WEYMOUTH entertainer and former mobile hairdresser Peter Price lent us this star-studded photograph from Weymouth’s bygone days of entertainment glory.

The happy snap shows, from left, Bernie Winters, Matt Monro, Tim Springfield, Tom Springfield, Dusty Springfield, Mike Winters and the mayor of Weymouth.

Peter thinks the picture was taken in the early 1960s – does anyone know the name of the mayor?

At the time when these stars were performing in Weymouth, Peter was a bandleader and the head of entertainment at Littlesea Holiday Camp and knew the other people well.

He said: “I never performed with them, but they were good friends. People thought we partied all the time, but the fact was we didn’t finish work until 11pm and it was then that we would get together.

“Dusty rented a house in Franchise Street in Weymouth. It was only a small place, a cottage really, and we would all squeeze in there. It was great fun and we had some great times.”

Dusty was one of many stars who performed in Weymouth and then went on to much greater success.

“Entertainers came here and then went to the top of the tree,” said Peter. “After Dusty came to Weymouth she became a household name. She was good fun but could be temperamental and would stomp around and lay down the law when she was in rehearsals. But she was a good friend and we had good times.”

Peter has many happy memories of his time as a bandleader and says that evenings out were much more civilised then than they are now.

“We never had any trouble when we were out in the evenings,” he said. “There was never any serious trouble and people went out and had a good time.

“We played in village halls all over Dorset and at the Moonfleet Hotel where you could pay 12 and 6 for a dinner and dance or 7 and 6 for chicken and chips in a basket and a dance.

“We had a good following there in the 1950s and 60s and people had a good time.”

Peter was the leader of an eight-piece band with sax and rhythm sections and they really enjoyed playing in the more rural areas.

“We would go out to village halls all over Dorset and because there was no other entertainment on the place would be packed. People used to have a bar there and people would be drinking, but there was never any trouble. I think people had more respect then than they do now.”