[1] The Temperance Seven was founded at Christmas 1955 by students at the Chelsea School of Art,[2] though the band mythologized its foundation as dating from 1904 at the fictitious Pasadena Cocoa Rooms, Balls Pond Road, North London.

[4] They toured the UK widely that year, often in shows promoted by their manager Ralph Peters, and their performances acquired a set routine beginning with the last few bars of "Pasadena" (which became their signature tune) and ending with the stirring strains of the "Gaumont-British News".

[5] Before the band became known nationally, Paul McDowell had also been a member of the Experimental Theatre Club revue, with Ian Davidson, Robin Grove-White and Doug Fisher.

This prompted Davidson to look for a replacement, and he found Terry Jones, future Monty Python member, who thus obtained his first chance to be part of the revue.

[9] Some members also went under preposterous pseudonyms emphasised by the wearing of a minor yet conspicuous item of clothing – Colin Bowles a dog collar and John R.T. Davies a fez.