Lez the Ted

I'm a Ted , well past the first flush of youth !! I first heard Rock 'n'Roll up in deepest darkest Lincolnshire where dad had been posted in the RAF when my Mum&Dad would play Bill Hayley,etc, records to practice their 'jiving' , And I remember saturdays at my Gran's house where Mum & Dad and my Aunt & uncle would be having a bath(not together!! you smutty people !!)for these were the days when not all houses had bathrooms and unlimited hot water !! unlike today where its he norm !! I remember my Uncle brushing his long drape suit and polishing his thick soled 'Brothel Creepers' and thinking how smart he looked when dressed in this suit!!! Fast forward to the early 70's ,Unc was a Lorry driver and a regular run was to the docks in London once a month , he had to be at the docks by friday evening and booked in by C&E ready to load Sat morning!! dockers and load clearance permitting!! I took to going with him just for the change of scenery ! But one Friday eve we were in a caff near the docks when another driver came to Unc and said there was a real Rock 'n'Roll band playing in a pub in Wood Green, I remember his exact words 'Come on boy, lets go get washed up and go hear some real music!!', Unc and I went with Chaz the other driver to this pub called 'The Fishmongers Arms' and I remember as clear as day this pub was full of Teds and their girls BUT the music was LOUD, RAW and RACOUS and the atmosphere was ELECTRIC !!! I was hooked !!!!!!! The band was Crazy Cavan&theRythym Rockers !! After that it was many hours scouring charity shops and the like for Drapes and the gold dust of 'Brothel Creepers' !! Drainpipe jeans were easy as 'Woolworths' back then still got loads of stock from the american parent company. After one or four ill fitting drapes I found my own Tailor and began having suits made , no mean feat in the 70's !!! So there you have it I'm a Ted through and through , got my own individual style!! as all Teds had!! and should have !! We are Teds but we ain't the same !! its not a uniform !!!!!!!