59 Club
[5] The club enjoyed fame into the early 1980s as the top hang-out spot for London Rockers and other motorcyclists, seen as creating a positive archetype for its young members to follow.Oates secured teen star Cliff Richard to play at its opening night on Thursday, 2 April 1959, and the huge turnout ensured that the club became an instant success.Richard returned to the club often over subsequent years, and it attracted Princess Margaret, her husband Lord Snowdon, actor Dame Elizabeth Taylor and later many motorcycling sportsmen and musicians.The motorcyclists met once a week on Saturday evenings at the Eton Mission, where there was ample parking and a large hall with table tennis, billiards, a juke box and a coffee bar.The centerpiece was a large iced cake created by Arthur Keen and decorated by 'Jiminy' as a facsimile of Brands Hatch motor racing circuit and weighing 84 lb (38 kg).Membership in September 1966 was quoted at 13,000; the club hosted a stand at the Earls Court motorcycle show to recruit further new members.[18] Besides motorcycles and 1950s rock and roll, the club involved activities such as football and sub-aqua diving—which gave the youths, mainly from underprivileged backgrounds, an outlet for their energy.The rise of these groups, which tended to cater to an older and tougher crowd, was a contrast to the 59 way of life and marked the end of the 1960s British Rocker subculture.[23] Father Scott Anderson the club Chairman at the time lead the blessing at St Martin in the Fields Trafalgar Square.
Hackney Wickmotorcycle clubChurch of EnglandSt Mary of EtonEast End of LondonRockersfolk devilsmoral panicMods and RockersThe ReverendscurateSt. BridesCliff RichardPrincess MargaretLord SnowdonDame Elizabeth TaylorTrevor HuddlestonapartheidAce CafeEton Missiontable tennisbilliardsjuke boxcoffee barMotor CyclePaddingtonWest End of LondonAP news agencydecoratedBrands HatchMotorcycle MechanicsRoyal EnfieldAlexandra PalaceThe Wild One1 pound (£)rock and rollsub-aqua divingDragon RallyElephant RallyNürburgringIsle of Man TTsubculturesubgroupBBC Radio 4Home TruthsSomersetLincolnSt Martin-in-the-FieldsTrafalgar SquareBBC NewsCharity Commission for England and Wales