Linda and I at Brinsworth House!

It’s been a difficult week this week which started with the tragic news of my dear friend Lynda Styan passing away. I’d known Lynda for ten years and the news came as a great shock. She only went into hospital on Tuesday and she sadly passed away on the Friday after the doctors diagnosed ovarian cancer. The cancer had spread to her kidneys. The awful thing about this disease is it’s almost impossible to spot, which was why it wasn’t picked up on sooner. Lynda had been suffering with chronic back pain for months and now it’s clear what the back pain actually was.

Dinner and Coffee with Lynda!

We are all going to miss her enormously. She was my pal and the nicest person you could possibly meet. We would often meet up and have a girly natter over dinner about show business. I’m so pleased we managed to meet up on 22nd June which was literally only three weeks before she died. The world is going to be a poorer place with-out her and I feel very privileged to have known Lynda, and was able to call her my friend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lynda’s family at this sad time.

I first met Lynda ten years ago and as soon as we met we hit it off straight away. Like me she specialized in performing the music of yesteryear and we had so much in common. Lynda played the ukulele and her forte was performing the music of the 1920s. She also covered other periods from Music Hall to the 1960s and had the most beautiful red hair which she liked

Lynda Styan and I with our friend Yanto at The Poppy Appeal!

to wear in a 1920s bob. The last time Lynda and I worked together was in Birmingham last November when we were singing to raise money for the Poppy Appeal at New Street Station. We also worked together at Brinsworth House which is a residential and nursing retirement home for theatre and entertainment professionals. The house is owned and run by the Royal Variety Charity and they are very choosy about the people they have to perform there. So when Lynda asked me if I would like to do a show with her there I jumped at the opportunity.

Over the years Lynda had played at some fantastic events and venues which included The London Palladium, Goodwood Revival, Twinwood Festival, 100 Club – Oxford Street, The Imperial War Museum, The Savoy Hotel and The Downton Abbey Ball, Regent’s Park Hotel to name but a few. She was also seen on Britain’s Got Talent  where Simon Cowell said she had a “Very authentic nostalgic voice and act”.

On Stage at Stanbridge Lower School!

Professional to the end Lynda didn’t want any-one to be left with-out entertainment so this week I’ve been working with

her friend Steve Forward to cover her shows and inform people of her passing. Today I was in Berkshire performing the Swinging 1950s and 60s where Steve was singing for a summer garden party in Mill Hill. Both of these shows were Lynda’s bookings so I’m pleased in a small way we can be of help and keep her torch shining.

I’ve been working extremely hard this week as I’ve had my own shows to cover, plus a mountain of paper-work to get through. On Wednesday  I had the pleasure of performing at Stanbridge Lower school for their end of team 1940s Vintage tea party. Last year we were out n the play-ground but this year we were in the school hall due to the summer heat. The children were terrific as I got them all to sing-along.

Getting Set to Perform my Wren’s Show at Bletchley Park!

I’m going to leave my blog here tonight as I need to get to bed. Next Saturday I’m on stage for the Leighton Buzzard Canal festival performing my Pearly Queen show at at 3.20pm and then I’m straight over to Milton Keynes and to The National Museum of Computing to sing for their staff BBQ at Bletchley Park. I’m also opening Bletchley Park’s concert series on the 6th August with my Wrens show and I’m back in the recording studio to pick up some new songs for that show next week.

Time for bed – Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for Now! 😉