December 14, 1973: A stop-work meeting halts activity within the gleaming white sails of the Sydney Opera House. As staff threaten to strike over the sacking of an employee, Cliff Atkinson, a new arrival in Australia from Ferry Hill, County Durham, bowls over the Harbour Bridge on his way into the city.

The sight of the meeting unleashes a stampede of nerves in the 27-year-old. The following day is the inaugural concert in his Australian Festival of Performing Arts series at the Opera House and, frankly, he needs all the help he can get.

Suddenly a concert promoter: Cliff Atkinson. Credit:Edwina Pickles

It was just five months since he had seen a tiny advertisement in The Sun reading: ''The Sydney Opera House is now open for bookings. Call 20666.''

''I thought that meant I could book a ticket,'' recalls Atkinson, now in his 60s. ''I called. Which hall did I want? The big one. Which date did I want? The first Saturday night available - I didn't care what, I just wanted to be at the Opera House and say I went to a show there. They told me: 'That'll be $750 against 12.5 per cent at the gate.'''