21st June 1957
DIVERSION ON HOT AFTERNOON

Feet began tapping in the shopping centre of Pontefract on Tuesday, when shop assistants, office workers and shoppers were stirred by the wail of jazz music. The exponents were a dozen or so students, who were selling ‘Tyke’ magazines for the University of Leeds ‘Rag Week’. The music, it seems, was to lure passers-by, and then young men and girl students swept round the ‘victim’ brandishing a copy of the magazine. 

It was all in good fun of course, and for charity, and everybody seemed to enjoy the diversion. Armed with a guitar, a trumpet, a clarinet, a trombone, and even a double bass, the band jigged to their own music. Wearing an assortment of garments, including checked shirts, jeans, shorts and sweaters, they visited public houses, playing and selling. They even perched comfortably on the windowsills of the police station.

[ 1957 Index ]