A KALEIDOSCOPE FULL OF MEMORIES
What follows from this point is a nostalgic insight into the history of both Peter and the band Kaleidoscope (and its other name guises), as told in Peter’s own words:
I was the dandy in the band; my Beau Brummell tendencies were constrained only by the penurious state of my purse. But there was a whole life of fashion before I joined the band. I had always fancied myself as something of a dapper dude. My brother had toyed with the Teddy Boy image before morphing into a Fifties Beatnik, complete with beret, beard and blonde girlfriend. I had quietly observed these goings-on from my early teenage sidelines.
In contrast to the Sixties happy snap accompanying this article, I do have a painful memory from around this time of needing a new coat for the winter. My mum and I got the bus into Harrow and had a look in what was probably the only men’s outfitters at the time – Burtons. Mum wanted me to have the sensible standard overcoat; I wanted the stylish one with the higher collar and the neat three rows of stitching around the hem. But it was more expensive. We had to leave the shop, walk to the post office – and I had to stand beside her as my poor uncomplaining mum had to withdraw more money from her meagre account.
We returned to the shop, bought the coat and I have never forgotten the intense sadness and guilt
