We’ll Meet Again at Bideford Green!

Even long before the Covid lock down came into force I always knew I was going to be busy this week. Thanks to the great weather, I’ve been out every day performing  Driveway concerts for local residence around Leighton Buzzard. I was even featured in an Anglia ITV News report on the eve of VE Day. The ITV camera man Gary came and filmed me performing “We’ll Meet Again” from my front lawn. You can see the report below.

https://youtu.be/0DuMUcv0fSw 

Later that day I was filmed again by Richard Watts  of the Leighton Buzzard Festival Singers who has cleverly put together a virtual choir made up of people who sent in recordings of themselves singing “We’ll Meet Again”. You can see the recording below by clicking the link.

Film Man Gary from ITV News, Anglia!

This evening I just been speaking to Justin Daley on his late show for BBC Three Counties Radio which means my story has been covered by Stuart Miles and Nana Akua on different radio shows for three Counties and also by Ben Moseby by Mix 96. They seem to have it written down in their brief that I’ve been dressing up as Vera Lynn although that’s not quite true.

Vera Lynn wore an ENSA uniform and my uniform is ATS. It’s the same uniform our present Queen wore during the war. They look very similar although the ENSA uniform has leather football style buttons where the ATS uniform has brass

Singing for Joan’s 100th Birthday!

kings crown and my skirt is plain where the ENSA skirt has a box pleat. The hats are slightly different too. The ENSA hat has a bow where the ATS cap has a strap and a brass ATS badge. You can see that in my pictures.

This week the show every-one has been requesting has been my ATS “We’ll Meet Again” show and nearly every DJ or  interviewer has asked me to sing “We’ll Meet Again” on their shows to tie in with the Queen’s speech and the  75th VE Day commemorations.

Meeting Up with the Queen in Harcourt Close!

It’s strange the way things turned out. Before lock-down I had fourteen shows booked in the diary for this week. None of the scheduled shows and events went ahead although I was able to do one show for the residence in a care home in Milton Keynes, due to them having a large garden. I was thrilled that they were allowed to go ahead. The show went down really well with the residence and also with the carers too who are all working under incredible  pressure at this moment. They have asked me to return just as soon as I can fit them in. With the lock down all my shows are weather dependent and I have a list of people all looking forward to me performing

The Magic of the Musicals in Lomond Drive!

for them. Music is good for mental health and my driveway concerts seem to be bringing a lot of joy to so many people. So far I’ve been able to perform seventeen Driveway concerts and my list is growing.

This week I’ve had a couple of birthdays and on Thursday I was able to perform for Joan Loveday’s 100th Birthday as her whole street came out and enjoyed the music watching from the safety of their driveways. Joan knew me from my school days as she worked at my infant school. Today I was engaged to sing for a 90th at Riverside and on VE Day I had the pleasure of performing in Chelsea Green. Later that evening I was invited across the road to Ashburnham Cresent by my neighbours Linda and Mike to perform a few numbers from the 1940s as they played on into the early evening with tunes from yester-year.

It’s important that social distancing is observed at all times

Decorated for VE Day in Chelsea Green!

with my shows and as long as I’m on private land and given access to electricity the rest I’m able to do myself. I don’t mind lifting equipment and it’s important that I do. It’s not appropriate to have help although I have been struggling with my mobile phone.

I’ve been trying to get to grips with steaming although it’s really too much for me, having to set up, do a live show, work my music and sing all at the same time. I don’t have a proper tripod and my phone blew off the music stand the other day while I was trying to stream. It was a miracle

VE Day in Chelsea Green!

it didn’t smash. During Joan’s birthday show a friend lent me his tripod and his children very kindly set up the stream for me although it ended up broadcasting my show at a 90 degree angle. I still can’t understand why as it looked fine while we were filming. We have since copied the stream and re posted it to my Facebook page so I hope you enjoyed watching my show.

I shall leave you with some of my pictures from my shows this week including my “Magic of the Musicals”  show and VE Day.

Keep Following Toodle Pip and Bye for Now!

Time to Celebrate at Riverside!