All Set for the Weekend!

It’s just a very quick post tonight to say I’m all set for the weekend as I head up to Wythenshawe Hall and play Leighton Buzzard with my WW1 shows. Rachel and I have been working hard to get my web-site up to date with a few up dates and the adding of sound bites to my CDs page. We are still working on the page as we have a few tweaks which need to be done but we are getting there and it’s lovely to see the site evolve as we add in more tecknolagee.

Back in June I swapped over to Word Press which is a much more modern way of writing web-sites these days and in doing so it enabled my site to go mobile . Unforchatly in the switch over some my blogs didn’t make it over to twitter so for all you twitter fans out there we have just reinstalled them. They run from when I returned from Normandy mid June to August so if you use Twitter enjoy catching up.

In the meantime must dash. Thanks for following and Toodle Pip!

Me doing my Burlington Bertie!

This weekend I’m all set to go back in time to the Great War with a weekend of commemoration events. On Saturday I’m booked  to play my home town of Leighton Buzzard with 3 shows daily and then straight afterwards I will be heading up to Manchester and to Wythenshawe Hall for their WW1 day so it’s going to be a very busy weekend! As you might imagine I have my fingers crossed that the weather wont be too bad come Saturday. I’ve heard the forecast isn’t very good but I’m praying for change as the weather has been so lovely of late. I’m booked to play 3 shows daily out side All Saints Church in Church Square at 11.00am, 1pm and 3pm so nice weather would make such a difference! If you are around do pop along to see me as I have some great Music planed which will not only include Music Hall but some Opera too. Then on Sunday I’m at Wythenshawe Hall, Wythenshawe Park, Northenden, Manchester  performing two shows daily at 12.30pm and 2.30pm and for my final set I will be wearing my Burington Burtie togs as I go Vesta Tilley. So like they say be there or be square!

Today I have been out and about performing the “Magic of the Musicals” but I also had a long meeting with Rachel my web-designer. We’ve been working together on improving my web-site and it’s wonderful to see it grow. We are slowly starting to add in sound samples and if you click onto my CD page you will be able to see the few we have done so far. I will also be changing my Facebook banners and using them to advertise my albums and adding in a Video and Show Reel page which will make the viewing of my videos so much easier. Since changing to word press I’ve been having trouble placing my photos where I want them when I’ve been writing my blogs but we hope to get that problem sorted very soon so do bear with me.

That’s about all my news for tonight. Do keep following and I hope you will be able to catch one of my shows this weekend!

Toodle Pip and Bye for Now!

Out and About with the Polka Dot Dolls!

Intresting Memorials in Great Gaddesden!

Fate can sometimes be a very funny thing! I was all set to go to Somerset this weekend and then events took a completely different turn which ment my plans changed. I’ve been on the road a fair bit these last three months so to spend a weekend at home hasn’t been a bad thing. I was able to spend all of Saturday sorting out my costumes. In truth I must have looked a compleat fright as Saturday was one of those days where I got ready to go out running in the morning but never quite made it as I set to work on being ruthless with my wardrobe. Not that I ever am as I can’t bear to through anything away!

So by Sunday I was ready for a day out and made my way over to Rickmansworth and the Moor Vintage fashion Fair at The Royal Masonic School for Girls. I only found out about it by chance thanks to my facebook friend Brian Lyle who posted up the details onto my page and then my decsion to go was all very last-minute. Mind you I’m jolly glad I did go as I had the pleasure of seeing the Polka Dot Dolls who I had the joy of working with last weekend at Chatham’s “Salute to the 40s”. I enjoyed their show very much which when you are working one never really gets the chance to do.  Afterwards we sat down over tea and cake and had a good girly natter and laugh over who had  done the weirdest job. There’s was a China Doll convention where mine was a nudist camp! That’s the funny thing about showbiz you sometimes get asked to do the strangest things and at the end of the day work’s work! Oh I’ve just thought perhaps I should clarify when I said nudist camp it was a 1940s fancy dress night and every-one was wearing clothes so I wasn’t expected to perform naked! Thank goodness! A lot of thought goes into my outfits and it would be a shame not to wear them!

On the way back I popped into the village of Great Gaddesden and the Church of St John the Baptist. On my way over to Rickmansworth I spotted a sign advertising the Church was open for cream teas which seems to be a very popular way of raising money for churches these days. While I’ve been out and about on my travelles I often see signs and if I can I always try to visit. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting many churches on these open days and when I think of it cream teas are my one weakness! If you follow me on facebook I expect you have seen my photos from the weekend but I have to say I was particularly impressed with the Halsey Chapel. Other wise known as the Bone House as it contains some wonderful memorials to the Halsey family. Check out my photos on Facebook. The church dates from the 12th century and the chancel is part built of Roman bricks. It’s thought that the brick came from a Roman Villa near to the site and the windows are mostly Victorian with a beautiful St Francis in the north isle.

That’s all my news for now but do keep watching as next week I booked to go all WW1!

Toodle Pip and Bye for now!

Since returning home from Chatham I’ve had so much to sort out between my shows that I’m rather enjoying my first weekend off since May. The truth of it is I was all lined up to do a couple of radio interviews down in Somerset this weekend but for some reason the gentleman I was going to see didn’t reply and it left it all too late for me to organise my B&B. I can only assume he might have been taken ill as he messaged me on Facebook earlier this week but then I heard nothing after Tuesday when it came to finalising details. So if George Bateman of Apple FM Taunton is reading this I hope you are well and if not I hope you get better soon! Mind you the last few weeks I have been having terable trouble with my e-mails and BT. I can receive but sending out is proving to be difficult. I use to use incredamail and now I’m having to go through BT Yahoo which is really inconvenient because my address book is with incredamail. I can at least send out now, but I’m having to spend this weekend going over what I’ve sent which makes for more work which I could really do with-out. Such a nuisance!

What with one thing and another I haven’t been quite so active on facebook this week but I would like to thank all you photographers who have posted up your wonderful photos from Chatham’s “Salute to the 40s”. Thankyou for your photographs they are lovely to look at and it’s great to have a record of events. This year I employed a young film maker David Boyle to make a show real of my performances so do watch out for that and I will keep you posted when it’s ready! I would also like to thank-you for your letters congratulating me on my performances. I made some very brave choices this year and I’m pleased you enjoyed the selection of songs I choose including my WW1 set. When ever your booked to do an out-door show one always gets a few interruptions but I hope it didn’t spoil your enjoyment too much. Thankyou to the gentleman who kindly wrote to me and I’m so pleased you have been enjoying my latest album “The Good Old Days”. I’m very proud of it particularly as I recorded it in two days and I had it out on sale from start to finnish in 19 days flat, quite an achievement even if I do say so myself!

Some more news and for those of you who take the Best of British magazine might already know my latest article has just been published in October’s issue. I’m on pages 78 -79 and this time I have writain about the Music Hall stage and it’s reference to WW1. I think it has come out rather well as Music Hall is a fascinating subject and there is so much one can write about. I’ve had such a busy season and this year I was very proud I was able to squeeze in the writing between my shows. When you think I did 38 shows in August that was no mean feat! Other interesting articles this month include one by Rebecca McWattie on Mary Quant and the woman who put the swing into the 60s and Beamsh Trams by Peter Stephenson so do pop down to your local WH Smiths and pick up a copy that’s if you haven’t already done so. This is my 6th artical for the magazine and I’m already working on my 7th. If you would like to catch up on my past features  you can read them by clicking onto my Articals page at the top of my web-site.

Next week I’m back on the road again as it’s a weekend of WW1 shows and then I’m off to Cinderford and Mitcheldean in Gloustershire

Time to Get Ship Shape!

the following week.

Keep Watching and Toodle Pip!

Hello every-one – I’ve just got back from Chatham and the “Salute to the 40s” event which took place at the Historic dock yard and what a weekend it’s been too! This year I was engaged to host the Hurricane Stage in the military zone and what a lovely place it is to be too as it’s right at the heat of the dockyard. Chatham had engaged some fabulous acts this year and on the Hurricane stage I had the pleasure of working with Victoria Yellop who not only plays the violin with great energy and exuberance but sings and dances as she does so too. It was lovely to see Mikie Driver again who does a wonderful sing-along Pearly King show which I really enjoyed. Like me he has some great medley arrangements which link his act together wonderfully and he even told me he sewed most of his Pearly Buttons on himself which I think is very impressive. We also had the fabulous barba shop quartet Puttin‘ on the Blitz with their dazzling close harmonies and the beautiful Lola Lamour who always looks stunning. The Spitfire stage was hosted by Madeline Brown and was played by Adam Hoffman, Natasha Harper, the fabulous Polka Dot Dolls and the wonderful Paul Casper who does George Formby better than George Formby himself,  so quite a line up!

This year I spent a long time thinking out my play lists and with the centenary I included songs from WW1 and I also featured a D-Day Normandy set which enabled me to sing in French and show off a little of my French show which tied in with the 70th anniversary. I enjoy trying out new arrangements and songs and this year I made some very brave and daring choices. At the end of each day all of us come together onto the Spitfire Stage and we perform a song each in the variety show before singing the finally number. This year I had been inspired by the Tarzan and Jane movies of the 1930s and 40s and put together a Jungle Jane song and dance routine complete with a cheetah glove puppet. Unfortatly it proved to be too ambitious for the surroundings as I highed in a radio head mike set which didn’t pick up my voice properly and attracted feed back from another radio mike which had been left on on stage. Sometimes in show biz these things happen but I’ve never been afraid of trying something new and in order to learn you have to fall over a few times in the learning process. What matters is being able to bounce back up again and not being faised by it. So come Sunday I went back to my roots and sang “Nessum Dorma“. An odd choice you might think but when you think about it opera is timeless regardless of wars and langue and judging by the audience’s reaction it proved to be the right choice as many choose to stand to applaud me which was a wonderful feeling after Saturday!

I’ve so many different shows and songs in my repertoire , I enjoy being versatile and creative. Chatham was a very full weekend and although I didn’t get much of a chance to look at the many stalls there was so much to see. I really enjoyed hosting the Hurricane Stage and I would like to thank Brian Shaw and Cherie for filling in while we waited for the fly pass and Paul Marsden who

Me in my French 1940s suit by the Hurricane Stage!

Me with film maker David Boyle!

Me in my Jungle Jane Costume with Cheetah!

Going American at Salute to the 40s!

Flying High at Salute to the 40s!

dazzled every-one with his Frank Sinatra. This week I’m going back to WW1 with a 50s and 60s show booked in on Friday. Then I’m off down to Somerset for a couple of radio interviews and the following weekend I shall be playing in my home town of Leighton Buzzard for their WW1 day with a quick dash up to Manchester with a return visit to Wythenshawe Hall booked in for Sunday so busy busy!

This is all my news for now Keep Watching and Toodle Pip!

Since returning from Belgium my feet haven’t touched the ground. On Thursday I was engaged to sing for the MOD at Chicksands Priory near Shefford for the officers Battle of Britain Dinner. It was great to be invited back as I had the pleasure of singing for them last year. I was surprised that so many of the officers remembered me from last year and I enjoyed catching up with them after the show. Chicksands Priory is full of history, a Grade 1 listed building dating back to the late 12th century and not short of the odd ghost or two. Although I think some of the stories I was being told over the bar involved quite a bit of leg pulling and were a little on the tall side! Mind you the room they gave me to change in was one I shared with two civil war round heads so maybe, anything is possible so they say!

Chicksands has quite a history and during WW2 it became the Royal Air Force Signals station. Later in 1941 it served as a communications center and as an intercept facility, home to some of the ‘Y’ Service personnel, which sent messages to Bletchley Park for deciphering. Messages were also sent from RAF Chicksands to allied agents SOE and to the underground movements in occupied Europe. It was lovely to be back and on this occasion I made a point to look at some of the paintings in the mess of which there are many.

On Friday I was engaged to sing in Wigan for Art to Art at Whelley Ex Service Mens Club. Art to Art had put together a great line up and 13 year old Joe Atherton really stood out with his wonderful singing voice. I also enjoyed Louise Fazackerly a local poet who performed not only one of her own poems but read some War poetry too – which was very moving. We also had a Barbers Shop quartet and a Scottish piper which made for a wonderful nights entertainment. On Saturday I traveled across the country to Doncaster and I was booked as part of a Variety show. On this occasion I had the pleasure of working with Lorrie Brown who does a very similar thing to myself Music Hall and the 1940s. Lorrie and I rubbed shoulders at The Lord Mayors Show in Newham earlier this year although this was the first time we had ever met. I particularly enjoyed her Marie Lloyd Tribute act as I find it very interesting to hear how another artists inteprates the same songs aso myself. I was booked to do a straight through WW1 show and then I drove back to Bedfordshire after my performance.

On Sunday I was engaged to sing for the Houghton Regis Vintage Car show and my friend Joe did very well winning a cup for his prize winning 1940s Willies Jeep. Well Done Joe we are all very proud of you! I performed 3 shows daily mixing in music from the 1930s to the 1960s while Paul sang and dazzled every-one with his wonderful Frank Sinatra. Today I have been out and about performing in Harrow and tomorrow I’m performing in Milton Keynes so I’m still very busy with shows all this week.

That’s all my news for now and I really must get to bed. Do check out my photos on facebook. All you have to do is click onto the star Facebook button at the top of this page

Toodle Pip and Bye for now!

Houghton Regis’s Vintage Car Show

Meet the Round Heads at Chicksands!

Firstly I would just like to say how sorry I was not being able to leave you all with a blog last week. My computer went down and despite being on holiday I left everything in the hands of  Martyn my computer man to install a new one. He’s been working on it all week and as with anything like this there is so much data which needs to be re installed. My e-mails are not up and running yet so if you do need to get in touch with me please do pick up the phone. You can find my phone number on the home page to my web-site at www.fionaharrison.biz

This last week I have been enjoying a well deserved holiday in Belgium visiting the fields of Flanders. I’ve been performing so many WW1 shows I wanted to see where it all took place. In truth I’ve only just got back and when you look at the maps and see just how many lives were lost over the size of land in question it does make you beg the question Why? When you look at the graves and all the names listed on the Mennem Gate you can’t help but feel moved! It was a wonderful opportunity and I’m really pleased I was able to go. I’ve posted up a few of my photos on facebook so if you get the chance do click onto my facebook page. All you have to do is scroll to the top of this page and click onto the facebook star and that will link through.

I’m afraid I’m in another dash tonight and dispite not being long back from holiday I have a very tight turn around. I’ve a Battle of Britain show  to do tomorrow night at RAF Chicksands and then I’m back on the road again the next day up to Wigan for a WW1 and RAF show. Then over to Doncaster for a WW1 Ball and down to Houghton Regis on Sunday for the Vintage Car Show. I’m booked to do 3 shows daily and you can catch me on stage at 11.30am 1.30pm and 3.30pm. ATS, American

Me Out and About in Brugge with Tin tin and Snowy!

Me at the Mennen Gate!

Swing and 1950s and 60s Rock and Roll. I’ve shows all of next week and “Salute to the Forties” at the historic dockyard Chatham on the 20th and 21st. So as you can see it’s a very busy time.

I must get to bed now thank-you for following and Toodle Pip!