 |
Hippie Days -Around
1971 - 2 |
At home in Beckenham, Kent.
In the background is Colin's 1st wife June (who, by the way, still
looks exactly the same some 35 odd years later) and scattered on the
ground are various whistles Colin used to play with the Bully Wee
Band. We know what you're probably thinking about what Colin
may be smoking here. It's doubtful. He was more into Tizer & cream soda in those days. Have a look at the flares
though!! |
 |
Bully
Wee -
Around 1972 |
From
the left: Jim Yardley; Guitar, Mandolin and Vocals: Colin Reece;
Guitar, Whistles and Vocals: John Yardley; Guitar and Vocals |
 |
Bully
Wee
At the Cambridge Folk Festival 1973
|
As
a direct result of this appearance the band were booked for
Cambridge the following year. By which time Colin had left. |
 |
The Wish It Was
A Brewery Folk Club -
1976 to 1985
|
The
Wish It Was A Brewery Folk Club opened at the Kings Head,
Rochester, Kent in September 1976 and was was widely regarded as
one of the country's best folk clubs of the time, largely due to
the quality of the club's resident performers. Here we see 3
members of the resident band the 'Wish It Was A Band Band' Jon
Cunningham, Dave Bubb and Colin |
 |
Le
Lavendou,
Southern France -
June 1979
|
Early
in June 1979 Colin got a visit from Jim Yardley and Ian Cutler of
his old band The Bully Wee Band. Jim told Colin that his brother
John was about to leave the band and that they were there to ask
him to rejoin. Colin was about to take a three week holiday in
the South of France and said that he would use the time to think
about it.
Here
we see Colin in the process of writing 'The Wedding At Stanton
Drew' specifically for The Bully Wee Band. It would appear his
mind was pretty much made up by this time. In fact the day he
returned from this holiday to his office with British Telecom he
handed in his notice.
|
 |
The
Bully Wee Band - Publicity photo August 1979
|
The first publicity
shot of the band after Colin rejoined in August 1979.
From
the left Ian Cutler; Violin, viola, keyboard and vocals: Fergus Feely; Cello
mandolin, bouzouki and vocals: Colin Reece; Vocals and
guitars: Jim Yardley; Vocals, mandolin, whistles and guitars.
|
 |
Ouch !!! - August 1979
|
Just
before Colin's first rehearsal with The Bully Wee Band he got
involved in a charity football match playing for The Wish It Was
a Brewery Folk Club against The Half Moon Folk Club from Putney,
London. A few minutes into the second half saw Colin and a
certain R Digance esq, who was playing for the Half Moon, collide
in mid-air whilst attempting to head the ball. No-one saw the
disgusting, depraved and despicable foul as Mr Digance's elbow
met Colin's ribs and sent him tumbling back to earth on the side
of his left foot. When people realised that Colin was still
writhing in agony even after the cameras had been switched off,
they concluded something must actually be wrong. An X-ray at the local
hospital showed that Colin's foot had been smashed to a pulp -
(well, OK it was a hairline fracture, but it bleedin' hurt). If
it hadn't been for the fact that a few years later Richard was largely
instrumental in getting Colin his career with Jim Davidson, vengeance would have been
sweetly taken long ago.
Colin's
wife Linda was always supportive of him during their time
together and here we see her in her usual role of supporting
Colin on one hand with a drink in the other.
|
 |
The
Bully Wee Band
in America -
September 1979
|
Boston,
Massachusetts during The Bully Wee Band's first tour of America.
From the left Ian Cutler, local radio presenter Andy Nagy, Fergus Feely, from
singer/songwriter Susan Shore, Jim Yardley, Colin
Reece and bending low the Bully Wee Band's sound engineer Colin Cooghan.
|