The Fool with Graham Bond (Graham Bond Experience)

Original members - Simon Posthuma and Marijke Koger

I saw Simon and Marijke for the first time one night when Jimi Hendrix played at the Bag'o'Nails Club in Kingly Street. Everyone was there - The Beatles,The Rolling Stones etc. A memorable night.
Simon and Marijke stood out in the crowd wherever they went, with their amazing colourful clothes. They were unlike anyone else around.

It was in late 1966 when I was commissioned for a photo shoot organized at their house in St Stephens Gardens in Bayswater.
Writing the piece was Jill Evans, fashion editor for the Mirror Newspaper. Jill hadn't met Simon and Marijke before. We arrived at the house with a long flight of stairs up to the front door. After ringing the doorbell, the door opened and there stood Simon looking like a god with his flowing dark hair and silk shirt with extravagant sleeves. He appeared as if in a white cloud. This was exciting. What a stage effect.
He charmingly welcomed us in, and apologized for the steam that filled the hall. He'd left the kettle on and had forgotten to turn it off. Marijke was there in her yellow shoes, green tights and flaming red hair. Their house was decorated completely in psychedelic colours.

I photographed Marijke shown here against their painted armoire, part of their 'WonderWall', which John Lennon later said he would like to inhabit.
Simon and Marijke were working in their studio together. We were joined by Graham Bond. Various instruments were produced and they then played for us. A truly magical session.

They were famed for painting the outside three storey Beatles' Apple Boutique, London in psychedelic colours. It was, sadly, later painted over after complaints by the local shopkeepers.

Two highly talented people who touched so many of our lives at that time.