moy wrote on Jul 7^th, 2009 at 11:04am:


Here is an update to the article by Belper News, provided by Mr. Chris Gent of The National Tramway Museum http://www.tramway.co.uk

Hello everyone !

Yesterday, I had the real fortune of being contacted by Chris Gent of The National Tramway Museum. Website: [www.tramway.co.uk]
Mr. Gent has graciously offered much additional information concerning Brian's involvement at Crich, and has allowed me to share our correspondence here.



From Mr. Gent:

Hello Lee,

Re: I never knew this about Brian!

Just seen your comment at www.iorr.org regarding Brian Jones at Crich.

Yes, it's definitely true. I'm the Photographic and Archive Officer at the museum and sent the press release out. The web picture is grainier than our original, but that's not too good either, I'm afraid. It's scanned from the 1969 obituary written by his friend John Appleby and published in the Tramway Museum Society's Journal (the quarterly magazine for the charitable organisation which developed and runs the museum). The original print has annoyingly been lost - probably back in 1969 when it was borrowed by the then Journal editor. John Appleby has also since died, unfortunately.

In the obit, John Appleby writes that he was a friend of the teenage Brian when they both lived in Cheltenham, and he took Brian to Crich with other volunteers on several occasions in 1960/61. They also toured Leeds in 1959 on some of its last trams, and similarly Sheffield in 1960. Interestingly (for us at the museum) they travelled through Sheffield in October 1960 (at the very end of trams there) on tram number 510, which is now part of our collection at Crich.

Yes, almost unbelievable, but true!

Regards,

Chris Gent

www.tramway.co.uk
The Tramway Museum Society, Premises & Registered Office:Crich, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5DP
Incorporated in England with liability limited by guarantee, company no. 744229
Registered as a national charity, charity no. 313615




The obituary written by John Appleby, courtesy of Mr. Gent and The National Tramway Museum:

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/leepullen/Brian_Jones_Obit.jpgt=12478788...

The second correspondence from Mr. Gent clears up a couple of errors in the original news article. I like the idea described in the last line:


Thanks for your email, Lee.

Yes, please feel free to go ahead and reproduce my email.

I’m also attaching the press release items (including a better scan of the picture that appears on the Belper News website).

The article by Laura Hammond contains a couple of errors:

She suggests Brian gave up all his Sundays for almost two years to help at Crich. There’s no evidence this was the case, and I certainly doubt it very much (none of our present-day volunteers manage that!). In fact, John Appleby’s obituary (attached) simply says Brian visited ‘on several occasions’.

Also, the April 1960 letter mentioned in the article was sent TO the Leeds bus driver by John Appleby and not vice-versa as written (again, detailed in one of the attached items).

Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the picture of Brian (August 1960) and I’m going to suggest to our Board of Management that we erect a suitable information panel – there’s now a conveniently-sited stone wall within feet of where Brian was standing. This is now the tram depot yard area.

Best wishes,

Chris




The press release items, courtesy of Mr. Gent and The National Tramway Museum:


Brian Jones – Rolling Stone – 1942-1969

3 July 2009 will be the 40th anniversary of the death of Brian Jones, the Rolling Stones founder member who died at the age of 27. He was found in his swimming pool, although there is continuing controversy over the actual cause of death.

During the Tramway Museum’s early years he was an active volunteer at Crich.

The attached obituary, by his friend the late John Appleby from Cheltenham (also Brian’s home town), appeared in the Tramway Museum Society’s Journal (the members’ quarterly magazine) in September 1969.

Brian was one of the early volunteers whose efforts at the derelict Cliff Quarry here at Crich laid the foundations for the National Tramway Museum, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Sheffield tram no.510 mentioned is in our collection.

National Tramway Museum
Crich, Derbyshire

17 June 2009


Brian Jones – Rolling Stone founder member

Born 28 February 1942, Cheltenham

Died 3 July 1969, Sussex

Buried 10 July 1969, Cheltenham

First Rolling Stones performance 12 July 1962 at London’s Marquee Club

Brian became an active volunteer at Crich during 1960, travelling with Tramway Museum Society member John Appleby and others from Cheltenham on Sundays.

Presumably, according to John’s obituary, Brian had ceased to visit Crich by the time of the Rolling Stones’ debut in 1962.

There were approximately 10 members of a Cheltenham tram enthusiasts’ group in 1960, according to John Appleby’s notes in the archives at Crich.

John gives no details as to exactly how Brian came to be involved, but the following might help.

Even though Cheltenham’s trams had been long gone by then, John, in a 20 April 1960 letter to Fred Jones (no relation), a Leeds City Transport bus driver who had expressed a wish to become involved at Crich, wrote: ‘It says something for the influence of the tram that it can hold the affection of its fanatics even in far-away tramless wastes like the West Country. But there ARE enthusiasts here, and at Bristol and further south. You cannot imagine how household Leeds destinations have become, even to those who have never been to the city, because of the trams….. I knew all about Swinegate, Briggate, Halton Dial, Wortley, Belle Isle, Lawnswood, Harehills Lane, etc long before my first trip to Leeds last year. Can you imagine young men of 18 – 25 never having seen a tram? Whenever I drive up to Sheffield, there are always one or two who come up for their first experience’.

And then, five days later, writing again to Fred: ‘An 18-year-old who came to Leeds with me last year says he will join [the Tramway Museum Society] ‘when he can afford it’’. I think he’s got to be referring to [penniless!] Brian.

By October 1960, Sheffield’s trams had gone (Leeds had finished by the end of the previous year) – hence the references in the obituary to touring the Leeds Middleton Circular (by special tram) in March 1959 and riding on Sheffield tram no.510 (in October 1960).

As Glynn Wilton, Curator of the National Tramway Museum, Crich, says: ‘Brian Jones and all those volunteers who gave their time and effort in the early years at Crich provided the foundation for what we have today. Remember that when the Tramway Museum Society moved onto the site in 1959, it was a disused quarry and basic facilities had to be quickly created to accommodate the tramcars which would soon arrive in substantial numbers. Looking at today’s magnificent Museum, we owe a huge debt to those early volunteers who often travelled long distances in all seasons to help’.



Information on John Appleby

Born 1929

Died (of cancer) 24 June 1978, aged 48

Director of Appleby and Son Ltd, the family’s wholesale grocery business in Gloucester


Chris Gent
Acting Press Officer
National Tramway Museum
Crich

25 June 2009




I, personally, find this view into Brian's pre-Stones life rather fascinating, and I thank Mr. Gent and The National Tramway Museum for sharing this information with us.

Lee aka Edith Grove


http://www.tramway.co.uk

Thanks A LOT Edith Groove! That is GREAT finding and follow up!

JoneseygirlUK wrote on Jul 24^th, 2009 at 8:51am:


http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii175/Suzyq4711/LBHJ%20Caps/ture.jpgt=1248443...

That's definitely a "We piss anywhere, man" look if I ever saw one 

Steve, you are my HERO!!!! Thanks so much!!!

http://images.anitapallenberg.multiply.com/image/3/photos/13/1200x1200/172/027.j...

Is this the photo you said ages ago you wanted in a larger size?

zooeyglass wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2009 at 1:07pm:


Talk about a audience being up close! their practically breathing down their throats.

http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt113/tuiscostarica/Briani963.jpgt=1249353479

Love Child wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2009 at 9:44pm:



Hi Love Child. Good to see you here!

I've always loved Brian's eyes in that last photo....wonderful!

zooeyglass wrote on Mar 19^th, 2009 at 3:13pm:

A friend of him had said: We were just kids messing around. There was no long term planning.
We did things on the spur of the moment.

Another one, said: Brian never made a solo album, the nearest being his recording of music found
in North Africa. he spent one night in Jajouka and then for weeks aferwards experienced and played
with the music and its  taping, running it bacwards and everlaying it upon itself.
It is obviously fascinated him.

A girl recall just his blonde hair. And how him was so well dressed up.

..Whatever may or not may not be said about Brian Jones, from a purely musical point of view his death was a waste, though who knows what his future would have been if he had not drowned.

Life had certainly become very sour