Stew and I had an outing to the Kent (CAMRA) Beer Festival on a farm near Canterbury one weekend recently with Jae, Oscar and Ivor, when they came for a visit. We have been going there pretty much annually for more than 20 years, as our collection of beer glasses attests. I am quite surprised we have glasses that old, given that they are in regular use in our house. I don’t drink beer, but am quite partial to an occasional glass of cider, and that is served up too. I especially enjoy going because it is a very pleasant walk across a few fields for us to get there from home, and there is usually good food – including excellent curries – and entertainment too.
This time, there was an extra attraction: we could practise our circus skills. Jae, Oscar and Ivor had fun trying out various activities. Jae is a great juggler, and the boys are pretty skilled too. I decided – in the interests of maintaining my fitness for the Kiliclimb – that I should have a go at a hula hoop, and was extremely gratified to discover that I can still whirl it as well as ever.
I had not tried a hula hoop since 1958. I thought that was the year of the hoop and have since looked it up on Wikipedia, which states:-
“A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck. The modern hula hoop was invented in 1958 by Arthur K. “Spud” Melin and Richard Knerr, but children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history.”
So 1958 it clearly was! That must have been about the time we got television at home in Hawick – the south of Scotland was not first off the mark in that respect. Every day we saw news about this exciting hoop craze rolling across the United States, and due to hit the UK imminently. My little brother Robbie became absolutely obsessed with the idea of having one, despite only being 7 years old.
He set out to do his research and discovered which shop in our town was going to be the first to get hula hoops and on what date. At that time we got 3d a week pocket money – slightly more than a modern 1p – but worth much more. However, it certainly wasn’t enough to buy a hula hoop: they cost almost £1. He had to make a visit to the Post Office to withdraw this enormous sum, saved up from money given to him on his birthdays and at Christmas by our Grandparents (£1 each time) and Yanos, our great aunt (10/- or 50p, on each occasion).
He and I headed off across town on the great morning when the hula hoops arrived, to a shop across from the station (now long gone) where he chose a bright yellow hoop, the minute the shop opened – which resulted in his first moment of fame! The local Hawick newspaper ran a feature about this exciting new craze sweeping the world, with a photograph of Robbie holding his hoop – the first in town! We all quickly became proficient at doing the spin, and the article also mentioned that I claimed to have spun it round me over 2565 times without stopping. I remember being quite upset by the word “claimed”, given that I had had four witnesses counting.
Robbie has always had a keen eye for innovation, particularly in the music industry. He didn’t attend school any more after the age of 14, but got himself established in the music world while while still a teenager – soon after the Beatles and all that followed them, burst on to the scene.
He has had quite a few moments of fame since then. His firm – Sound Technology Ltd – is one of the largest independent distributors of music instruments and professional audio products in the UK. He has also for many years been the Director of Music for Youth – a national music education charity for young people.
Robbie is still a keep fit fanatic. I am quite certain that he too can still swing a hula hoop. He is also a big supporter of the 3G Kili Climb, both as far as keeping up morale is concerned and by making the biggest donation yet to our fund raising effort. Thanks little brother!