1963,
August 9th - The first broadcast of ‘Ready Steady Go!’ on the
BBC from Television House, Kingsway, London in a half hour slot from 7pm.
The studio set allowed the invited public onto the floor ‘for dancing
and mingling with the appearing stars’.
The original theme tune, ‘Wipeout’ by the Surfaris was soon
replaced by Manfred Mann’s distinctive tune ’5-4-3-2-1’.
1963, August 28th - Martin Luther King Jnr. delivers his ‘I Have
A Dream’ speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington “...With
this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation
into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able
to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail
together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free
one day.”
Press Release from ‘Ready Steady Go’
The Greenheath Business Centre in Bethnal Green is owned
by Workspace a local commercial property company specialising in letting
offices, studios and industrial units across London. This building once
used to be a surgical instruments’ factory and retains a faint chemical
scent. From the outside it looks impenetrable but somewhere inside it there
was The Three Colts Gallery, whom we heard were looking for proposals for
exhibitions.
We met Anat Toffel and Pat Harris from The Three Colts Lane Gallery at the
‘Carpenters’ Arms Pub’ near the gallery. In the 1970’s
this was a fashionable haunt but on that day it looked like an installation
by the artist Mike Nelson.
We showed Anat and Pat our folio with photographs from previous shows and
they agreed to let us use the space. The only condition was that due to
their programme of exhibitions already being scheduled the only certain
slot was in one month. To be precise twenty six days and the words 'ready,
steady, go' came to mind.