November
1. Went to Cavern. Just going home when chap wanted a trio for Boomerang club. Went in taxi for our stuff, guitars and amps. Played okay. Darktown pianist never turned up, got £2 each.
4. Played at Jive Hive. Police came, questioned us and then went.
5. Bought 60 bangers. Went to Triangle and Thompsons. Police came about holes in windows. Went with a girl for a bit. Went to hers for tea and records. Al and I went back to Triangle Fire until 2 o'clock.
6. Went to see Lonnie Donegan Show, very good and packed out.
7. Cavern Jazz club. Played good, went down well, got rise. Al and I stayed till 3.30. Got taxi home with two girls.
8. Went to Hollyoaks about dates, then to New Temple Jazz club (Paul Beattie), terrible. Went to Cavern.
9. Went to Locarno, crummy. Some lads want us to see a guitarist tomorrow night.
10. Went to Huyton, freezing, no one waiting for us, went home. They came in a car and apologised. Went to Locarno.
11. Jive Hive. Amp broke down again, played okay.
13. Student Union, £10. Alex Welch was on, no mic so we used our amp. Played good in main hall, went down well. Got taxis home.
14. Went to town. Tried to get Mickey Mouse shoes.
15. Went to Cavern. Sold some dance tickets. Went with girl to Pier Head.
17. Packed in Alan's. Stayed in.
18. Jive Hive, played okay.
20. Cavern. new stand, 9.15 - 10 o' clock. played good, went down well. Took girl to bus stop. May see her next Friday.
21. Played okay at Childwall College (?). Two radio cabs take us to Jive Hive. Played well at Crosby.
22. Went to Empire 3 o'clock. Marty Wilde Show. Went backstage. Garry Mills signed plenty of autographs. Went to Cavern after show.
23. Wrote after summer season advertisement.
24. Went to 'I Conquered The World.' Good.
25. Jive Hive. Played okay. Took girls for tea, but wasn't keen on them.
26. Went to see 'Return Of The Fly', good. Went to Cavern, then to Pack of Cards.
27. Cavern, played lousy due to Ritchie not playing (John B. stepped in but went down awful). Maureen was there but she got sick of waiting for me as I was with two other girls.
28. Played okay at Pembroke's Dance. Paul was there. Van to Jive Hive, 10.45 - 11.45. Linda was there but had to go home.
29. Casbah Club. Al James got bass guitar string, went to his house in van, two girls came to our house, so we took them to the Casbah Club with us, nice girls, we played well on the club.
30. Met Jean in town. Went to Broadway to see 'The Spider' as 'Jack The Ripper' wasn't on. Had good time, she's a nice girl, seeing her Sunday.

December
1. Date with Lesley at Mardi Gras. Had row with her, never went home with her.
2. Jive Hive. Played okay. Went with Linda backstage for a few minutes.
3. Went to Lesley's house. Her father has seven shops and A CAR, had great night.
4. My birthday. Got good few cards. Went with Lesley to Cavern. Found out we're playing tomorrow instead of Darktown.
5. Jive Hive. (8.15 - 8.45, 10.45 - 11.15), Cavern (9.15 - 10.00). Al James took us in van. Went down well at Cavern, played okay at Crosby.
6. Went to Cavern with Diane. I went to bus stop with her. I was going to go with her fried who likes me, but I couldn't leave Diane.
7. Went with Diane to see Cliff Richard show, not too bad. We went to Cavern (Lonnie Donegan Club). Saw Joan, took her to Pier Head.
8. Went to Mardi Gras. Lesley and Carol were there. Took Lesley to bus stop, then Al and I went to Pack of Cards with some friends of Cliff Richard.
9. Jive Hive, played well. Linda was crying because I'd brought Lesley. She was going to scratch her eyes out.
10. Stayed in town. Met Lesley and went to see Cliff Richard at Empire. Al and I went backstage to meet Shadows. Had row with Lesley, went to Pack of Cards with Alan.
11. Al and I went in Al James' van to Cambridge Hall in Southport. Good hall but we played lousy because amps broke down. About 200 people in, not too bad for first night.
12. We brought new amp. We played Crosby, went to Cavern, then to Crosby and back to Cavern for all-nighter. Played excellent, but bad reception. Stayed with Lesley and Carol. My Crosby girl was there.
13. Casbah. Carol and Lesley came to ours. Played okay. Never bothered with Lesley because I liked Carol. Phoned Diane up.
14. Les and Carol came down with my ring. Carol came to get records, had a talk with her, and we like each other. Went to Alan's but Carol was crying because Lesley had been with me. Had talk with Lesley, and U told her I was finishing with her. Seeing Carol on Wed.
15. (Tues) Went to Regent with Diane to see 'Cosh Boy', useless. (Date for Chez Jazrock, Broadway, crossed out).
16. Jive Hive. Played okay, went with Paulette, not keen on her.
17. Haircut at Eric's. Went to see what the Civil Service Club was like.
18. Al and I went in Barry Jackson's car to Southport. Got lost in Crosby and got to Southport late.
19. Went to Queensferry in Les's van, though he was late. Al and I played good in Ellesmere Port. Went to Jive Hive in a car, then to Cavern, played well, and went back to Jive Hive and pkayed an hour.
20. Went to Casbah to see guitarist. Phoned Diane but saw her at Cavern later. Didn't bother with her.
21. Bill and Don came to ours to practice. Carol and Lesley came about 10 o'clock, walked home with them. Don't know which one I like best, got back about 1 o'clock.
22. Broadway, Civil Service Club. Alan and I were one hour late. Played okay. We had row with rest of group, nearly broke up and went to Pack of Cards.
23. Went to Locarno, but over 21, so went to Rialto which was worse, all old codgers. Saw Olga Smith and her friend.
24. Went for drinks all day with staff. Played at Jive Hive. Went for drink with Bobby Bell Rockers, played good but Lesley came and Carol was in a temper because I was supposed to be with her. I left the two of them there and went with Linda. Wrapped presents and went to bed at 4.
25. Had marvellous dinner. Carol and Lesley gave me my ring back. Went to Alan Thompson's party, not bad. Al brought his girl friend and her mate, she was no good but went with her as no spare girls. Party finished about 3.
26. Jive Hive not very crowded, played okay. Went to Casbah, but it was shut. Mrs Best let us in house, stayed all night with Ruth, not a bad girl but she hates our group, left about 7.30, walked to Prescot Road.
27. Casbah. Played okay, had a bit of trouble at bus stop with little Teddy lads. Went to Sylvia's party, not much good, nothing to eat or drink. Fred Cropper was there. I left about 2.30 as work tomorrow.
28. Stayed in and watched 'Wagon Train.'
30. Jive Hive, played okay, not good crowd in.
31. Broadway. Played good, terrible fight there, got lift in van to Tony's party, not bad. Bill Turner came. Got home about 9 in morning.

Editor's Notes: It's intriguing to see that events which in hindsight prove very important, are not even mentioned in Johnny's diaries. He writes about the group's appearance at the Mardi Gras on March 25, but omits to mention that this is the first time Ritchie Starkey appeared with the group.

Names such as the Swan and the Rocket indicate pubs. British money at the time wasn't decimilised. There were 12 pennies to one shilling (1/-), 20 shillings to the pound. Three pennies was a threepenny bit, a sixpenny piece was a tanner. 21 shillings was a guinea.

This year Johnny spent less time going to the cinema and was no longer going steady with a particular girl, he was playing the field and seemed quite cavalier in his treatment of girls.

The Jive Hive was St. Lukes Hall, Crosby.

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