Impacts (Stretford)
The Impacts began as "Bobby and the Impacts": all kids at Stretford Grammar School.
In 1961, I was signed up to play lead guitar and within 3 weeks we had our first gig at a Saturday Youth Club "dance" in an Urmston scout hut/prefab (maybe Flixton). Our play list was a mix of Cliff, Everlys, Elvis, Shads, Chuck Berry, Marty Wilde, Jerry Lee, Eddie Cochran. We managed to get through our numbers pretty well.
There was another group at the end of the hall on that first night: Pete Novak and the Heartbeats. Pete was Peter Noone (also Stretford GS). Karl Green was on bass. Who was the best band? Obviously - too impolite for me to say.
Our line up was Bob Roberts (vocals), Gav Black (rhythm guitar), Dave Hopwood (bass), Mal White (drums) and me (Chris Jarvis) on lead. Our play list was a mixture of Cliff, Elvis, Marty Wilde, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Kidd the the Pirates, Chuck Berry and Everlys. This was pre Beatles.
The Impacts stayed together until early 1964. Mal White left us after that first 1961 gig and Vic Jones joined us on drums.
We played regularly in pubs, clubs, WMCs and local dance halls across Salford, Stretford and Sale (Locarno with revolving stage) and out to Bolton, Clevelys (Queens ballroom), Huddersfield, Hyde and Bredbury (country club). We evolved with in the early Beatles, Pacemakers, Big Three music but lost "team" cohesion by early 1964. Bob and I kept going in a couple of makeshift bands and In late 1964, I joined the Teddybears.
Dave had done a pro stint with the T-Bears on US bases in Germany. The Teddybears needed a new lead guitarist and so I was reunited with Dave.
Chris Jarvis -15 August 2023
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Bob Roberts trained as a nurse. Married in 1968, he and his wife now live in Lymington. They had four children and - now of course - grandchildren. Bob sang with a few bands after the Impacts..mainly Country/Rock. I'm now He retired a few years back from BBC South where he was a country/rock show presenter.
Dave Hopwood and his wife live in the Warrington area. He had a long, busy career in insurance and he still plays bass when he can with old mates from the Stretford days.
Gav Black - lives with his wife near Poole/Bournemouth. He had a great career as a horse racing journalist and tipster for Manchester and London newspapers. He wtill plays his Guild and does a mean Chet Atkins.
Chris Jarvis lives in the Potteries. After the Impacts and Teddybears he did a junk of univs; worked as a London Personnel Manager with the then J. Lyons Group (teabags, ice cream, bakery). He then moved into teaching ending up in the Business School at Brunel Univ. He still plays: open mic nights both solo (vocal and guitar) and with his wife (as accompanist and doowap-er). Repertoire today ranges from Gershwin to Mikado, Ida Cox, Beatles (obvious) and Richard Thompson. He hates rap and modern dross.