The Grattan Connection

I joined the well-known Grattan Warehouse Mail Order firm after leaving the army in 1959. Actually, it was quite a good stopgap to leave when you had found your niche for a better career.

Highlights were the workday trip on Saturday to Blackpool, taking over a thousand employees on three trains from the Exchange station, and later having fish and chips at one of the large fish restaurants. It was also a chance to meet up with the girls from the offices whom you had only seen from afar in the canteen or nodded to in passing. On the following Monday, rumours were rife, who met who, who got drunk, who embarrassed themselves, and what romances were made. And the big question - how many missed the train home?

There was always the staff dance at the Queen's Hall in Bradford,  modern dancing to an orchestra, and a 'rock n' roll' group for the teenagers.

It has to be said that Grattan did look after its staff and the wage was good for the time. I was paid £10 per week in 1960 which would be £294 in 2023.

During my time at Grattan, 1959-1960  there were many colleagues who were 'rock n roll' musicians.

Here are just a few that you may remember of that time.

Dave Arran vocals Dakotas

Harry Unsworth bass guitar The Del Fi's
Drew Charles piano The Mel Clarke Four

Dennis (Duane) Oliver bass guitar, vocals The Four Dukes, Crusaders

John Lund rhythm guitar The Four Dukes

Mick Kershaw aka Mick Novac vocals The Tornadoes

Tony Minchella drums The Hi-Ti's

Brendan Crowe rhythm guitar Mick and the Tornadoes, The Rattlers

Josie McCann Vocals many groups

Alfred Nurse drums Billy Royal and the Four Aces.

Derek A J Lister aka Dal Stevens vocals, The Blue Jays, The Four Dukes

The photo on the right shows our group performing at the Grattan charity dance advertised on the flyer earlier on this page. I didn't know this picture existed until I started contacting friends for the 1991 book and was given this to use. 

Sharp-eyed readers may have spotted it as the front cover image of 'When Bradford Rocked'.

We were on the bill with other artists made up of people who worked at Grattan. We played some good numbers that went down well with the audience. It was good to see the Grattan staff enjoying themselves.

Ray Moore, Manager of the Gaumont ball room (1959 - 1961 ) had also been a Grattan employee and was responsible for promoting Bradford's rock 'n' roll scene.

It was Ray who suggested, after my group had folded I became a DJ at the Gaumont ballroom. 

Without that meeting things would have been very different and I wouldn't have been meeting the stars, collecting the autographs and ultimately none of the books would have been written.

Thank you Ray.