The Grafters . . .

The sound of reverberant twanging echoed up the stairs from the cellar Pop room. It was our own group, "The Grafters," practising. We began to play together in the summer of 1964. After many rehearsals we thought we were good enough to play in public so we asked permission to play during the Parents' Association Fete in June, 1964. All went well except that I forgot the words of some of the songs. It was at this time that we adopted the name Grafters. Formerly we called ourselves "The Alley Cats."
In the Autumn Term the group was re-organised and Robbins left. We gained a new guitarist in Charles Watson. At the end of the term I left the group and they carried on without the benefit of my forceful singing. About half-way through the Easter Term Mr. Gouldsworthy arranged for the group to play at a Youth Centre in the village of Carleton. Apparently the show was a great success, so naturally I rejoined. When the Summer Term came we again obtained a booking at Carleton and enjoyed some of the adulation meted out to more famous pop groups.

Rehearsals took place in the Tuck Box Room and it was here that a few new songs were composed.

The following were members of the group during the past year:
Hepburn, drums
Watson, C., guitar
Edwards, guitar
Watson, jet, guitar
Thompson, vocal
Robbins, vocal
Costelloe, road manager.

P. THOMPSON.