Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Debbie Harry and Toyah Willcox feature in vintage photos

When punks ruled the world: Fascinating 70s photos capture hell-raiser fans at riotous Debbie Harry gigs as they surfed a wave of rebellion

• Amateur photographer Derek Ridgers used to blag his way into gigs in the 1970s London punk scene

• Described himself as a ‘mild mannered, bespectacled office worker in the middle of a punk mosh pit’

• Many of his photos have never been seen before, while some have featured in sell-out books

• Derek’s book, Punk London, 1977, will be released this May to coincide with movement’s 40th anniversary

A striking series of black and white photographs has offered a rare insight into London at the height of the 1970s punk movement. From Adam Ant shirtless on stage, to a young Debbie Harry entertaining riotous crowds, the images – most of which have never been seen before – offer a glimpse into an era when rebellion ruled the music scene.

They were all taken in between 1976 and 1978 by Derek Ridgers, a man who, at the time, claimed he ‘wasn’t really a photographer’ but simply borrowed a friend’s camera and blagged his way into gigs – snapping what would become known as the first wave of punk culture.

It now forms a collection of more than 130 vintage photographs, which Derek has finally decided to publish this year – in a book entitled Punk London, 1977 – to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the movement in 2016.

Punk London 1977, by Derek Ridgers, is available from May 1, 2016 from Carpet Bombing Culture

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail.

The “Sunday Post” interview (see news post above) has also been published by the Daily Mail today. It’s more than likely being syndicated to various newspapers. The DM article includes this amazing photo of Toyah from 1990…

Toyah is mentioned in a recent Daily Mail article, on the past century of hairstyles being captured in a time lapse video.

1970s: “At the beginning of the 1970’s a dark natural blonde look remained popular, inspired by Farrah Fawcett from the cult series ‘Charlies Angels’. Hair was all about manes of free-falling curls, soft partings and long fringes completed by bronzed skin. However by the end of the era with the ‘Punk’ movement, women like Toyah Willcox started to experiment with hair colour. For the first time we saw vivid primary or fluorescent hair colours emerging.”

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail.

A new Toyah interview and photo/fashion feature published today by the Daily Mail.

How Toyah can make a style Splash! Proof you CAN find a swimsuit to flatter every figure

As a 55-year-old woman with short legs, scars across my stomach from childhood surgery and a bosom so generous it can make me look dumpy, I never dreamed that one day I’d be parading around in a swimming costume on national television.

Yet as a contestant on ITV’s reality diving show Splash!, I’m doing just that – and couldn’t be more terrified. Ever since I agreed to be in the show, I’ve been petrified at the thought of exposing my physique in a swimming costume.

Yes, I try to keep fit and I’m a size ten, but I’m only 5ft 1in, and my body confidence is so low that I never go on beach holidays. The thought of walking down the sands showing off so much skin makes me feel ill with nerves. I haven’t worn a bikini since I was a teen – and even the swimming costume I wear to the local pool has a skirt attached to cover my legs up…

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail.

Toyah Willcox must be just about the only celebrity who is more scared of stripping down to her swimsuit than she is about diving off the high board on Splash!

And whilst her style back in the Eighties might not be one you’re in a hurry to recreate today, as she prepares to take the plunge we couldn’t help but notice how good she’s looking nowadays in that swimsuit.

She’s got nothing to worry about…

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail.

Toyah Willcox, 55, shows off her stunning figure in hot pink swimsuit for Splash!

Curvaceous and toned, she looks confident in her hot pink swimsuit.

But Toyah Willcox has confessed she feels anything but and the thought of flashing her flesh in a bathing costume or bikini terrifies her more than completing her dive from the three metre board this Saturday.

For unlike many of the celebrity contestants who appear on reality ITV programme Splash! Miss Willcox, 55, has diving experience – what she appears never to have done before is wear a swimsuit in public – and it is giving her nightmares.

Describing her thoughts on her figure, the actress and singer, who underwent a facelift around ten years ago, and said she does not ‘do beach holidays’ said: ‘I’m very short, naturally muscular and I’m 55. The only thing that’s going to make me look like Cher is the amount of surgery she’s had and I’m not going to do that’

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail.

Richard Kay quotes Toyah’s most recent blog, and the health issues she mentions, in his latest Daily Mail column.

It is a debilitating illness that she likens to a hammer blow every 15 minutes to her knees, back, shoulders and hips. This is how singer and actress Toyah Willcox describes the ‘peculiar virus’ she’s been suffering for the past three months.
 
Her symptoms have been so painful that she has had to undergo daily physiotherapy at a sports injury centre. But despite her illness, she has just started a nationwide tour of a play, Hormonal Housewives.

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail.