On the Greyhound to Coventry!

Hello every-one it’s just a quick blog tonight as I’m off to Coventry tomorrow for a special 1940s Blitz evening at The Greyhound Inn, Sutton Stop, CV6 6DF so I hope you can all make it along. I shall be on stage from 8pm performing a show in 2 x 45 minute halfs and we will be finishing with a wonderful patriotic finally so it will be fantastic to see you there. It wont come as any surprise to learn that this week has been all about remembrance and I always enjoy lifting spirits though the wonders of music. My “We’ll Meet Again” show is by far the most popular and next week it’s all change as I swap decades to the music of the 1950s and 60s before setting sail for France on Friday.

On the Road Again!

Despite my shows this week I’ve been trying to catch up with my contracts and e-mails and it’s interesting to see 2016 take shape. I was asked the other week about the emerging trends for 2016 and it seems many events are favouring more of a muilty period approach. WW1 is still proving popular along with a trend for the 20s although I have to confess I will be in morning after the last episode of Downton Abbey is aired this Christmas. I can’t tell you how much pleasure that series has given me as my mother and I have been sitting down at tea time watching Downton from the very beginning on DVD. I so want to be Maggie Smith when I grew up! I’m always doodling down sketches of the costumes from which I take so much inspiration. The way things are going I may well have to invest in a few new out-fits for 2016 and perhaps another WW1 outfit and a couple of new 1920s dresses. I never stop looking for interesting fabrics and trimmings so perhaps another trip to the Vintage Fashion fair at Hammersmith might be in order come the New year. Perhaps rather sadly the 1940s scene has become a little stale in it’s out look. Many of you have aired your concerns and I can understand your frustration and boredom.

The 1920s Look!

Many weekends have lost their direction as more often than not they are run as an extension of a hobby. It’s easy to forget that the public are very deserning and if you want to keep your audience you have to put on a good all round show and really work at it. Not only from the point of view of the venue and historical attractions but in the quality of the entertainers. I find it astounding the number of event organisers who book artists to entertain with-out first watching their acts. Call me old-fashioned but I would think it a basic requirement for a singer to know their words and be able to sing in tune.  The growing number of acts who can’t do either is astonishing which might explain why the bottom has fallen out of so many events with dwindling gates. The point of the entertainer is to earn the event money by keeping the public engaged, staying on site, spending money while taking in the attractions between shows. If the entertainment is rubbish the public simply leave and choose not to return the following year. It’s interesting to track the social media response and feed back. 2015 has been quite surprising and a real eye opener. It’s important to listen and never underestimate the weight of the public.

I’m looking forward to a busy 2016 and I shall keep you posted as and when. I pined up my new 2016 wall planner today which is always very daunting but also inspiring. It’s early days but I have a feeling July may be a very busy month for me with the battle of the Somme centenary. That’s all my news for now other than I will be catching up with Rachel next week to see the final touches to my vintage magazine. I was hoping to launch the magazine next Friday but in the end we just needed a little more time to get it spot on.

Keep Watching and Toodle Pip!