Mal Hooley died on Monday 17th July 2017

His funeral will take place at Herringthorpe Valley on 31st July at 12:45.

Followed by a 'drink' in the Swallownest Miners, S26 4UR.

His funeral will take place at Herringthorpe Valley on 31st July at 12:45.

 

Followed by a 'drink' in the Swallownest Miners.

What a shame, I knew Mal in his mid teens when he played bass for Pete Fender and the Strollers. I didn't go to Swallownest secondary school myseif but all my mates did and that is where they started the group. There were lots of us at that time into wanting trying to get groups going and I used to get up and give my Elvis routine whenever they were playing at a dance or bar where I happened to be. I knew all the lads in the band including Mal and the also deceased Trefor Jones( Pete Fender) who died so tragically in the 60's in a car accident, at only 22. RIP Mal hope you and Fender are jamming already up yonder. Rest easy old friend.

I worked with Mal at the NCB Fence Workshops where he was a cable repairer in 1966. He was very droll and told me all sorts of things about the bands he worked with. He was very knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects. I saw him a couple of times playing bass, with Frank White and Johnny Calendar, he was great. It was while we were there that the accident occurred on Fence hill that Tony referred to. His dad Effraim also worked at Fence. Ironically it is my birthday on 17 July.

I worked with Mal at the NCB Fence Workshops where he was a cable repairer in 1966. He was very droll and told me all sorts of things about the bands he worked with. He was very knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects. I saw him a couple of times playing bass, with Frank White and Johnny Calendar, he was great. It was while we were there that the accident occurred on Fence hill that Tony referred to. His dad Effraim also worked at Fence. Ironically it is my birthday on 17 July.

Mal is quoted a few times in the book 'Not Like A Proper Job' In fact it was something his dad said to him when he first started out, that inspired the title of the book, he told him that playing in a band wasn't a real job and that he should get a proper one lol There was a CD given with that book, which was made up of demos and outtakes from Sheffield bands from that era. One of the tracks is 'Whole Lotta Shakin' by Pete Fender and The Strollers, not sure if Mal was still with them then, however.