road from our house in Fleet Street. On one occasion I was so cosy, sitting on the pew, I fell asleep and woke up with a jolt wondering where I was, just as the vicar had finished his sermon. I had been lulled into sleep by the stimulating sermon. I haven’t changed even to day. I must have been about 3 or 4 years old. It was my mother’s idea to take my brother and I to Sunday school.
Barnabus Sunday School
St. Barnabus Sunday School Building
At Sunday school I remember we painted pictures of houses and still remember wondering why did the
Roman Catholics were wrong
Just across the street from our house there was a great Roman Catholic Church building, and living accommodation, surrounded by a high wall. It was built of red engineering bricks and several stories high with stained glass windows alone the long church building. I remember looking up at the crooked lightening conductor and I still get the feeling of austerity and awkwardness when wondering what was behind that wall. It produced the same feeling in me when I had the story of Toby Twirl red to me. In that story he meets a giant who lived behind a great high walled castle. I was afraid to go near, or to even think of climbing the wall, or trespass in the grounds. I did not know it was a Roman Catholic Church building until about 25 years later when my mother informed me.
Roman Catholic Building
The Roman Catholic Building
At that time I knew of no other religion than that of the Church of England, I assumed my mother was right in all such matters and so the Catholics were wrong.
The back of our House
Back Yard of 26 Fleet Street
I remember the street lamps because a man use to come around each night to light them as they were gas and he had a small ladder, which he carried with him, pointed at one end. He climbed the ladder and lit the lamps each night. I assume they were gas lamps.
I remember my favourite sweets were what was called Kylie, it is called sherbet now. We could also buy a very small loaf of bread called a penny loaf.
Lost and found
At that time when I was about 4 years old I wanted to go to another Sunday school (I did not know at the time it was at a church building), which was at Lee’s Road. My mother must have taken me there before. On
Back Alley
Back Alley at 26 Fleet Street
I commenced my school days at “Clarks Field” infants’ school. My brother Michael John was already
attending and was in the third year when I started.
Clark’s Field Infants School
Clark’s Field Infants School (David bottom right) First day at school
I remember my first day at school in the classroom with other children. The ceilings were high and there were things like sand pits and black board easels and old fashion classroom desks and tables.
The girl next door, Vivian Butler, began school with me and I can remember her crying for her Mum. I remember not feeling the need to cry and I tried to comfort her and assure her all would be well.
My Auntie Edith was very good to us boys and we
would visit her every Saturday. She lived with my Granddad’s sister. She was called Auntie Alice. Auntie Edith would take us out to a great park in Oldham and on the way home we would call in at the chip shop. In those days chips were real chips, cooked in real fat. One of our favourite meals she would cook was potato pie, with red cabbage. In the house there was a cellar, which I always liked to visit. I think at one time washing was done in the cellar.
At that time my brother was probably the only close friend I had, although we were not too close. He was just there. We use to go swimming on a Saturday morning to the “Waterhead Baths”. This type of swimming baths was typical of the old-fashioned baths of the time. They were small, the water green, and walls tiled cream. At the side of the pool there were slipper baths where you could sit up to your chin in hot water and carbolic soap was supplied to wash with. It was very cosy. In fact the whole atmosphere was warm and cosy, not like the cold clinical swimming baths of modern times. Next-door was the washhouse where mum used to go at the same time to do washing.
One Saturday morning I nearly drowned and was saved by the attendant called Norman. I had tiptoed backwards and as the pool got slowly deeper and deeper I found I could not touch the bottom. It was through the providence of God that the attendant turned to see me reaching upwards out of the water. I couldn’t speak. He
dived in to rescued me and I can still feel the fear today of nearly drowning.
Across the road from the swimming baths was a slaughterhouse, next door to inhabited houses. We were very curious and would look through the slatted windows and see the men kill the pigs, sheep and cattle. This was awesome and ghoulish and a fearful thing, but we were very curious and wanted to see how the men slew the animals. There was blood, animal intestines, animal heads bones and blood. The smell was awful and not pleasant at all, and it seemed as though the pigs knew they were going to be slaughtered, and their end was come. I have wondered about my brother since then, as he was two and a half years older than me and how this may have affected him. Later on in life he demonstrated a callous way, which was characteristic of killing without mercy just like these slaughter men.
About this time I remember coming home from school and in the dusk of that day the house seemed unusually quiet. I noticed some blood on my brother’s book and my mum told me there had been an accident. My brother had fallen down a basement stairway shaft at school and landed on his back. He was concussed and I remember then feeling how precious life was. My brother could have died through the fall. It was awesome. I still had no recollection of God during this time.
I steal money
Oldham my home town
Oldham is a town in the north of England, not far from the city of Manchester, and during the 19th century was an industrial community famous for its cotton mills. In fact, my grandfather was a great supporter of the Trades Union.
As a child I remember the old mills, red brick built with huge chimneys towering high above the buildings. Also the water reservoirs, which we were always warned to stay away from. My mother had spoken about children being drowned in them and this was sufficient for me to obey her.
An Oldham Mill
Old Mill in Oldham Lancashire England
Garston Infant School
We moved from Oldham to Garston, Watford when I was 5 years old and my mum took me to my first day at school, which was at Garston Infant School. I was in the second year of the infants. My mum had arranged for me to walk home with a girl called Vivian who apparently lived in Coats Way where we lived. Not that I knew my address because I didn’t. All I knew was we had move to a place called Garston, so I assumed we lived in Garston Road.
When it came to walking home I had to follow Vivian, but she took me by a way I had never been before. A completely different way, and across a park to what was the other end of Coats Way. She left me there and I had no Idea where I was, as I did not recognize anywhere at all. Feeling uneasy about all this I realized I was lost. So I made my way back towards the school and began to ask people where Garston Road was. There was no such place but I insisted I lived in Garston Road. A man with a red Bedford dormobile offered to take me back to school to find out where I live so off we went. The schoolteacher said I lived in Coats Way where Vivian had took me but I said I didn’t live there, as I could not recognize the place. The man took me back to Coats Way but I could not recognize where I lived. He drove from one end to the other. It was quite a long Way with a Council estate on one end and private houses at the other end. This was where I lived, 149 Coats Way. I
saw my Mum in the front garden so I arrived home after being lost on my first day at school.
German teacher
My classroom teacher was a German woman called Miss Kitchinger. She spoke with a German accent and I spoke with a broad Lancashire accent. We did not hit it off and I was hopeless at reading the flash cards. It seemed as though I was singled out and proved to be a dunce, as I could not really read. Being small I think I messed about to divert attention from my inability to do class work.
One day when I arrived at school I found a pair of pumps (they called them plimsolls now), which I later found out belonged to Vivian on my desk and I did not like them being there. Feeling rather indignant I place them in the dustbin. I think I might have asked the teacher, “please Miss, whose are these pumps?”, But I was ignored, as she did not understand me, so in the bin they went.
The next day Vivian’s mother came to school wanting to find out where her plimsolls had gone. The caretaker said he had found them and placed them on my desk. When I was questioned I was in trouble and Miss Kitchinger said my mum would have to buy a new pair as I had thrown them away. I felt this unfair and felt really picked on. I know my mum came to the school and had an argument about the pumps and the fact that
I cannot read
I realised I could not read at the age of 6 years old and this difficulty showed it self in class when we had to read flash cards. When it was my turn I just could not tell what was written and I felt embarrassed. It was humiliating. As a result I felt the need to distract the attention from any action that involved me reading and cause a disturbance of some kind. I was known as a naughty boy. And to top it all, the kids mocked my northern accent.
David and the Hampster
At that time my mum had to work late and it was arranged for me to wait in the classroom after school until my mum came to pick me up. This was shortly after the event with the plimsolls. The class had a pet hamster and this little creature got all the attention from every one. I was the one that got no attention but rather got into trouble. One evening whilst I was waiting in the classroom for my mum to collect me, the teacher left the classroom for a short while.
I went towards the hamster cage and thought to my self why do you get all the attention. I know what I am going to do with you. I took the hamster out to the cage and closed the door. I looked at the hamster in the in the
eyes and went over to Vivian’s desk and put it inside, shutting the lid quickly thinking that will pay her back for getting me in trouble over her plimsolls. I sat back in my chair before the teacher returned and went home with my mum as though nothing had happened.
The next day I went into class as quiet as I could and keeping out of the way. I waited patiently for the eruptions. Then suddenly, Oh Miss, screamed Vivian, the hamster is in my desk. It had weeded and messed everywhere through out the night. Every one gathered around the desk to see at the same time. I felt very guilty. One boy tried to suggest the hamster had escaped and climbed up the table leg and got through the whole drilled for the spilled ink to drain. A good idea I thought so keep thinking that thought. Then some one asked how did it get out of the cage as the door was closed. I was feeling very, very guilty now and wondered if Miss Kitchinger was thinking had I done the deed the night before. I kept quiet and to this day they do not know how that hamster got there. During this time my brother was attending the Lea Farm Junior School, the school I was to attend the next year or so.
Congregational Sunday School
My mum use to take me to Sunday school from time to time and I didn’t mind going. One day (about 1958) on the way home from normal school I would walk past the Congregational church building, rather a modern
building, and the vicar lived in a Gypsy stile caravan in the church grounds.
Garston Congregational Church Building
Congregational Church Building
The church building was always left open and we often went in the church building on the way home. I saw, on one occasion, some boys took the money out of the collection box, which too was left unlocked. I could not understand this. Why where things left unlocked for boys to steel from. One day after school I met the vicar when I was looking around the church building and I asked him why is the building left open and why it the collection box not locked. His reply puzzled me. He said the church should be always open for people because God was like that if people fell they need to steel the collection then they must need it badly. He did not feel the box should be locked. I was puzzled and said but why? The vicar was sure it was the right thing
to do. That stayed with me to this day and people get angry some times with me for not locking up my house.
At this same church I can remember the Easter services. I had no Idea what the gospel was nor did I understand the Easter story.
I remember sitting in the pew during the Easter service listening to how they crucified Jesus wondering why Jesus did not come down from the cross. I felt he could have done so and confounded all them Pharisees, but why didn’t he do so. I knew the story about his death and resurrection but did not know what it all meant. I never did find out until 14 years later when I was 21 years old when I learned to read the bible for my self. It was then I learned that Jesus had to die to take away my sins. That he died in my place to set me free from sin, self and death.
It was about this time (1959) that my mum encouraged me to play the piano. My mum’s favourite artist was Perry Como and “Side Saddle” was a piece of mum’s favourite music, which I learned to play. I had music lesson with a Miss Mary Lee, a music teacher in Garston and eventually I graduated with a merit Grade 1 (Primary) RSA in Pianoforte. This was July 1960.
The sort of music, which was popular in those days, was. “Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, My Old mans a dustman, by Lonnie Donnigan, Living Doll by Cliff Richards. Also the Hula-Hoop was a craze at that time.
Cecil the sissy and air pistol
Living not too far away from us in Coats Way, was a boy who my brother nicknamed Cecil, as this sounded like a suitable name for a sissy. He was a cripple in the sense that his feet were curved inwards and he walked awkwardly. He must have been about 10 years old. My brother poked fun at him and I too soon followed suit. We would sing about him a song called Cecil, Cecil a Cecil feet. He would try and avoid us.
One day Cecil came on his bike down to the woods that we called the dell. We were playing up the trees and had made a catapult out off one of the great branches of the trees. One person would sit in the branch and two or three other kids would pull on the rope till the branch was fully bent. The rope would be released and the person would be catapulted up in the air. They would have to hold on tightly other wise they would end up in the trees.
On this day my brother had it in for Cecil. We took his bike and put it into the catapult making sure it was catapulted up into the trees. We thought this was great fun but Cecil did not.
His mother came to our house and complained to my mum about our bullying Cecil but my mum seemed to have no mercy. She said Cecil had got to learn to look after himself and he was a sissy. I felt mum was wrong as I knew how bad we were and my mum seemed to
have no mercy. I felt bad however.
Shortly after this incident my brother encouraged me to take our newly acquired air pistol to school, and Cecil was the one who my brother bullied and threaten to shoot in the playground. On reflection my brother seemed to have no mercy at all. My brother must have been in the final year and I in the first year of Lea Farm Junior School.
David at Lea Farm Junior School
David at Lea Farm Junior School
It wasn’t long however before my air pistol was found and confiscated. After assembly one of the boys
I get electrocuted and burned
During this time, one day I was not well, and stayed at home, whilst my mum went to work. It was cold and all the heating we had was a one bar electric fire. At this time I was sitting on a chair in our lounge trying to read but drifted off to sleep. My arm fell down onto the fire element and I was electrocuted. I was unconscious and when I came too my hand burned some much I was in pain. All I could do was to remember what to do. I run my hand under the cold tap and then wrapped my hand in a tea towel. I was about 8 or 9 years old. I decided to catch the bus and go to my mum, who was working at Watford Peace Memorial Hospital. When I arrived she wondered just what I was doing at her work, and when I showed her my hand she realised I need help. All my fingers were burned severely and I need treatment. In fact it was serious because I could have been killed by the electric shock as I was knocked unconscious and could have been stuck to the electric fire element powered by 240 volts a.c.
Wrexham Holiday
Michael and I must have been about 7 and 10 years old and Mum and dad had renovated an old Ford convertible car whose number plate was BBU.
Mum had bought the car whilst we were living in Oldham and dad was working in Watford. Dad had moved to Watford to get a job, and was living with his mum (our grandma at Ash Tree Road Garston, Watford). Mum and dad were able to by a house at 149 Coats Way Garston and it was mum who decided to buy the car to get Michael and I down from Oldham to Watford.
It was this car that I often fell out of when the breaks were hit. It caused me to move forward and push open the door lock and the door opened the opposite way round. I would end up on the road outside the car. Dad eventually was able to put a safety chain on the handle to stop this happening.
Dad had rebuilt the engine and painted it black and green, Mum made a new convertible top using her sewing skills. It was a bit like Noddy’s car it was really good.
In this car we went to Brixton for a holiday and it was there mum and dad bought Michael and I a fishing rod each. I had a wooden cane one and he had a metal rod. I remember I was always jealous of what he had as I always thought his things were better than mine.
Keen to try the rods out near the sea harbour Michael
When I look back it is incidences like this that I learned about the way Michael thought and worked and in later life it made one wonders at the tales he told.
The Fair at Garston, paper round and stolen bike
Every year the fair would come to Garston and I really looked forward to ride the dodgem cars. All the kids would go to the fair and spend lots of time watching. I can remember two brothers who worked on the fair and these were like heroes, and we would wonder who was the strongest and speculate which one could lift a dodgem car above his head. We would also listen to the latest pop music, which played through large loudspeakers. This was before any one had personal radios or cassette players. There was no Top of the Pops on TV. So the fair was the place to hear pop music.
Don’t talk to strangers
I loved the fair and would go as often as I could. However one day, a man dressed in a suit, offered me free rides in the dodgem cars, and whilst I thought it a bit odd I gladly took advantage of the free rides. This man than asked me if I could help him as his car had broken down, and it was just along the St. Albans Road. I realised this was more than odd so I managed to slip away. At the time I didn’t realise the kind of danger that I had been in, but when I told my mum she soon had the police around, and I gave a description of the man to them. My mum and dad said no more about the matter except not to talk to strangers. It was only later in life that I realised the ways of paedophiles and the warning is to young people, or any one, don’t talk to strangers.
Playing truant from school
One rainy day whilst walking to school with Michael Abbes we decided not to go to school and play truant.
We spent the miserable, wet, day walking in the woods and going with out food. I had no real need not to gone to school but it was Michael who didn’t want to go.
Any way the next day we were asked independently why had we not been to school, and I felt it necessary to tell the truth. I had played truant. Michael Abbes had said he was sick and had got his mother to write a note to that effect. Needless to say I was caned for playing truant and Michael Abbes got off scot free. I felt that it was unjust and felt that I had been punished for telling the truth. I was not happy.
Money buys many things
My brother at that time had a paper round and use to get up early each morning and so he began to earn his own money. I remember him obtaining all sorts of new things like writing cases, pens, pencils, ink cartridges, etc. And all the little things one would like but could not afford. I soon realized that my brother was not buying them but stealing them from the shop where he worked.
On the odd occasion I would go and help him deliver the papers. I enjoyed this as it took me to places that I had never been before.
On one occasion we had to deliver papers to a hospital or residential home, and around the back of the building we could see the kitchens and we helped our selves to the cakes, which had been freshly cooked. I learn from
my brother how easy it was to get things I wanted.
I always looked up to my brother and often envied the things he did and had. I remember him going to Switzerland, with the school and coming home with all kinds of goods. Like a walking stick, flick knives, and badges etc. Flick knives were illegal and to have a flick knife was a good thing.
My brother soon got in to bows and arrows, and air rifles and pistols, catapults, swords and sheath knives, which seemed good to me. In fact we use to hide all these weapons under the floorboards in our shed, which was at the bottom of our garden.
At this time I remember my mum and dad buying me a new bike. It was a red Californian, with curved crossbars etc. I thought it was great and was ever so pleased with it. One day the bike went missing, and I knew some one had taken it, so I was very upset.
When I went out looking for it I noticed up the road an accident had taken place, as there were cars stopped and people milling around. To my horror I saw my nice new bike crumpled and just lying at the side of the road. The boy who had taken it had been knocked off the bike and was lying in the road awaiting an ambulance and every one was trying to take care of him.
I thought to my self never mind about him, as he had stolen my bike, but look at my new bike, all bent. I
Stolen Crystal Set
My interest in radio, which we now call electronics, started the day I heard a crystal set operate. I must have been 10 or 11 years old.
My mum and dad belonged to the Camping Club of Great Britain and every weekend we would go camping to Chertsey, where we had a tent pitched.
Camping at Chertsey
Dad at Chertsey campsite Dad by our Canoe
One weekend my brother stole a crystal set from a camper’s tent. It consisted of a small tuning capacitor
I sent away for a set of parts to build a two transistor reflex receiver, and put the thing together as best I could. I wired the circuit as I thought the diagram showed, and crushed it all together to fit inside its plastic case. It didn’t work and I was most disappointed. I didn’t realize that all the wires were shorted together when I crushed it into the plastic case. Another friend of mine’s dad helped me out. He was a radio technician in the Royal Air force and he rebuilt the receiver and showed me how to wire circuits up. From that time I began to learn about how things worked and taught my self-many things with the help of others.
Another friend of mine had a dad who had a radio workshop and I was very envious of all the equipment that he had in his garage. I remember the boy being confident enough to take apart out of an old radio for me, without any sense of fear. I was quite impressed. I taught my self quite a lot and began to learn about transistors.
Stealing radio equipment
One day on the way home from school we climbed over the fence of someone’s back garden and discovered a shed full of radio parts, and equipment. There were valves, tuning condensers, transformers etc., We took
what we wanted and thought no more of it.
This hobby was to last me a long time and helped me to get a job in radio and television servicing and to Technical College at a later date. During this time I had no sense or knowledge of God and I had stopped going to Sunday school.
A visit from the Police
About this time I manage to break into a work mans hut which was at the gravel pit situated on not to far from our home. Me along with other kid would play there during the evening and climb on top of the work mans working shed. There were also two large tanks of hot water and we would after dangle our feet in the water and wash our selves after getting dirty. On this occasion we managed to break in the shed and I managed to steal a wireless receiver. It was a valve receiver in a wooden box. I took it to pieces and saved the chassis and had it in my bedroom at Coats Way. Some how the police were tipped off and they came and searched our house for the stolen goods. I was thankful I had got rid of the wooden cabinet as they found no evidence of the break in.
Francis Coombe Secondary School
My first senior school was in Garston, as I had failed the 11 plus. It was at this school I first heard a boy play a tune called , “Apache” by the Shadows, on an acoustic
Michael and Boxing
I soon learned the my brother had a reputation at school as a boxer and I recall attending the school competition for sports and Michael won the boxing at that event. He would have the fourth year and about to leave school. On that occasion my uncle John and Dad were there and Uncle John after Michael’s win went and congratulated the looser, in order to keep him encouraged. Parents were like that in those days.
The Brothers
Uncle John and my Dad Tom Tindale My visit to Soho
It was towards the end of my first year, at Francis Coombe Secondary modern school, that I ventured out to London on the train, with a friend of mine, Paul Dorrington. This was to visit the second hand electrical shops, to buy radio parts. I loved visiting Tottenham Court Road for this purpose and it was on one of these visits that we stumbled across Soho and noticed the strip clubs.
These aroused our curiosity. Paul and I plucked up courage and paid to go in and sit at a table. We could see a nude lady sitting on a chair and were given a sketch
pad and pencil and encouraged to draw her picture. I felt I was growing up. Afterwards we paid one or two more visits and became wiser.
When we moved to Wilstone, a village near Tring in Hertfordshire, my radio and television hobby helped me pass the time and kept me out of too much trouble
Our move to Wilstone
In 1961 we finally moved to Wilstone a village near Tring and Michael and I went to Tring Secondary modern school called Mortimer Hill. I can remember my brother wearing winkle picker shoes and some of the girls from the next village couldn’t help but say oh look at those shoes. They were just different and I suppose they felt threatened.
It was during this time that I taught myself more about Radio and amplifiers and became absorbed in this hobby. I met a man in the village called Cluck Turney, who was the man to know about televisions and radios and he gave me a lot of help. He taught me about valve amplifiers and allowed me to build a power amplifier, from all the spare parts that he had. It was a push pull amplifier using two PX4 valves and a triode driver. I had to rewind the driver and output transformers in order to get it working. I learned a lot from Cluck Turney.
On one occasion I was able to connect a microphone up to my amplifier and I directed the speaker out of
my bedroom window and spoke to people out side our shop. On this occasion I saw a woman in her rear garden called Ethel. I called out with the amplifier as loud as possible saying Ethel, Ethel I am watching you. I heard many years later that she thought it sounded a bit like God speaking from the sky.
Keeping myself busy
To occupy myself I made things of interest. I made a kart with a large wind sale. A pair of stilts and all the kids in the village wanted a pair. One on occasion I made an electric shock machine from an ignition coil a battery and a mechanical vibrating mechanism used in an electric bell. I tested it out on the kids in the village by getting them to hold hands, in a circle and one kid at each end of the circle held the electrode. When I switched the machine on they all got a shape electric shock. It was a success.
Stolen Shot gun
I later had a visit from the local policeman as I had stolen a 12-bore shotgun from an old barn and brought it home. When I showed it to my next-door neighbour he recognised the gun and realised who it belonged too and so he informed the local policeman to get it returned to its owner.
Whilst at Tring School a friend of mine Duncan Miller found a baby fox cub in a wood, and I wanted to keep it
so I took it home. Unfortunately my Grandma, who had come to stay, freaked out when she saw it as she was frightened and to my dismay my brother killed it and to this day I felt he was callous.
I ride a 350 cc Triumph
My brother mixed with all the lads who had bad reputations and no one would dare up set them and he was in the final year at Tring Secondary modern school. He was friends with all the lads who were in trouble.
One friend was Bod Shearer, who live on a farm in Tring and I recall Michael having an old 350 cc, Triumph motor bike, with girder front forks. I took courage and rod this bike in the field and was quite pease with myself for having the courage to riding such a big bike. I had, until that time, only ridden a moped.
The Motorbike
Michael’s 350 CC Triumph Motorbike
It was during this time at Wilstone my brother got sent to his first spell in Detention Centre. He had made a knuckle-duster at school, in the metal work classes, and tried it out by hitting some boy in the village. What happened was some lads had found our moped in the field and had a go at riding it without our permission. Not that they would know whom to ask, but my brother felt he would sort them out for riding it. I think it was an excuse to use the knuckle-duster he had made.
The Moped
Our Moped in Wilstone field
When the police were called in he made out the knuckle duster was made as a part for the moped and my mum was certain this was true and she defended my brother to the hilt. I knew it wasn’t true and my brother did a spell in Detention centre for 3 months, for grievous bodily harm. I did not go along with my brothers’ violence and could not understand it. His reputation spread and at school the teachers began to identify me with my brother and I think they began to be wary of me too.
Village life proved too much for my mum and she became depressed, due to they way things were, and
The Big Freeze 1962
Once we had sold the village shop mum and I moved to Oldham whilst Michael and my dad moved into lodgings in Aston Clinton. This was while the house they had bought off plan was being built. Mum and moved to live with my aunt Edith at 26 Fleet Street, in the town where I was born and had to go to school. This was Clark’s Field Senior School and I became a bit of a celebrity simply because I was from “London”. This status increased when I told the “lads” about my trips to Soho. It was here that I first heard of the Beatles as they were playing in Oldham at that time. The song I remember that was popular, “Love me do”, by the Beatles, which came out in October 1962.
During my time in Oldham we were there for about three months, I built a balsa wood, controlled line, aeroplane, a radio transmitter for a remote control aircraft and learned to ice skate. We had a very cold winter, the coldest on record and the snow fell and the streets froze over. My mum bought me a pair of second hand ice skates and I learned to skate on the frozen streets in Oldham.
Short stay back to Watford
After staying for while in Oldham we moved back to Watford and lived with my Dad’s mum. On this occasion I had to go back to Francis Coombe Secondary School
and I renewed acquaintances with my former friends. It was during this time I made my own transistor radio set. This was before printed circuit boards were available. It was a two transistor reflex receiver and I was very proud of it, as it was the size of a matchbox. I also missed riding the moped and so I got up very early one morning and walked into Watford where I knew a motorbike was parked and stole it. I drove several miles to a secret place and parked it up and went home. I later used it for joy riding with my friends. I walked miles that morning and my mum never knew about it.
Michael also would visit us at Watford and see his old friends who played in a pop group and on one occasion he gave me a pair of bell-bottom trousers and a shirt, with a long pointed collar. Michael and his friend wanted to take me to the dance that was held at Leavesdon, on a Friday or Saturday night. I really enjoyed myself there and wanted to go again. I met some of my friends from school there and one boy noticed my clothes and said that I was a Mod.
Unfortunately for me after this I began to get bullied at school by a group of boys who were what you might call “Jack the Lads”. I learned afterward the reason and it was to do with Michael. One of the boys was from Australia and was the ringleader of this gang and he had a girl friend at the school called Pat Petty. She was every boy’s dream of a girl. Well Michael had met her at the Leavesdon dance and chatted her up. This Australian
boy was jealous and a soon as they realised that I was Michael’s brother they had it in for me.
My first matchbox radio
It was during this time (13 years) I obtained a circuit diagram for a Two transistor Reflex Receiver and with the components I obtained from Tottenham Court Road, London, I built this on a small paxolin board. This was before printed circuit boards were readily available. I was very pleased with this as it had good sensitivity and selectivity and was about the size of a matchbox.
My Two Transistor Wireless Receiver
Here is the circuit diagram
Aylesbury: Our new Home
Our new house was situated on the Bedgrove Estate, in Aylesbury and was ready for us to move in April of 1963. However before we left Wilstone I had enjoyed riding a moped in an old orchard, in the village. It belonged to a friend of Michael and I was allowed to ride this moped. It was a 50 cc NSU Quickly and was kept in his orchard.
Once we had moved into out new house in Aylesbury I was able to return to Wilstone and take the engine from the moped frame and put the engine in a home made go kart. I made this go- kart from builder’s wood that I took from the building site. I use the moped engine, a set of wheels from a child’s three wheeler tricycle, and various parts from a cement mixer. I then began to ride this machine around the new roads on the housing estate. However I was eventually stopped by the local police and warned that it was illegal to ride this Go Kart on the roads and soon after that the local newspaper came and gave me a write up in the Bucks Herald.
A holiday in Newquay
At this time Mum and Dad took me and my sister Margaret , who was about 3 years old, to Newquay for a holiday. I didn’t know what kind of place it was but when we got there it was great. The sand the sea and the surfing and views were are treat to see. It was here
The Hotel
The Headlands Hotel Newquay
This is the hotel where the film The Witches were filmed.
Anyway on this occasion I took Margaret by the hand and we walked down the drive right into the hotel. As we approached a steward of some kind came up to me and asked if he could help. I confidentially replied no thank we are staying here. He stood upright, in embarrassment and said, oh yes I remember the little girl. So we blagged it and I wondered around the hotel
with my 3 year old sister, admiring the hotel.
My brother and I returned to Newquay for a holiday in 1967 just before we were both sent to prison.
David’s do it your self-kart
David’s Do it your self Kart (May 1963) Bucks Herald news article
An Aylesbury boy was able to return to school after
On Sunday of last week a friend gave David (pictured above) and old moped. As he was unable to ride it as he is too young he dismantled it. He then made a Kart frame from some pieces of wood, four old wheels and a set of handlebars and the moped engine.
My NSU Quickly Moped
My Moped
Within three days it was in working condition and David estimates it will do 20 miles and hour.
Incidentally David, who has lived in the town for only a month has very little real interest in engines. His main hobby is in radio construction work and one of
his proudest possessions is a transistor radio, which he built that is slightly larger than a matchbox.
I steel push bikes
It was during this space of time, before starting my new school; I met another lad called Ian Motram. We encouraged each other to steel . In fact the first day that I went to school I stole a bike to come home from school.
I eventually got a Francis Barnet 150 CC motorbike, which my brother had stolen from Aylesbury College, with some other lads. I kept this in a field on the Bedgrove Estate near our home. It was great fun to have a motorbike and I would ride across the fields to school and return home during my lunch hour. However one day some one stole my motorbike and Ian Motram informed me that he thought he knew the person that had taken it. I went to this person’s house early one morning, during my paper round, and found a motorbike in his garage. This wasn’t my bike but I took it anyway. This ended up in me being charge with garage breaking and being put on probation for two years.
Stolen Francis Barnett 150 CC Motor Bike
My Francis Barnett Motor Bike Leaving School Teenage years
My first recollection of any religious person having any effect on my life was when I was about to leave school, at the age of 15 years old.
My mother had spoken to a Mr K H Knight who was the proprietor of Central Bucks TV and had arranged for me to have a part time job working after school and on a Saturday. This was until I left school and took up full time work as an apprentice to Mr Knight. I am told years later that my letter of job application was so badly written and the spelling so awful it was laughable. However I was taken on despite my inability to write,
spell or use correct grammar, or read properly. This was during my last year at school.
I first met Mrs Grace Knight, one Saturday morning, whilst working for her husband Ken. She was in hot pursuit of her husband and shouting at him for doing some thing she disapproved of.
I was in the workshop, with Norman Garret the other apprentice, and I thought- wow what an awful dragon of a woman and pitied Mr Knight from that moment on.
Through Mr Knight (Ken) I was introduced to the Radio and Television servicing trade and often went with him into customer’s houses to repair TV’s and install television aerials.
I spent many hours with Ken going to peoples homes and soon learned that he was not faithful to his wife. Not that it bothered me, as I knew what Grace was like from our first meeting. The idea of sexual promiscuity was very attractive to me. When we went out enjoying our selves Mrs Knight would be left at home or in the workshop minding their two children Allison and Mark. They also had a big dog called Rufus.
By this time I had left school and was interested in our band, as we wanted to make music. Ian Myers was the bass guitarist and he built his own guitar amplifier from a circuit design and published in Practical Wireless. He built the amplifier I helped him with the speaker cabinet
and it was used in all our future gigs.
I soon began to realize the things I enjoyed were not the things Mrs Knight approved of, or found interesting. I thought she was a right “kill joy” and was boring. She was a Christian what ever that meant and I soon realize her values were not the same as mine. What I considered good and enjoyable she would call it sin and sinful. She would also complain to her husband that I was always with him and he gave her no time. It seemed she was often driven to despair by him never being in on time and being very unreliable. He would often leave her for hours whilst we were at work out on jobs.
Conversation on the intercom
On one occasion Norman Garret’s mum complained to Mrs Knight the Norman her son, was not getting the training he needed because Ken was always taking me out with him. I heard this conversation over the shops intercom. Mrs Knight said yes I was a nuisance and she did not like me one bit and it was not good that I should be out with her husband all the time. Upon hearing this I felt angry and went down the stairs to where they were and confronted them both saying that I had heard what they had said about me. They were embarrassed and I am sure this did not help our relationship. I really thought Mrs Knight was an ogre.
I began to attend Luton College of Technology, to learn about Radio and Television Servicing, and travelled by
“ Righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people”
And also another:
“ Jesus said if you find life difficult learn of me and the burden I shall give you will not be too difficult to carry”.
At that time I had no idea of the meaning of these texts of scripture but found it amusing to quote them to Mrs Knight at any in appropriate moment thinking it would embarrass her.
On one occasion I remember being dressed in an old blanket made into an undercoat from my brothers Mod anorak. I was standing on the corner of the street near to the workshop one Saturday morning with Mr and Mrs Knight. I quoted at the top of my voice these two scriptures in order to embarrass Mrs Knight. I am not sure how they felt about it but little did I know that one day I would learn the truth of these texts and become a preacher of the Gospel myself.
A confident 15 year old
I enjoyed working for Mr Knight because he seemed to appreciate my help and abilities and would trust me to drive the van at 15 years old. On one occasion he was short of a driver and had to deliver a television. So he dressed me up in a sheepskin coat and gave me dark glasses to wear with instructions to deliver a TV to a house in Quarendon. I was very pleased to do this even more when it turned out that I was delivering the TV set to one of my school friends called Gillespie.
On another occasion I was given the job of replacing a complete I.F. board on a new Ferguson 850 T.V. Receiver in a customers home. A qualified engineer in a workshop setting normally would have done this but this unconventional approach was normal to me. Mr Knight had complete confidence in me at the age of 15 years old. I am sure the customer was not at all happy at this 15 year old repairing their lovely brand new Television receiver.
During this time I was still making music in the group and when I was 16 Mr Knight’s business failed and went into liquidation so I found myself another job. I got an apprenticeship with Sale and Mellor at Radio a TV shop in Aylesbury. I worked there until I got in trouble with the police when I was sacked at the age of 17 years.
It was shortly after this time that I got into trouble
with the police for breaking into a garage and stealing a motorbike. I had a Francis Barnett 150 CC, which had been stolen from the field where I kept it and a friend of mine told me that it was in this garage, along the Tring Road. At first I was just interested in getting my bike back but when I opened the garage door I was disappointed not to find it - just a 125 BSA Bantam.
I thought well its better than nothing so I decided to take it any way and wheeled it out of the garage and back to our field, to use it later. The police later caught me and for this first crime I was charged with garage breaking and put on probation for two years.
Our Rock Group
It was after this that decided I wanted to play the electric guitar and I remember a lad called Alan Lawrence, from Tring Secondary Modern School, having an electric guitar and bringing it to school. He plugged it into the schools record player and it sounded great. I wanted to learn to play like him. The first guitar I owned was an electric Hofner Futurama Two and a friend called Steve showed me how to play Twist and Shout and it was this that got me really interested to play properly. I put together my own guitar amplifier, using the P.A. Amplifier that I had stolen from the Catholic Church.
Stolen BSA Bantem
BSA Bantem 125 CC Motor Bike
My first guitar amplifier
Liner Concorde 30 Amplifier
This is the top View using EL34 output valves in push pull
Linear Concord 30 Watt Underneath Chassis
Hand wire main chassis
(I had inherited a prejudice against the Catholic Church, from my mum, and so when I took the amplifier I ignored my conscience by saying to myself they were wrong any way).
I then began to get more interested in making music and during my last year at school we formed a band and we played at the end of term school dance. Our Gym teacher, Mr Pottinger, organized this event.
The Fowler Mean our Rock group
Ian Myers was the base guitarist and later Robby Woods became our lead guitarist. On that occasion though, at the school do, Willie Barrett was lead guitarist. He was the only one of us to make musical fame. He became known as Wild Willy Barrett and played music with John Otway.
My Vox A.C. 30 Amplifier
My guitar amplifier
I had a new amplifier that was a Vox AC 30 and replaced the amplifier that I had stolen from the Catholic Church. One of our regular spots, on a Saturday night, was Courts Dance School, just off Kingsbury Square. Here is our music play set:
The Fowler Mean (Play Set) Click to view
After leaving school we reformed the group and began to play music at various dance halls and I named the group “The Fowler Mean”.
The Fowler Mean
Dave Tindale from the 60’s, with Robby Woods (top) Ian Myers
Our favourite band The Who
John Entwhistle, Pete Townsend, Keith Moon and Roger Daultery
My favourite band was The Who. This group
The Who (Click here to go to Wikipedia)
I remember the amplifier line up (being interest in amplifiers) Pete Townsend had:
Pete Townsend Amplifier line up
Two A.C. 100 Amplifiers in Parallel
John Entwhistle amplifier line up
John Entwhistle 4 X A.C. 60 watt Vox Bass
Amplifiers and their PA system was Vox columns and Shure microphones.
The volume added another dimension to the experience. I call it Rock and Real Music, It added depth to the sound and none of us had experienced anything like it before These are just some of the songs:
Click the link listen to the following Who songs:
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These were all classic Who numbers and none
Malcolm Kirkham use to be one of our singers which made 5 in the band and we use to go out together on our scooters. I had inherited my brother’s Lambretta TV 175 CC and Malcolm had a 150 CC new Lambretta and we began to mix with the Mods in Aylesbury and district.
He had been sacked from the group because he messed about. Malcolm would always arrive late and never be in time to set up the equipment. He was always combing his hair or having to press his trousers, and he general fooled around. He was nicknames Cocoa the clown.
After mixing with the other lads in Aylesbury I soon found out my brother was well known and when it was made known I was Mike Tindale’s brother it was like having a license to or say any thing, I was accepted. I was one of the boys. I recalled the times my brother had told me of the parties they use to have and I began to want to get involved in all the fun. Pep pills, scooters, Mod fashions, dances, girls and permissive sex. All of which I found positive and attractive as we were looking for a good time in the world.
The image I had of my brother was that he was quite a character and had a way with girls. I remember that was how I wanted to be and follow him in fame. I remember one impressive occasion I must have been just 16 and met one of Michael’s friends who was a Mod. One
Saturday night out side the Grosvenor he came dressed in brightly coloured trousers and a black plastic mac wearing girls make up around the eyes. This was the in thing to do and I thought this is good and liked it.
The normal mode of transport was either a Lambretta or Vespa scooter with crash bars, back rests, spare wheel carriers and mirrors. The scooters would be custom sprayed and generally a world war green Parker or black plastic cape was the uniform. All of this became the world I wanted to be in.
Oxford Bags
I remember my brother coming to see us at Rockley Sands, in Bournemouth when I was away with my parents on holiday. I must have been 15 years old. He came dressed in a brown suit with 22 inch, Oxford Bag trousers, with small turn-ups. His top was a white crew necked and red stripped tea shirt. Also brown brogue leather shoes. This was some fashion that I had not seen before. It was the Mod fashion.
He told me he had to return to Aylesbury to do some repairs and tidy up mum and dads house as they had a party and the place had been wrecked. Apparently all the Aylesbury Mods and from the district had been to his party held at Mum and Dads house. They had rolled up the carpets and put them in the garage but the bathroom sink had been pulled off the wall as some girl had got drunk and sat in it. He told me of the promiscuity and
My first Girl Friend
I met Susan, at a Friday night dance being organized at the Aylesbury College; she was 15 years old and looked great. She had blond hair in a Bob style. I was 16, wearing my navy blue Mod suit. I had arrived on my Lambretta.
I asked her to dance and later asked if I could take her home. I was feeling great when she agreed and so I covered up my learner plate, which was just under the rear, number plate and took her home. This was the beginning of my first love. The relationship only lasted a few months. When she told me she wanted to finish the relationship I was heart broken and she sought to encourage me by saying I would find some one else. I never did and had no interest in finding any one else. My only interest in girls after that was for sex alone- not friendship or anything else.
Love is Strange
I first heard this song, by The Who, at Borehamwood Another Who song that expressed my emotions at
that time and I first heard this at Borehamwood.
The Who Play list (Click here)
The Mod Image
Lambretta Mod Suit Blond Girl friend Sue
During this time Malcolm and I mixed with the Mods in Aylesbury we were both 16 years old and we began to meet with these older lads and were curious to try
Carknapping
Shortly after this I remember my brother coming home about 9.30 p.m. in a hurry. He had not long been released from Detention Centre. Our parents were away and I had a girl friend there. In came my brother and told me of his narrow escape from the police. About six of his friends had been out in a stolen car, not taxed or insured, when the police had stopped them along the Tring Road. They had all jumped out and made a run for it. It was soon after this that my brother got sent to Borstal Training for some crime or other. Never the less it all seemed a good life style and I wanted more of it.
My Lambretta Scooter
Lambretta TV 175 CC
The names of some of the lads we knew and come to mind were: Stuart Knight, Keith Guntrip, Ian Wilton, Dill Dorwrick, and Terry Tatem (Now dead), Phil Davis, Brian Collier, Mickey Coil, Roy Miles, John James,
Dave King, Jimmy Findlay, Phil Davis, and the like all of which had one thing in common. They wanted fun and were the lads of Aylesbury. (Time of writing this is the year 2000).
Banbury Gaff
At that time after being sacked from the group we began going to a nightclub called the Banbury Gaff. Here we would stay up all night taking pep pills (we use to say getting blocked) dancing and talking and in the morning end up in a cafe eating toast before driving back to Aylesbury.
Soon after this Malcolm began to mix with the lads from Oxford and he was later sentence to some time in prison, for some crime or other. During this time my brother was in Borstal and at the Gaff, I met Alan Dodd. He was my brother’s partner in crime and had escaped from Borstal. He was living on a barge in Oxford. He told me at the time, he had a gun, and all this type of living impressed me, as it seemed rather exciting. Later Michael told me that Alan Dodd had grassed him up and that was why he had got caught and sent to Borstal himself.
We would spend time at the Gaff, talking with other lads about the crimes we had done, and planned various schemes and bragged and boasted about things we had done.
The Great Train Robbery
It wasn’t long after the Great Train Robbery that we were finding our feet as criminals.
The scene of the robbery 1963
The great train robbery had taken place on August 8, 1963 at the Bridgo Bridge in Linslaid, just up the road from us in Aylesbury. The thieves laid an ambush for the mail train running from Glasgow to Euston and stole more than £2 million. For 125 years, the train had
run uninterrupted until that night, when it was stopped by a red light in Buckinghamshire. Bruce Reynolds who crafted the robbery, was caught in 1969 and sentenced to 10 years in jail.
We were very impressed at this crime.
The Kray twins
In the 1960’s, the Ronnie and Regie Kray were seen as prosperous and charming celebrity nightclub owners and were part of the Swinging London scene. A large part of their fame was due to their non-criminal activities as popular figures on the celebrity circuit, being photographed by David Bailey on more than one occasion; and socializing with lords, MP’s, socialites and show business characters such as the actors George Raft, Judy Garland, Diana Dors, Barbara Windsor and singer Frank Sinatra.
“They were the best years of our lives. They called them the swinging sixties. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were rulers of pop music, Carnaby Street ruled the fashion world... and me and my brother ruled London. We were fucking untouchable...” – Ronnie Kray, in his autobiographical book, My Story.
The Twins
Ronnie and Regie Kray Kray’s Imprisonment
On 8 May 1968, the Kray’s and 15 other members of their firm were arrested. Many witnesses came forward now that the Kray’s’ reign of intimidation was over, and it was relatively easy to gain a conviction.
The Kray’s and 14 others were convicted, with one member of the firm being acquitted. One of the firm members that provided a lot of the information to the police was arrested yet only for a short period.
Out of the 17 official firm members, 16 were arrested and convicted.
The twins’ defence, under their counsel John Platts-
Mills, QC, consisted of flat denials of all charges and the discrediting of witnesses by pointing out their criminal past. The judge, Mr Justice Melford Stevenson said: “In my view, society has earned a rest from your activities.” Both were sentenced to life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 30 years for the murders of Cornell and McVitie, the longest sentences ever passed at the Old Bailey, (Central Criminal Court, London) for murder. Their brother Charlie was jailed for 10 years for his part in the murders.
Reputation was important
The Kray twins were older than us, but their reputation was significant to us. They were in their early 40’s and I was just 17 and Michael 20 years old when we got sent to prison. I admired their life style and the way they conducted themselves. Both Michael and I were to follow suit.
Mods, Rockers, Scooters, Bikes a Bubble Car
Shortly after my brother came out of Borstal a form of transport was required for two. The solution to this came through my brother who persuaded me to swap my scooter for a two-seater, Issetta 350 cc bubble car. I had inherited the scooter from my Michael when he was sent to Borstal but by now it had been renovated. I had rebuilt it in the spare bedroom at home and re sprayed it
British racing Green. It was a Lambretta T.V. 175 cc. The fuel tank and tool compartment was stove enamelled gold. It had a dual seat with a passenger back rest with very little extras. There had been crazes whereby crash bars, wing mirrors, wheel racks and anything made of chrome were generally attached to such machines, but not mine. I was proud of this Lambretta. It had to go to make way for the sky blue Bubble Car.
Pete Townsend gives us a lift
Before this time we had to thumb lifts, to get to where we wanted too if the scooter was out of action. On one occasion we were keen to get to Bedford, as The Who were playing at the Corn Exchange. We were dressed in our Mod mohair suits. Michael’s a navy blue suit and mine a tan colour, and carried a small suitcase with our night things in. We got as far as Ampthill and were stuck at the corner of the Ampthill to Bedford road and were about 20 miles from Bedford. We were stuck and Michael went into a pub to get a drink whilst I stayed on the corner trying to thumb a lift as my brother needed a lift as well. To my relief and just after Michael had gone to the pub, a two seater red coupe Jaguar pulled up to offer me a lift. I rushed up to the window of the car, carrying our small suit case, feeling very relieved that I had a lift, but at the same time anxious as my brother was still in the pub. I said to the driver cheekily would he mind waiting a minute, The driver was fine and said OK. However to my surprise and amazement I realized
Pete Townsend’s Jaguar
Pete Townsend MK1 Jaguar
Road Runner by The Who (Click to view)
You can imagine listening to this song driving Pete’s Car.
As we drove into Bedford we stopped and Pete asked me to ask some girls the directions to where The Who were playing. Sure enough they knew and pointed us in the direction of the Corn Exchange. It was a great
evening.
The Bubble Car
The bubble car at one time belonged to David Ness
, of Chiltern avenue in Aylesbury, who had been given it by his brother. There was only one thing wrong with it. We had to bump start it as the starter motor did not work. (Push it and the put it in gear and jump in once the engine had started).
In this vehicle we had many adventures because we were liberated from the two wheeled scooter and could cram four people in this vehicle, if we wanted. Neither of us had passed our driving test to drive a normal car but I had past my test to drive a motorbike and my license allowed me to drive the three wheeler bubble car.
Dr Tindale’s Case
Whilst Michael was in Borstal, he had made for me a wooden case, like a brief case, that he had written on the side, Dr Tindale. This was for a bit of fun. However I carried, in that case, a bottle of Chloroform, whiskey and a fake gun (it was a starter pistol that fired blanks and looked real). We used the case to frighten people , as they soon learned what was inside the case.
On one occasion we went into the Crombie shop , just off Kingsbury Square intending to frighten the manager of the shop.
What had happened was that I had a blue mohair navy suit made to measure by him . How ever the jacket did not fit right and even after many alterations it did not fit properly. This was whilst Michael was in Borstal. So on Michael’s release, and him hearing about the suit, we decided to go an get our own back and frighten the manager to pieces. He was about 21 years old and we were younger. So we went into the shop and put Dr Tindale’s case on the counter and proceeded to get the chloroform out of the case intending to put the manager to sleep. We had no other intentions but simply to frighten him. When he realised what was about to take place, he was terrified and I had to stop Michael from knocking him out with the Chloroform.
Adventures in the bubble car
We were able to carry blankets spare clothing etc. All in the dry. We carried all that we needed for a night out in that case. It was ideal for catching girls. The front opened up and it could be driven with the front door open. All we did was drive up to the bird we wanted to catch and stop in front of her. Open up the door and drive forward. She had no option but to fall in and we would drive off with her in the car. It was questioned was any girl safe with us around.
Having a crack
This is what we called having a laugh and our infamy
began to grow in Aylesbury among those whom we considered the lads.
On one occasion Michael and I had discovered a store of beer and bottled drink, hidden near a pub in Aylesbury’s Crown pub. We helped our selves to this drink and took it upon our selves to lay claim to it. How ever one lad, Brian Sale saw our drink and went and told all the other lads that were outside the pub. At this I saw red and had to deal with the situation because all the other lads went and helped themselves to OUR store of beer. I felt quite right to hit this lad Brian Sale, so that was what I did, in front of all his mates, and I knocked him to the ground.
Off to Margate Bank Holiday
On one occasion we set off to Margate, on one Bank holiday. This was a custom amongst our generation of Mods. We all seemed to migrate to Yarmouth, Margate or Brighton. This was Whitsun bank holiday.
Webley air gun and the Bubble Car
1966 and Mod and Rocker riots were common. On this trip to the coast my brother was true to form he had borrowed a 22 Webley air pistol, from Pat Jones and was determined to have a good time. He had fired the occasional pop shot at one or two girl’s bottoms, which cause many amusements to us all. This was not what I would have normally done because I remember
how shocked I was at 11 years old. A boy I recalled some boys having air gun fights in the woods on the way home from school in Garston. I thought then how dangerous and stupid it was. However her was my brother older than I acting fearlessly. I just went along with it suppressing my natural cautiousness.
As we past through the various towns in London the air pistol was used to cause alarm. (As I write I shrivel up at the thought of what was done) We found it amusing to shoot at ladies bottoms as their reactions of shock was funny. As we passed through Lewisham several people must have reported the mystery air gun shooter and at least one lady was wounded.
Caught by the Police
Traffic police on route to Margate stopped us. These men briefly searched our car but found nothing suspicious and let us go. My brother had hidden the pistol just in time and we did not allow this close shave stop our adventure. Persons (girls) bathing at night were targets for our folly and we found it amusing to see and here a scream from a female. It was not intended to wound or harm but that really was inevitable.
Our BMW Bubble Car
Our BMW 350 cc Bubble Car
During this weekend we moved on to Ramsgate and again moved with a spirit of naughtiness decided to steel a tray of peaches from a fruit and vegetable shop. The bubble car was to be used as the get away car. The shop was half way down a hill with houses on either side of the road, it was decided I should take the peaches and my brother to drive the get away car. I lifted the tray of peaches and jumped in the car as it rolled down the hill making a chug, chug, noise-attracting attention. This was our idea of a blag. Naturally we were spotted and reports were made to the police but we did not know this.
Our foolishness was brought to an end when the same traffic police that had stopped us in London, on the way home, picked us up. I could tell from their faces that they had it in for us.
I was granted bail but my brother detained in custody. We had decided that I would say that I had done the shooting and my brother was a sleep. This was to get my brother off a prison sentence as he had already done two spells in detention centres, and two years in Borstal. I had only had a probation order and had an apprenticeship. I thought I would only get a fine but I was wrong.
Our Mum managed to obtain bail for my brother and we appeared in Kent Quarter sessions several months later.
On recollection I can remember a prison officer, at the Rochester Borstal, where I had visited my brother a year previously, had said to me that I would be sent to Borstal if I didn’t watch out. I said. You must be joking. I was sent to Borstal just as he said I would be for confessing to this crime. We were charged with malicious wounding.
On reflection I think my brother was not being a good
brother to me. He should not have let me do it, that is let me take the rap.
Bubble Car blows up
During the time we were awaiting our court appearance we went one night to Bedford in the bubble car. On the way home the bobble car caught light and blew up as the petrol tank was above the engine. We managed to walk to Woburn Green and decided we would have to sleep the night there. After routing through some ones garage we found an old mattress and blankets and there was a newly piled mound of grass on the village green. This was where we made our bed and it was very comfortable. We put up our umbrella that we had rescued from the bubble car and slept soundly until the morning. The police, who wanted to know what we were doing - as if they could not see, woke us up. When we explained the bubble car had blown up they said oh yes they had seen it up the road. So they let us go without any further questions. I arrived at work that morning but was soon to be dismissed because I was due to appear in court and they were not prepared to trust me any more. This was the last of the bubble car as my parents managed to
sell it when we were in prison.
I get the sack
Once my boss Mr Sale found out I had been caught by the police he gave me the sack and so
I had no job and was about to appear in court on charges of malicious wounding and carrying a fire arm without a license. So in revenge I had a plan. I knew where the money and the takings of the shop were stored over night.
Plan a break in
So shortly after this I instructed my apprentice, Pat Jones, to break into the shop where I used to work and had been given the sack, and take the money.
The Break In
Sale and Mellor shop front and rear
His task was to climb on top of the garage roof, lift the tiles off the roof of the shop and break through into the loft, and then the ceiling. Go into the rear toilet and take the money. A great plan so we thought. Then only trouble was that the money bag had not been placed in the spot that I instructed Pat to go to. So he did the job, did not get caught but we got no money.
Canterbury Prison
When my brother appeared in the Kent Quarter Sessions court I pleaded guilty to the charges of malicious wounding and carrying a fire arm without a license and my brother pleaded not guilty on all accounts.
The Fire Arm
The Offending Weapon Canterbury Prison together
I was sentenced to Borstal Training, which meant I could do any time between 6 months to two years. That would depend on me to some degree on how I behaved.
My brother was detained in custody until he appeared
Upon arrival at Canterbury Prison we were taken into the reception hall. Here we were with other newly sentenced young persons and being with my brother made it that much easier for me, and it gave me confidence because he had been to Rochester Borstal, and detention centre on two occasions before and he knew the ropes.
Canterbury Prison
This housed convicted and prisoners on remand and these were persons who were typical of the criminal population of England, at the time.
In this prison we shared our experiences with others who had been sentenced to three, four and six months, and many had already been to approved schools, detention centres and Borstal before. Some were on their second or even third visit to prison. There was an element of excitement and curiosity about what made people like they were?
Canterbury Prison
Canterbury Prison Gates
In the reception hall we were issued with prison clothing. Our fingerprints were taken and photographed and we were each given a number. After this the medical officer (all prison officers were called screws) had inspected us and we were taken to our cell (called a Peter).
At that time we were three’s up. My brother and I and a lad from Liverpool. In this cell we were to remain for a few days until we were issued work. The cell was approximately 12 foot by 9 foot and housed a bunk bed and a single bed. A table, chair, water jug and urinal pot.
At breakfast time we were unlocked and had to line up in single file to collect our food. This was served up on a specially shaped metal tray, which was recessed in three places to retain the food.
A typical breakfast would be a scoop of porridge, four slices of bread, a knob of margarine, a sausage or piece of bacon with beans and a large mug of tea.
The bread dipped in porridge became one of my favourite meals but on one occasion this practice of dipping bread in my porridge offended one inmate (when I was in Dover Borstal) he expressed he thought what I was doing was a disgusting habit. I just ignored him with contempt.
One of the ways we past time, when locked up in the cell, was to play “Blind Mans Buff”. One of us would be blindfolded whilst the other two crept about and hid from the other, while the blind man tried to catch the others. There were all sorts of places to hide in such a small cell. We enjoyed this game we would jump from bed to bed which made the game that much more fun.
Moved to different cells
Initially Michael and I were in the same cell, with the lad from Liverpool but then were then transferred to different cells. I was transferred to a cell with two other people while Michael into a cell on his own. He hated being on his own so we agreed that I would swop places with him so didn’t have to spend all his time on his own. I didn’t mind a solitary cell.
In the cell that I was transferred too there were two older prisoners, and one of them had mercilessly tormented the previous inmate the had shared the cell with them. He had in fact tied him up, put his feet in the wash bowl, and set light to him. He was transferred out of that cell for his own safety. I was transferred to this cell.
I had to save myself from such bullying and this is how it occurred. On one occasion, when the evening tea was being served, I had to retaliate to a threat. This response to a threat helped prevent me from being bullied.
What happened was that the inmate whose job it was to was serve tea, came with one of the screws to our
cell and poured the tea into my cup. Every one in the prison knew who this prisoner was. He was in fact a Fair Ground boxer and had a reputation that ensured that no messed with him. Men would enter the boxing ring, at the fair, and try to win a few rounds with the champion, in order to win money. This man was the fairground champion.
Well on this occasion he either deliberately or accidentally spilt the tea, as he poured it, and it missed my cup, so I simply said sorry. He in retaliation looked at me and fiercely said watch out. Well I was feeling low, and felt this response was unacceptable to me, so I turned on him and said he had better watch out as I was not prepared to put up with that kind of talk. He just looked at me, gone out. I don’t think any one had spoken to him like that. Well that stopped any further intimidation and I was able to survive by my wits.
On the days we were not working, each morning and afternoon was exercise. This was where all the inmates walked as a body around the prison yard. No doubt each prisoner looked at the high walls and every building looking for a possible way to escape. During this time we could talk with whom we pleased, those that attempted an escape were made to wear yellow patches, so they could be spotted easily. These times became a time of communication and formed the prison grape vine
Hair style change
On one occasion I decided to change my hairstyle. So during the wash period my brother removed the safety edge from the Government Issue razor and was able to shave my head. It was much easier to wash in the mornings with no hair and much fresher. However I had gone against the prison rules and was put on a Governors report and put in solitary confinement for a period of time.
At the meal time it cause an amusing stir and I was to get laughed at when one of the cooks slapped a handful of strawberry jam on my baldhead. After this when my hair grew a little I was able to razor a parting in my hair which was really the beginning of the hair fashions for the skin head.
What sentence have you got?
I could not help but notice the various characters and the first points of conversation were “What sentence had you got and what was your crime, or crimes”. After this an inquiry would be made as to your previous convictions and prison sentencing.
Our time at Canterbury came to and end when my brother was found guilty and was sentence to two years prison at the Kent Crown Court.
I was a witness at his trial and was detained in the cells below the courtroom. When my brother was brought below, handcuffed to a prison officer, I was shocked and
On that occasion my mother was not allowed to see either of us and we were taken from the cells in Kent back to Canterbury prison that dark wet night. As we approached the prison gate I saw my mum with tears in her eyes out side the prison gate. We both waved and motioned to the prison officer to say she had come to see us and his reaction was, “So what, she can’t see you because you are now prisoners”. She had not got a visiting permit. She had travelled from Kent to Canterbury late that night to try and see us but she was rejected.
From that time we hated that prison officer called Titmouse. He was about 6 foot 7 inches tall. My brother, weeks later, after we were separated laid into this screw because of the hate. He head-butted him (nutted) and of course was on a governor’s report and put in solitary confinement. This I heard through the grape vine when I was at Wormwood scrubs awaiting my allocation to Dover Borstal.
Wormwood Scrubs
I was moved from Canterbury Prison to Wormwood Scrubs in London, which was a Borstal allocation centre. After a period of four weeks it was decided I
The Scubs
Wormwood Scrubs Dover Borstal (The Citadel)
We were allowed to go to church on a Sunday, which I did to break the monotony. How ever I remember when I was in Wormwood Scrubs I was horrified by the fact that I saw some inmate tearing a page out of the bible to role a cigarette. This was probably the first sense of me acknowledging the existence or fear of God.
News via the grape vine
Whilst in the Scrubs I heard news of Michael, from an inmate who also came from Canterbury prison. I was told Michael had taken his revenge on one of the Screws called Titmouse. It was this screw who had been unsympathetic to our mum when she had travelled all the way, from Kent Quarter Sessions court, to Canterbury Prison to see us, that rainy night , after my conviction and Michaels remand. He showed no concern for our mum.
This screw was over 6 feet tall and intimidated inmates. Well Michael was not prepared to put up with him any more, and one day he head butted him and knocked him out . Of course he was put in solitary and dealt with by the system. This was the kind of news that travel quickly via the prison grape vine, from prison to prison.
How to deal with bullying
When at Dover Borstal I was placed in an open dormitory with five other lads. Here I had to learn to survive. There was a 6 foot 6 inch Lad nicked named Te Oh who was bullied mercilessly, by a 5 foot 6 spectacled, bottle job, called Vince Bowker. I saw this bullying the moment I arrived and Te oh was made to do this, do that, and he would say yes Vince, no Vince and so on. Hoping to get off lightly and an easy life. This went on for weeks and I felt sorry for Te oh. In
the end Te oh turned and lashed out at Vice Bowker in anger and threaten to it him. That put stopped to that. I was determined I was not going to let that happen to me. I stood my own ground whenever I sensed any one trying to bully me. I was in fact nick named Flash Tindale because I acted as though I owned the place and I had all kinds of goodies like, cocoa, coffee, milk and sugar and even Ovaltine and had one of the Senior Green Ties ( an inmate getting ready for release) make me Ovaltine in the morning.
Borstal Boy
Film Clip from Scum
This is a film made about life in Borstal featuring Ray Winston. This is a real to life story here ins the link
Borstal Boy.
Scum this is a classic movie (Click here to view)
One bully, 6 footer, was moved into our dormitory because he had mercilessly bullied another inmate, who in fact was a married man. He had asked for solitary confinement to get away from being bullied, so the screws decided to put this lad in with me. We got on well until I one morning I decided to have a joke with him. I tied his shoelaces together for a joke, but he didn’t see it that way. When he realized who it was that did it he was in a raging temper and he threw these tied shoes at me in anger. They hit me and gave me a black eye. The he came at me As he came at me to hit me. I was quick enough to take a defensive position and I to hit him right on the jaw. That knocked him down to the ground. After that he kept out of my way and the screws could see my black eye I had but just ignored it. I think they must have known how to deal with bullies.
Electrical Installation Course
Whilst at Dover I went on a six months training course doing Electrical Installations and I worked really hard obtaining top marks every week and I use to be rewarded half an ounce of tobacco for coming top of the class. I traded this with an inmate for his ration of milk each morning and cornflakes and an egg each Sunday morning.
Dover Borstal
Dover Borstal (The Citadel)
We had to attend church on a Sunday and were would be marched to church in whatever the weather. We would have to be dressed in our best gear after Sunday morning inspection. I remember I had no sense of respect for God or anything like that. In fact when the vicar Rev. Whally took us for talks before we were to leave Borstal I can remember ridiculing him in front of all the inmates. I thought it was a huge joke.
Paternity Suite
Whilst serving my time in Borstal I was served with a summoned to appear in court to answer a paternity
suit. A former girl friend was pregnant and I presume the Social Services had made her declare whom the father of the child was in order to get the finances but I am not sure as I never spoke to her about it. In fact I do not remember knowing any thing about it until I had to appear in court. The first time in court I admitted I was the father because I could have been even though I knew she had been with other men. At the time. I was ordered to pay maintenance out of my three shillings and six pence a week, at the rate if one shilling and three pence per week. I had no idea of the serious nature of being a father or bringing up children or any idea of taking responsibility for my actions.
My mother how ever was very anxious and after listening to the evidence given by the girl, she maintained it was not possible for me to be the father, as the timing of the events did not fit. She encouraged me to appeal and she really fought the case for me. This I did and with the aid of a Solicitor the girl had to prove I was the father of the child. When I look back it must have been humiliating for the girl because she had to explain when and where these events took place. My defence solicitor asked where the event or events took place. With incredulity he questioned her how could things take place in a bubble car, in the daylight. This I think on reflection was humiliating for her.
The suit was not proven and I was released from the charge. My probation officer Mr Moorland Hughes
asked me many years latter, when I became a Christian and had to appear in court over my confessions to many crimes, “Was I the father of the child”, I replied I might have been.
The child was called David and my mother say’s he had ginger hair. She had seen him out with his mother in Aylesbury whilst I was still in Borstal. He must be around 33 years old now.
I met all kinds of lads here in Borstal, car thieves, burglars, forgers, and gamblers. None of us had any idea for the reason of our existence but were probably looking for the best in life never finding it.
When I was released I was determined to have a good time. I wanted the best clothes, a good car, a speedboat, and a caravan. You name it I wanted all these things and intended to obtain them by one means or another. I had learned many criminal ways and had no intention going straight. I just had no intention of getting caught at any crime I may choose to be involved in.
My release from Borstal
I was released from Borstal a year later and it was during this time I began to get into all kinds of things and criminal activities in Aylesbury.
My Gold Mini
My first car 850 CC Mini
I bought my first real car for £100 when I came out of Borstal. It was a gold mini 850 cc.
Home leave from Borstal
About 6 weeks before I was released from Borstal I was given home leave and the first thing I did was meet up with some of my former friends who knew both Michael and I. David King and Brian Collier both took
Returning to Aylesbury
When I had been released from Borstal I felt very cocky and was not prepared to take any nonsense from anyone. On my first visit to the Queens head, low and behold, Alan Dodd was there and he was with the girl (Liz Brown) who had taken me to court over the illegitimate child. We greeted each other and he realised, from the way I spoke I had just been released from Borstal because every other sentence of mine was peppered with, you know what I mean, or, do you know what I mean.
When we went to the toilet he came too and referred to the incident of the paternity suite and said he aught to hit me for it but let just keep things as they were as he was now in a relationship with the Girl.
A suit made
It was at this time I went to the Crombie Shop, just off Kingsbury Square and had a Mohair suit made to measure but to my disappointment it never fitted properly despite may tries by the manage to have it altered to fit
me. When Michael came out of prison he decided we should visit this shop and deal with the manager Terry. I talk about this later.
Government Training Centre Enfield
When I was sentence to Borstal I was assessed, in terms of my intellectual abilities, so that I would be sent to the most suitable Borstal. I wanted to train as a television engineer but the education department deemed me not intellectual enough, as I was poor and maths and English. So they sent me sent to a Borstal that offered Electrical Installations, which was a craft course not needing too much intellectual abilities. On this note, I talk from experience and now my qualifications, that Dyslexic people are very astute and can understand electronic so don’t be put down or off by those who think other wise. I understood electronics, how circuits worked even though I could not really read or write.
It was due to my mothers insistence and tenacity that she managed me to get on the course at Enfield even though I was three months late. They thought I was not cleaver enough. I very pleased that I proved her right and came top of the group, in everything I did, in terms of practical work and the City and Guild examination. It also confirmed by believed that Government officials sucked.
I build a 4 valve superhet Radio
Seventh Day Adventist
On this course I met a West Indian student , in his 30’s, who was a Seventh Day Adventist, and he believed it wrong to eat pork. He argued that we must keep the Law of Moses, in terms of eating certain foods and the Seventh day Sabbath, which was a Saturday. He put to me an argument that although fruits are fruits a banana in not an orange, nor an apple a banana but they are all fruits. So although days of the week are the same kind as they are all days, only one is the Sabbath. I understood his argument and agreed with him and at the week end, in Aylesbury I would put these things to Mrs Knight who worshipped on a Sunday, the first day of the week. She was unable to answer the argument. It didn’t matter to me as I didn’t care about such things but I felt my student colleague was more right in his approach and more s reasonable. I learned later that the Old Testament Sabbath was only a shadow of the rest we have in Christ. Every day to the Christian is the Sabbath.
I visit Michael in Maidstone Prison
Idecided to visitmy brotherwhowasnowin Maidstone
Prison and I did this when I could. Whilst he was there he met an inmate, a senior man from Cyprus, who told him some fantastic story, which we both believed. We had ideas of being involved in gold smuggling.
Maidstone Prison
Maidstone Prison where Michael was sent Escape from prison
Michael was fed up with prison and wanted to escape so this opportunity to leave the country and smuggle gold was his opportunity.
Michael was due out on home leave and instead of going back to prison voluntarily he absconding. The Cypriot was offering us the opportunity to make money
The plan was that when my brother came out on home leave we he would go to Greece. We had to a contact in London all set up by the Greek man and take it from there. We were all hyped up but there was no such person or arrangements and we felt really let down. The gold smuggling came to nothing so Michael was on the run on the run from the law for a year.
However my Michael decided he could not face going back to prison so he just did not return. He changed his name to Kenny? And managed to stay away from the police for a whole year before being picked up whilst working on a building site in Aylesbury.
I am not me I’m my brother
Michaels new identity enabled him to live work and take up normal life in Aylesbury and he by now had a steady girl friend which really helped to keep him on
the straight and narrow.
How ever, one night while he was in the Crown Pub, in Aylesbury, with his girl friend, Paddy Dun, the local CID suspected he had identified the escaped convict. To verify his suspicion he called out hi Michael. But Michael realised what was happening and ignored the salutation. Paddy then walked up to Michael and said, hi Michael. Michael simply turned round and said no I am David, I’m not my brother. This worked and Michael continued his life of freedom for a whole 14 month, living working and keeping out of trouble with the Police. You see the girl friend did the trick.
At this time I was doing a Government training course in Enfield Middlesex and Michael got some work with a shop fitting company and worked in London. He decided he would live above the shop, which was near Kings Cross, where they were working and so I was able visit him during the week.
For a bit of fun one morning we decided to go to the cafe down the road dressing in our pyjamas and dressing gowns. Bringing with us our own cornflakes. We went into the shop and asked for breakfast bowls and milk and sugar. This seemed a funny thing to do and it all went down well.
Michael soon got fed up being there on his own so he decided he was leaving.
So one night we took all the companies tools and equipment and returned to Aylesbury where our parents lived.
During this time I renewed friendship with Pat Jones and we did many things together. My brother had got a girlfriend now and I was seeking to have a good time.
On one occasion I showed Pat Jones the powerful effect of chloroform and knocked him out so he was unconscious. Moved by my strange sense of humour I cut several chunks of hair from his head and when he came too he had no idea what I had done. I found it great fun when I took him home and saw his mother’s face. Of course he had no idea what she was upset about. I just left and got out of the way laughing to my self.
It was after this that Pat Jones got the first skinhead hair cut in Aylesbury. No one would normally cut all their hair off it just was not yet fashionable. He did it and I was proud of him. I am sure he set the trend of the Skinhead fashion.
Mods, Skinheads, Greasers at Yarmouth
On one bank holiday weekend in 1969, when I was working for Radio Rentals in Hemel Hempstead, Pat Jones and I decided to go to Yarmouth and meet with the Aylesbury Mods, later called skinheads.
I took my firms Ford van in which we would sleep
Greasers were motor bikers who would fight with knives and motorbike chains. It was a very similar to the ModsandrockersyouseeinTheWhofilmQuadraphenia. They were the sworn enemies of skinheads.
Mods on a bank holiday Weekend
Mods at Margate and news reports
This company of Greasers had come across Pat Jones and his crowd when out on the sea front in Yarmouth and they were combing the area for skinheads, to pick a fight with. There were too many of them and Pat Jones and the crowd was on the run and I was happily asleep in the back of the van quite safe. Or I would have been
had not Pat Jones came running up to the van shouting and screaming to get out and run or do some thing. He ran off just having just called attention to these Greasers. As I looked up and came too and looked out of the van window I could see a crowd of Greasers grinning and running towards the van. They knew they now had a victim in a van. I was concerned it was the firms van so had to get away. There wasn’t much I could do so I locked the doors quickly and jumped into the driver’s seat hoping to drive. Unfortunately I was awkwardly parked. As I tried to start the engine a great whack came from the roof of the van. The van was hit a number of times with motorbike chains and I heard shouts of glee. Then they began to rock the van seeking to turn it over. They lifted it and rocked it as I tried to drive forward then backwards. I must have hit one or two as I managed to gut get away in time for a beating. That was all thanks to Pat Jones!
This how ever was all part of our fun getting into scrapes of one kind or another. On the way home that week end we decided to tow a four wheeled sea side bike back to Aylesbury so I got Pat Jones to ride the bike whilst we towed this bike all the way from Yarmouth to the outskirts of Norwich before deciding to lead it outside a pub as I began to realize we would be captured by the police going through London. It was all good fun and it made us laugh.
Newquay Here we come
It was the summer of 1968, shortly after my brother had been released from prison and I had served time in Borstal. We had decided to go on a holiday. He had become friendly with a girl called Karen Mead but that did not stop our plans. We were going to go off with no plans to return. Michael had a nice long wheeled base Bedford van. This was fitted out with our equipment to live and we fitted a double mattress on the roof with a tarpaulin like tent. This was to be our sleeping arrangement. It was decided we would make our way to Newquay in Cornwall as I remembered going there with my parents when I was 16 years old. That year the sun was hot, the surfing was good and a really nice summer. We were off to seek the sun.
Our Bedford Van
This is where we slept for 6 weeks
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour
I had been to Newquay before and I told Michael all about it. It was the place to go for surfing and to seek the sun. The Beatles had been there before us and stayed at the Atlantic Hotel and were filming their notable film Magical Mystery Tour. The Beatles stayed at the Atlantic Hotel in Newquay. They booked into The Atlantic Hotel in Newquay on Tuesday 12 September 1967 and left on Friday 15th. Newquay was a famous place to go on holiday and we knew why.
The Atlantic Hotel Newquay
The Atlantic Hotel where the Beatles stayed
Our Holiday to Newquay
Newquay the place of the Sun
Our first mischief that we planned but fail to do was the stealing of a speedboat, moored in the water at Barnstable. That evening we had planned to swim out to the boat and cut its moorings and float it down river to load on a trailer. That after noon we borrowed tools from a workshop and got some welding done to make a tow bar for the van. We needed a tow hitch to drive away with the stolen speedboat and trailer that night.
All went to plan until that night when we got the trailer ready but when we looked at the cold dark water, it being pitch black, we both lost our bottle and decided to call it off. We left Barnstable disappointed.
I am a waiter at the Gull Rock Hotel
Our first bit of work was to work in “The Gull Rock Hotel” in Newquay. I was a waiter and my brother was
a kitchen porter. I had never been a waiter before but soon picked it up.
We were given sleeping quarters but we soon realized this kind of work and life was not what we wanted. The hours were unsociable hours. So the next morning we decided not to go to work, just stay in bed. We made a huge joke of it and expected to get the sack.
Sure enough we were knocked up when it was realized we were late but still we did not surface. When we decided to get up we went to the chef believing we had got the sack and so to collect or pay. To my surprise they hadn’t sacked us but had just thought we had too much to drink the night before and were prepared to over look the sleep in. I said no we would leave and we each got the £1 each we had earned for the day’s work.
In or mischief we went back to the sleeping quarters the next day where the girls were sleeping and jumped into bed with two of the girls. They didn’t want this really and made a bit of a protest but before we left the manager’s wife had been informed and came to see what was happening. As she came into the bedroom we were seen in bed with Angela the chambermaid. The manageress screamed, “Oh! Angela how could you”. The girl got the sack and I felt really bad about that afterwards.
Shortly after this we decided to rob a petrol station to get some money. My brother tried to disguise him self
by wearing a long girls wig but this made him stand out even more because he was flat chested and had no hips like a woman and this attracted attention rather than do the opposite. That idea was discarded so I decided I would take the money. When the attendant was looking after a motorist I crept up to the till and took the notes and ran away behind some building. Then quickly dressed in an old overall coat and then walked slowly away without being noticed.
We return home to Aylesbury
In the end I noticed my brother writing to his girl friend and somehow we decided to return home to Aylesbury.
After this I began to spend time with Pat Jones as my brother got more involved with his girl friend. Pat Jones and I got into all kinds of things, which I will mention later on. I was 20 years old and he was just 16 years so he began to learn many things off me, all which was probably bad for him.
It was after this I managed to get a job with Radio Rentals in Hemel Hempstead
This was a good job and at 20 years old I was the only Colour TV Engineer in the Hemel Hempstead branch and with a company car.
A marriage in Gretna Green
Michael was in love with his girl friend but she was just 16 years old but her parents would not agree as he was on the run from prison. Not that they knew that, as he had change his identity and name. So Michael and Karen left for Gretna Green and planned to marry as soon as they could. This was because you could legal marry at the age of 16 with parents consent. How ever Karen got cold feet and ran away and their relationship ended after that event.
Michael then sold his house in Bracknel, moved to Spain, and lived a life in the sun on his Bob Cat Catamaran. This eventually got damaged in a hurricane and in 1974 I spent my summer holiday, helping him repair the ship in Denier Harbour.
Our trip to Shoreham
About this time Ken Knight wanted to go sailing in Brighton so we agreed to go on the sailing trip to Shoreham near Brighton. This weekend we sailing with Ken and Grace Knight. I took Mary Bilton, a girl friend of mine, Bernie Gilbert and Alison Knight and Pat Jones. Whilst we were there Mrs. (Grace) Knight went off to stay with a Christian friend in Brighton. Not that I knew that at the time I just thought she did not like sailing and it was a Sunday and she wanted to go to church.
The History of the Jews and 1967
We were all invited back to this Christian mans home. He was called Tom and was a manager of an insurance company in Brighton. That afternoon he sat and talked to us all about the bible. I was almost convinced by his talk and began to believe there was more to the bible message than I had ever really liked to admit before. He told us about the history of the Jews and all future events. It was all foretold in the scripture. The history of Israel was recorded and the return of the Jews to the land of Israel in 1967 was clearly a sign of the last days. I have learned since then that such prophecy has already been fulfilled.
I was very impressed at what he said. So much so that I began to tell my friends at college the very next week all about it. This made me read parts in Deuteronomy about the curses that would come upon the Jews if they forsook Moses Law and reject the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pat Jones and the Bully
At this time Pat Jones was in his final year at school and he informed me of a bully who would relentlessly give him grief at school. The school was the Grange Secondary Modern School in Aylesbury. The school I had attended until June 1966.
One day at the evening youth club held at the school I decided we would sort this bully out so I instructed Pat ‘ Bones” to do as I said. I was dressed in my long Crombie over coat, which my mum had altered for me,
and inside I kept a large long rubber torch, which was ideal for use as a cosh. Not too hard to break the skull and not too soft to do no harm. Just about right to knock some one on the head and possibly knock them out.
This was the plan. We were to go to the youth club and search out this bully. The Grange youth club was held behind the school buildings in some prefabricated buildings. It was early evening and not too dark and a few people were around. Here we looked out for the bully.
I gave Pat Jones the large heavy rubber torch and said to him when he sees the bully he must call out to him, “ Come here” and walk towards him. When he came right up close he was to shout at him the words, “ I have had enough of your nonsense and if you don’t watch out I am going to set Dave Tindale on to you”. He was then to point in the direction away from him so at to make him turn around and say’ “ look he is over there”. When he turned around he was to hit him on the head, as hard as he could with the torch. Then say, “ Now I am going to do it again and roar at him.
The plan went perfectly. We saw the bully dressed in a Denim Jean jacket he had slight ginger hair. I am sure his nickname was Ginger) .I had never met him before. Pat Jones shouted out to him and sure enough the bully came walking like a gorilla with his arms swinging by his side. Almost running to get at Pat Jones eager to get him. I was happy because this was where he was
going to get the treatment. Pat did exactly as instructed. He said look over there and as he turned around Pat walloped this bully hard on the head. Every eye was on the two in conflict. The bully was stunned and his hands went up to his head to hold it as it hurt. Then Pat shouted at him to say he was going to give it to him again and sure enough the bully ran away as predicted. I encouraged Pat to chase after him to make sure he now knew his place. Every one looking on looked in amazement.
From that day forward Pat Jones had no more trouble from that bully. I felt quite satisfied in dealing this way with the bully.
How would Jesus have us deal with bullies today? This is a real problem to parents in a world of violence like to day. I was not a Christian but this remedy actually worked in Pat Jones’s case.
Conversion from Crime to Christ
Having worked through and experience many things I often thought about life and its meaning. I could recall the absolute emptiness of my soul after going out for the evening and coming home. All was empty and what was the point to it all. I was seeking an answer to life, the universe and every thing.
A Bad LSD Trip
The following is an account, taken from memory and notes made of my experience of conversion to Jesus Christ on Friday, 16th January 1970.
Towards the end of 1969, I was continuing my studies at Luton College, learning Radio and Television Servicing. We would often engage in discussions and it was quite easy to divert our lecturer onto subjects like spiritualism and the like. We would discuss what we would do if another world war came. We would talk about the future, as portrayed by Nostradamus, drugs and our experiences. At that time I was informed of a new film called Easy Rider and wanted to see it. On one occasion I obtained some hashish, mixed with opium and smoked this during our break time. This was so effectual I made use of the sick room at college to sleep and enjoy the illusionary effects of the drug, which amused my student friends.
On another occasion in January 1970 I had obtained 4
tablets of LSD from Peter Coppenhall, a student friend from Bedford, he was one of my fellow students at Luton College, and I decided to take them the following Friday night, 16th January 1970
On this Friday night my brother I decided to each took half a tablet and Pat Jones had a quarter. He had been a close friend of mine (he was only just 16 years old) for some time and I use to think of him as my apprentice. I taught him all my bad ways. There was little we did not do together. I had known him whilst he was at school and encouraged him in crime, sniffing chloroform, smoking (marijuana, hashish, weed etc.) Drunkenness, violence and permissive sex. He was known amongst our friends as Bones, Patrick Bones.
My brother was going out that night with his girl friend Karen Mead so Pat Jones and I decided to walk up town and not risk driving for we did not know the effect this drug would have on us. I was dressed in my old clothes deliberately for I did not know what might happen too us. We tried to thumb a lift but eventually caught a bus and got off at the bottom of the High Street. As we walked past the pictures I noticed the film Easy Rider was being shown so we decided to go and see it.
The Film
Easy Rider Film
We wanted to take some one else with us, some one who was in their right state of mind, so we went up the billiard hall and found Bernie Gilbert and Mike Ellis but they said they would only come and watch the film with us if they too had some acid. I decided this was OK, and so we got a taxi back to my house to get the rest of the Acid. Bernie had half a tablet and Mike Ellis the other quarter. So all four of us were about to trip on acid whilst watching the film Easy Rider. We arrived back at the pictures about 8.45 P.M. and I fumbled a bit with my ticket as the acid had begun to take effect. Bernie and Mike suggested we go and sit up in the balcony but I thought to my self, what if we decide to jump off? I was tripping now and just followed them up
I did not realize how tripped I was until the film had finished in fact the film records Peter Fonder and his friend actually on an LSD trip. During the film the acid had taken me on a very pleasant trip in time with the music. It was almost as if the film crew had deliberately filmed the film for me. They seemed to know how to give the correct lighting and sound effects. How ever Bernie and Mike seemed to be jumping about all over the place and it was irritating. I still was sitting in my seat when all the people had gone, before I decided there was nothing more to do. So we decided to up and go but Mike and Bernie were annoying me because they were mucking about.
All my thoughts and feelings began to reverberate four times over and thought patterns were being reflected and at the same time building and snowballing.
We walked outside the cinema and I said to the boys, Man you are all on the wrong scene you can’t be turned on. Then I heard Mike and Bernie say he’s turned into a wizard (Hippie) and there was a club room for wizards like me (The Dark Lantern Pub in Aylesbury). I then began a downward trip, which ended in the horrors. I began to feel paranoid thinking they were now sorry for me and were being polite in hiding their feelings from me.
We decided to go to the Crown pub and Brian Sale came up to me and spoke but I was out of my mind by now with this feeling of paranoia and could not speak sensibly and came out with a load of nonsense, so I had to say quickly I was drunk because I didn’t think he would understand other wise.
I then saw Michael sitting with his girl friend and I went up to him and told him what was happening. He laughed and motioned to wined me up like a clockwork toy and then my mind began to distort so much so I had to run out of the pub to get away. Pat Jones followed me and I kept thinking the others were following us. I kept looking back as I didn’t want them following me as they annoyed me. We left the Crown pub and walked towards Mount Street, via Richford’s Hill and along
The torment of my mind had grown so much that I could not bare the pain but I could not get rid of the torment. Ken and Grace Knight lived at Mount Street. We went down there with no real aim and as I arrived just outside their house Jock Macallion, another friend of mine, was about to leave and drive off. I jumped in besides him and told him my situation. After telling him I was tripped out of my mind I was thinking he would take me home and as I was about to ask him he said, Dave you are a worried man. I knew this and I now thought, so did every one else and being told that did not help me at all.
My mind was about to blow so I had to run again. I jumped out of the car and into 24 Mount Street where Ken and Grace were. I wanted to escape and so I told them my plight but I could not explain to them what was happening to me. Grace Knight recalled she thought I was in serious trouble and began to question me. This didn’t help so I had to say forcefully I must have peace so they took me out to the summerhouse to lie down in peace.
No one seemed to understand the torment of mind I was in and no one could help me at all. I told Mrs Knight to leave me alone to work it out on my own and let me lie down. Then the torment got worse. I knew
it was only the LSD doing it but I could do nothing about it. I would have to wait till it had taken its course. I thought it could be 12 hours or so but to me each moment seemed like an eternity of torment and I could not endure this any more.
I lay down and tried to settle my mind by thinking good thoughts and different things but my mind would not be controlled. The thought came, I may be driven to kill myself to get rid of the pain. I was horrified at the thought and the more I tried to stop thinking like it the more I thought about it. I looked around to see if there was a mirror or glass in the room and wanted to get rid of it just in case I cut my throat or wrists. I just did not know what to do I was at the end of my self.
In this condition it was evident I could not help myself. My friends could not help; my brother had not helped. Mr and Mrs Knight couldn’t help, and I could not help myself.
In this desperation it came to me to call out to God for help. So I cried out calling on the Lords name saying, Jesus please help me. At that moment my mind went blank and his name appeared in the imagination of my mind but the torments soon came back again. I called out again and his name appeared twice and the happening repeated. I called four times in all and his name appeared four times and formed a square in complete emptiness.
I then began to feel emotional and wept but I didn’t
know why, and at that moment Mrs knight came to the chalet door to see if she could help. It was then, at that, a flood of guilt overcame me. I was convicted of the sin of Adultery and did not know what to do. I beckoned to Mrs Knight to come in and said to her did she realize how bad I was and what I had done. I asked her to tell me the way what could I do.
Mrs Knight had spoken to me about Christian things and some how I knew she knew the way. Mrs Knight sat down and quoted the scripture saying, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that who so ever believed on him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3 verse 16).
Dave I am with you
After this Jesus spoke to me. I heard his voice, as clearly I am writing this he said, “Dave I am with you. You have been searching for a long time, this is what our Father says. What you have been going through is nothing compared to what hell is like. I replied with thanks giving saying thank you, Jesus thank you.
Mrs knight I thought that I was speaking to her she but she did not know what was going on.
It seemed that the words that Mrs Knight had spoken, were in fact the way out and pathway to my escape. It appeared as though I was at the bottom of a pyramid and the words were the way to the top and if I were to
follow the words I would escape. I replied, thank you Jesus thank you.
I then thought of hell and my thoughts were about Pat Jones, Bernie Gilbert and Mike Ellis and I said what about the others. Jesus spoke again and said, all I could do was tell them.
I replied feeling it an impossible thing to do to convince them but, what more could I do? I was feeling the agony of the LSD horrors and knew I wanted to warn my friends of the hell to come. I reasoned within my self they will think I have gone mad on LSD how could I convince them, I wanted to do more than tell them. I asked what more could I do.
All I could do was tell them
In order to answer my question the Lord took me back in time to show me all I could do was tell them. A number of weeks earlier I had reason to read about the curses that were to come on the children of Israel if they forsook their God. Deut. 28 v 53. And though shall eat the fruit of thine own body. (I knew nothing about the back ground to these things) I thought it was saying people would be so hungry and having no food to eat a woman would be driven to eat her own after birth. Which of course was shocking. With this in mind these weeks earlier I was trying to shock this girl at work. I was working for Radio Rentals as a Colour TV engineer and I said to this receptionist how would she like to
To these questions Mrs. Knight thought I was asking her, because I was speaking aloud, but before she could answer I had been answered directly from the Lord.
When Jesus stopped speaking I felt as though I was falling back into my torment and I prayed again, Please don’t leave me. His reply was, I will never leave you.
Why Boast
Jesus then questioned me and asked me, Why boast. This is because I was naturally prone to boasting among my friends, just to make a good impression. I reason within myself now and now knew I had no need to boast of anything. So from that day I have always avoided boasting.
The next day was Saturday and I was due in to work but I decided to take the day off. I phone in to work briefly saying I was not up to work.
What after Salvation
Pat Jones had spent the night in the caravan parked at the side of the Knight’s home, together with Paddy who had no where else to live. We spent that day together and I told them both of my experience. I assumed and expected them to fully understand and see what had happened.
Instinctively things were different with me. An internal change had come about and by it I had new desires. I no longer wished to live as I had lived and wished to be rid of my bad ways. No one told me I had to give up any particular way of life, I found within me an internal desire to choose the good and refuse the evil.
Evidence of the new birth
Upon reflection I say this was the evidence of the new birth and I later found this experience spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ in Johns gospel. John 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul also writes the same in Cor. 5 17. Therefore if any man were in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold all things are become new.
I knew also there was a part of me which was just the same and when I would do good evil was also present with me. The Apostle Paul in Romans also expressed
this. Rom. 7 verse 21. I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me.
Whilst this was my experience I found it impossible to convey this to my friends even thou I tried ever so hard.
What to do with stolen Goods
I had in my possession much stolen property. In fact hundreds of pounds worth of stolen goods. I was no longer prepared to live off the benefits of stolen goods. What should I do? I had involved others in my crime of stealing and these could not help me now. In fact Mike West came to see me the next day and when he heard me explaining Jesus had spoken to me he began to fear I might go to the police and confess my crimes. I did not actually say to him I wanted him to return the Colour TV set, which I had stolen and swapped for his Citroen car but he was concerned, as he did not know what to think.
Poor Mike he must have panicked thinking I was about to go to the police, as he was concerned some of the stolen goods that I had left in his garage were a stolen including the mini engine sub chassis. I don’t remember what happen to these parts but I asked Mike to dispose of them. I was later informed they had been dumped in the reservoir.
That Saturday evening both Pat and I decided to go
to the Social Club at Park Street.
This was the usual thing for us to do on a Saturday night. I had determined to go and see my mates to explain what had happened to me. We walked down there but did not go in. After seeing one or two people I broke my news to them. I cannot remember what I said. I had no desire to stay so went back to the Knight’s home. My inclination to live it up as normal was no longer with me. I now seemed at a loose end not knowing what next to do. From that time forward Pat Jones began to realize things had really changed for me.
The next day, being Sunday, Mrs Knight took both Pat Jones and I to the local Baptist Church in Southcourt, in the evening. I distinctly remember the passage of scripture the preacher spoke from. It was in Exodus where the whole nation of Israel was about to enter the Promised Land. However they listened to the evil reports of the 10 spies and did not take heed to the voice of the two good spies. Who gave encouragement to go in and possess the land? I remember also I saw, whether he preached this or not, that this was a picture of the body of Christ - the church of that day.
I seek to tell others
After the meeting Mrs Knight introduced me to a Martin White who gave me a copy of the New Testament called the Good News for modern man. I began to read this straight away. This I received gratefully and began
Southcourt Baptists
South Court Baptist Church
The following days were spent in the after glow and certainty of this new life that had opened up to me. I thirsted for knowledge, the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. I told the folk at work about my experience and could not remain silent about the things I was learning.
My evenings were spent at Mrs Knight’s home discussing the scripture with some of her Christian friends. Both Pat Jones and Paddy all seemed interested to hear.
My own ignorance, never read the Bible
I am now amazed at my own ignorance then for until then I had never read the bible for myself. I did not
In this respect the Lord Jesus was a true substitute and he died for me without cost at all to me. These were the things, which I learned and as it were drank in like water from the well of salvation. I learned them by reading the scripture and did not know them from the night Jesus spoke to me.
Difference at College
I attended college that week but there was a difference. I had decided I would not dress in my usual clothes to show off. Which would have been Levi jeans, white boots with red toe caps (or whatever colour I chose to spray them), a Ben Sherman shirt and loose leather jerkin. I felt I must not only be more sober but dress more soberly too i.e. Not show off as I use to do.
So I dressed in my best trousers, which were from my Prince of Wales cheque suit, shirt and normal pull over and normal shoes. Of course I had to tell all my friends about my experience. I protested to them look I even dress differently. They could not believe me. I
told one of the lecturers, Mr. Jones, in front of them all but I was just given a smile of wonder.
I tell Rupert
That same week I felt constrained to go and tell my friend Rupert, a West Indian from Jamaica. He lived in a room, at 14 Bicester Road Aylesbury so Pat Jones and I went to see him. As soon as I met him I told him what had happened in front of his new girl friend but Rupert’s reply was, “ I told you Dave not to take LSD “. Again they were none plus, they could not believe even though I tried my best to convince them.
I testify at Luton
In May 1971 I was asked to tell my story to a 400 people at a meeting in Luton and providentially this was recorded. Here is the recording.
(Click here) 22nd May 1971 Converted on LSD
Turning from the world
Being in the world but not of it. It was now wrong for me to continue in the way of life that I had lived in the past. My back was now turned from the world that I once laid hold on, and had built for myself. I was self-seeking
We all have our own worlds to forsake when we become a Christian. Some have a religious world to turn from; as a person may have been born in a religious family or have a circle of religious friends but in their world they have their own natural fallen nature to contend with. Fallen human nature seeks to gratify its desires and as such sin the whole day long. A religious person still has all the workings of a natural man as those who have no religion. Any thought or act, which is born out of selfishness, greed, pride, avarice, thinking evil of others, back biting, slander and prejudice may all be practiced by those in a religious or none religious world. So to forsake the world means to forsake all those thoughts and actions, which are natural to us, and are contrary to the way of Christ.
Religious and none religious persons
need to turn from their world
Some persons have no religion or religious friends, yet they too have natural desires and a fallen human nature, which they seek to please. Ambitions of fame
for its own sake, the love of money, selfishness, the practice of gossip, evil speaking of others, are all to be turned from. It doesn’t matter whether you be in a religious or none religious person we are to world are to be forsaken the world from which we come from when we seek to follow Christ. We are called to be in the world but not of it. This is really what John Bunyan sought to express when he told his story of the man who turn his back on the city of destruction. One of the problems how ever was that his story only described the picture of those who were none religious and the pattern of their life styles. In reality a religious person, one who is not born again, has a pattern and life style, which is equally wrong and such need to be turned from. It is very easy for such a person to think because they do not do certain things that they see people in a none-religious world do, to look down and judge them thinking they are better than them. Not so, we all have a world to turn from. When a person is born again they have an ordinary life natural to them and are part of the natural world but we all must turn from our world in order to follow Christ
Being kept by the power and grace of God
I now had an inward and real desire not to continue in those ways, which I have just mentioned, for they just perpetuated my former sinful self, of which I had enough. A change of heart had taken place. This was the fight. That is not to say I could not be tempted to
What to do with stolen goods
I was now moved by a new set of principles but here in lay a problem. I had erected a 48-foot by 12-foot wooden builder’s shed on waste ground belonging to the Water Board next door to the Knight’s home at 24 Mount Street. This became my garage and workshop. I had stolen the builders shed from a building sight in Berkhampstead. I had persuaded Mr. Knight to drive his lorry whilst me, Pat Jones and Paddy lifted the shed panels from the building sight late one night.
The Stolen Shed
The shed at Mount Street
In this shed was my newly acquired Citroen DS car, which had formally belonged to Mike West of Wendover. I had swapped it for a colour TV that we had stolen from old peoples home called Redlands, in Winslow. I had some lovely garage equipment which included a trailer, ark welder, trolley jack, air compressor, spray gun, tools, speed boat engines even a stolen car and various other items all of which by one means or another I had stolen or burgled.
My Citroen DS Car
What could or should I do now. I was responsible for at this stuff. Conscience would not permit me to continue to make us of all this stolen gear. What should I do? Should I just dispose of it all and brush the past behind me? How should I dispose of it if I decide to do so? I could not sell the goods for what would I do with the money. Conscience would not allow me to use it. I had in fact so much stolen property go through my hands, which had been disposed of by one means or another, none of it could be recovered anyway.
My Citroen DS that I acquired
Citroen DS except mine was Banana Yellow
I had only just stolen a nice new Mini car, which was about to be used to make me a lovely new car.
A Stolen Mini 1968
The body had been cut up and disposed of in my parents’ garage in Finmere Crescent Aylesbury. (Whilst cutting up the body with the arc welder the hydrolastic suspension fluid caught light a nearly burnt the car and garage to pieces).
The Stolen Mini
My Stolen Mini
I had also another stolen Morris Minor Traveller, which I had swapped the number plates and disposed of the old body. This was and used it as a hire car. I think on reflection with hindsight and the faith I now have in God I would have been able to act differently than I did.
I was able during this time to return one or items of stolen goods. Late one wet night in February 1972 Pat Jones and I loaded the trolley jack into my firms van. I am not quite sure what Pat Jones thought about all this but I drove up to the garage from where I had originally stolen the trolley jack and parked on the forecourt.
Returning the trolley Jack
The garage had been closed for the night (next to the Broad Leys pub on the Wendover Road, Aylesbury) and whilst no one was about I opened the van door and swiftly and quietly lifted the jack and placed it down on the forecourt. We then drove off as fast as we could. I often wondered what did the owner think when it was returned several months later.
The Broad Leys
The Broad Lees Wendover Road
I had no real advisers or any one who really knew the depths of my crimes and the amount of acquired stolen goods I had. I was faced with this problem what ever happens to me was no real concern but I did not feel I could involve others and get them into trouble.
Mike West was very fearful in case I confessed all to the police and he must have been puzzled by what was going on. I had hoped he would have offered me the colour TV back and I would have given him the Citroen back but he wished to keep the Colour TV so I gave him the Citroen any way, as I felt I could not use it.
Dealing with sin and temptation
I did not need anyone to tell me what was right and wrong. I knew the difference and in particular the sin of fornication. This is sexual activity out side of marriage. Sexual temptation was really fierce and strong to me, but by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ I fought the fight against them. So much so that I had to avoid meeting girls because of a natural inclination, which had I given into would not have been good for them or me. The words of Jesus are clear that the very thought of sex with another mans wife was to commit the sin of adultery and I agreed. This area of my life was really difficult to me and would be to any new believer.
God does not love everybody
It was common among Christians to believe that God loved everybody, and enthusiastic people would wear badges saying smile God loves you. As though they felt this was the way to get people interested in the gospel, and to follow Christ. It was the time when Hippies were interested in love, and not war. And if you went to
San Francisco you needed to wear flowers in your hair.
I however had read the scriptures and knew God did not love everybody for it was written Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. And in another place Pharaoh had been raised up as an object of God’s hatred and he was destroyed. It was evident to me there was a lot of ignorance among professing Christians but I did not know how to convey the whole truth of God to people at that time. It would have been more accurate to wear a sticker God is angry with the wicked everyday and more effectual to make people think. The truth is that God loves the elect, those whom He chose in Christ before the foundation of the world. Those who will be damned for their sins were never love by God.
Hippies in the Shed
Pat Jones began to acquire new friends and some were what we called hippies. They smoked pot, took drugs and generally did nothing but think about life etc. We invited them down to Mount Street as I felt it would be right to speak to them about Jesus Christ. About five or six came and they ended up sleeping in the shed.
The stolen shed at Mount Street
Whilst trying to speak the gospel to them I saw no real effect so I was disappointed. Perhaps one day I will see some fruit. I felt it OK to use the shed to house the hippies. About six lived in the shed for a number of
weeks until they moved on. I thought I was putting it to good use.
My problems were solved by an intervention of God and his hand was clearly seen by all one year later.
This solution came by the knock on the door. It was the c.i.d who had come to arrest me for stealing the colour TV set from “Redfields” old peoples home in Winslow. This is where I started my story in the first Chapter of the book.
Going to Church
During the first few weeks of conversion unto Christ, in February 1970 there were a series of meetings held at Limes Avenue Baptist Church. The person speaking was Mr. Lance Pibworth and a girl called Geraldine Dunbar was being baptized.
Limes Avenue Baptist Church
Limes Avenue Baptist Church, Bedgrove Estate Aylesbury
I saw my first baptism here. After the meeting a man informed the congregation that if any one wanted to talk about any thing or ask questions they could stay behind. On this occasion I had brought Pat Jones and Paddy along to the meeting. I was dressed in my overalls and leather jacket, which I always wore when
working on cars- I wasn’t dressed up at all. I knew God did not look on the outward appearance but man may do so it did not bother me that we were not dressed for the occasion. I asked to see the minister Mr Sibthorpe and we three were invited into his study. I explained to Mr Sibthorpe about my conversion and wanted him to confirm that what I was saying to Pat Jones and Paddy was in fact true. On that occasion I half expected him to baptize me, there and then. I was under the impression, from reading the scripture, a minister of Christian were under direct command to baptize new believers as soon as they believed. I was very disappointed that he did not command me to be baptized that night. I knew nothing of church membership, modes of baptism, doctrinal distinctions and the like only that I should be baptized.
Shortly after this I met a man called Charley Tweedy, of the Church of Christ meeting (it is now a Seventh Day Adventist Church) at Stoke Mandeville Road, Aylesbury. He maintained that unless you are baptized you couldn’t be saved.
He held some kind of responsible position in this Church so I explained to him about my conversion after which he gave me his telephone number to ring him if I needed too. I knew he was wrong about baptism but felt constrained to speak to him as I reasoned according to him, “ I shall be damned if I die today if I am not baptized”. I felt the need to reassure him that was not the case and he need not worry. When I rang him he
seemed non plus nor moved with concern that I was not yet baptized. Again I was disappointed.
I attend various churches
I had not been accustomed to go to any particular church but did go to a Sunday night meeting with Mrs. Knight. This was the Assemblies of God; Pentecostal church meeting at Rickford’s Hill and Pastor Baker was the minister. Here I was received without any question and made to feel welcome. This was also the church
Cyril Bryan went to and where I met Barry Crown.
Church of God near Stoke Mandeville
The Church of God
This is where Charlie Tweedy attended Mandeville Road Aylesbury
Rickford’s Hill Assemblies of God
Richford’s Hill, Aylesbury Assemblies of God Church Building
Giving a testimony
On one occasion I was asked to give an up to date testimony as to the Lords dealing with me that week. So dressed as I was, in my working clothes (overalls) not knowing a difference between working days or Sabbath days, I went to the front of the congregation and gave
I had some trouble with my car battery and I needed a new one. The temptation was this. Here was I, passing Adam’s Garage, on the Tring Road in need of a car battery. Just over the fence belonging to the garage were several car batteries. All I had to do was nip over the fence and help my self. This was the way I had thought in the past and would have done just that all one time. Not now. This kind of thinking was the old man of whom I had to continually combat and I knew Satan had a hand in the matter. To avoid this temptation I rebuked the devil and told him to clear off in Jesus name. On that occasion I told them the exact language I had used to the devil. I said to the devil, “Bugger off Satan”. I was quite unaware of the bad language I had used, and a number of years later Barry Crown remembered that Cyril Bryan gently reproved me for my speech. I did not know that I had said any thing amiss so was unaware that I had even been reproved for using bad language. I don’t think I knew what the words meant any way.
I am baptized
I knew from the scripture and believed I should be baptized and I expected Pastor Baker of the Assemblies of God Church to command me to be baptized. I knew this was the command of Jesus and it signified the new birth, which I had already experienced. It also
symbolized my union with the Lord Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection. That through his death I was to reckon myself dead to sin and my former sinful ways and that by his resurrection I was to reckon myself risen with him to the newness of life, which is in him. No one spoke to me about being baptized.
At that time shortly after the Limes Avenue meetings I was taken to another group of Christians meeting at Fleet Street in a large shed. These were West Indians and the Pastor was Mr Bruce from Luton. This group also was having a series of meetings leading up to a baptism. I heard they had permission to use the baptistery at Limes Avenue Baptist Church so I asked Pastor Bruce to baptize me. He said he would and asked me to attend baptism classes that week with other people being baptized.
Fleet Street Pentecostal. Pastor Bruce from Luton was the oversear. I did not know what this was all about but presumed it was to make sure the person being baptized knew what it was all about. I was not told that after the baptism I was expected to join the church meeting at Fleet Street.
Fleet Street Pentecostal
Fleet Street Pentecostal meeting hall
I was baptized (dipped or immersed) upon the confession of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ early one Sunday morning at 7.00 a.m. at Lime Avenue Baptist Church. My friends turned up, Pat Jones, Paddy, Paul Brooks, Mrs. Knight and Mrs. Chapski. Pastor Bruce baptized me in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. Matth. 28 19.
Where Pastor Bruce, of theAssemblies of God Church, meeting at Fleet Street, Aylesbury, baptized me. I say this because I had met some that were teaching baptism was only valid if it was administered in the name of Jesus only. The reason being that they say the name of the Father is Jesus and the name of the Son is Jesus and the name of the Holy Spirit is Jesus. Gordon Smith, of Albert Street, informed me that some considered it was
necessary to be re baptized in the name of Jesus only and that all other baptisms were invalid. I was not impressed by their reasoning and stress upon the singular name of Jesus to the exclusion of the Father and Spirit for Jesus had commanded baptism to be performed in the name of all three persons.
Mormons and Baptism
It was about this time that two Mormons spoke to me, whilst I was on the drive of our home in Finmere Crescent, and they were insisting that my baptism was invalid, as it was not conducted by a person having the right authority.As I had read the scripture and understood what baptism was all about, I realized that these men were wrong. In later years I came across similar views by some Primitive Baptists in the Philippines, but there too were wrong. I had been baptized, according to the terms of the lord Jesus, and that by immersion. My baptism was as valid as if John the Baptist had baptized me himself.
I knew that as far as I could discern from scripture, a man could be dipped, ducked, dragged, drenched, soaked, sprinkled or dribbled with 10 thousand gallons of water it would make not a scrap of difference to his spiritual state. Baptism could not affect the new birth, remove sin or make a natural man a spiritual man for that was the sole prerogative of Him that proceeded from the Father and was sent by the Son. John 15 26.
13. Therefore Baptism could not save a sinner.
Baptism in the Spirit
I soon realized there were few churches in Aylesbury that believed the Baptism in the Holy Spirit was a distinct experience to being born again. I had no reason to doubt this and took it as a truth revealed in the Scripture.
I had no problem with this, as that was how I had read the bible. I actually felt I was baptized in the Spirit when I first believed and Jesus spoke to me. The only thing I seemed to lack was speaking in tongues. This had not happened.
I remember speaking to Mr Sibthorpe, the pastor of the Strict Baptist Church at Limes Avenue, about these things and he gave me an article written by John Stott who denied the Baptism in the Spirit, as I knew it. I was amazed at the way these people twisted and wriggled out of what God had plainly spoken about.
At that time I read as much as I could because this experience was not recognized by any other group of Christians apart from the Elim Pentecostal Churches. The best book that I read, at that time, was by Derek Prince called, “From Jordan to Pentecost”. This gave a very clear and biblical position about speaking in tongues and it being the evidence of the baptism in the
spirit.
The Christian Life
Being converted unto Christ was by no means an outward imposed principle I was not under a set of rules. I was not under any kind of legal fear to serve God. A rule, which says do this and you will be OK. There was no rest in works that I could do. . It was in fact the rule of faith. It was to walk by faith, without which it is impossible to please God.
I was what the scripture describes a, “new man”, with an inward desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. The scripture expressed these as God writing His laws upon the fleshly tablets of the heart Heb 8. 10- 13. I began to read the bible straight away and I read the Good New bible within two weeks of receiving it, which was good going for me who could barely read. I was able to understand most of what I read and thought I understood it all at first.
The Divine nature of Jesus Christ
Before this time I was ignorant of its contents and very soon the principal points of the gospel became very clear to me: The divine nature, or deity of Jesus Christ was essential to understand. Hell was real just as heaven was sure. The actual reality of Adam and Eve and the fall of our first parents. The need for the shed blood of Jesus Christ to remove sin. That salvation and
I remember trying to tell one of my friends about following Jesus saying that I didn’t have to give up any thing to become a Christian. I simple found that I did not want to do certain things any more. It was not difficult. This lad came up to me sometime after this and I am sure he misunderstood me and in front of several other lads said, isn’t it right you don’t have to give up any thing to be a Christian. He was expecting my answer to be no you can carry on just as you are. However I said that’s right you don’t have to give up any thing except sin. This silence him and I think they all got the point
Preaching the gospel not musical entertainment
I learned that Gods way of saving people was through the preaching of Christ and him crucified. That the new birth was a must. What amazed me was the apparent lack of zeal and knowledge of them that had professed faith in Christ. Also how these persons tended to try and entertain people by means of music instead of preaching.
Giving my testimony
On the 22nd May 1972 I was asked to give my testimony to a meeting of people in Luton to about 400 people. I was not sure what the meeting was all about so I simply spoke as I felt right to do. I spoke the gospel as best I could. I was not fully conversant with the doctrines of grace but I was soon to learn the word more perfectly . Providentially this meeting was recorded and may be viewed on:
(Click here) Converted on LSD Trip 1972 Da- vid Tindale
Every day the Sabbath Day
Every day was the Lords day to me, as I awoke I was conscious of the presence of God and when I slept, yea even in my dreams. I knew of no distinctions of days such as holy days or the Sabbath day for I knew these to be abolished or fulfilled in Christ. Jesus Christ being the sum and substance of all the Mosaic Sabbath. He was the body that cast the shadow of Moses Law. Col. 2 16-17.
Authorized Version of the Bible
At the Assemblies of God Church, at Richford’s hill, we had a representative from the Trinitarian Bible Society speak. Mr Cyril Bryan confirmed his belief how important it was to use a good translation of the Bible. It was pointed out to me that the modern versions often
left out or changed the texts of scripture, which clearly taught the deity of Christ. From that time I began to be cautious of new versions and was happy to stick with the Authorized Version. This was helpful because all the books that I had begun to read quoted from the Authorized Version and not modern translations.
Giving money
On another occasion I was attending the evangelical meetings at Fleet Street Pentecostal church and there was an appeal for money to support the young musicians. The man making the appeal was so moving I felt I ought to give all I could. I reached to my pocket and put in the collection plate all that I had. I was giving as unto the Lord. I was given to believe it was for the Lords work and it was needed. I was happy to give. Shortly after this the same steward who had collected the money came back to me from the front of the meeting hall speaking and motioning to me with the roll of notes in his hand saying was I aware how much I had given. I said yes it was OK. It was probably about £200 as I was still use to carrying that sort of money around with me (1970).
Shortly after this at another meeting there was a visiting evangelist called C D Gilbert preaching and he too made similar moving appeals for money. I had also spoken to him about the tattoo on my arm. This was because I regretted having it. He had been saying if I believed God then it would go by a miracle. I asked
I even went to Mr Eric Connet and informed him that this type of talk and action was not genuine. Mr Connet was a preacher at the church and had some influence and could have helped to correct error.
I write this for the sake of any that may feel similar pressure from them who say that God sends them. Not all that is spoken in the name of Jesus is of God.
The Lord loves the cheerful giver. The Lord does not need our money. He wants our hearts. All that we have is His when this is the case. We are stewards of all that we own. I learned like the Sabbath there is no Sabbath day for every day is Sabbath, so with money there is no tithe of 10 percent but all our possessions are the Lords, not just 10 percent.
Doing the work of an Evangelist
I found it my natural desire to preach and speak about Jesus to who ever I could. I remember working on a car in Mount Street one Sunday morning and a crowd of street kids all who I knew were playing around doing nothing. I was dressed in my overalls and leather jacket and I suggested they come with me to church. I decided to take them to a former Brethren Assembly called Granville Street Evangelical. I knew all these lads and realized we were all untidily dressed and that we may not be readily accepted. I knew however the scripture, which taught when you are invited to a meal, then take the lowest seat or place in the room. I decided we should adopt this principle so when we went into the hall, part way through the meeting. We slipped in and I beckoned them all to sit down on the floor. This we did without any noise. These lads were Paul Mitchell, Clifford Atley (Tatty), Michael Tindale and one or two others.
Granville Street Evangelical
A former Brethren assembly
This is where I took the lads from the street to the meeting one Sunday morning. All the eyes of the congregation seemed to be on me. The meeting was stopped and a man came up and sure enough according to the scripture we were invited to sit on chairs towards the front of the meeting room.
Later on in that meeting they had what was called the “breaking of bread”. They were an open communion church and their custom was to allow any believer to partake of the bread and wine. As the bread and the cup passed by they could help them selves. This bread and wine spoke of the death of Jesus till he come again. On this occasion however when the plate and cup came to
I meet Peter Howe minister of the gospel
It was at this time I met Mr Peter Howe, a former pastor at Hearne Bay Evangelical Church, who also befriended my friends Paul and Sue Aston. Paul was a bible student studying at Watford and valued any help he could get. It was soon after this that Mr Peter Howe became the Pastor of the Ivanhoe Particular Baptist Church and Paul and his wife became members.
I was a hyper-Calvinist
Mr Howe made it clear to me he was against what he called Hyper Calvinism which he stated was the position of the Gospel Standard Baptists. It was not possible to make head way with him, as he seemed insistent that he was right. He was what is now called a Fullerite Baptist. He mocked the term “Dead Elect” a term that I understood to refer to the elect who were still dead in their trespasses and sins and had not yet been regenerated. I had no problem with this term and I had heard Mr Hill from Luton, use this from time to time. I was classified by Peter Howe as a Hyper Calvinist.
Doctrinal summery
By this time I had come to a fairly comprehensive knowledge if gospel truth. I had come to believe in the Sovereignty of God. The divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and his eternal Sonship. The value and authority of the Authorized Version of the bible. The everlasting purposed of the trinity of persons in the Godhead, Predestination, Election, Justification by imputed righteousness and the new birth and a call to glorify God in declaring these things to others. And having knowledge of these things more than others enabled me to discern the many errors of many who too professed faith in Christ. I was shocked at the ignorance of so many.
I hear Dr Martin Lloyd Jones Preach
I was encouraged by my friend to go to various Christian churches and on one occasion the church meeting at Long Crendon who had a visiting preached at their yearly anniversary service, he was Dr Martin Lloyd Jones.
Long Crendon Evangelical Church
Long Crendon Evangelical Church
This is where I heard Dr Martin Lloyd Jones preach This man had a real gift to preach and I could tell he understood doctrine, but he was never outspoken as to his belief in absolute predestination, although you could tell he would know these things and many more. I heard him also on another occasion as he preached also at the Ivanhoe Particular Baptist Church where Peter How had become the minister, and where Mr And Mrs Dix senior were members, along with Paul Aston and wife.
Getting a Job
This was a problem to me but I believed in God I knew that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ I would be provided for.
I had been sacked from Radio Rentals for stealing one of their colour Televisions from the old peoples home, in Winslow. All I knew was how to fix televisions and I was qualified to City and Guilds 148. I decided to take the first Job offered me through the labour exchange; this was with a firm called Electroloid, in Aylesbury. I was being employed as a wireman and on the interview the foreman, called Dennis, asked why I had left my former job. I was determined to be honest so I explained I had been dismissed for theft. At this he asked no more questions and I was given the job. I was also able to negotiate for one day off, a week, without pay so I could finish off my college course.
I soon acquired a good knowledge of the equipment, which I wired up and began to read the circuit diagrams. My knowledge was such that I was able to fault find and develop test equipment.
Electroloid were a company involved in making equipment for electro plating and the particular equipment I was involved in was making was the controllers, for the automatic dipping of parts which required plating. A microprocessor would now replace the whole control unit.
I began to get bored and impatient when I wasn’t trouble shooting, which lead me to act foolishly. I began to experiment with charging lead acid car batteries and notice how the gasses were emitted from the battery when charged at a high rate of charge. During my tea break I decided I wanted to collect these Hydrogen Gasses, in a very large plastic bag. The size of this bag would cover an overcoat or suit of clothes. I then charged the battery at the rate of 50 A/H and soon the bag was filled with gas. I thought what would happen if this ignited so decided on a way to do it. I took two match heads and wrapped thin wire around them and then connected this to two long pieced of insulated wire. I hid behind a large metal cabinet and connected the wire to the car battery. This acted as the detonation.
Boredom, pride and self-seeking became a snare to me and I soon began to joke and mess about at work and I felt unclean.
Working for self
At that time my brother was out of work and Jock Macallion replacing windows on a council estate in Richmondsworth, had offered us work. So hastily I handed my notice in and my brother began to work together again. This work soon how ever came to an end but we soon found work in a building site as carpenters. We were paid £10 a day, which was good money and this, lasted a few weeks. One day on the site the men laughed at me when I told them about the Lord Jesus Christ. It didn’t bother me but my brother, for the first time ever, stuck up for me and told them what I was
Delivered from fire, the Morgan sports car
After this we decided we would have to earn money at welding and spraying cars. I had the equipment and know how so we hired a barn, in Little Horward, and set up in business. It was cold at that time of the year in January and so we heated the workshop with an oil- burning stove called a “Salamander”. We were supposed to use heating oil or paraffin but we used old engine oil.
This heater we called, “Sally the oil burning goose”, because of the shape of the chimney. This was a dangerous heater as I shall now relate and I believed God delivered me from a catastrophe.
One day I had in the workshop a Morgan sports car, which was in for re spray. It was worth a £1000 (in 1972). I was working alone preparing this car with old Sally burning away merrily but she began to bubble and spit. This meant water was in the oil. Normally when this happened we shut her down and re-lit her but on this occasion she would not have it. She was so hot she erupted and oozed out gallons of hot engine oil, which flooded the floor. This went up in flames. The flames leaped up to the ceiling burning the polythene ceiling stretched across the rafters. The fumes and smoke and heat were so terrific. I cannot describe the event and terror I found my self in. What should I do? What could I do? All Alone in the middle of a field, in a wooden
About 15 minutes later Mike West and his wife arrived and the knights for visit. They said I looked as white as a sheet. No wonder so I explained all that had happened. From that time Mr Knight inquired about getting insurance against such accidents but the insurance company refuse it on the grounds it was too risky.
Shortly after this I decided I would have to look for another kind of work.
I find work in Lowestoft
I found a job advertised in a national paper working as a faultfinder at the Pye TV factory at Fleet, Lowestoft.
Elim Pentecostal
I felt very lonely but soon got involved in the Elim Pentecostal Church in the town. Listed the local Christian bookshop and ordered a book called the Sovereignty of God by Arthur Pink. It was soon made known amongst the young people that I was a Calvinist because the mother, of one of the girls, served me in the shop. I found this out one evening when I was attending a young peoples occasion and the girl (about 20) said she thought I was a Calvinist, as I had bought this book from the bookshop. She then asked me directly saying was I a Calvinist. I said yes I believed in the sovereignty of God. She was the daughter of one of the senior members of the Elim Church. Her response was YUCK! And she turned around and walked away. I certainly felt hostility then. I decided I would speak to the elders of the church about some of the things I had learned but the idea of God choosing some and leaving others was not received very well. The thought of Particular Redemption was also rejected.
Whilst at the Y.M.C.A. I became very lonely and
woke with a bad taste in my mouth. My mouth in fact tasted like the inside of a zookeepers boot. This was a saying of Mike West. I decided to treat my self and ended up very ill. I began to take Andrew’s liver salts and at first this was very refreshing. It was so good I began to take it all the time until one day at lunch I had stomach pains and when I tried to eat a salad then pain increased intensely. This set off a reaction, which lasted months and ended up me being treated for duodenal ulcers.
I remember speaking to one the workers at the Lowestoft factory about Jesus Christ. I had told him all have sinned and come short of Gods standard. He did not accept he was a sinner as he had lived a good life and loved football. He asked me how going to a football match could possibly be wrong, in the eyes of God and I gave a quick retort saying the scriptures say, “Go not with a crowd to do evil.” I was thinking of the football hooligans but at that he said I was ridiculous.
In the summer holiday I returned to Aylesbury and decided to apply for a Job as a television service engineer in Tring and began to attend the Pentecostal Holiness Church in Bierton.
Working for Mr C J Ward and Son
When I arrived for the interview it was said, by Mr Ward, the owner, the reason why I had got the job was because I was on time exactly. I had not planned it that
way; I just arrived at that time. I started work on the 14th August 1972. With a salary of £2000 per year. I was very thankful to God for His mercy to me.
I continued to work here and go to college at Luton to obtain a further endorsement on my City and Guilds Certificate in Colour TV Servicing. None of the people working here had time for Christian things in fact I was considered as less than nothing. I was ridiculed when I said, in the bible; God mentioned there was a Synagogue of Satan. They also treated the apprentice at a servant often humiliated him. I work here for 2 years but was not particularly happy there. We always closed for lunch and it was during that time I spent each day reading Dr John Gill’s, “A Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity”, which I found so helpful and encouraging to read.
Michael goes to Spain
At this time Michael had decided he wanted to live in Spain and so sold his house in Brackley and bought himself a Bobcat Catamaran. He lived in this boat in Denia and began to enjoy the delights of the Mediterranean sun.
Bobcat Catamaran
Michael’s 8 metre Bobcat Catamaran
Michael difficulties did not stop however as it wasn’t long before a hurricane hit the harbour in Denia and his Catamaran was dashed upon the rocks and one of the hulls was damaged. This happened however before the bad whether and he had invited mum and dad and me for a two week holiday. One side of the ship sank and after the hurricane cleared it was lifted out of the water with crane in order to repair the boat.
My visit to Spain
My parents arrived and Michael found them accommodation on a friend boat and Michael collected
me from Alacante Airport. I spent my first holiday from work helping Michael repairing the hull on his catamaran. On that tip I took with me Martin Luther’s book, The Bondage of the Will, a translation from German into English by Erasus Middleton.
Pentecostal Holiness Church
When I returned to Aylesbury the summer of 1972 and got my job with C J Ward and Son. I attended an opening service of the Pentecostal Holiness Church. A Rev. Gordon Hills was the preacher and was the pastor of the High Wycombe, Elim Pentecostal Church.
The Church Building
The Pentecostal Holiness Church Building
There was a series of meetings one-week and soon realised he too was a Calvinist as each night his theme in preaching was one of the five points of Calvinism: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints. I certainly felt encouraged and assumed Mr Harrison the minister of the Bierton Pentecostal Holiness Church were in agreement with these truths. I last I felt here was a place where truth and the Baptism in the Spirit went hand in hand. I was so encouraged.
I began to attend as a regular and got involved in the young people’s work and very soon we had far to many kids from of the street to deal with. I was hopeless at discipline and how to control them. There was a wonderful opportunity but I found I was out of my depth and did not cope. Not only that but no one else knew how to cope either so the youth work was closed.
I was soon disappointed to find out Mr Harrison had no Idea about Calvinism or Arminianism and when I tentatively spoke to him about such issues he dismissed the whole subject as “little issues of doctrine”.
I began at that time to question many things and realised how easy it would be to be deceived if we were led by our feelings and not by the Word of God.
An example of this was shown to me when the pastor Mr Harrison informed the church that the Lord had shown him the bungalow, which he wanted him to have.
The next thing the church was informed was that there were 17 clauses in the deed of purchase, which were unacceptable, and therefore the Lord did not want Mr Harrison to the buy the property. This was an example of what I mean, the Lord no more told Robert Harrison to buy the bungalow than he did to refrain from buying it. I did not feel or believe that was being led of the Holy Ghost.
Mr Erice. Connet was another man whom I respected and he attended the Pentecostal Church at Bierton. One day in conversation with him, about the things of God and what I was reading and learning, he turned on me and said it was doctrinally wrong to say the righteousness of Christ was imputed to us for our Justification. This was because each one of us had to have a righteousness of our own. Jesus had his own righteousness for himself and we too needed our own righteousness.
I was shocked and on every occasion I could I sought to reason with him from scripture that what I spoke about was true I argued from the scripture that said, “As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive”. That as the sin and guilt of Adam (note: not the sin of Eve) that brought about the imputation and guilt of sin to the
One Sunday morning he turned on me in anger and said all I did was talk about doctrine and never about the Lord.
I felt so wounded I just did not know what to do as I had always looked to this man for support and help. And I groaned in spirit feeling so alone in this situation. I wondered how should I handle this.
I leave the Pentecostal Holiness Church
I was now unsettled at the Pentecostal Church over a few issues that I did not know how to deal with. When explaining to the minister, Mr Harrison, that I wanted to leave because they did not teach the doctrines of grace. He said I ought not to leave because of a little bit of doctrine being different. I found the issue with Mr Erice. Connet serious because he did not believe or teach that righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ was imputed to us for our Justification. Although he had been a help to me he was one of the teachers in the church. Mr Harrison said he believe in the total depravity of man (not that he used these words) he said that there must have been a little bit of good, though ever so small in us for God to love us and want to save us. I knew that God set his love upon us and we had need of mercy and
The three day week and my redundancy
During this time I continued working for C J Ward and son until I was made redundant during the period of the three-day week in 1974. The letter came to me dated 8th February 1974. I was at home at the time of receiving this letter and its date was significant to me. I realised I was now unemployed. When I looked at the date I took courage, which helped fight the haunting fears of not being able to get a job because of my past criminal record. The Judge Col. Tetley, at the Aylesbury Magistrates Court, had given me a conditional discharge lasting for three years. . This was on 9th February 1971. In other words my three years (three years to the day) was up.
My redundancy
CJ Ward & Son, 72 Western Road, Tring
8th February 1974
Dear David,
It is with deep distress the due to the present day economic position I greatly regret that we have to terminate you employment as from today week.
Rest assured this has no adverse reflection on your work or you present unfortunate illness, and will be more than pleased to give you any reference, which may be of help to you.
Should the economic position improve I would be pleased to consider any application you may wish to make at any time, and always pleased to see or help in any way possible.
Yours Sincerely,
C. J. Ward.
Enclosed P.45 and N.I. Card.
Please note we have sent off your National Health certificate and have not deducted any money from this on next week’s remuneration.
My reference
The following reference was enclosed: To whom it may concern
Mr David Tindale has been in our employ sinceAugust 1972 and has always proved himself to be industrious, courteous, and efficient and a reliable worker whom we have been pleased to have on our Staff. Since being with us he has taken advantage of Day College to
obtain his City and Guilds endorsement, to add to his previous knowledge and certificates. We can thoroughly recommend him for any similar position and wish him well in such. We regret that the present government and country unrest and economic position led us, with great regret, to dispense with his services.
C. J. Ward.
My response to redundancy
I felt so encouraged by the date of the letter as it was 3 years to the day since I was given the conditional discharge from my Court case after the confession of my 24 crimes. Remember I was conditionally discharged on the 9th February 1971. It was as though my God and Father were saying to me don’t worry I would take care of you. I could now look for work knowing and feeling I was free with a clean sheet to start from.
Working for Granada TV Rentals
I thanked God for within one week I was interviewed for a job at Granada TV Rentals and got the job. I started work for Granada TV Rentals Ltd. On 25/2/1974, being paid £37.27 per week. With a company car and £3.72 per week as vehicle allowance.
Works Photograph
David at Granada TV Rentals
Michael Nicholson P Reason T Burnham Mrs Royce-Taylor
I found working for Granada a fresh breath of air and
It was during this time I contacted Michael, of C J Ward, asking him if he wanted a job with Granada. He was the apprentice of C J Ward and whilst working for them he told me he wanted to leave as soon as he could. He was fed up with being treated second rate. He hated having to stub out the cigarette ends of John Ward in an ashtray. John Ward was the son of the Boss.
He came to Granada, past all the tests and he was accepted. He joined Granada as a Technician in October 1974.
My visit to Northern Ireland
I was encouraged to have a break form work and in July 1974 I was invited by Owen MaCrystal to visit his home in Northern Ireland, He lived in a town called Omagh in County Tyrone. Owen had a television business called, “Crystal TV”. He started his business by bringing a vanload of second hand TV sets from England to the town of Omagh and began to rent and repair washing machines and TV’s. I was invited out to teach one of his employee’s, called Ivan. I taught him how Colour TV’s work. Owen maintained he was a genius as he could fix TV sets without knowing how they worked. He maintained any one could repair a
TV set if they knew how they worked so he must be a genius as he could repair them not knowing how they worked. Owen’s wife was a Catholic and I think they viewed my religious beliefs with skepticism.
I was unaware of all the conflicts in Ireland and completely ignorant. I had heard people speak evil of Ian Paisley and all I knew was that the Rev. Ian Paisley had preached this sermon called, “Second Mile Religion” and I knew from that sermon he was a man of God and preached the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. I decided on my way through Belfast I would stop the night and visit the Martyrs Memorial Church where Ian Paisley was the pastor.
Martyra Memorial in Belfast
Raven Hill Road
Meeting Dr Ian Paisley
When I arrived in Belfast I was amazed to see all the soldiers with guns checking every body and watching out for trouble. It was the 12th of July 1974. When I arrived on one of the streets in Belfast I noticed all the shops and doorways were barred up and the streets very clear with soldiers on every corner. I was unaware of what the 12th of July was all about. It was the end of the day and a lot of parades and marches had gone on that day. It was a day of celebration to some people. I ended knocking on a guesthouse door to find two ladies running this guesthouse. I had arrived unannounced with a large suspicious suite case in my hand from England. I said would like to stay the night and asked if they knew where Martyrs Memorial Church building was. They looked at me “gone out” and asked me what was an English man was doing visiting Belfast during all these troubles. I said I wanted to hear Ian Paisley preach. I said I had heard him preach on a record and he preached the gospel. They said they were Catholics and they would be too afraid to go and hear him preach even though they would like to. They made me welcome and I had a pleasant stay learning a bit about the troubles in Northern Ireland
Suspicious looking suit case
In the morning as I carried my suspicious looking suit case through the streets of Belfast I had occasion
The wrong part of Belfast
I ended up in a Newspaper shop asking directions and my eye caught the picture of a man called “Carson”, on a post card. To make conversation I asked the shopkeeper who was this person Carson and she spoke scathingly to me say I ought not to ask such questions like that. I then realized I must have been in the wrong area.
I arrive at the Martyrs Memorial Church and Dr Paisley was preaching. It was a very large building with figureheads of the martyrs all around the building. Dr Paisley preached faithfully the truth about Jesus Christ and could not understand why people should oppose him like I had heard. In that meeting I heard no mention of Politics I only heard about the Jesus Christ and what he had done for sinners. I concluded it must be his tone of voice or way of speaking I felt people must not be listening to his message but rather the tone of voice. I could imagine him speaking against the enemies of the truth using his tongue like a “Bastard file”. After the meeting I asked Dr Paisley to direct me so some one who could help me get to Omagh, as I was a visitor. I finally
got transport that day to Omar and ended up joining a group of Christians, from the Free Presbyterian Church in Omar. I was given an orange sash and joined their march along the streets and lanes of Omar. We then went to a meeting and the Preacher was Rev. William Macray.
I had a good time in Omar staying at my friend’s home. Owen did not believe the gospel, he was a nominal Roman Catholic and we had long talks about the things of God. Ivan confided in me that he was a Christian but he did not like to say too much to Owen as it might not go down too well for him and Owen could give him a hard time.
The pace of life seems so much slower than that in Aylesbury and every one I spoke to seemed to have a knowledge as to what it means to be, “born again” or to “be saved”. Even Owen and his wife, who were Catholics, knew these terms and used them. It was not like this in England. I had a good time in Ireland and would like to go again.
We go to the Reformation Conference
Afte this meeting of Dr Ian Paisley my wife and I went to london with oue two children Isaac and Esther to a Refomation Conference, on 14th May 1983 in order to hear Dr Ian Paisley preach. At this meeting Isaac and Ether sat on Dr Ian Paisley knee and cried their eyes out as we took a photpgraph.
Dr Ian Paisely
Isaac and Esther crying their eyes out with tears of repentence.
This meet we televised a may be viewed online at the following links. (Click below)
Dr Ian Paisley Preaches at Hounslow
Mr Victor Prince
and the Crombie overcoat
In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.
The following extract is taken from my loose-leaf diary and relates to a remarkable experience, which demonstrates the wonder and way of the Spirit of God leading and teaching a believer.
On Friday, 30/8/74, it was my day off from work and during the day I was rebuilding our garage roof at 37 Finmere Crescent, Aylesbury. During the day I was thinking about the way God had dealt with me and led me thus far. I realized that each one that was child of God was special and God deal with personally. Each person had his own peculiar special work of God in his or her own life. A work done in no other and special to them. All were saved being involved in a common salvation but the work of God was peculiar and special to that individual. I this frame of mind I began to wonder about a particular trouble I had caused a Mr. Victor Prince.
Mr. Prince was a tailor and some years previously (about 5 years) I had employed him to make a Crombie over coat when I had just been released from Borstal. It was to cost £45 and I gave him £ 5 deposit to start the work. At that time I was living in London doing Government training course learning about Television servicing. My brother was due to be released from
prison on home leave. He had a coat made by some one a year previously and on his home leave he came to see the coat before it was finished. After hearing how long it had been in the making he said it was taking fare too long and he persuaded me to tell Mr. Prince it was not good enough. He then picked holes in the coat in front of Mr. Price and told him to stick the coat. Later on the telephone we were both nasty to Mr. Price. Mr. Prince thought I was saying I could not afford it and offered to keep it until I could. It was made especially for me and really would nod do any one else. I left it with Mr. Price and though no more of it until then when I was on the garage roof.
I felt bad about the way I had treated him and would have apologized to him if I could.
My mind was thinking upon the subject of predestination and reasoned that God had planned every thing in creation to bring about a display of his glory and Grace in Jesus Christ. I was a person created by God being responsible and accountable to God having a definite purpose for my existence. I was alive and active but God was working in and through me. I had been predestined to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ. This work of salvation being the means of displaying Gods love, mercy and grace towards me. It was nor my free will that saved me but Gods free grace that made me willing in the day of His power. Therefore glory was due to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It was one week later on a Sunday the 8/09/74 that I saw the amazing hand of God at work. Mrs. Knight of Mount Street spoke to me on the way home from the Pentecostal Church at Bierton. She said her and Ken had met someone they had not seen for a long time. I stopped her speaking and told her it was Mr. Prince. She was amassed and wondered how I knew. They had meet Mr. Prince in Aylesbury and he had though of asking Ken to repair his TV as it had gone wrong. They said perhaps they would ask me to do it and if he remembered me. He certainly did. Mrs. Knight was able to inform him of me becoming a Christian and he left it to them to make arrangements to get his TV fixed.
I had not mentioned a thing to Mrs. Knight and there was no way of this happening by chance. God had done it.
The first Sunday after this we all went to visit Mr. Prince but he was out at a harvest a thanks-giving service at a Methodist church. So we made arrangement to go on 18th of September. At first I did not know what to say as I was extremely embarrassed so I said very little. I soon repaired the TV and then spoke to Mr. Prince about what had happened. I apologized and offer to pay the money I owed him quite forgetting about the coat.
(Cheque number 183901). I now had my coat; it is dark blue Crombie over coat.
Bierton Strict and Particular
Baptists
At the same time of me working for Granada a friend who lived in Wendover, Mr Alan Benning, informed me that the Strict and Particular Baptist Church at Bierton, believed the doctrines of grace and that a Mr J Hill, a Gospel Standard minister (of Luton Ebenezer Church) was engaged to preach on an anniversary service, in the near future. I was keen to hear him preach. So I began to attend their weeknight prayer meeting.
Bierton Baptist Chapel
Bierton Strict and Particular Baptists Chapel
My hopes had been raised that I would hear the truth about Gods free sovereign grace for it was reported that Mr Hill was a Gospel Standard minister. I was given to believe I would hear those truths preached that were taught by William Huntington, William Gadsby and John Kershaw. I had read their autobiographies and found their writing very helpful and encouraging as they gave all the praise glory to Jesus Christ the Lord and not to man.
I was convinced the Word of God was infallible and the only rule of conduct and religious practice. I believed the scripture taught us of a sovereign true and living God. That though God be one God, the only self existent being, one in essence and nature, there subsists in the divine essence three divine persons; The Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Each person being truly and properly God by nature and that from all eternity. The divine nature being not divided but one essence. Each divine person possessing the whole of the divine essence.
I believed the scripture taught the Lord Jesus Christ is that only begotten son of the Father, full of grace and truth, the only saviour of (Gods elect) whom were all lost sinners.
He is one person yet having two natures, a human and divine. As the eternal Son of God the Father, from all eternity, the divine Son of the Father, so by nature truly God. Yet at the incarnation he took to himself that which he was not; our human nature and so was
I believed this same Jesus had called me by his grace directly and made him self-known to me outside of the circles of any Christian church. It was he whom I sought and believed in when I went and hear Mr Hill preach, at the Bierton Anniversary Service.
Mr Hill preached the distinguishing doctrines of grace very clearly. At that time I did not know many preachers preach these things except I had heard Dr Ian Paisley on a record and that sermon was called “Second mile religion”.
I had also heard Dr Martin Lloyds Jones but he seamed not to emphasis the distinguishing doctrines of Grace although it was evident he believed in the sovereignty of God.
The churches I had attended until this time around Aylesbury and district appeared to only know of Arminianism doctrine and held to a false doctrine of universal love towards all mankind and a general atonement distant from particular redemption.
Bierton Partcular Baptists Articles of Religion
I felt lead and right to leave the Pentecostal Church and attend the Bierton Strict and Particular Baptist Church. I felt I could no longer in conscience stay or continue at the church even though I had affection for all the people there when there was a company of people across the road at the Bierton Strict and Particular Baptist Church. They held to and professed the very gospel I had received. From that time I commenced to attend as a member of the congregation at this cause of truth.
Distinguishing Doctrines of Grace
A friend, who lived in Wendover, Mr Alan Benning, informed me that the Strict and Particular Baptist Church at Bierton, believed the doctrines of grace and that a Mr J Hill, a Gospel Standard minister (of Luton Ebenezer Church) was engaged to preach on an anniversary service in the near future. I was keen to hear him preach. So I began to attend their weeknight prayer meeting.
My hopes had been raised that I would hear the truth about Gods free sovereign grace for it was reported that Mr. Hill was a Gospel Standard minister. I was given to believe I would hear those truths preached by William Huntington, William Gadsby and John Kershaw. I had read their autobiographies and found their writings very helpful during my time at C. J. Ward and Son, and was encouraging by them as they gave all the praise glory to Jesus Christ the Lord and not to man.
Denham’s Hymns
The folk at Bierton used Denham’s collection of hymns called “The Saint’s Melody” and the substances of these hymns were very pleasing to me. Even the singing pace was different to all the other churches I had attended being that much slower. (Click here)
Here is a sample of the Bierton Hymns
Miss Bertha Ellis would play the foot-peddled organ and the hymnbook used was Denham’s Collection 18 or 19 century. The hymn singing was about half the speed of the hymns sung at other churches and the words of the hymns were wonderful and glorifying to God. The stile of meeting was generally Hymn, reading from the scripture (Authorized version King James), Hymn, Prayer, hymn, Sermon, finally hymn and then a closing prayer. A short while after I began to attend on a regular basis I was asked by Mr. King if I would engage in prayer when asked too. It was the custom for men to pray the women would keep silent.
I did engage in prayer and after the meeting Mr King
I went away feeling offended thinking all kinds of thoughts. I was upset thinking what difference does the language make etc. But I bowed to their request and adopted their form of speak in order not to offend. I now find it difficult, to day, to break from that habit of using thee and thou. I.e. Reverent language when addressing God.
The Bierton Society of Particular Baptists was formed as a Church in 1831, and this was the church that I became a member of in 1974.
The Doctrines of the Gospel
I was convinced the Word of God was infallible and the only rule of conduct and religious practice. I believed the scripture taught us of a sovereign true and living God. That though God be one God, the only self existent being, one in essence and nature, there subsists in the divine essence three divine persons; The Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I believed that person were truly and properly God, by nature and that from all eternity. I believed that the divine nature was not divided but one in essence and each divine person possessing the whole of the divine essence.
I believed the scripture taught the Lord Jesus Christ is that only begotten son of the Father full of grace and truth, the only saviour of (Gods elect) lost sinners. He being one person yet having two natures. Being God from all eternity the divine Son of the Father and by nature truly God. Yet at the incarnation he took to himself that which he was not; our human nature and so was truly man. Hence the glorious complex person of Jesus Christ is the Christ that should come into the world to save sinners. I believed that His glory was veiled during his time of humiliation.
This Jesus had called me
I believed this same Jesus had called me by his grace directly and made him self-known to me, outside of the circles of any Christian church. It was he whom I sought and believed in when I went and heard Mr. Hill preach at the Bierton Anniversary Service.
Mr. Hill preached the distinguishing doctrines of grace very clearly. At that time I did not know many preachers who preached these things except, I had heard I heard Dr. Ian Paisley, on a record and that sermon was called “Second mile religion”.
I had also heard Dr. Martin Lloyds Jones preach but he seamed not to emphasis the distinguishing doctrines of Grace, although it was evident that he believed in the sovereignty of God.
Not all preaching was good
Not all the preaching at Bierton was good as we had a range of visiting ministers. Some times I would groan and suffer 45 minute of difficult things to listen too. Very few were Gospel Standard ministers and some were opposed to the Gospel Standard position, they often liked to refer to the 1689 confession, a confession that I soon realized was in error. The Scottish Free Presbyterians Churches boasted of their 1646 confession as the best. Again I soon learned that this too was in error. Some of these preachers used notes whilst others did not. Not that, helped, as some I felt would have benefited from notes to preach. Some preachers would not use notes and speak as they felt lead too. But I realized that too was no guarantee they could be listened too.
Miss Ruth Ellis
She was one of our members and she was a gem of a person and always ready to share a word or hymn. On several occasion mid week we would visit her and she would read from her books stories about choice Christian experience.
Unfortunately Ruth died and she ended her days at Bethesda Home in Harpendon.
Mr and Mrs Gurney were members and their son John attended our church as a member of the congregation. I noticed a plaque over the fireplace of their home and it read, “A Sabbath well spent brings a week of content but a Sabbath profaned, what err may be gained is a sure for runner of sorrow. I noticed this, as when I looked at the churches original trust deed there was no mention of Sabbath day keeping. It was only brought up in the spurious set of article presented to me when seeking membership of the Church.
Miss Bertha Ellis
She was a mother in Israel and looked after most of the visiting ministers and played the organ at our meetings giving way to visiting people who were also able to ply such as John Snuggs, Mr Dix from Ivanhoe
Miss Bertha Ellis informed me that the church was formed in 1831 and opened by the son of John Warburton. She had the minutes of that meeting which were signed in his own hand and the deed of trust upon which the church was formed. These articles of religion were very good and acceptable.
After my warm reception I was looking forward to hear Mr Hill of Luton preach at the anniversary service.
Church anniversary services
During this time I was able to take time out of my work and attend the various church anniversary services, which were held by other causes of truth. And it was because I was working for Granada TV rentals that I was a blessing because I was able to take time out of work to attend the various church anniversary services in our area. Had I been working for C.J. Ward and Son this would have proved impossible? I really looked forward to these meetings and seeing the various friends of our church and I often took with me some of the members of ours. These churches that we visited were, Linslaid, Prestwood, Barton Le clay, Waddesdon Hill, and Keeche’s Chapel, in Winslow.
We also had our own anniversary services and visitors from the different churches in our area and from a far came to our meetings.
It was at our anniversary meetings that I learned not every one was in favour of the Gospel a Standard Article of Religion. In particular Mr Dix senior expressed it and his wife (parents of Kenneth Dix the Pastor of Dunstable Baptist Church) that they opposed the articles some, of the ways these strict Baptist. I felt uneasy about hearing such things but kept them to my self.
Linslaid Strict and Particular Baptist Church
Mr Collier and the Particular Baptist Chapel
This is where Mr Collier was the pastor. During this time Mr Alan Benning informed me of the Linslaid Strict and Particular Baptist, which was a listed Gospel Standard church, and from that time were we able to visit from time to time.
On one anniversary service we went to hear a Mr Andrew Randall’s who apparently had been involved with the Brethren and I could tell from our conversations that he was aware of doctrinal issues of the day, and he had a very serious disposition.
Waddesdon Hill Strict and Particular Baptist Chapel Another favourite anniversary was at Waddesdon
Hill, where Mr James Hill was the preacher. This was a
Gospel Standard cause and was founded as a Particular baptist church in 1752.
Waddesdon Hill Chapel
Waddesdon Hill Gospel Standard Cause
Waddesdon Hill Strict and Particular Baptist Chapel where we hear Mr Hill, Pastor of Luton Ebenezer church, preached. I use to take Bertha and Ruth Ellis, Alan Benning and Grace knight to these meetings. I remember these meetings with fondness
Benjamin Keeche’s chapel at Winslow
At this time, on one occasion each year, an anniversary meeting was held at Ketch’s Chapel, the oldest place of non-conformist place of worship in England and Dr Ian
Paisley was the preacher. I attended this meeting for a number of years afterward and was greatly blessed and heard Mr Collier from Linslaid and Mr Ramsbottom from Luton preached at those meetings.
Keeche’s Chapel
Benjamin Keeche’s Chapel at Winslow
Benjamin Keeche’s Chapel Winslow where I heard Dr Ian Paisley, Mr Collier and Mr Ramsbottom preach.
Prestwood Strict Baptist Chapel
Prestwood Gospel Standard
Another one of the local churches that we attended on their anniversary services (that is Alan Benning, Bertha and Ruth Ellis and Mrs Grace Knight) was the Prestwood Strict and Particular Baptist Church. This church was a Gospel Standard listed Church. It was here that I first heard, and was introduced to Mr Sperling- Tyler, preach.
Barton Le Clay Hope Chapel
It was at this chapel that I took both Bertha and Ruth Ellis to hear Stanley Delves and on another occasion to
Meeting other Christians and friends
During this time I met John Snuggs from Eaton Bray who had come to work in Aylesbury. He came to our weeknight prayer meetings at Bierton and he introduced me to some of his friends who attended the young peoples meeting that were held once a month at Bethel Strict Baptist Church in Luton. Mr Ramsbottom would give a talk or lecture and afterward we were invited to the Bethesda Rest Home at Harpendon where we were given refreshments and able to meet and talk to other people from the various churches in the district. I found these meetings very helpful to meet other Christians.
Excessive work and depression
At this time I was working for Granada TV Rentals and within a few months had been promoted to Workshop manager. I thoroughly enjoyed the job but I found I spent more and more time thinking about work than any thing else. I was taken up with work.
The things of God paled. I went to the meetings but I could not shut off from work.
I soon realized I was not a good manager and found myself doing all the work. I worked long hours and my days off. Although I got the job done and we were the best branches in the district it was all at my expense.
After several months of this intense work I began to find I could not cope with the stress the job demanded and went though horrifying bouts of agony and fear of not being able to cope. I began to think I was experiencing flash backs from the bad trip on LSD. This time how ever it was in the cold light of day with no LSD etc. I was so ill I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me thinking this would remove me from all the pain I was going through.
I cried out to God in all this but the heavens seemed to be as brass.
My manager Tony Burnham, who was not a Christian had noticed a change in me as at one time, when I first began to work there, I continued my habit of reading during my lunch time break and he noticed me reading John Calvin’s book on Daniel.
Due to my excessive workload I forsook my devotions and worked all the hours I could.
One afternoon on the garage roof at Mount Street I cracked up and realized I could not cope any more. I couldn’t make decisions I could not think straight every problem was too much to face.
I ended up resigning from the manager’s job and becoming a normal technician. This ended in me feeling a failure and depression set in which, lasted about 3 years. It was during this time I learned that the Christian
I found the hymns and preaching at the Bierton Strict Baptist Church very helpful. In particular one hymn by John Newton I recall was most helpful.
I asked the Lord that I might grow In faith, and love, and every grace; Might more of His salvation know, And seek more earnestly His face.
‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray, And He, I trust, has answered prayer; But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.
I hoped that in some favoured hour, At once He’d answer my request;
And, by His love’s constraining power, Subdue my sins, and give me rest.
Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart, And let the angry powers of hell, Assault my soul in every part.
Yea, more, with His own hand He seemed Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed, Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.
“Lord, why is this?” I trembled cried; “ Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?” “Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”
