The last time was Saturday 28 June 1969. Kevin Williams and I had been out on Friday night in his white mini traveller - to the Black Swan in Much Dewchurch, I think. Why there? Well, somebody almost always told Kevin, or if not, he cleverly acquitred the information, about a party. Sometimes the parties were great, sometimes they weren't our cup of tea, i.e. lots of nice, conventional people!
Out of the Black Swan some time around midnight and where next? Usually we just drove, summer nights and empty roads. I can't have been an accident but I do not remember any plan to go to Bath but there we were, on the pavement at fisrt light and surrounded by a what seemed to me to be a mass of magical, mysterious looking people, the males with giant bushes of frizzy hair, beards, beads, sunglasses and the girls? Well to me, fresh out of school, they all seemed exotic and beautiful in their flowing robes, and with their beads, bangles and necklaces. It dawned on me that there was a music concert about to take place but not just any old concert, one featuring groups whose LPs I had been playing at top volume for months and some groups I had yet to experience.
I walked in front of Kevin and there on the pavement were two tickets. Luck? That's a most understated way of expressing our good fortune. I was briefly sorry for whoever dropped them but anticipation took over, thus preventing me from doing the right thing, such as I hand them in at the police station and at the end of the day if nobody has claimed them, I can have them back. Fat chance!
The day was warm. We sat at the front and did not move from our spot all day - no breakfast, lunch, trips to the toilet or anything else as far as I remember. Perhaps some kindly souls occasionally passed us things to eat and drink, people did that in those days, but I do not recall it happening that day.
I remember just sitting there, listening, enthralled.
I can visualise Keef Hartley's drumming, Stan Webb with his guitar attached to his amp by an enormous lead, strolling out into the crowd who rose in rapture. Taste and Colosseum, who we used to watch regulary, and Alvin Lee's demonic playing. The Nice appeared with the Band of the Royal Scots Guards (I think) and then... Led Zeppelin. Everything was different after hearing them.
Attached are a couple of photos. The first is of the crowd in 1969, I'm in there somewhere, with my slightly long hair. 
The other is of me on 31 December 2009, on the pavement outside the Recreation Ground, just where I picked up those life changing two tickets...
The other is of me on 31 December 2009, on the pavement outside the Recreation Ground, just where I picked up those life changing two tickets... 
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