The Sunderland 12-year-old who was performing at concerts after just seven guitar lessons
Now that’s how to start out in style in the music world.
Sunderland youngster Alex Smith, 12, was given a guitar from this parents with the promise that he would get a greater one if he learned to play properly.
After only seven lessons and lots of practice, he was given a better guitar - to entertain old people in the Sunderland area.
Playing at concert parties
Alex made enough progress to join the Busy Bees junior section of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals in Sunderland to play at concert parties for old people.
“I felt nervous the first time, but it wasn’t so bad after that, ” he said.
He wanted the school holidays to end
Alex, a pupil at Thornhill School, increased his repertoire by either buying the sheet music or working out the chords himself.
He so much enjoyed playing to the old people that he was looking forward to the end of the school holidays when the concert party season started again.
Life on Wearside in 1970
To give you more of a flavour of Wearside life that year, all of this happened;
Monkwearmouth Station was being considered for an avant-garde arts centre or museum in 1970.
A dog catcher was being considered for Sunderland to cope with increasing numbers of strays - and five new kennels to house them were also being planned.
A swimming pool and an all-weather ski slope was being proposed at Seaburn.
Brand new in Pennywell
The first factory to be occupied on the 44-acre Pennywell industrial estate was taken by Alto Engineering Ltd, doing metal fabrication and machining work.
The company hopes to be in production by September and when full production is achieved there should be jobs for 25 people mostly factory men.
What are your memories of Sunderland in the summer of 1970?
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