DAVID JOHN COWTON |
Dave was born in 1956 at St. Mary’s Hospital, Scarborough the first child of John Richard Cowton and Marion Ditchburn. He was baptised at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Scarborough. |
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Dave went to Junior School in Eastfield and then to Scarborough Boys High School after passing the 11-plus, then on to Scarborough Sixth Form College. He left school in 1975 and joined the RAF in November 1976. He completed trade training at RAF Halton (AAD 17) where he qualified as an Aircraft Airframes Technician. |
Dave was stationed at RAF Brize Norton, where he worked on VC10's. He then moved to RAF Abingdon where he was on 'Aircraft Salvage and Transportation Flight' or 'AS&TF' and spent eight years doing category 3 repairs. During this time he worked at nearly every operational RAF station in the UK, repairing, modifying or restoring aircraft as diverse as Nimrods, Harriers, Lightnings, Victors, Vulcans, Jet Provosts, Jaguars, Hawks, Canberras, The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Lancaster bomber, Spitfire, and a Mosquito. Dave was then posted to 111 squadron at RAF Leuchars, then operating Phantoms. Unfortunately he badly injured his back shortly after arriving at Leuchars and was medically downgraded. Unable to do any heavy work he spent his time there co-ordinating Out-Of-Phase-Servicing (OOPS). A posting to RAF Cottesmore followed where he worked on TTTE as NCO i/c toolstores before his final posting to RAF Cosford where he was an Instructor on CFST (Composite Flight Training). |
In 1983 Dave married Lindsey Anne Reece, born 16th November 1957. After living in Quarters at RAF Abingdon they bought a house in Shrewsbury in 1986 at Radbrook, later moving to Gains Park. (They divorced in January 1994). Whilst stationed at RAF Cosford in 1993, Dave was involved in the restoration of a rare WWII Japanese aircraft called a ‘Mitsubishi Dinah’ which can now be seen on permanent display in the Museum at RAF Cosford. Dave left the RAF after 16 years service in February 1993 and settled in Shrewsbury, where he went into the Taxi business and ran two taxis at Vincent’s taxis in Shrewsbury. |
Whilst working at Central Taxis in Shrewsbury Dave formed a song-writing partnership with Stuart McColl. It was whilst working with this band that Dave met |
Dave & Sheila wedding blessing 1999 |
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Dave with ‘2 Bloody Rite’ 1994 |
Dave with 'Jump The Gun' 1995 | Dave with 'Two's Company, Three's The Crowd’ 1997 |
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Working with the various bands led to the setting-up of ‘Soundscape Studios’ at Leaton, Shrewsbury, which Dave ran initially by himself and then in partnership with Gair Davies. ‘Blue Memories’ released a CD called ‘Blue Memories’ with Dave on Keyboards, Flute and Bass and featured a song written by him called ‘Ghosts on Tape’ on which he did lead Vocals. Dave Recorded, Engineered and Produced two CD’s by Neville Pass (‘Neville Pass’ and ‘That’s The Way I Feel’) on which he played Flute and Keyboards. The Studio effectively closed in November 1999 after moving temporarily to the SAHA club in Shrewsbury. Gair Davies subsequently re-opened the studio initially at Whitehall Manor in Monkmoor, Shrewsbury, moving to Derfeld House in Shrewsbury and finally to Oxon in Shrewsbury. These days Dave spends his time playing Ukulele and recording music and tinkering with computers, both at home and at the studio. |