An Old Feller's Thoughts (Updated)

This post was sparked by Emily.
Here's what she commented on my last post.
"Blogger Emily said...

Ah, come on, you don't have anything to post about if the grandkids are away? I missed you!
The kids look adorable as always. And the flowers look lovely. Nice job!"

Anyway, I thought I would take her cue and blab a little.

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As I walk the dog each night I often think about old times. It think about my brother Ken and how he walked Petra (and the previous dog)diligently every day. I sing songs to myself (aloud sometimes) that are unfamiliar to most of you.

I think about my old Dad...and Mum.

And my sisters and brother who were still at home then and the songs that were sung in our house.

My sister Rene loved to belt out With 'er 'ead tucked underneath her arm.
It was a vaudevillian type song about Anne Boleyn. At the time in the 1940s Stanley Holloway was a top performer. Here is his rendition, You don't need to listen to it all. It is very interesting to me that Stanley seems to use a Northern accent in this song although he was born in Essex. He was a major player in the 1956 Broadway production of My Fair Lady. He played Alfred Doolittle in the NY play, the London play and the 1964 film.

One night he and Rex Harrison were leaving the London playhouse in the rain through the stage door. Harrison was known as a snot to his fans. An old lady waiting in the rain asked Rex for his autograph and Harrison said "sod off'
The old woman rolled up her programme and swatted Rex on his noggin. Stanley astutely said "this was the first I'm aware of when the fan had hit the shit!


When people gathered for a pint or two at our house there would always be singing.
My Mum would croon a few notes in those happy times and she would sometimes mix up the lyrics.
'Where'd you get that Hat?' was a song that my Mum confused with another song popular at the time that was 'On Ilkley Moor Ba' Tat' ( on Ilkly moor without yer hat)
Still the titles made for a nice rhyme but they really were two different songs.



Usually the family group gathered for a nightcap and singing after having been at the local. My uncle Charlie, Uncle Wilf, Auntie Lillian, and Mum and Dad and all the kids. Everyone had a song that they would sing on these get-togethers. Uncle Wilf's was 'I met her in Monterrey' My Mum loved Lily of Laguna. I don't know why. She sang it often. Here it is.
My sister Norma was perhaps the biggest talent. She and sister Olive had routines that they would do. Norma would do 'Down Forget me not Lane' and Olive would attempt 'I never knew anyone like you' and there was a little soft shoe action too.
I wish I had my video camera then. Dad would always do 'You are everywhere' and 'I'm going back to 'im as has' Oh the memories.
Oh, I could go on and on....................enough already.

Update.
Here's Danny Kaye covering Reg Dixon's song Confidentially.