Blackbushe Airport!

I confess the last month has been exceptionally busy and I have fallen a little behind with my blog after returning home from Normandy. It was an amazing experience and since returning home from France I have hit the deck running. No sooner did we return and Robert and I were booked to perform at Blackbushe Air Show in Camberley on the 15th June.

Sadly the weather wasn’t quite as kind to us that day as it had been in Normandy. Fortunately neither Rob and I are easily put off by a bit of wind and rain and due to the nature of the work I

On Stage at Blackbushe Air Show!

do I invested in EV speakers a long time ago which are waterproof, essential for out-door shows. Robert and I had the pleasure of working with the Lee Arron Band that day but sadly their speakers weren’t waterproof and they found it a struggle to work with the changing weather conditions.

It’s important to respect the weather and sometimes compromises have to be made. Staking speakers is never a good idea in the wind  where Robert and I set our four EV 300’s across the airfield wide which gave a perfect sound balance. We had been booked to perform 3 x 45

On Stage with George, Vera and Demot!

minute vintage sets during the day opening with my 1940s RAF, WAAF Show, followed by a Big Band and Swing set and concluding the day with songs from the 1950s, 60s & 70s. All three sets went extremely well and we hope very much we will have the pleasure of singing at the airport again in the future.

The following weekend Robert and I found ourselves in High Wycombe performing at the Wycombe Arts Centre. I had never been there before and event organiser Dermot Lynch had hired the centre to stage a 1940s night. That

Miss Ava Valley & Jethro at Wycombe Arts Centre!

night we had the pleasure of working along side some terrific acts including George Formby and Vera Lynn played by Martin Selman and Adele Johnson plus Jazz duo Miss Ava Valley with Jethro on guitar. We also had DJ Martin spinning the discs in-between sets and I concluded the evening with the very best in Big Band and Swing and 1940s sing-along favourites.

It was a super night and it was a pleasure to work with some new faces. So thank-you Dermot for staging such a terrific evening and I hope we can all do it again sometime.

Armed Forces Day at the Crown!

Last Saturday it was Armed Forces Day and it was all change as I swapped my US WAC uniform for ATS. I had the pleasure of playing at the Crown in Hazlemere last year as the local communities came together to celebrate Armed Forces Day. The event was being jointly run by the pub to raise money for the Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club. Incase you are not familiar with the AFVBCs, it an organisation which engages in fundraising and charitable activities to support veterans in need. This includes raising funds to assist veterans experiencing financial hardship and they also donate to local veterans’ charities.

On Stage with Si at The Crown!

This time Robert and I had been engaged to perform 2 x 60 minute sets, the first being a 1940s “We’ll Meet Again” ATS show and the second songs from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. We were lucky  with the weather and the day was a great success

thanks to publican Si and his lovely wife Carla who worked so hard to make the day enjoyable. For my grand finale I finished with British Themes and got every-one waving flags which was a great end to a fabulous day.

Now we have moved into July I’ve stated to make some changes to my life. I’ve always been very professional and for the last 30 years I’ve not really had a very good work life balance. I need to address some of these issues and start to live life a little instead of always thinking about work. For years I’ve put work first which I can see now has had something of a detrimental effect and I’m keen to change that.

Rob & I Out and About at Bletchley Park!

Sadly I wont be able to blog quite as frequently as I have in the past but you will be able to see me out and about on social media enjoying life. This summer I’m going to be tackling a few of my demons, house hold jobs I’ve been putting off for years.  My office and bedroom need a complete over haul not to mention the guest room which I hope in time I will be able to turn into a proper dressing room. I know if I’m able to face up to these jobs and clear out my clutter I will be a better person and far happier inside.

Robert looking Dapper!

This summer you will be able to see Robert and I out and about, not so much as singer – sound engineer but dare I say as visitors – what a treat that will be to have some time off from performing. On the 16th June I was able to spend the morning with Robert at Bletchley Park just prior to dashing off to perform for Fathers Day. Some of you may have seen our photos on Facebook along with our snaps from the National Film and Sci-Fi Museum in Milton Keynes.

We hope to be doing a little more of this sort of thing during the summer along with my many home decorating issues. I shall leave you with a few

Meeting Up with the Muppet Band!

of our favourite photos. Thank-you for following and don’t forget you will be able to keep up with us on Facebook even if I will be taking a break from blogging.

Today is a new day and here’s to a better and brighter future!

Robert & I at Wycombe arts Centre!

Robert and I Standing with Giants!

Welcome back to the third part of my Normandy Blog. If you have caught up with my last two installments you will know just how intense my performance days were over the D-day period. Once Robert and I had completed all our singing commitments it gave us time to reflect and to visit a couple of the museums. There’s so much to know about the D-day Landings and all the museums tell it from a different beach perspective.

For me the highlight of our visit was to see the British Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer. “The Standing with Giants” art installation was breathtaking and

We Will Remember Them!

it was beautiful to reflect in the peace and quite of the French country-side. We could have stayed there all day and those few hours we were there will stay with me for the rest of my life. It was extremely moving. When you read the names and the ages of the young men who perished in the campaign it’s truly heart breaking and we must never forget their sacrifice.

While Robert and I were in Arromanches we were invited to visit the 6th June museum. I had had the pleasure of visiting the new museum last year when I was staying in Arromanches so as this

Inside the Musee du Debarquement!

was Robert’s first visit to Normandy I was keen for him to learn more about the Mulberry harbour and it’s importance during the D-Day Landings.

What I didn’t realise was that this was the first Normandy museum designed to commemorate 6 June 1944 and opened in Arromanches way back in 1954, just nine years after the end of WWII. Built opposite the still visible remains of the Mulberry artificial harbour, the museum tells the story of the Allied forces’ arrival, known as Operation Overlord, and describes how

Robert and I at Dead Mans Corner!

Arromanches harbour worked. I remember the old museum very well having performed on the steps and in fount of it many times before.

The new museum was built on the old site of the previous museum and it opened in April 2023. It’s a very elegant structure and is now known as the ‘Musée du Débarquement’. It features several exhibits on the planning and execution of the D-Day Landings, as well as the aftermath of the battle. The museum also has a section on the role of technology in the battle, which includes a replica of the Mulberry Harbour. Many weapons,

Out-side the D-day Experience Museum!

tools, accessories and uniforms are exhibited, along with life-size models of soldiers and military vehicles.

It’s a very interesting place to visit and so too is the smaller “Liberators Museum” which is situated at 9 Rue Colonel Rene Michel in Arromanches. I’d walked past it so many time before but on this occasion Robert and I were thrilled to be able to visit for the first time. It houses lots of fascinating personal artefacts from WW2. Everything has been donated by service personnel who served during WW2 bringing

Much to See and Take In!

all their stories to life.

It is a private collection and the family that run the museum are very friendly and welcoming. Robert and I enjoyed our visit very much and we would thoroughly recommend it. They also sell lots of genuine World War II memorabilia so needless to say Robert was thrilled to pick up part of a Sherman tank, foot powder and some shot up mess tins. What can I say – every house needs at least one!

For our last full day on the Monday we decided to spend some time over in the American sector. Much of the holiday and D-day traffic had cleared out so it was the ideal day to travel as we headed over to the D-Day Experience Museum at Saint – Come – Du – Mont – better known as “Dead Mans Corner”. The D-Day Experience is made up of two museums, dedicated to the airborne troops. One immersive where you can find out

The Famous Church at Ste Marie du Mont!

what it was like to be a soldier flying over to France through simulation and the other part houses a collection of uniforms arms and vehicles inviting the visitor to enjoy both educational and entertainment learning. I’d been to this museum once before and I particularly enjoyed the simulation where you are cleverly briefed for battle by a hologram 101 airborne officer and flown from the UK to France in a plane simulator. It’s a great experience and Robert and I had a terrific day there.

Utah Beach!

Afterwards we decided to head over to Utah Beach as we past through one of my favourite towns Ste Marie du Mont. I know this town well having performed at the WW2 encampment which usually takes place around the church over the D-day Weekend. On this occasion it was very quiet as every-one had moved out on the Sunday as we headed over to Utah. Robert had decided he wanted to collect sand from each of the five beaches as we made the most of our visit and drove over to Omaha.

So often when one is working, eating can be difficult as it’s a case of grabbing food

Remembering at Utah!

quickly between shows. Time is often short and we felt it best to prepare sandwiches  which proved to be sensible as the volume of people made the queues long and difficult especially when you have to get on stage.  On this occasion Rob and I enjoyed a beautiful evening meal at the D-Day House Hotel as we watched the sun go down over Omaha Beach. I can truly say this was the best meal we had while we were in France. Perhaps because it was superbly prepared and it was the first day where we had had time to enjoy it. It was a beautiful moment and an excellent location and I hope very much we will have the privilege of visiting again some time in the future.

Sadly all good things must come to an end and on the Tuesday Robert and I had to start making our way home once Rob had collected his sand from Gold, Juno and Sword. We also pressed some Poppies which we collected from the road side at Ver-sur-Mer.

The Sun Starts to Set on Omaha Beach!

This was a truly amazing experience and a great honour to be chosen by Arromanches to be their “Artist in Residence” for the 80th D-Day Commemorations.

I shall leave you with a few of my favourite photos and thank-you to Arromanches for making this trip possible. I hope you have all been enjoying my D-day memoirs as I document my experiences in France and truly momentous occasion.

In my next blog I shall tell you about performing for Blackbushe Air Show and Saturday Night D-day Show at the Wycombe arts Centre.

We Will Remember Them!

Keep Following – Toodle pip and Bye for Now!

Sailing Home to Blighty!

Saying Goodbye to Normandy!

Ready to Sing at Cale Neptune!

Welcome back to the second part of my Normandy Blog 2024. After the excitement of the 5th and 6th June the following day Arromanches had engaged Robert and I to perform a pop up 60 minute show at Cale Neptune. This year we had been blessed with good weather so I decided to swapped my ATS uniform for a glamourous frock.  It’s always difficult to know what to pack for Normandy as I have known the weather to swing both ways, cold and wet to blistering sunshine. This time we were able to enjoy the later as I performed a glamours 1940s Swing show at the chosen location.

If you are familiar with Arromanches, Cale Neptune is the road which leads down to the sea and it’s on the same street as the bakers along with a few different restaurants. In fact our power came from a restaurant which I remember enjoying a meal, while sitting outside in the sunshine, last year. This time I performed a

Performing for the Crowds!

straight through 60 minute show which included a selection of popular big band and swing classics. Perhaps not surprisingly at this time of year Arromanches is packed with visitors and we had no shortage of audience who really enjoyed the 40s vibe.

Later that day we had been invited to perform at the Veterans Dinner in Benouville. Benouville Hall is not far from Pegasus Bridge and falls within the Sword Sector. I had been very lucky in finding us an apartment which over looked the Juno Beach Museum at Courseulles-sur-Mer,

Meeting Up With Friends and Reenactors !

which is perfectly situated between Arromanches and Benouville. The BBC on the other hand had been less fortunate telling me their hotel was over an hour and a half drive away. I always like to be properly prepared and it’s easy to think there’s more time than you have. It had been my intention to change into a neat cocktail dress for the evening show but once we had negotiate the D-Day traffic and set up the evening was upon us before you could say D-day. Robert had made a special 80th D-day board and he was thrilled to invite the veterans to add their signatures. When we were at the Portsmouth docks we met up with

D-Day Veteran Reginald Pye!

101 D-Day Veteran Reginald Pye who was travelling with Festival Swing D-Day -Sword Beach. He was our first veteran to add his signature.

Benouville Hall had been beautifully decorated and I opened my show with “The Longest Day” followed by a good old fashioned War Time sing-along. We also had the Pegasus Pipes and Drums who were super and a jolly good time was had by all. Sadly top ceremonial soprano Emma Brown wasn’t able to attend due to logistics but when I saw her in Arromanches earlier in the day she asked me to cover her tribute hymn “I Vow to Thee My Country” which I was delighted do for her. Afterwards there was a charity auction and Robert was thrilled to buy the remains of a WW2 glider which now has pride of place in his collection.

Set and Ready for the Veterans Dinner

It meant alot for us be invited and I’d like to say a big thank-you to Sal Williams and Mary Smith for extending their invitation and for making us so welcome. I first had the honour of performing in Normandy for the 60th commemorations when there were many more veterans, now there are so few left – so every moment is precious.

The Following day Robert and I had been booked to perform 3 x 30 minute shows in Arromanches this time in the street just along from the tourist

Signing the Veterans Board!

office. We had been initially booked to perform out-side the museum but due to security we had to move in town. This was the day of the air show and it became obvious very early on the streets were starting to get over crowded. Due to safety considerations and to stop crushing we were only able to perform one 30 minute show but afterwards we were granted VIP tickets to see the air show from the museum. We also managed to catch a few shots from the window of our changing room which over looked the square and gave us a stella view.

For our final show on the Sunday, Arromanches had asked me to perform a vintage musical mix of songs from the 1940s, 50s, 60s & 70s in the main square just prior to the Triathlon. This required us working in the round and getting our rig set quickly as temperatures started to sore. All the gazebos had been taken up with race competitors which ment Robert had to operate

The Arromanches Air Show!

my sound system with-out shade. This can be tricky because strong sun bleaches computer screens and it makes it difficult to see. Quite how he did it I don’t know as we threw up four speakers in record time and got on with the show. As with everything French the final decision about location is usually made literally minutes before you are due to go on stage. On this occasion my show had been extended to 60 minutes and you must be on time.

If you can it’s always best to do your own sound which is why it’s essential to have a good sound

Pop up Street Concert!

man  with you and someone to watch your back. No matter how organised you are plans change and it’s important to be ready for any eventuality. The French have a thing where they will cut your sound and power if they think you have over played your set. This happened to me on the Sunday because the message hadn’t got through to the sound crew that my set had been extended from 30 minutes to one hour. Some-one pulled my plug, bang on 30 minutes and French sound crews do this alot. I went though the sound crews rig on the 6th June and they also cut my mic during my final song before I could finnish. Fortunately I had backing

A Dressing Room with a View!

vocals on the track so I kept singing and the audience didn’t notice. It was just a shame I wasn’t able to introduce the fireworks properly. It’s something you have to be very aware of in France and not allow yourself to be phased by. This is why it is imperative shows start on time. I don’t know if it is a macho thing but speaking to my French friend and fellow singer Megan she has had similar problems with sound crews. Why they do it we will never know but all I can say is Rob did a phenomenal job and I was very lucky to have him with me on this tour.

In my next blog I shall tell you more about some of the places we visited.

I shall leave you with a few of my favourite photos.

Keep Following, Toodle Pip buy for now! 😉

Meeting Up with Winston Churchill, Monty and the Gang!

On Stage for the Triathlon!

In Full Song!

Bound for Normandy!

These last three weeks have been one endless whirl with the run-up to Normandy and beyond. I only got back to the UK late on the 11th June and since then I’ve had shows every-day which is why I’m a little later than normal with my blog. I’ve so much to tell you all which is why I have split my blog into two D-Day parts as I share with you my news.

Since my return there has been much to sort out and last Saturday I had the pleasure of performing at Blackbushe Airport in Camberley for their Airshow, but more on that later.

D-Day Party Show 22nd June!

Just to keep my news up to date don’t forget I will be performing this weekend Saturday 22nd June a special D-day Party show at High Wycombe Arts Centre, Desborough Road, High Wycombe, HP11 2PU. Doors open at 6.30pm and tickets are £10 each and are available on the door or by e-mailing sue.dermot@gmail.com  – We look forward to seeing you!

Back to France!

It was an incredible honour to be booked as Arromanches “Artist in Residence” for the 80th D-Day Commemorations. I know this town really well having performed there many times before, dating back to the 65th in 2009. My show connections with Normandy go back even further when I first performed in Ver-sur-Mer for the 60th which is now home to the British Memorial. Every five years Normandy goes bonkers when all the heads of state descend and this year was no exception.

Robert with Richard Hammond!

Apparently over five million people holidayed and attended the various D-Day Commemorations up and down the Normandy coast line this year which doesn’t surprise me at all.

Meeting Up with Dick and Angel Strawbridge!

Arromanches is at the heart of Gold Beach and it’s famous for the Mulberry Harbour, a man made harbour which enabled vital supplies of munitions to be off loaded for the advancing allied troops in 1944. You can still see remains of the harbour today.

Arromanches had booked me to perform a series of different shows in and around the town for the D-Day period from the 5th through to the 9th. This also included the main evening 90 minute  6th June D-day slot just before the 11pm fireworks.

It’s important to be versatile and to go with the flow. This year I was lucky enough to travel with sound engineer Robert Bailey who gave me the support I needed to negotiate the busy streets. It’s not just about having a good sound engineer but having someone you can trust to watch your back and equipment while the other goes off to

Meeting up with our friend Megane!

park the vehicle. It’s important to work as a team and as Rob has an appreciation of all things 1940s he was the obvious choice for the job.

It’s important not to underestimate D-Day and to bring a sufficient amount of equipment. Fortunately my rig is versatile and I’m able to scale up or scaled down depending on the brief. We had been booked to perform 7 shows in 5 days and over the duration Robert and I used all six of our speakers in a variety of different combinations to cope with the changing locations.

Meeting Up with Friends & Re-enactors!

Our first “We’ll Meet Again” ATS show on the 5th took place outside the tourist information office in Arromanches. It seemed to be a day for celebrities as Rob and I bumped into Richard Hammond walking back to the van, Dick and Angel Strawbridge from “Escape to the Chateau” and later that evening Vernon Kay from the BBC who interviewed me live on “The One Show”. I also had a morning Radio 2 interview lined up with Vernon on the 6th June which ment Rob and I had to get into Arromanches early prior to 6am before the Gendarmes closed the roads for the heads of states.

It can be a killer getting in for 6am especially if you’ve had a late night before so it’s important to grab sleep where you can. I left Robert fast a sleep on my friends sofa at Normandy Beach as I walked into Arromanches to do my interview with Vernon Kay. The BBC had set up camp, broadcasting out of the 2nd floor window of a hotel on the square. It was fascinating to see the BBC at work, with the sound people

Arromanches Starting to Fill up for D-Day!

working in another room and Vernon grabbing 5 minutes shut eye before jumping to life to comment on the ceremony. I waited in the corridor as the BBC crew dashed from room to room. I sang “The White Cliffs of Dover” and “We’ll Meet Again” live on the show after my interview which seem to go down really well with the listeners.

I had been a little worried about the live vocal mix with the track on air. I needn’t have worried because  when I heard the playback it was perfect. To mix raw like that takes great skill

Filming with Vernon Kay & The One Show!

and it just goes to show how talented the BBC sound people are. So hats off to the BBC!

Later that day Rob and I attended the VIP Dutch Cocktail party as Prince William visited the 6th June D-day museum. I remember seeing him and Kate in Arromanches for the 70th as he paid tribute to the fallen. Our next big event that day was our evening 6th June D-Day concert. Sadly we got parked in by the British Military which delayed our sound check as our host wanted us to go though their main PA system . This system lined the square and played all along the prom.

Off to a VIP Cocktail Party!

When the sound crew came back from dinner they rigged up a foldback speaker for me which stopped the delayed slap back off the buildings which can often happen in large town spaces.

Fortunately the weather conditions were perfect as we had to double up and use the veterans metal gantry stage as a performance space. Robert worked my sound from the sound booth which was 50 meters away from the stage while the French technical crew projected my show onto the big screen. A lot of thought goes into my shows and it’s important to be on trend with the changing times. These days D-day audiences want more than just the 1940s. This year I opened with “The Longest Day” I also included Postmodern, Rock and Roll, lots of War time sing-along favourites, French songs, British Themes and Abba’s Waterloo.

On Stage 6th June!

It’s all about capturing the mood as Robert and I played to over 2000 people. The show was a great success and the energy I was able to draw off the crowd was amazing. In my next blog I shall tell you more about how Robert and I played at Cale Neptune, the Veterans Dinner and singing for Arromanches Triathlon

Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for now!

Out and about in Arromanches!

All Set for the 80th D-Day Commemorations

I’d like to begin my blog tonight with a massive thank-you to the Chiltern Open Air Museum, Leighton Buzzard Railway and to Rob Bailey’s Family for providing us with three fabulous locations last bank holiday weekend to perform our various D-Day shows. We literally head off tomorrow morning and once again I’m burning the midnight oil to get everything packed and ready in time for our journey.

This last month has been really intense and I’ve not stopped working. I’ve been on stage pretty much every day and when I’ve not been on stage I’ve been working on show plans and rehearsing new songs in time for our Normandy trip. Yesterday Robert and I were in Solihull performing at the King George VI Memorial Hall.

Between Sets at the Chiltern Open Air Museum!

It was a great community event with stalls, refreshments vintage vehicles as every-one came together to commemorate D-Day.

I had been booked to perform my D-Day show as a straight 60 minutes and we even had a special visit from Field Marshal Montgomery. Straight afterwards Robert and I had to dash back down the M40 to Leighton Buzzard as I had a booking that evening with the Conservative Club to perform a special D-Day show in preparation of our Normandy trip.

When we arrived Leighton Buzzard High Street was in full swing with it’s first ever Pride event. It was colourful and brimming with happiness as we took in the party vibe inbetween setting up our equipment in the club. It was a great night and I even got to perform my new D-Day opening track “The Longest Day”.

Leighton Buzzard Railway!

Some of you may remember this song was written by Paul Anka in 1962 for the film with the same title. The film told the story of the D-Day landings and it had every star in it you could mention from John Wayne, Sean Connery, Richard Todd to Rod Steiger to name but a few. It’s a great marching number and I’d commissioned this song especially for the 80th D-Day Commemorations. However when I came to try it out last weekend it didn’t go down as well as expected so I ended up having to go back to the studio to make a few alterations to the musical arrangement. We are all good now

Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway!

but it just goes to show how important it is to try numbers out first with an audience.

It’s very exciting to be booked by Arromanches to be their “Artist in Residence” for the 80th D-day Commemorations. I hope very much I will have the pleasure of seeing some of you at my shows this week.

D-Day Show  Itinerary  -Arromanches, Gold Beach, Normandy, France.

On Stage at King George VI Memorial Hall!

Show Times :-

Military Vehicles at Wallingford!

Once again I’m in something of a dash to try and get my blog out today. I’ve shows everyday this week and I’ve so much to prepare, before sailing out to Normandy on the 3rd for the D-Day Commemorations.

On Stage with Robert!

There’s so much to do and sort out with regards to music and costumes and I’m still making last minute adjustments to my show plans as I want everything to be perfect for Arromanches. Last Thursday I was able to pick up my new opening track from the recording studio which I can now reveal is “The Longest Day”. A lot of thought and work has gone into this track as it opens with Churchill and Eisenhower’s address which I hope will add great impact to my D-Day show.

Meeting Up with the WW2 Re-enactors

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of performing at Wallingford Railway for their Military Vehicle event with my new sound engineer Rob Bailey. It was the first time Rob and I had worked together and I have to say he did a fantastic job. People often take sound and the mixing of it for granted but it’s a job which requires a great deal of skill. When it’s done right you don’t notice, but when it’s done badly it can be devastating and make or break the show.

Last Sunday was my first visit to the Cholsey and Wallingford railway and it was a pleasure to

On Stage at Petals Tea Room!

perform for them and have Rob on sound. I had already been booked to perform that afternoon for another event in town so both jobs clicked together perfectly plus it was a great opportunity for Rob to try out my sound system for the first time. We couldn’t have wished for better weather as I performed two 30 minute sets in ATS uniform which included a selection of British, American and French songs. The event attracted  a lovely crowd of people which also ran simultaneously with Wallingford’s Vintage Car Rally which was taking place just down the road. Many of the visitors came by the railway so we had the best of both worlds.

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of performing for a beautiful Vintage Wedding in Halstead, Essex. Once again we were blessed with gorgeous weather as the wedding reception took place at Petals Tea Room which is part of a garden centre. It

The Happy Bride and Groom!

made for the perfect setting as the reception was able to take place out-side in the court yard of the tea room which was  dressed with pretty flowers and surrounded by cabins.

I felt very honoured to be invited by the bride and groom Diane and Daniel Edwards who knew me from having seen me perform at 1940s events. My brief was to perform a 1940s sing-along and vintage songs which people could sing along and dance to, so I put together a wonderful program of songs from the 1940s, 50s & 60s. After all who doesn’t know The Lambeth Walk, Run Rabbit,

The Wedding Reception!

Summer Holiday and the Hokey -Cokey! I finished my final set with a Best of British sing-along which seemed to go down really well with all the guests who sang and waved flags

It was a truly beautiful day and fortunately my dress matched with the pretty Petals Tea Room setting as I set up my equipment in the Sweet William cabin. Memories are made of this and I wish Diane and Daniel lots of happiness for the future.

This Saturday Robert and I will be performing at The Chiltern Open Air Museum, Chalfont

High Tea Wedding Reception at Petals Tea Room!

St Giles, Bucks, HP8 4AB.  I’m booked to perform 3 x 40 minute shows entitled “Bound for Normandy” at  11.15am, 1.15pm & 3.15pm. This will be a sneak peak of some of the music and shows I will be taking out to Normandy for the 80th D-Day Commemorations. It will be a chance for me to try out some of my new musical arrangements including “The Longest Day” and “Accentuate the Positive” which is a great dance track and I hope we might get a few people up dancing as a result.

Please click the link for more details:- https://www.coam.org.uk/events/boundfornormandy

Chiltern Open Air Museum – 25th May!

On the 27th May I shall be back in Leighton Buzzard singing for the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gage Railway’s “Diesel Gala with a Hint of Steam” event. This time I will be performing a mixture of vintage songs from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s & 70s over 2 x 45 minute sets with more details available by clicking the link below:-

https://www.buzzrail.uk/special-events/diesel-gala-with-a-hint-of-steam/

Diesel Gala with a Touch of Steam – 27th May!

I shall leave you with a few photos from Wallingford and the wedding and hope very much I shall see a few of you at some of my forth coming events.

Toodle Pip and Bye for Now! 🙂

All Set for May Day!

It’s all go here at Harrison HQ as things are really starting to ramp up as we get closer to Normandy and D-Day Commemorations. I have a busy month ahead of me opening with the May Day Fayre which is taking place in my home town of Leighton Buzzard this Bank holiday Monday. I’m booked to perform 2 x 35 minute sets and I’m thrilled to be opening the Market Cross stage at 9.45 am with a selection of Disney classics. After a costume change I will be returning at 1.40pm with some good old Rock and Roll favourites straight after the Fly pass. We don’t know if it will be a Spitfire or Hurricane yet but all in all it should be a terrific day and we are keeping our fingers crossed for good weather.

Cholsey & Wallingford Railway!

This week I’ve been busy performing ATS “We’ll Meet Again” shows with the run up to VE Day on the 8th. It still makes me chuckle when I’m in uniform and people ask me how long have I’ve served in the ATS for?

In case you are not familiar with the ATS initials they stand for Auxiliary Territorial Service. The ATS was formed in 1938 and tasked women with a range of vital roles during the Second World War. It was disbanded in 1949, when the remainder of its troops transferred to the newly formed Women’s Royal Army Corps. It’s amazing a lot of people still think my uniform, although 55 years later, think it relates to the current Women’s Royal Army Corps. I was even saluted the other day so it’s incredible the impact this uniform still makes.

Bound for Normandy – COAM – 25th May!

I’m going to be in uniform a far bit this month and I have a couple of super events coming up.

I shall be at Cholsey and Wallingford Railway OX10 9GQ on Sunday 12th May performing 2 x 30 minute sets for their Military Vehicle event. The event is taking place over 2 days Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May and as I happen to be in town performing for a private event on the 12th, I said I would be delighted to sing for them in the morning.  I’m booked to perform 2 x 30 minute Wartime sets between trains at 10.30am and 11.45 am

https://www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com/events/military-vehicles/

Bletchley Park – Home of the Code Breakers!

You can also catch me on Saturday 25th May at the Chiltern Open Air Museum, Chalfont St Giles, Bucks, HP8 4AB.  I’m booked to perform 3 x 40 minute shows entitled “Bound for Normandy” at  11.15am, 1.15pm & 3.15pm. This will be a sneak peak of some of the music and shows I will be taking out to Normandy for the 80th D-Day Commemorations. Please click the link for more details:- https://www.coam.org.uk/events/boundfornormandy

Karl and Julius Meet Alan Turing!

Lastly on the 27th May I shall be back in Leighton Buzzard singing for the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gage Railway’s “Diesel Gala with a Hint of Steam” event. This time I will be performing a mixture of vintage songs from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s & 70s over 2 x 45 minute sets with more details available by clicking the link below:-

https://www.buzzrail.uk/special-events/diesel-gala-with-a-hint-of-steam/

Plenty to do and lots to prepare for.  Tomorrow I’m rehearsing and then I’m in the recording studio in the evening picking up some new backing tracks in preparation for Normandy. I shall leave you with a few photos from last weekend when I met up with my friends Julius, Karl and Hilary at the home of the code breakers, Bletchley park. Bletchley Park is one of those places you can’t take it all in on the first visit and every-time I return

Inside Bletchley Park!

I always learn something new.

Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for Now!