I WAS interested to read Michael Brooks' Classic Vinyl article, (Gazette, February 20, 'Writing was on the wall for Shadows') about The Shadows and their change of name.

I still have my programme from The Cliff Richard Show on October 4, 1959, in which he was billed as appearing with The Drifters. That night, Cliff told the audience the group was changing its name to avoid confusion with the American Drifters. I recall being rather cross that some group from the USA, whose music had failed to impress the 15-year-old me, should take preference over our homegrown talent!

The programme includes photographs of other performers in the show, most prominently Al Saxon, who was quite a star then. Interestingly, there is no photograph of The Drifters/Shadows.

The programme does not name the theatre, as it was a touring show repeated in different venues, but it would have been either in Clacton or Colchester, in Essex.

I did see Cliff at the Palladium the following year but he was still not yet top of the bill there. As I recall, that spot was occupied by Edmund Hockridge.

How some stars fade and others endure!

Robina Dexter

Grange-over-Sands