London 60s Week - 1961

March 1961: Jaguar Cars launch the Iconic E-Type Jaguar series 1, Described by Enzo Ferrari as "The most beautiful car ever made", London celebrity owners include, George Harrison, John Barry, George Best and 007 film set designer Ken Adam.

May 1961: The Sound Of Music London production opens at the Palace Theatre, Cambridge Circus, London.

A small batch of 24 Routemaster RMLs London red buses are released onto the capitals streets for the first time. (30ft compared with the older standard of 27ft 6in).

Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies form Blues Incorporated, which will feature many influential sixties London musicians. They secure a residency at the original Marquee Club 165 Oxford Street, London.

Harold Pendleton, the manager of the Marquee Club in Soho sets up ‘The National Jazz and Blues Festival’ held at Richmond Athletic Ground in Richmond. the precursor to the Reading Rock Festival.

September 1961: Formed in London in 1958/9,The Shadows release Their debut LP ‘The Shadows’ the very first instrumental LP to reach #1 in the UK charts.

September 1961: 60,000 CND protesters staged a “Ban the Bomb” sit down in Trafalgar Square.and in the ensuing chaos the police made 1300 arrests.

October 1961: Peter Cook co-founds the satirical night club,’ The Establishment', at 18 Greek Street, Soho, London.

October 1961: The first edition of Private Eye, the British satirical magazine, is published.

December 1961: The Pill’ becomes available on the National Health Service. Few realised the social impact it would have. The oral contraceptive set off something of a sexual revolution and helped change women's position in society.