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	September, 2010 Dear Jill, Thankyou for the photo! That must have been the day we were caught obstructing the Queen's highway! I bought the arab head gear from a trading boat, off Port Said, at the end of the journey up the Suez Canal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the Arts Laboratory opened, members of the Galaxy were some of the main contributors to the walls of graffiti - I eventually painted the walls white in readiness for an exhibition by Ilene Astrahan, 'A Two-Man Show', November, '67 . One of my means to exist would be my painting and decorating skills. After Nicholas Logsdail had taken the plaster off the brick walls, I painted the Lisson gallery white, in preparation for Yoko Ono's 'Half a Life Show', October, '67. I painted the International Times office, and sometime later I painted Val & Nicky Ryman's flat in Chelsea somewhere. Val was an exploding galaxy performer. I have a couple of photos. Val is another difficult to find person. I always remember hearing George Harrison's album for the first time, at Val's place, while I was working away. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One thing Mick Marshall and I vowed, when we arrived in London, from Australia, was to never go on the dole! I had a few jobs: I worked in the kitchen at El Al airlines, Heathrow. they didn't want me to leave, but I went to Peterborough, to stay with my grandfather, for a while. I then found more kitchen work at the home of the Marquis of Northampton. In my spare time I studied dance at Barbara Coles school of dancing, in Wellingborough. My next job was in Wellingborough itself, as a laboratory assistant, at David's Isopon factory. I actually discovered how to make the green hand cleaning gel, almost transparent. I remember the boss saying to me, after taking a close look at the end product, hmm, that looks good enough to eat! This job brought me closer to the dancing school. I have photos taken outside the school. David's Isopon did not want me to leave but London was calling. I found a temporary job in Oxford St. at an accountants office - It turned into a permanent position - I would have to walk through Soho to buy health stamps for the pay packets we would be making up. It worried me at times, walking those streets, with pockets full. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 14 Hour Technicolour Dream: - April 29, 1967 I met Shelagh & Annie thru Mick - this event had only just happened Mick had met Shelagh earlier. When? I do not know. Shelagh, Annie & Mick took me to Balls Pond Rd. and introduced me to the group. Discussion, movement, poetry, all forms of creative energy were gathering - UFO is on Friday night!! I heard the Soft Machine for the first time - Gerald would be reciting/reading his poetry - it was to both of these energies that I began to improvise movement. In time: Shelagh would design a poster for Pink Floyd - Mick would do lighting for Pink Floyd -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first thing I remember, is climbing a steel framework of a building, doing some Merce Cunningham style movements and poses. I seemed to be worrying everybody present, they thought I was going to fall off. I was given a name, the "Rag Doll". I left the job with the accountant shortly after and moved to Balls Pond Rd. Paul Keeler was having financial difficulties, after the closure of his gallery, Signals. No. 99, Paul's house, had become a form of squat. I remained at Balls Pond Rd., until I moved to 126 Long Acre, in Covent Garden. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My next move was to Drury Lane and the Arts Laboratory. I slept in a bunk in the back of the Arts Lab. for a year or more. I recall another squat in Drury Lane (the Bell Hotel). We worked very hard to get that building habitable. There were three floors. The plans included using the ground floor as a 'free hotel' for travellers. The Times newspaper and the police raided the building, smashed up all of our repairs, the plumbing especially, and forced us off the premises. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another job I recall, was at Alexandra Palace. Graham Stevens had found a job for the Exploders. We had to blow up balloons with helium, for a film called the Bliss of Mrs. Blossom. It was here that I spoke, briefly, to Shirley Maclaine. I don't think it was her that had the two balloons stuck behind her bra, and slowly float upwards. The film was about a bra factory, by the way, and the balloons had faces painted onto them with hats or scarves placed onto them. They were to be tied to some netting, to represent a crowd. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who was it that brought chewing gum into the house at Balls Pond Rd. I think his dad owned the chewing gum factory or something like that. I remember Gerald Fitzgerald one night after some donated orange juice was found to have been laced with an amphetamine. It was too late! Gerald was up all night writing a poem on the back page of the newspaper, the sports section. He was so worried that he wasn't going to survive the night. He was mixing the cricket score with 99 Balls Pond Rd. etc. He spent the whole night on the one page! There was another strange character, Eric, with long blond hair. He drove a landrover. I remember one day, when he drove up the Mall, standing up while driving, he went through the gates of Buckingham Palace, turned around and drove back down the Mall. The Pink Fairies plugged into a house in Notting Hill and became a part of the festival. I remember going to the Christmas on Earth Continued concert, Olympia, Kensington, 22-12-1967, with Mick Farren, the Deviants were the first to perform, if I remember correctly. Lyn Darnton, is another name that comes to mind. We are both heading towards the Middle Earth in Covent Garden. The Tribe of the Sacred Mushroom and The Third Ear Band. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (From the internet site: http://ghettoraga.blogspot.com Andy you wrote "Lynn Darnton apparently lived at the Exploding Galaxy commune on Balls Pond Road in late 67 before being thrown out for breaching the 'no drugs' rule. If that rings a bell with anyone?" -------------- Yes, it does, but not as you have written it. It seems to me like Lynn has been set up as a fall guy for something else that needs to be investigated. I'll get back to you. Anon -------------- Steve Thornton said... Yes I knew Lyn Darnton I lived at 99 Balls Pond Rd. I had a piano frame in my room. It was part of the music section of The Bird Ballet.- - A performance at the Roundhouse. I was the Flamingo. Where is Lyn these days? ------------------ Steve, I spent weekends with the Exploding Galaxy and visited 99 Balls Pond Road in about 1968, I was introduced to them by Michael Chapman. I was also with them at the Roundhouse when they did the Hippopotamus Festival. I remember the piano frame, and the carton of ping pong balls that were cascaded over it. Fabulous times. I later founded The Shiny Bum Singers in Australia, so the ripples are still spreading. Would love to hear more of them. Chris Clarke ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, who can forget Michael Chapman and his vocal gymnastics. Oh yes, about Mick Marshall, he did come back to Australia, for a short time. He popped in to my parent's place to say hello, how he knew where I was, is still a mystery to me. He was working for the Pink Floyd at the time, in the lighting team. He gets a mention on the Shine On You Crazy Diamond album, recorded in Edinborough. I think he's in the picture on the cover. Where is he nowadays? I never did hear from him again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another internet contact: Stefan Szczelkun I ran the Art workshop in Portsmouth for a while and the Galaxy came down I think twice. I only knew the Irish guy and his partner (forgotten their names for now...) well at that time. I kept in touch with David Medalla over the years... which of the two camps were you in?! Did you come down to Portsmouth? I'm very aware that there is no full history of the Exploding Galaxy in print - nor even one of the Arts Lab in Drury Lane!! One chapter in Guy Bretts book on David and thats all I know. I remember that tall poet was it Michael Chapman jumping of a table shouting "Ice scream bombs!". What sort of stuff did you do? Do you have photos etc? David is around at the moment as it is his London Biennale but I haven't seen him. Do you know about that? Stefan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part one of two and a bit?