Tommy Farr lived at 248 London Road, Patcham on the east side near Withdean Park. It was known latterly as Timbers but previously as ‘Ringside’,presumably it was named by Farr! I believe he had connections to the Black Lion Hotel in Patcham sometime post-WWII.
By Geoffrey Mead (15/01/2008)
Tommy had three children whom I knew personally: Rikki, Gary and Anne. I last had contact with them in the early 1960s. Does anybody have news of them?
By Bruce (07/02/2009)
I knew Tommy, Rikki and Anne, don’t think I remember Garry much. When Tommy ran a public House in East Street, (cant remember the name but all the names have been changed now) near English’s Oyster Bar, Rikki was a tearaway and Anne used to like wearing jeans and waking the pavements in her bare feet both were fun and good to be with. They liked spending time in coffee bars and partying like all young people. The last time I saw Rikki was on television. I can’t remember the date and he was being interviewed about a gig he was arranging some where down in the south west. I think Rikki later spent some time in Amsterdam. I met Tommy again later when he was living on Shoreham Beach. He was still active and fit carrying concrete blocks for a new garage. I don’t know where Rikki is now.
The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was held on August 26 – 31, 1970. It was held on Afton Down an area on the Western side of the Isle of Wight.It was the last of three consecutive music festivals to take place on the island between 1968 and 1970. It was widely acknowledged as the largest musical event of its time (until Summer Jam at Watkins Glen in 1973), greater than the attendance of Live Aid, Woodstock and Rock in Rio.The Guinness Book of Records has cited its attendance as 600,000, this is well above the organisers’ estimate of 500,000.
The brother of Rikki Farr, Gary had been the front man of the T-Bones, an R&B combo that featured Keith Emerson on keyboards. By this time, he had become a solo artist, and his only album, “Strange Fruit”, for CBS Records, had been released in 1970
Hi Terry, I’m most interested in the info you provide. Am publishing third Rhondda book and will use your info with your permission, or in the absence of a reply. One query, you quote 13, Railway Terrace as TGF’s place of birth, but Rhondda Borough Council’s Blue Plaque is sited at No. 3. Please respond when time permits. Thanks.
By Bill Richards, Tonypandy (15/01/2012)
Hello Bill. TGF’s birth certificate states that he was born at No.3 Railway Terrace, Blaenchlydach. It is correctly noted on the full version (link at top of this page) but unfortunately a typo crept into the short version on this page. Please feel free to use anything from the full version, it has all been verified as correct. Good luck with your book.
By Terry Smithers (27/01/2012)
Hi Terry, according to Tommy Farr’s autobiography “Thus Farr”, his father was an Irishman from Cork. You mention that you’ve had some of the information verified, what parts of http://tjsmithers.googlepages.com/ have been verified as correct? Thanks, John.
By John (22/06/2012)
Hello John, At each stage of my research and before moving on to the next event, I obtained the necessary documentation to prove what I had found. I therefore have the birth, marriage and death certificates of all of the relevant individuals, the information from which, together with the details obtained from various census returns, provided proof beyond any doubt that Tommy’s father was born in Cardiff, not Ireland. I sent a copy to the Pontypridd Library suggesting they might be interested in amending the information regarding Tommy on their Heritage Trail site. I eventually received a reply from the Information Services Librarian of Aberdare Library affirming that my research was correct and that Tommy’s father was indeed born in Cardiff. I also sent a PDF of my findings and copies of all other documents to a grandson of Tommy’s, he confirmed what I had suspected, although the Farr family had a ‘tree’ going back many generations for Muriel Germon, aside from the names of Tommy’s parents they had no real knowledge of the Farr line beyond the birth of Tommy and his siblings.
By Terry Smithers (26/06/2012)
There’s a probate calendar entry for who I think is Tommy’s father George:
FARR George of 59 Court-street Tonypandy, Glamorganshire died 12 May 1932. Administration Llandaff 1 April to John Henry Farr and Phyllis Evans (wife of David Evans). Effects £107.
I’m assuming Phyllis is Tommy’s older sister, who married a David Evans, but I can’t pin down John Henry Farr. I’m trying to confirm/deny another Farr family story of a link to Tommy.
By David Dewick (12/10/2017)
Hi my father Jim Heath used to spar with Tommy Farr on many occasions during his professional career and I have a photo of Tommy.
By Roger Heath (01/03/2018)
Hi my mother’s maiden name June Farr. Her father was Ivor Farr, Tommy’s cousin, she can remember grandparents. A cousin of mine recently worked on the family tree and discovered a member of the family still lives in the Railway Terrace house.
By Sharon Gray (05/04/2018)
One of Tommy’s Sisters became Mrs Walton Black Lock, shes had one son Michael (cousin to Ricky and Gary) and he was a musician in a rock band ‘The Rockets’ later named ‘Sound Around’ in the early 60’s until (sadly killed in car crash) in 1971??.
By Mike Graves (14/06/2018)
Gary Farr and the T-Bones were the best band to play at the Starlight Rooms and we always looked forward to the nights they played. The group performed a particularly exciting version of Mose Allison’s ‘Parchman Farm.’ Gary was a charismatic performer who captured the mood of the moment, in the mid 60s.
By Philip Burnard (15/06/2018)
Does anyone know the names of Tommy’s brothers and the names of the wives of Tommy’s brothers? I believe one of the wives is a distant relation of mine.
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Tommy Farr lived at 248 London Road, Patcham on the east side near Withdean Park. It was known latterly as Timbers but previously as ‘Ringside’,presumably it was named by Farr! I believe he had connections to the Black Lion Hotel in Patcham sometime post-WWII.
Tommy had three children whom I knew personally: Rikki, Gary and Anne. I last had contact with them in the early 1960s. Does anybody have news of them?
I knew Tommy, Rikki and Anne, don’t think I remember Garry much. When Tommy ran a public House in East Street, (cant remember the name but all the names have been changed now) near English’s Oyster Bar, Rikki was a tearaway and Anne used to like wearing jeans and waking the pavements in her bare feet both were fun and good to be with. They liked spending time in coffee bars and partying like all young people. The last time I saw Rikki was on television. I can’t remember the date and he was being interviewed about a gig he was arranging some where down in the south west. I think Rikki later spent some time in Amsterdam.
I met Tommy again later when he was living on Shoreham Beach. He was still active and fit carrying concrete blocks for a new garage. I don’t know where Rikki is now.
Bruce, “Seek and Te Shall Find” and there is lots more if you have the time to look.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Wight_Festival_1970
The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was held on August 26 – 31, 1970. It was held on Afton Down an area on the Western side of the Isle of Wight.It was the last of three consecutive music festivals to take place on the island between 1968 and 1970. It was widely acknowledged as the largest musical event of its time (until Summer Jam at Watkins Glen in 1973), greater than the attendance of Live Aid, Woodstock and Rock in Rio.The Guinness Book of Records has cited its attendance as 600,000, this is well above the organisers’ estimate of 500,000.
The brother of Rikki Farr, Gary had been the front man of the T-Bones, an R&B combo that featured Keith Emerson on keyboards. By this time, he had become a solo artist, and his only album, “Strange Fruit”, for CBS Records, had been released in 1970
http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/ReferencesView.aspx?PersonID=3516541
http://pipl.com/directory/people/Rikki/Farr
Hope this is of interest to you.
Hi Terry, I’m most interested in the info you provide. Am publishing third Rhondda book and will use your info with your permission, or in the absence of a reply. One query, you quote 13, Railway Terrace as TGF’s place of birth, but Rhondda Borough Council’s Blue Plaque is sited at No. 3. Please respond when time permits. Thanks.
Hello Bill. TGF’s birth certificate states that he was born at No.3 Railway Terrace, Blaenchlydach. It is correctly noted on the full version (link at top of this page) but unfortunately a typo crept into the short version on this page. Please feel free to use anything from the full version, it has all been verified as correct. Good luck with your book.
Hi Terry, according to Tommy Farr’s autobiography “Thus Farr”, his father was an Irishman from Cork. You mention that you’ve had some of the information verified, what parts of http://tjsmithers.googlepages.com/ have been verified as correct? Thanks, John.
Hello John, At each stage of my research and before moving on to the next event, I obtained the necessary documentation to prove what I had found. I therefore have the birth, marriage and death certificates of all of the relevant individuals, the information from which, together with the details obtained from various census returns, provided proof beyond any doubt that Tommy’s father was born in Cardiff, not Ireland. I sent a copy to the Pontypridd Library suggesting they might be interested in amending the information regarding Tommy on their Heritage Trail site. I eventually received a reply from the Information Services Librarian of Aberdare Library affirming that my research was correct and that Tommy’s father was indeed born in Cardiff. I also sent a PDF of my findings and copies of all other documents to a grandson of Tommy’s, he confirmed what I had suspected, although the Farr family had a ‘tree’ going back many generations for Muriel Germon, aside from the names of Tommy’s parents they had no real knowledge of the Farr line beyond the birth of Tommy and his siblings.
There’s a probate calendar entry for who I think is Tommy’s father George:
FARR George of 59 Court-street Tonypandy, Glamorganshire died 12 May 1932. Administration Llandaff 1 April to John Henry Farr and Phyllis Evans (wife of David Evans). Effects £107.
I’m assuming Phyllis is Tommy’s older sister, who married a David Evans, but I can’t pin down John Henry Farr. I’m trying to confirm/deny another Farr family story of a link to Tommy.
Hi my father Jim Heath used to spar with Tommy Farr on many occasions during his professional career and I have a photo of Tommy.
Hi my mother’s maiden name June Farr. Her father was Ivor Farr, Tommy’s cousin, she can remember grandparents. A cousin of mine recently worked on the family tree and discovered a member of the family still lives in the Railway Terrace house.
One of Tommy’s Sisters became Mrs Walton Black Lock, shes had one son Michael (cousin to Ricky and Gary) and he was a musician in a rock band ‘The Rockets’ later named ‘Sound Around’ in the early 60’s until (sadly killed in car crash) in 1971??.
Gary Farr and the T-Bones were the best band to play at the Starlight Rooms and we always looked forward to the nights they played. The group performed a particularly exciting version of Mose Allison’s ‘Parchman Farm.’ Gary was a charismatic performer who captured the mood of the moment, in the mid 60s.
Does anyone know the names of Tommy’s brothers and the names of the wives of Tommy’s brothers? I believe one of the wives is a distant relation of mine.
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