I cannot remember my first meeting with Peter Ham, he just seemed to be around one day. I, like lots of other children were certainly aware of him in our early school days at Gors Infants and Gors Junior schools, as Peter would play his mouth organ in the school playground - much to the amazement of us all.

One day I heard a story that made me shudder, one of the children had their fingers crushed in the iron school gates - it was Peter! Someone had pushed the gate shut while he was holding on to the post, (I think it was his 'little finger' that got crushed). Peter had another incident regarding fingers at Townhill Secondary School - for some reason the school desks had a hole in the underside and during a lesson Peter managed to get his finger stuck in this hole - much to the laughter of the rest of the class - as when the class was dismissed, Peter was stuck there! School teachers eventually freed him with grease. (I find it ironic that his band should later be named Badfinger!)

A couple of doors down from where I lived in Gwylfa Road, Townhill lived a chap named David Franklin who was a friend of mine. David played guitar and was soon befriended by Peter Ham. It was a natural progression that they would start to play music as in those days not many people played guitar in the area that we were brought up in.

Peter was greatly influenced by by a group called the Shadows and more so by their lead guitarist Hank Marvin. The Shadows were an instrumental group, so Peter and David started playing Shadows instrumentals. There is no doubt that Hank Marvin was a major influence in Peter's love for the guitar; a fact I feel has been very much overlooked.

Peter loved the 'Shads' as he would call them, and would buy the two major music papers of that time. The Melody Maker and the Musical Express. He was always anxious to relate some story he had read about them to me - I do think that if there had not been the Shadows, there possibly might never have been a Badfinger!

As Peter's sister, Irene was a member of a local jazz club, (Glanmor Jazz Club) she had managed to borrow from one of her friends a snare drum. So it was suggested that I sit in with Pete and Dave to see how it would go - so there we all were in the kitchen of Pete's home having a little session, (Shadows of course). Meanwhile, his parents tried to watch TV in the other room above all the noise! Anyway the session went well. I bought my own snare drum and added to the kit bit by bit. This was always one of our early problems - we came from working class families and none of our parents were wealthy. So there was no spare money for equipment - what we did have though, were good loving parents - all of us; we were very lucky!

Practice sessions continued at Pete's house in Gwent Gardens, Townhill, and by this time we had foolishly all started smoking cigarettes... So every now and then we would march up to the top of Pete's garden to his father's shed for a secret smoke - as his parents would have gone crazy if they found us smoking! Of some interest Rick, Gwent Gardens had the nick-name of 'The Keyhole'; as this was a dead end and had a turning point at one end, which if viewed from above took on the shape of a keyhole. Keith James once told me that Pete recorded a number called "Keyhole Street" - I don`t know if there was any connection, but I suspect there is.

I must say that I found Peter's mother, Catherine, to be one of the kindest and sweetest persons I have ever met - everyone who knew her was fond of her. She was just someone who when you were in her company you felt loved! - You could feel the warmth and sincerity flowing from her.

Dave Franklin's father had a small garage at their home in Gwylfa Road, and permission was granted for us to use this to practice in. We loved those early sessions there was a great feeling of comradeship. We even secured our first fans at this time, as girls passing in the street outside would stop and take an interest. Suddenly there was another side to this music thing that was attractive to us! By now we were well into Shadows material taken off an LP of Peter's simply called "The Shadows". (I still have my copy of this record with the numbers we played from it underlined).

Peter and myself had become close friends by this time to the extent that although Peter, (or 'Piggy' as we called him) could have caught a bus to work less than 100 yards from where he lived. But he would walk a considerable distance to call for me at approximately 8:30 AM so we could go to work together - music always being the main topic of conversation. (Peter was a trainee TV engineer and I likewise a signwriter - It's also ironic that Pete's drummer Mike Gibbins also worked as a signwriter). Dave Franklin was a joiner / carpenter.

I remember Pete being very excited on one occasion over some information he had picked up that the Shadows were playing in Cardiff. (Cardiff is the capitol city of Wales, and is approximately 35 miles from Swansea). I suggested that we should try to go and see them - this added to his excitement. So we decided to phone Cardiff to see if there were any tickets available. This may sound crazy but hardly anyone had a telephone in their homes in those days unless they were 'well off!' So we had to use a call box. Peter was nervous about using the phone so I made the call - the show was sold out, disaster!

---

---

Copyright © 2001- Badfinger Web Ring (BWR). All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of the Badfinger Web Ring, is prohibited.