Johnny King and the Raiders The Bure Club circa 1960, Left to Right: Roger Collis, Michael Giles, Graham ‘Wes’ Douglas, Peter Giles & Johnny King in front (Photograph courtesy of Roger Collis) Eventually, Mike’s all-consuming dedication to music overtook any lingering interest he might have had for the world of academia, as he was expelled from school, but not before knocking up a pair of drumsticks on a lathe during a woodwork class. Fired up by skiffle and the rock ‘n’ roll records trickling over the Atlantic, the trio formed a group and, like many Bournemouth combos of the day, began their careers playing to rowdy juvenile audiences at the Saturday morning matinees at the Moderne cinema in Winton. The brothers passed their Eleven Plus exams and gained entry into the local grammar, Bournemouth School for Boys, where they met a budding guitarist, Roger Collis. Michael wasn’t taken with the classics, but found an affinity with jazz and would bash along to Count Basie and Duke Ellington records on an array of upturned saucepans and biscuit tins. In some ways, they had a jump on the other kids as their father, Rex, was a talented landscape and portrait artist and violinist who encouraged his sons to appreciate many types of music, particularly classical and jazz.
The Giles brothers family home in Howeth Road (Photograph John Cherry)
