I was born in 1940 and my dad died when I was 11, so we were a poor family, but I wanted to do something with my life and I like music. After listening to the Fifties’ music of people like Frankie Laine and Johnny Ray, this Tommy Steele kid came in with skiffle around 1956 and I thought, ‘I could sing like him!’, so I bought myself a guitar for fifty bob [£2.50]. So did an old school pal of mine and we learnt six chords.

One night, out of cheek, we walked into the North Pole pub in Islington near where I lived - I think we were about 17 years old - and the landlord said, “Do you play those guitars?” We said, “Of course we do!” We did six songs and then the landlord said, “Do you know some more?” We said, “Yeah, loads!”, so we got back up and did the same six in reverse!

And that was our first gig. We got no wages - we were given a couple of brown ales each for the audition and they passed a tin tray around. We got more in that tray than I earned all week working in a timberyard and I thought, ‘This is the business to be in!’

From then, we bought electric gear and we were back there every weekend; we got a bit of money, but we also got free booze. We even worked at the 2i’s coffee bar, which was the hub of music then and where it all started. Tommy Steele was the first one to play there and then you had Adam Faith, Marty Wilde and all those people. But I didn’t like coffee bars. I wasn’t a coffee drinker and I used to like a drink while we were playing, so I preferred to play in pubs; we must have played in every pub in London!

When we were 19, we were pretty good, a tight band, and we’d play seven nights a week, including Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes, but we’d be getting two or three quid each for every show, so you couldn’t get rich on it. In the Sixties, we played in the barracks mess hall at Windsor Castle in front of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. We didn’t realise that when you perform for royalty, apparently you’re supposed to do it for free. We were struggling kids and the guy said, “You’ll get six quid.” “Between us?” “No, each!” So we played for an hour and then they said, “Would you play for another hour?” I said, “For another six quid, I would!”

I played in bands for another six years until I played in a pub in Chelsea one night. All the actors lived in Chelsea - Tom Baker, Dudley Sutton, Lionel Bart - and they wore all the gear they bought in Carnaby Street. I was having an after-hours drink with some of the punters when one of them said he was working as an extra the next day on an episode of Roger Moore’s ‘The Saint’ TV series and did I fancy a day’s work? I said, “Yes, I don’t mind” - and I stayed for 32 years and had a wonderful time.

Read more about Aitch’s acting career next week!

Did you see any bands in coffee bars or pubs in the Sixties? Where did you like to meet friends? Share your memories here!