The Amen diaries - 1968

1968

January

8th 21st Party, Bucklebury
13th "The Way" coffee bar, Swindon

"The Way" was a regular coffee bar held in the upstairs rooms of a disused shop in Swindon. I remember some rough visitors.

February

3rd "The Way" coffee bar, Swindon

9th Nu Kreetcha, Reading
11th Whitchurch Parish Church, nr Pangbourne
17th Andover Congregational coffee bar

18th Andover Congregational church service
21st Coke Hole, Andover
24th The Way, Swindon
28th Young People's mission, Shipton Bellinger

March

22nd Nu Kreetcha, Reading
23rd The Koupe coffee bar, Eastleigh Baptist with the "Free Folk".

April

19th St Birinus youth club, Calcot
24th Grammar school Christian Union, Swindon
26th The Way, Swindon
27th Crowning the Reading Temperance Queen

May

10th Nu Kreetcha, Reading
11th British Transport Christian Fellowship, Providence Free Church, Reading
18th Youth for Christ, Swindon with "Last Week's Collection"
19th Andover Congregational Church

June

8th Andover Crusade for Christ (outside Guildhall)


29th Romsey Youth for Christ, Abbey Hall

July

The AMen Unplugged. Richard introduces his Gibson J45 for some songs.

6th Romsey Baptist Bar-B-Q
10th Andover Carnival, Congregational church float
13th Andover Crusade for Christ, playing fields
28th Evening service, Bible Pattern church, Newbury
30th Andover Bar-B-Q, Picket Piece

August

30th Nu Kreetcha, Reading

September

7th Newbury Congregational "Piscados" club
8th Newbury Baptist squash
11th Henley Baptist "New People" club

October

Herb trades in his Colorama for a Harmony H75 3 pickup sunburst guitar.

11th Oxford Brethren coffee bar, James St hall
13th Bridge St. Methodist evening service, Andover
16th Commonweal school, Swindon. Harmony H75 purchased
19th Huntercombe Borstal, Nuffield
A Borstal - an institution for reforming and training young offenders. The Vicar had a beautiful old Alvis and drank hot water and brown sugar before bed.
20th Huntercombe Borstal morning service Nuffield Parish church
22nd Mortimer Youth club
26th Shinfield Free Evangelical coffee bar

November

15th St. Marybourne Methodist guild
20th Henley Baptist coffee bar
23th Gorse Hill Baptist church, Swindon
29th Abingdon Barge youth club

The church in Abingdon had a narrow boat ("barge") on the river as a facility for youth work. Slightly cramped for a band.

December

1st Northcott church, Oxford, squash
4th Grately youth club, nr Andover
13th Whitney Technical College Christmas Special (with Nigel Goodwin, Jimmy Darius etc)
23rd Huntercombe Borstal