The colourful nostalgia of a 1960s festival, complete with music yesteryear, performances and vibrant spirit at Cromer Pier stayed resolutely upbeat despite a sudden downpour. A comprehensive account of a memorable weekend.
This weekend, Cromer Pier on the Norfolk coast was a musical epicentre of cultural revolution. This fabulous 1960s festival is a smash hit! As the sun dipped beneath the North Sea, a golden glow rippled across the water, and the sounds of the 1960s filled the air in a flashback of an era known for its exquisite melodies.
1960s Trip Down Memory Lane Success
The 1960s Festival at Cromer Pier was a marvellous day. Not even a sudden downpour could put a dampener on the event; the rain only provided a backdrop of drama. Union flags waved in the strong North Sea wind. The entire event was a plethora of memorabilia. Beatlemania was pulled out of the 1960s exhibition box, and its artefacts gave way to a whole ’60s mish-mash; a plethora of fab, ’60s stuff we all knew and loved. Trendy Mod scooters and motorbikes, hand-in-hand with 60s stalls selling vivid and colourful memories.
The festival-goers, many of whom had come from far and wide and effort, wore costumes and hairstyles from the ’60s, making the promenade and pier look like a scene from the 1960s. Visitors and locals let themselves live in the past. A real party atmosphere! It had a hit parade of the sixties. A decade full of cultural and musical innovation.
Musical Beats Of The 60s Sparkle
The Pier’s musical line-up proved the big draw to the festival, the selection lovingly organised by the Pier festival team. And so it began with The Revolvers: The Sounds of the Sixties taking to the stage from 8 pm on Friday; the weekend was underway.
Saturday saw The Counterfeit Stones on the stage, bringing the audience back in time with the timeless rock ‘n’ roll of the 60s and 70s and, on Sunday, the excitement ended with The Dusty Show. This show is full of songs performed in the beautiful tones of the legend Dusty Springfield.
There was also a cosmopolitan feel to the event, with people from the twinned towns of Cromer – Nidda in Germany, and Crest in France – guests at the festival, escorted by the Mayor of Cromer, Pat West. They attended The Revolvers: The Sounds of the Sixties show as part of a fun-filled three days organised by The Cromer Twinning Association. “These visits between our twinning towns are so important” added Mr West, “It ensures continued cultural exchange and friendships across the water. The show was fantastic and it was a foot-stomping experience for our visitors and locals alike”
Top Performers Shine Brightly On The Pier
One of the brilliant performances on the day was by the quintessential vintage rock ‘n’ roll event band, Peachy Beat! Known for their 1950s and ‘60s authentic repertoire, Peachy Beat exude the original sounds of rock ’n’ roll, performing classic hits from Elvis, Little Richard, The Everly Brothers and the Motown greats! The band’s live performance was high energy with a large outdoor crowd swaying and singing along and it created a magically ambient performance.
One of the band members (On Saxophone and vocals) is the super-talented, Chloe Edwards-Wood, who most recently was seen on stage in the 2023 Cromer Pier Christmas Show! The entire band were a phenomenal set. The four musicians were dynamic and worked brilliantly together!
It’s always good to see, Sean Garrett – General Manager of the Pier Theatre, and he was an unexpected bonus on the day. He came along in his bright yellow 1960s patterned shirt, and I managed to flush him out for a picture! To make the pictorial complete!
Phil Broughton, Technical Production Manager, complimented the team on their efforts – ‘Teamwork to make the dream work, the team worked hard to deliver a product with an attention to detail. A huge credit must go to Bethany Graham and Naomi Bushell from the sales marketing team for looking fabulous and creating a smooth-running operation together with the rest of the girls who provided their expertise and hospitality. The entire staff structure is a formidable force!
Bethany Graham, from the sales marketing team, shared her excitement: “We were thrilled with the outpour of support that our Vintage 60s Festival received this year. Once the rain cleared, we were delighted by the floods of visitors coming to support performers Peachy Beat, DJ Roy Kelly and Marlene’s School of Dance. We are already looking ahead to 2025 and our brand-new Paws on the Pier Dog festival that will take place in March. More information coming soon.”
Naomi Bushell added, “The festival was well attended and we are delighted with the turnout. The weather was not on our side from the start, but this didn’t seem to put too much of a dampener on the free and easy 60s vibe. The arrival of over 100 scooters from the North Norfolk Scooter Club was a sight to be seen, and the classic cars and vintage stalls that lined the prom kept visitors interested all day. The pavilion bar rolled some prices back and the £1 a pint proved to be very popular! This event seems to grow each year, and we are already planning a bigger and better vintage festival for 2025.”
Marlene’s School of Dance did brilliantly at the Vintage 60’s Festival in such tough weather conditions, this was quite an achievement. Natalie Day from Marlene’s School of Dance said: ‘It rained and poured all morning today at the Vintage 60’s Festival at Cromer Pier. After a delay, we nearly had to cancel and then the sun came out, it stopped raining, the band set up, Channel 5 managed to get some filming in and the girls were able to dance to Dancing in the Street with the beat of Peachy Beat. It was a brilliant festival highlight!’
Behind the Scenes Of A Fantastic Weekend
The smooth running of the festival reflected the coordination and hard work of the Pier Management and North Norfolk District Council, added to by the energy of those involved. Also making a difference was the presence of IWC Media, whose involvement demonstrated the professionalism of the festival filming for Channel 5, ‘Susan Calman’s Summer By The Sea’ What a great bunch of people! It was a joy to capture them in action for our article!
The chair of the National Charity, which represents seaside piers and coastal communities around the entire United Kingdom, attended the festival and celebrated the event while also highlighting the importance of the pier to the town. ‘Piers are an important part of our national heritage through out the country and I am very pleased to see this 60s event so well attended,’ he said.
Brilliant Talk About The Beatles
An extraordinary experience took place in the community hall in Cromer. A fascinating presentation by the renowned radio broadcaster Nigel Pearce, known for programmes on Swindon 105.5 FM, Future Radio 107.8 FM in Norwich, and Norfolk’s Poppyland Community Radio FM. The subject was ‘The Beatles’ Label Apple Records’.
‘It’s great to see you here,’ Nigel greeted those in attendance, ‘we are looking at what went on inside number three, Savile Row London W.1, behind that famous white door. Inside the pages of my published book Inside No. 3.
The 60s scene was set by a screening of the classic Cliff Richard movie Summer Holiday, first released in 1962. The film brought back many memories for the assembled enthusiasts, who were taken on a nostalgic journey.
The showcase exhibits in the hall were part of Nigel’s collection of Beatles memorabilia. There was a replica of John Lennon’s Epiphone guitar, among dozens of other pieces. ‘The ivory one is a licenced replica of Lennon’s Epiphone, which he used on later Beatle albums at Apple and EMI,’ Nigel explained, motioning toward the showpiece.
Nigel also informed me about the latest developments. ‘There will be a second volume called Deeper Inside No3 which will be a further revealing of records, documents and items from those famous now lost studios at No.3. I’m delighted the Cromer 1960s spectacle has continued to grow and gain a National interest starting from the original event I founded in 2016. For more information about the Nigel’s publication, please read the book review here: Inside No. Three – Apple Records Collection by Nigel Pearce
Great Future Ahead For 1960s Festival
The festival was a re-enactment of the decade that brought people together in a celebration of a culturally booming time, which still resonates today. As the Mayor of Cromer Pat West said: “It was a great day for a truly fantastic event to celebrate our Decade the 1960’s for our lovely town. This does not happen without a coordinated effort by some wonderful people. The rain did not dampen people’s enthusiasm for visiting and I am so pleased the sun came out in the end!”
The festival is an important reminder of the lasting appeal of 1960s culture, and the significance of local community events in recording contemporary history. Moreover, the legacy of the 1960s on Cromer Pier is very much alive – and the festival’s overwhelming local popularity hints that there will be many more such events and celebrations in years to come as the spirit of the swinging ’60s continues to endure.
Final Thoughts On A Fun Weekend
In this sense, the 1960s festival at Cromer Pier was indeed about nostalgia; but in another sense, it was about the power of music to unify people, and is still so very important and relevant today. It gave Cromer another event to pull the local community together. As the sixties music played into the dusk on the pier, it created memories that fellow festival-goers will keep with them forever.
The festival in 2025 will be even bigger with some fantastic star names to be announced!
Get Nigel’s Excellent Book – Inside Number Three
Inside Number Three – The Illustrated History of Apple Records
Inside No3 takes you through that famous door, deep into the minds of all who worked there at Apple Records. This is done also in a very different way. This is not a kiss-and-tell diary, it is through fan adulation and understanding via a personal collection of artifacts and memorabilia that author Nigel Pearce has built up over the last 50 years.
For prices and dates please contact Nigel again via the website
