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Last updated July 2023

" I personally have god's authority for the festival, although I realise that people will laugh "

Bill "Ubique" Dwyer 1972

The Brotherhood commune.

The first Windsor Free Festival public meeting in Holland Park May 3rd 1972 :from the Kensington Post 10th May 1972.

Kris Grey front row , second left wearing hat, Bill wearing his usual poncho on right.

Hi

By chance I stumbled upon your website, I had been wondering what happened to Bill. I met Bill Dwyer in early 1972, I had not longer come out of Borstal at the time and he was looking for people to stand up in court and state that LSD had been beneficial to me, I volunteered but it never came to that. Bill was impressed by my musical ability and loved a song that I had written in Borstal, The Man From Naz which was a hippie take on the feeding of the 5,000, the stoning of the 5,000 where Jesus keeps rolling joints, (you have to hear the song).

He invited me to take part in the first Windsor Free Festival and to help him organise the event. He held a press conference in Holland Park on 3rd May 1972, where I sang the song to the small crowd. I attach a press cutting of the event, from the Kensington Post, it's straight out of my scrapbook which highlights the date and has arrows to Bill and myself. At Bill's instigation I recorded the song under the name Grobbert and Duff and it was released as a single in 1972, copies change hands now for over 200 pounds!

I also attach a subsequent cutting, from the Evening Mail 10th May 1972 about Bill and the Festival, you can see Grobbert and Duff (Sunshine Band - Bill added this) listed as appearing in the last line.

Bill had a healthy approach to LSD, he viewed it as food and was happy to distribute it to anyone who wanted it. I certainly partook in many trips, some with him. This included a reconnaissance trip to Virginia Water to check out the area for the forthcoming festival with my then wife Moira and a friend Tim Wyatt.

It started to turn nasty when, after we had dropped a few tabs, Bill started to get out of control- hurling abuse at a Royal car that came past us ( I didn't see who was inside ) and also at a bus load of football supporters. We had to drag him away and, still heavily under the influence, drive back to Earls Court.

I remember Bill fondly, guessed he must have passed on considering he had been 40 when I met him 40 years ago, he recognised my talent when I was barely 19, I haven't done bad since then. I did go to the festival but it was so shambolic, nobody know what was going on, so unable to find Bill I turned around and went home, wish I'd stayed.

Kris Gray

A hilarious article about Kraans set at Windsor 72 can be found here, its hilarious due to the google translation ... an example

Despite all difficulties, it is the official "brotherhood commune" in London but managed to still go through with her Great Windsor Park Festival with success. Conclusion: Co-organizer Paul Pawlowski sits in jail, the authorities had to pay several thousand pounds of Eden for the use of 800 police officers and some police helicopters, and Prince Charles could not play polo, as the polo grounds next to the festival site and lay a few hundred enthusiasts had gathered in the stands.

http://danbbs.dk/~m-bohn/kraan/articles/England1972.htm

Clippings courtesy Kris Gray

Ubi Dwyer and "The Reverend" Pawlowski

    This was the first attempt to hold an event at Windsor Great Park and as such, it has to be admitted that, if viewed in conventional terms , it was largely a flop.

     "Preparations for the festival are now well underway." said Bill Dwyer, "Support is substantial. We are profoundly peaceful and the prospect of well over a million of us should cause no alarm. Hippies are exceptionally well mannered and civilised."

" A Windsor police spokesman said " I have seen their leaflets and I think it is absolutely ridiculous. I would think they are as mad as hatters and I have no doubt it will completely fizzle out . But the trouble is that if a lot of these hairy specimens hear it is going on they will probably turn up anyway . "

   After reading this enlightened and objective statement , it was a wonder that every self respecting freak didn't go to Windsor just to cock a snoot at the representatives of lore and ordure. But most of us didn't read the Evening Mail , so this explains the lack of numbers. It needed to gather momentum by word of mouth and poster, which was what happened over the next two years.

   A crown commissioners spokesman said," there is nothing to prevent people coming to the park provided they behave themselves and do not cause trouble."

Evening Mail 1972

   Despite Bill's wild overestimate, only 700 turned up . They were almost outnumbered by the police, who (perhaps worried by the prospect of a million hairy freaks invading the park ) proceeded to assign 600 officers to oversee the festival. Despite a ban issued by the Crown Commissioners, Dwyer was undeterred, stating that " I personally have god's authority for the festival, although I realise that people will laugh "

 

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I think I was at the first Windsor festival in 1972.

Memory a bit hazy as I was only 19 at the time and doing a lot of dope and acid. I remember hitching to Windsor and then walking through the park until finding a group of a few hundred freaks stood around in a small wooded area completely surrounded by the police. After a while everyone was asked to sit down to reveal a band had set up in the middle with a generator powering their amps. They immediately went into a great version of "Willie the pimp".

Can't remember much more, but I do recall discussions with the cop in charge resulting in a 'truce' where the cops promised not to interfere if everyone went home afterwards. That night was hilarious as everyone sat round campfires smoking joints and offering them to the few remaining cops who had been left to keep an eye on things. The ones I saw politely declined but were laughing about it all.

The next day, I think, a large group of us set off to watch a polo match where Prince Charles was supposed to be playing, but I don't recall getting there. I think we got turned back by the cops, who seemed pretty pissed-off that no-one had gone home as agreed.

I clearly remember one incident where some plain clothes cops were busting a guy who had a large bag of weed. One of the cops was stood there holding the bag of weed when all of a sudden, this guy ran up screaming at the top of his voice and snatched the weed from the startled cop as he ran past. The cops just stood there looking completely stunned... Happy days ?


Johnnie xx

 

A close relative who I hardly know recently came to visit me and it has brought up memories of the festivals, and a short search found you.

I wondered what happened to the people I knew. I am pretty sure that I appear in a number of photos taken. I was associated with the Teacher's Commune. Part of the Communes Movement and we had a tent and presence 1972,3,4

The first time the police came our commune leader Kevin O'Byrne told us to frustrate the police by appearing to move on when police instructed and move to other places on the field they were absent. They did not initially have enough police to stop people milling and moving backwards as well. Each time they came and told us to move on, we did to another
spot on the field.

Our tent was up by the road, opposite the woods. At one time we were beside David Berg's "Children of God" who were busy Flirty Fishing.

We sold cans of soft drink. One day it was very hot and no one had refrigeration and the other vendors were charging exorbitant amounts for warm Pepsi. We tried to claim an ethical stance for our commune and so did not do that. We were briefly threatened by other vendors and we would only sell 1 can to 1 person.

The facilities were non-existent in 1972 and we found a hollow tree across the road as a latrine. The next year a trench was dug by the tree line.

I walked around and talked to a lot of people hoping to share a spliff.
My commune did not like that kind of thing and that was going to be the only way I was going to get high.

Expens support


NB: Several weeks after the festival, both Bill and " The Reverend" Pawlowski were hauled before the beak on charges of cultivating cannabis plants at their squat. Paul was found guilty, Ubi was released. ( source rockmine , follow the link to read the full report. )

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