In north London where I grew up, there was a period in around '79/80 where if you weren't a skinhead you were likely to be the victim of a skinhead gang...You probably know by now that I love these old NEL books... and these titles sensationally and entertainingly exploited a few of the youth cults in the early-mid '70s. But how did the Boot Boy (top left) suddenly become a Smoothie (bottom left) without changing his shirt or haircut?
5 comments:
Woah, totally reminds me of my childhood (West London)
Ah Guy.. the true Skinhead wore a Harrington Jacket, rolled up bleach spotted Levis and 11 hole or more Doc Martins, and listened to 'moon stompin'... a smoothie wore 2Tone or stay press, Brutus or Ben Sherman shirts and tasselled loafers, and of course the hair a bit longer, listened to Jig-a-jig... the suede heads were an in betweenie... when i was 10yrs old i was the mascot for the 'coulsdon old ole'... hahaha.... those pics take me back
'kin great days
I remember those days well mate, whereabouts in North London were you? There was this skinhead squat that a bloke called Nick lived in in the Camden area, there was always some of the Madness blokes hanging out at the place, what a shit hole it was too. I had this killer green tonic shirt with union jack buttons. Looking back I'm not too sure that they were good times or not, it was brief, I do remember that. Btw bruv, you have a place to kip at my gaff when you come over if you want it.
Cheers
Matt
I've got a copy of one called Freaks which is about hippies in Ladbroke Grove, to go with a shelf full of biker ones and Boot Boys. Have you got the bigger format NEL biker books?
Hermann
Have you read that book called 'Bovver?' It's more recent but a pretty good chronicle of lifestyle from the late 60s on (from a football perspective).
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