DID the Sixties happen in Warrington?

That's what Janice Hayes, education officer at Warrington Museum, wants to find out.

She's trying to track down what Warrington's 1960s swingers wore, where they bought their trendy gear and where they hung out .... if in fact, the Sixties happened at all in Warrington.

Janice wants to collate fashion items and information from the 1950s, 60s and 70s for an exhibition she is staging about Warrington and its people during the lifetime of Ossie Clark, the fashion designer who grew up here.

She's hoping that people in the town will come forward and tell her about their clothes and lifestyles.

The exhibition, at the Community Gallery, will run alongside an exhibition in the main Art Gallery, featuring Ossie Clark's fashions. More than 40 of his designs, and also his sewing machine, will be on display from November 1 to January 29.

A picture of Ossie and his wife, fabric designer Celia Birtwell, painted by David Hockney, is being brought from London for the event. David Hockney was a friend of Ossie and Celia.

Janice's research so far into the period shows post war Warrington as a drab Northern town , buildings black with industrial pollution and numerous gas lit terraced houses.

But the Americans at Burtonwood reminded the locals that life could be more glamorous.

Ossie himself recalled "American cars with fins and suicide blondes."

Ossie remembered the juke box at the Rendezvous Coffee Bar in Sankey Street and the Teddy Boys in "Pink day-glow socks." in the l950s.

Born in Liverpool, Ossie grew up in Warrington, attending Beamont Technical School and Warrington School of Art.

As Ossie sped off to the trendy London scene Warrington was emerging as a New Town, old communities and familiar landmarks were disappearing and new mini district centres and shopping malls were springing up.

Janice said that Warrington's trendies probably had to shop in Manchester or Liverpool or they would have made their own clothes.

"Warrington was on the verge of the things that were happening, with the Beatles in Liverpool and the Hollies in Manchester," she said.

The New Town Development Corporation, as part of their consultations for the New Town, asked young people for their views.

The need for more trendy shops was one of the points that came through.

"When girls went to university in the Sixties, the first thing they did was turn up their hemlines," said Janice.

The biggest fashion story of the Sixties was the mini skirt, worn with skimpy tops and high boots.

Ossie made a return visit to Beamont Technical School, bringing a group of trendy London models, which must have caused quite a stir, and this is something else Janice would like to hear about, if anybody has any memories.

If you can help Janice with pictures or information please contact her on 444400 or write to her at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery.

I

IN an interview with Pat Gill Bolton in l970, Ossie Clark gave an insight into the northern fashion scene.

He said he felt sad that fashion in the north was so far behind London.

"Somehow, fashion seems to get lost before it gets to the north ... the people in London pay quite a lot for my stuff, but then a lot of them are rich

"The buyers are slow, but I can see both sides of the problem," said Ossie.

"The young people want the stuff, but the buyers are scared to take much of a chance - scared of losing money.

"You can't blame them, in a way. They might buy the wrong thing and then get stuck with it.

"I don't think there's as much money about in the north as there is in London and that probably has a lot to do with it.

"Even so, I think one or two of the big stores in Manchester could stock some exciting clothes in small quantities, with the promise of more if they sold. This would be the answer.

"I expect some do this to a degree.

"But still the clothes are not as exciting as they are in London.

"I think the buyers could take a bit more of a chance."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.