Shopping On Holiday in Hastings Old Town!

I’m sorry I’m so behind with my blog this week since returning from holiday I’ve hit the deck running. I’ve had a heep of paperwork to address and shows every-day so I’m quickly trying to catch up now.

It was lovely to get away with Paul and Poppy and stay at The Powder Mills Hotel in Battle. I adore this part of the world and I’ve had many happy memories there. It was wonderful for us to visit some of my favourite haunts although so much has changed since the pandemic. Businesses come and go and when it comes to old Hastings so

The Powder Mills Hotel!

many of the vintage fashion shops where I use to shop have changed hands and are now selling a different style of vintage.

All the 1940s dresses which use to be in such abundance back in the early noughties have all been bought up and no longer exist. It’s all about the 70s and 80s now and trying to find those forties treasures is getting increasingly more difficult. When I look a vintage fashion shops these days, I realise I have far better sitting at home which is why I have to be very selective about what I buy. I have a couple of filming

Paul and I at The Powder Mills Hotel!

projects I’m working towards and fortunately I was able to pick up the perfect Gatsby style dress at KoKo in Battle. I want to film a 1920s postmodern take on the song “All About that Bass” in January so this will be ideal.

Holidays are all about taking it easy and our hotel room had a beautiful view overlooking the lake. Poppy loves to walk on grass and the Power Mills Hotel is very doggy friendly. A lot of the visitors are regulars who like to bring their dogs with them as we enjoyed morning walks around the lake. The hotel also has a swimming pool although

Poppy Enjoying her Holiday!

it was still a bit too cold for me to venture in.

Our holiday really consisted of just pottering about with no particular plan as we visited Battle, Hastings, Bexhill and St Leonards. St Leonards is just out-site of Hastings and has really come up where in the nineties it was a bit run down. It’s very bohemian and we enjoyed visiting the old cinema which has a coffee shop and a beautiful auditorium where they stage live performances. Another theatre I couldn’t not visit was the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill. I’ve played there many times although nowadays they like to refer to it as an Art Centre.

The Beautiful de La Warr Pavilion!

On the first floor they had a display of thought provoking art which didn’t float my boat at all. They had a lady guarding it which might be to protect it from adverse physical criticism. On the face of it it looked like a lot of it was made from plasticine and I think one piece featured sheep’s legs with-out a body and a broken chair. All a bit too deep for me as we decided to move through onto the first floor balcony to enjoy the sea views.

Nothing to misunderstand there – Oh I do like to be beside the seaside and all that!

I love the De La Warr it’s a beautiful Art Deco theatre which was built in 1935. I’ve performed there many times with my shows “We’ll Meet Again”, How Hovis Won the War”, “Down Paradise Row”, “From Cobbles to Rock” and in the concert with “You are My Heart’s Delight” with Opera South East and in

Oh I do Like to be Beside the Seaside in Bexhill!

“Three Diva’s in Oh My Beloved Father”. I’ve also performed there when they use to stage a 1920s festival so it was good to return and to see the theatre again.

Afterwards Paul and I took Poppy for a walk along the prom which has a beautiful view of the see.

Holidays are always over far too soon and now it’s full steam ahead as I head off next weekend to West Somerset Railway to perform for their 1940s weekend 9th & 10th September. It’s promising to be an amazing event and I hope the

Inside the Old Cinema at St Leonards!

lovely weather continues. I’m opening the event bright and early at the start of the line at Bishops Lydeard. I’ve been booked to perform 3 x 45 minute shows daily. Check out my shows and performance times:-

Saturday 9th  – 9.30am ATS – “Well Meet Again”, 11.45am Stage and Screen “Hooray for Hollywood”, 2pm US WAC “GI Jive”

Sunday 10th – 9.30am Wrens “The Fleets in Port Again”, 11.45am 1940s Glamour “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”, 2pm WAAF

Beautiful Battle!

If you are able to make it along it will be delightful to see you all.

That’s all my news for now. Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for Now!

Poppy and I at the Hotel!

Straighten Up and Fly Right!

I’d like to begin tonight by thanking everyone who came to see my show last Saturday at Bletchley Park. It was an amazing day as I performed two sets in the ballroom. Initially I had been booked to perform on the lawn for the concert series but due to the changeable showery weather we relocated to the ballroom which proved to be the right decision as the heavens decided to open later that afternoon.

It’s always a great honour to perform at Bletchley Park. Famous for code breaking during WW2 the heritage site is steeped in history. It’s fascinating to read up about it as the estate dates back to the 11th century and was even mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The name ‘Bletchley Park’ was first used after Samuel Lipscomb Seckham bought the estate in 1877. He sold the property to Sir Herbert Samuel Leon in 1883. Leon extended

On Stage in the Ballroom!

the house and in 1938 the mansion was purchased by a builder who then sold the property to Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair.

Admiral Sinclair was the head of the SIS (later to become M6) and he wanted a headquarters for the SIS and the Government Code and Cypher School (later to become GCHQ). The government approved the idea but had no budget for the purchase so Sinclair bought the property with his own money, paying £6,000 for the mansion and the 581 acre sight.

The location was perfect for its intended purpose; it stood beside the Bletchley railway station, on the direct line between Oxford and Cambridge with easy access to London. Sinclair anticipated that most of the codebreakers housed on sight would come from the Oxford and Cambridge universities.

Personnel at Bletchley came from a wide variety of backgrounds,

Bletchley Park Library!

from linguists to people good at solving cryptic crosswords, but most importantly, mathematicians. Formally trained mathematicians such as Alan Turing, Peter Twinn, and Gordon Welchman were recruited. Many of the top codebreakers were men, but Joan Clarke was one of the few female cryptanalysts who rose to become the deputy head of Hut 8 – the Codebreaking Hut where the Enigma machine was finally cracked. By 1945 there were 2,660 civilian female personnel working on site, 2594 Wrens, 1,096 WAAF and 408 ATS.

Dressed for my Second Set!

This was my third appearance at Bletchley Park and I always like to do something different. Music is a wonderful way of paying tribute to the men and women who worked at Bletchley during the war years and having performed my ATS “We’ll Meet Again”and Wrens shows “The Fleets in Port Again” in the past. Last Saturday I returned with my  WAAF show “Straighten Up and Fly Right”. I included all sorts of aeronautical classics from “Dambusters”, “He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings” to “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines” to name but a few.

Meeting Up with Alan Turing!

It’s important to include plenty of variety and for my second set I returned with favourites from the Hollywood movie musicals, Postmodern and concluded with a Last Night of the Proms, Best of British finale. I also performed a couple of my favourite arias singing in Italian and French “O Mio Babbino Caro” from “Gianni Schicchi” and the “Flower Duet for Lakme'”. Both went down extremely well with the audience, especially my Lakme’ as it was written in 1883 about the same time when Bletchley Park was built which suited the ballroom perfectly.

Out-side Hut 11A!

This week I’ve had shows every-day and today I was booked to perform Postmodern. This type of music is very on trend at the moment and it’s all about reworking popular modern music into different vintage genres, from the early 20th century such as swing and jazz. Today I was performing in Enfield and I sang a mixture of songs including Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”, Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call me Maybe”, Gloria Gaynor’s “I will Survive” and my favourite Meghan Trainor’s “All About the Bass”. I’m also a big fan of  Caro Emerald’s work and “That Man” and “A Night Like This” are two of my favourites which suits this type of show and genre well.

I’m constantly learning new material and I will be back in the recording studio on the 28th picking up tracks and commissioning arrangements for Christmas and next year. Postmodern is something I wish to develop further and it’s great fun to sing something modern in a vintage way. Who’d of thought

Bletchley Park’s Famous Door Griffin!

I would be singing Lady Gaga! Another one I have on my radar is Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise so keep watching this space – seeing will be believing!

Next week I’m away on holiday as I head down to one of my favourite haunts Battle near Hastings. I can’t wait to have a few days away while I recharge my batteries. In the meantime I will leave you with a few of my snap-shots from Bletchley Park. My best photos are yet to come and I shall keep you posted. Harry is away at the moment but I hope to get his photos back when I return home from holiday. I look forward to sharing my photos with you then.

Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for Now!

Wings Over Carew at Cheriton!

It’s been an amazing week having just returned from Pembrokshire, South Wales. Last Saturday I was engaged to perform for the “Wings Over Carew” event which takes place annually at The Control Tower, Cheriton, Carew. The last time I performed there was back in 2018 for “Millfest”, so it was thrilling to be invited back now things are starting to open up again after the pandemic.

This was my third visit to the control tower and there is a wonderful community of local people who work especially hard to maintain the control tower as a museum which is set out just as it

Out-side the Control Tower!

would have been during the second world war. The Control Tower is a unique wartime airfield museum which has been lovingly restored and where visitors can enjoy a huge array of exhibits including the Stanton Air Raid Shelter, military uniforms, RAF maps, radio equipment, ration books, Bren gun, Enfield rifle and many more.

It was great to be back and meet up with so many friends. Especially as I had the pleasure of staying with my friends Mike and Sue who very kindly invited me to stay with them at their Farm House

By the Stage all Dressed for My Glamour Set!

in Llanyeanfn. It was wonderful to see them again after so many years and catch up on old times. Thank-you Sue and Mike for your fabulous hospitality and for making me feel so welcombe I couldn’t have wished for anything more – you were amazing!

There is a wonderful community spirit in Pembrokshire and the “Wings Over Carew” was very well attended despite the tempestuous Saturday weather. The organisers were extremely worried because the Red Falcons parachute display had to be cancelled due to the high winds and for parachute safety. I had been booked to

Meeting Up with Re-enactors!

perform 3 x 45 minute shows during the day and later that night at the Saturday Night Dance which was taking place at The Snooty Fox at Martletwy, Narberth.

The show must go on what ever the weather and on Saturday we had it all, rain followed by sunshine, more rain and then the wind as it started to get stronger and blew the clouds away. Mike and Sue had erected me an out-door stage which took quite a battering from the Walsh wind, however I played on regardless as I performed my  three sets. I opened with my WAAF show “Straighten up and Fly Right”, followed by a Glamour Hollywood set and

GI Jive!

I concluded with my American “GI Jive” WAC show.

Events can be pretty intense with very little time to spear so I stayed in my WAC uniform to open my evening show and then changed into my 1940s evening dress for the second set. I’d never thought of doing an evening show like that before but my WAC uniform worked well especially as we often associate Big Band and Swing with America. It was a lovely evening as I sang all my favourites while people danced the night away.

Welcome to Wales as an American WAC!

Mike and Sue very kindly allowed me to stay for an extra day and since returning home from Wales I’ve had shows every-day. I’m now all set for tomorrow’s show at Bletchley Park and I have a terrific show planned. This year I’m returning with my WAAF show “Straighten Up and Fly Right” and I’m going to be on stage from 12 noon. I’m also performing Hollywood favorites and a selection of tunes from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, a few postmodern surprises and I’m concluding with a patriotic Best of British finally. So something for every-one!

Meeting Up with the Cadets!

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for fine weather but the weather report looks like we may have scattered showers. If that is the case then I will be relocating to the ball room. To find out more about my show please click the link below and it will be delightful to see you.

https://bletchleypark.org.uk/event/fiona-harrison/

Entrance to my concert is included in the museum admission price and any tickets purchased are valid for a whole year, so you can come back as many times as you like within twelve months if

The Memorial Service!

you are not able to see everything  on your first visit.

I’m very fortunate that as a professional entertainer I get to visit lots of wonderful places. It’s a huge privilege to be chosen to perform at Bletchley Park and of course it’s famous for enigma and code breaking. The control tower at Cheriton has an interesting history too and I’ve been doing some research to find out more.

It was in April 1938 that the first steps were taken to acquire 600 acres of land east of Carew

On Stage for the Saturday Night Dance!

Cheriton for the construction of a new airfield A number of local farms and businesses were affected by this acquisition by the Air Ministry.

The site of the new airfield was on the same land occupied by the First World War royal naval airship station known as Pembroke or sometimes Milton. The airship station used the same prime farming land, but only 298 acres and operated between 1916 and 1920. The reason for the name change from that of the First World War was because Pembroke was easily confused with the R.A.F. flying boat base in Pembroke Dock.

Meeting Up With Sue & Mike at the Dance!

And the second name used – Milton was the same name as that of the radar station in Oxfordshire.

During its time as a Coastal Command airfield Carew Cheriton came under the control of 15 group based at Plymouth. A transfer to Technical Training Command took place in October 1942. The airfield finally closed in November 1945.

Today the airfield has been returned to agricultural and light industrial use with the main building complex area being cleared in the mid sixties. However, many reminders of life as a

All Dressed Up for The Dance!

wartime airfield can still be found today and the landscape holds a wealth of interesting structures in this period of history or architecture. Many of the wartime runways still remain and are in constant use for the Sunday market and other public events incorporating the control tower museum.

I shall leave you with a few of my photos from the weekend. Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for Now! 😉

Bletchley Park 12th August 23

These Boots are Made for Walking!

I’m afraid it’s just a very quick blog tonight. I need to finish my packing as I’m away first thing in the morning to Wales. I’m all set to perform for the “Wings Over Carew” event in Pembrokeshire. It’s a good four and a half hour drive so I need to be away promptly and I have a fantastic program of shows to perform on Saturday.

I’ve been booked to perform three shows during the day and for the Saturday night dance too which will be taking place at the Snooty Fox at Martletwy, Narberth.

The last time I performed at the Cheriton Control Tower, Carew was for Millfest in 2018 so it’s great to be returning and like every-one I’m keeping my fingers crossed for dry weather.

Please check out my new show times which are 11am WAAF, “Straighten Up and Fly Right”, 1.15pm 40s Glamour, “Stage and Screen” 2.45pm US WAC, “GI Jive”. There will also be

Meeting Up With Terence at Carew in 2018!

a parachute display performed by the  RAF Falcons, military vehicles and the City of Swansea pipe band so plenty to see and do. For more event details please click the links below :- https://www.carewcheritoncontroltower.co.uk/…/wings…/

Bletchley Park 12th August 23

I’m thrilled to announce that I have a new video out today “These Boots are made for Walkin”,  where I take on the persona for a cool chick from the swinging 60s, complete with baker’s boy cap, biker dress and white patent boots. I shot the footage a couple of years ago at the same time of “That Man” and “Lets do it – Lets Fall in Love” and it’s taken a while to finnish.

It had been my intention to accompany this footage with a collection of still shots focusing on the boots but after endless location issues we had to re-thing and ended up going for an abstract psychedelic feel instead.  Special thanks goes to Peter Hardicker my web-designer who shot the footage and put the video together for me. To see my video please click the link below, like and share with your friends :-

When I return from Wales it’s full steam ahead with my Bletchley Park show which is due to take place on the 12th August. I’ve just been featured in the Milton Keynes Citizen newspaper and you can read the article by clicking the link below.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/soprano-prepares-lift-spirits-bletchley-091808742.html

Toodle Pip and Bye For Now! 😉

John and I at The Top of the Control Tower!

Enjoying the Museum!

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of heading over to West Raynham in Norfolk to see my friend John Drury performing at The Control Tower Cockpit Open Day. The control tower is now a private residence which the owners open up a couple of times of the year to help raise money for the renovations. It has it’s own private museum and a tea room. It’s the owners intention to open The Control Tower as a B&B once all the renovations have taken place and on Saturday I found it fascinating to be taken on the tour where I learned more about the history of the Control Tower and the old RAF site.

Sadly the weather last Saturday wasn’t very good at all. It rained for the best part of the day but hats off to John who kept singing through out as he performed three fabulous sets covering songs from the 1940s through to the 1990s.  Keep up the good work John it was wonderful to hear you sing and thank-you so much for inviting me to join in on a couple of your songs. I know Chrissy would have been very proud!

I too will be performing at a Control Tower event in the next week or so. Next Friday I will be heading over to Pembrokeshire in South Wales to

On Stage with John Drury!

sing at the “Wings Over Carew”  show on 5th August. I’m looking forward to the event very much. The last time I performed at Carew was in 2018 so it’s great to be returning. I’ve also been engaged to sing at the Snooty Fox at Martletwy, Narberth in the evening for the events Saturday Night dance.

Initially when I was engaged to perform it was at 11am, 1pm and 3pm but please check out my new show times which are 11am WAAF, 1.15pm 40s Glamour, 2.45pm US WAC. As with all my shows each one is different and I’ve put together a fantastic program of songs for the weekend. There will also be a parachute display performed by the  RAF Falcons, military vehicles and the City of Swansea pipe band will be playing too,  so plenty to see and do for the whole family to enjoy. For more details please click the links below :- https://www.carewcheritoncontroltower.co.uk/…/wings…/

The organisers have also produced a fantastic trailer video which gives you an idea of what to expect so please enjoy watching and we look forward to seeing you!

A Song for Summer – Whatever the weather!

When I return I will be continuing with a mixed bag of shows which will include Music Hall, songs through the decades and a “Song for Summer”.  I shall also be at Bletchley Park performing for their concert series on the 12th August this time in WAAf uniform as I mix popular tunes from the 1930s, 40s and 50s with Opera, Post Modern and the Best of British. But more on that in my next blog. I shall leave you with a few photos from West Raynham and my Song for Summer show.

Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for now! 😉

Wings Over Carew – We Look Forward to Seeing You!

1940s Glamour!

I’m afraid I can’t spend too long on my blog tonight as I’m busy prepping for a new video which will be taking me back in time to the 1960s. I don’t want to say too much too soon as I don’t want to jinx it but I’m keeping my fingers crossed all will come out well. So keep watching this space and I hope in the next couple of weeks I will have a new 60s style video to share with you all.

This week I have been busy performing “Song for Summer” shows along with music from the 1950s 60s & 70s which seem to be popular choices for the Summer months. I also want to get a head of the game and prep my shows early in time for the “Wings Over Carew” event 5th August and Bletchely Park 12th August. I’m always very thorough in my planning and when it comes to glamour dresses I like to bring a couple so I have everything covered whatever the weather.

Tomorrow I’m planning to head over to RAF West Raynham Norfolk to meet up with a friend who is performing at the control

We’ll Meet Again!

tower for a Cockpit event. I think I’ve got that right! Even if I haven’t it will be good to meet up with John again, see his show and catch up on old times. I haven’t been to Norfolk in ages and it will be great to have a run out and have a change of scene.

These last few months I’ve been so busy out performing it’s taken me far longer than normal to sit down and go through all the lovely photos Sean Laplain took of me at Milestones museum. This week I was able to share a few of my

All Dressed & Ready to Perform my GI Jive Show!

favourites on Facebook and I shall leave you with a few more.

Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for Now!

Between Sets at Milestones Museum!

We’re all Going on a Summer Holiday!

This week it’s been very much business as usual as I go from show to show performing a variety of different songs depending on each clients brief. At this time of the year it’s often a mixture of songs from the 1940s through to the 70s with seasonal summer favorites. After all you can’t go wrong in July with “Summer Holiday”, “Grease”, “Mamma Mia”, “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” and a little bit of “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” for good measure!

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of performing for a wonderful Birthday/Anniversary Party in High Wycombe. I’d been asked to sing songs from the 1950s through to the present day and it was a wonderful opportunity for me to perform more of my post modern repertoire. This weekend I have another Birthday Party to perform at with shows taking me through to the end of the month.

On Stage with Liz at her Birthday Party!

Tomorrow is one of those rare days where I don’t have a show and I’ve promised myself a trip to the cinamar to see the new Tom Cruise Film “Mission Impossible”. It’s true to say I don’t have a very good work life balance as I spend all my time performing and when I’m not on stage I’m in the office keeping up to date with my paperwork. It’s something I need to change and I really do need to get out more.

This week I had the pleasure of meeting up with my friends Julius and Karl in Tring at our old pub The Kings Arms. Back in the late 80s early 90s

Wings Over Carew!

when I was part of the amerter dramatic sceen in Tring, The Kings Arms was where we all use to hang out after rehearsals. I have very happy memories of that time and it was a treat to meet up and chat about some the things we got up to back in the day.

I have a busy August ahead of me and I will be heading off to Wales to sing at the “Wings Over Carew” event at the start of the month

https://www.carewcheritoncontroltower.co.uk/events/wings-over-carew-2023/ and then over to Bletchley Park to perform for their Concert Series on 12th August. https://bletchleypark.org.uk/event/fiona-harrison/

Concert Series 12th August 23

I’m also back in the recording studio on the 20th August as I have a number of songs and arrangements I want to put into production in time for Christmas and 2024.

I shall leave you with a few of my photos from Liz’s party from last Sunday and I hope I might get to see some of you at a couple of my forthcoming shows.

Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for Now!

Dressed in my “Stars and Stripes” costume!

It’s been another busy week as I’ve been out every day performing “Stars and Stripes” shows to tie in with the 4th July and American Independence Day. Certainly when it comes to American music there’s no shortage of material I can call upon including Hollywood movie musicals which is always at the top of my list, along with American Big Band and Swing.

My show features  all the favourites you would expect from a 4th July spectacular and includes “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”, “Give my Regards to Broadway”,  “California Here I Come”, “Alexandra’s Rag Time Band”, “Chattanooga Cho Cho” and many more to name but a few.

It’s now full steam ahead for the Summer and the trend this year  seems to be for a mix of music from the 1940s right through to the 1970s with a nuance of post modern jukebox. Strangely enough I don’t have any public events this month although I have sold 25

All Set to go on Stage at the RAFA Club!

shows for July and every-one is a private function. It seems to be the season for parties and this Sunday I’m performing just out-side of High Wycombe for a birthday. I will be doing the same the following weekend too as the season for birthday parties continues.

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of performing for the RAFA Club at RAF Halton. Initially I had been booked to perform outside on the patio but as we weren’t too sure about the weather we thought it safer if I played inside. It was a terrific

On Stage at the Club!

night and I sang a mixture of songs from the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s to post modern. Tomorrow I’m singing for a special open day in Kettering and then I’m over to Didcot on Monday to sing the Magic of the Musicals,

That’s all my news for now. I shall leave you with a few of my photos.

Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for Now!

Inside the RAFA Club