I don't know exactly when the idea of getting a blue plaque fitted to Derek's old shop in Regent Street came about. It would have been during an early meeting between me and my co-authors Mavis Tompkins and Roger Kinsey. It came up as a 'what if' question; everyone agreed it was a good idea and put it to one side, and then got on with the task in hand, which was to do the research and conduct the interviews for the first volume of the story.
The first part of the story 'Back Street Genius' was published last summer to rave reviews. The first print run sold out and was reprinted. We were also successful in getting the book listed in Waterstones and Gardners Books wholesalers.
The cost of printing the book was met by crowdfunding. Enough people put into the pot to pay the printing. Each donor got their book at a reduced price and the balance of the fund was earmarked for the second volume.
Roger had an underlying health issue that required a serious operation. Unfortunately there were complications and Roger died the day after the operation.
We had planned to wait a few months before starting the second volume, but decided to press on. Unfortunately the library was closed due to the pandemic lock down, so I wasn't able to look through old copies of the Northants Evening Telegraph for articles and adverts so had to adopt a slightly different approach.
Over the next few months we interviewed a host of musicians and singers who recorded at Beck. We contacted Derek's radio ham contacts. We had online chats with people in the US as well as face to face meetings. In the end we had the definitive book about Derek and Beck Studio.
Once again we asked people to crowdfund the cost of printing and the amount was raised very quickly with a healthy amount left in the bank.
The book was launched at Derek's old studio in Wellingborough, now run by Dave Smith. For many of the attendees it was their first time in the studio in almost half a century. The local paper sent a photojournalist along and they ran a half page spread in the next issue.
My attention turned to the possibility of getting a blue plaque to be fixed on the front of Derek & Mavis' old shop in Regent Street, Kettering. I began by contacting the Kettering Civic Society, putting the case for the plaque by highlighting Derek's contribution to the record industry from the 1960s to the mid 1980s. It may well be that they may have been influenced by me saying that there was no issue with funding the cost of the plaque, but they got on board right away.
We had a number of meetings including one with the current owner of the shop. Val Tierney had bought the shop from Derek in the early 1990s and was very enthusiastic about having a plaque on the front of his premises. All that remained was to agree on the text for the plaque and get the quote for its manufacture. Mavis agreed the final wording and the order was placed.
All that remained was to set the date for the unveiling and sending out the invites.
On Thursday September 2nd 2021 the plaque was unveiled by the Mayor and Derek's widow Mavis in front of a good sized crowd. The vent was covered by the local paper and a journalist from BBC Radio Northampton interviewed a number of attendees and put together a piece that was broadcast several times the following day. It was a fitting tribute to the memory of a pioneer of recording and set the seal on an interesting couple of years.
What's next?
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