Five Acre Lights

Jack Leon Bracelin (2nd June 1926 – 28th July 1981)



Run by Jack Bracelin, one of the earliest Light Show artists in the UK, Five Acre Lights was named after the nudist colony/Coven he ran with his wife in Bricket Wood, Watford, originally started by Gerald Gardner in 1945 who also founded Gardenarian Wicca.

Bracelin inherited the Nudist Colony (AKA Chalet Suntan Fiveacres Country Club) after Gardner's death in 1964, also becoming the High Priest of Bricket Wood Coven.

The middle-aged Bracelin, a wacky beatnik character, originally turned up at the London Free School which was run by Hoppy in the All Saints Hall, Notting Hill, London in Autumn 1966.

This was the precursor to UFO which began at The Blarney Club Tottenham Court Road in December 1966.

Alongside other Light Show artists like Mark Boyle, Joe Gannon and John Massara, Jack Bracelin was given a corner of UFO to screen his Liquid Light Show using hand assembled wet slides and Aldis projectors.

In mid 1967 he opened his own psychedelic club, Happening 44, in a dingy old strip club at 44 Gerrard Street, London right in the heart of Soho's Chinatown.

The small club regularly featured The Social Deviants, Fairport Convention and The Sam Gopal Dream all illuminated by Bracelin's Five Acre Lights.

Happening 44 reign was brief. It closed in late Autumn 1967 after running into financial difficulty, by which time UFO had also closed leaving Middle Earth as London's only psychedelic hangout.

Bracelin crept quietly back to his nudist colony and carried on running it until June 1976 when again due to financial difficulties was forced to sell up.

Bricket Wood Coven exists to this day at a site in North London.

If you can help with more information about this Light Show we would love to hear from you.

June 1967

June 1967

1967 Small Ad for Five Acre Light Show