It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of one of my oldest friends, Ian Nelhams, who died on April 3rd this year in New Zealand where he lived with his wife and children. During my early teenage years he was a familiar figure where we lived in Hayes, being the assistant to Stan, the local milkman. This was when one of the local kids dubbed him “Rubbernose”, a nickname that stayed with him for years! Affectionately known as “Nelly”, Ian and his mate Rich Bennett came knocking at my door in 1960, when I had just acquired my first guitar.

 

They explained that they were members of a music group, with Nelly on drums and Rich on rhythm guitar and asked if I would join them. This was a huge boost to my musical beginnings and I teamed up with them straight away, in spite of only knowing a few chords. As well as being a good drummer, Nelly was also very practical, building a solid-body bass guitar which actually worked. This bass, known as the “Flatty” owing to its lack of contours, was my first introduction to bass, and this was my instrument until I felt capable of taking over as the group’s lead guitarist.

 

Always a problem solver, Nelly came to the rescue when the Flatty’s pick-up failed, and strapped a cheap tape recorder microphone on the back, just in time to save our gig! On leaving school Nelly had secured a job installing telephones for the GPO. Having access to miles of telephone cable, he came up with the idea of running a wire from the guitar amp on stage to a speaker at the rear of the hall, in order, he reasoned, to hear better. This seemed to work for a while at the next gig, until someone closed a door on the cable and cut it in half!

 

Our little group, called The Renegades, was not to last very long but myself, Rich and Nelly had one hell of a lot of fun along the way, playing at local youth clubs and church halls, becoming inseparable pals. Sometimes we would travel to gigs by bus, when Nelly would hide the bulk of his drum kit in a shop doorway, whilst one of us hailed the driver. Of course, mayhem would ensue at the bus stop when we attempted to jam the drums into the luggage compartment!

 

One bonus of being in a group with Ian Nelhams was that his cousin was Terry Nelhams, better known as Adam Faith, one of our biggest pop stars at the time. This not only lifted Nelly’s profile as a drummer, but also lifted our profile with the local girls too!

 

Showing great generosity Nelly also paid a local bass player to teach me the rudiments of bass guitar. Being still at school, this was something that I could not afford myself. Nelly was a real character in the true sense of the word, and, although always happy to argue with anyone, had a sunny optimistic personality that endeared him to most people. No matter what disaster happened, he would always soldier on and keep smiling! He would always try and come up with money-making ideas. One which did work for a while involved he and I starting a print company, after he acquired a small printing press.

 

Operating from a garden shed, we successfully knocked out wedding invitations and trade cards for local people, although the quality could be a bit dubious. Sadly, after the demise of the Renegades, when he and I tried and failed to form another band, he abandoned the drums for good. Had he persisted I am sure that he would have made his mark as a good player. I am sure that he would have made his mark as a good player. When Rich Bennett left England for Canada, and Nelly departed for Suffolk, our happy partnership ended. Nelly always kept in touch though. Whenever we met, he would regale me with stories of his various jobs and enterprises, always full of optimism and hoping to strike It rich!

 

Eventually, with his wife and children he tried his luck in South Africa, then returning to Suffolk and changing his name, for various reasons, to Ian Engels. by the time of his third marriage he was based on the Isle of Wight before making a final move to New Zealand. Sadly, for the last 15 years we became out of touch, but he was always thought of, and a mention of his name always raised a smile! Nelly was a lovely person and great company. I will always think of him with affection and remember him as one of my best friends. Keep smiling, Nelly!