In the early days of my career I sang in numerous care homes, hospitals and day centres, to entertain citizens who had grown to the vintage end of life.

It seems that people still like to hear my voice as a strum along to my guitar, they like interesting words and good strong melodies, they enjoy sounds that are really ‘live’ that contrast the monotony of seemingly endless Karaoke, especially when the songs bring back happy memories.

In my conversations with people, who live in residential homes and housing schemes, they have often told me how they feel about time, so I am always happy to fill an hour or two of their time with songs which help them recall the emotions of their lives.

October 2008 I was on the Gordon Astley Show on BBC Radio Southern Counties. A gentleman phoned in, just before my slot, asking if there was an entertainer who would be willing to perform at a residential home, I, of course, offered my services, some days later the man phoned Gordon again to say thank you to Gordon for introducing me to the home. You can find these recordings on my web site.

I have a repertoire of hundreds of songs from the old Music Hall Songs, the War Songs, the fifties, the sixties, Beatles, Johnny Cash, through to whatever is popular now. Plus a few songs less travelled and some original material.

Generally I wonder around the room with the acoustic guitar, at such events, but I do have amplifiers if they are required.

I am very happy to be involved with groups of active retired people and sheltered housing centres and am always please to be asked to give talks at meetings and to illustrate the stories with some songs.

“All I can say is thank you because you and our guest from overseas made the party go with a swing! I was watching the residents and they were all singing and joining in so that proves it was a success.” 

Rita Roth Southend

When I perform my aim is to fill an hour or more with fun and joy. I use the songs I sing and the stories I tell to bring back memories, to help people use their minds to recall their past, and then to give them something new for now and the future.

I have often heard young people saying that they wished that they did not have to work. I wonder what they would do with all the time if they did not. During numerous performances, to hundreds of groups of Senior Citizens, I have learned to understand just how much time there is in the one hundred and sixty eight hours in each of our weeks, it can be a lot more than some people think.

There are two scenarios………..If life is full, active, exciting and full of variety. If it contains things you love and some things you hate, if there are moments where everything goes according to plan and a couple of things turn to disaster…. life whizzes by and in a flash, it is Monday morning again, and oh it is good to get out of bed.

On the other hand, a life from a bed, or wheel chair, where the variety of faces, and the colour of the wall paper seem constant can be frustration to a person who’s mind is still alive, but imprisoned, in a painful and aged body. Or a life where a lack of money limits much of life’s promises. The length of each minute can seem like an hour, extending the week into a boring monotony. Time shrinks and stretches, it is not linear.

Some American scientists, led by Ellen Langer, took a group of people, from a home for those with dementia, by bus, to a place that had been made to mimic the environment of the dementia suffers youth. Like an elaborate movie set all the furniture and clothing was from those earlier years. The music the movies were vintage, they had old television’s and radio’s, the food from old style packaging etc….etc….When they arrived they were told to get off the bus and carry their own suitcase. The combination the familiar environment of their youth, and having to do things, for themselves, proved to be great medicine for many, for some the dementia seemed to ease, or melt away. The experiment was recreated for a BBC television show in September 2010 The Young Ones.

I know hundreds of songs, from the Music Hall to the present, interspersed with stories and conversation. I sing along to my guitar and run one song into another, trying to cover as many songs as possible in the allotted time. To my mind my job is to take an hour and shrink and stretch it with fun and joy, to recreate a little bit of the time when the audience was young and full of life. I hope that everyone feels something afterwards. People can like or dislike, whatever, they have something to think and talk about when I gone.

I would be truly glad if you would invite me to entertain the people in your care.

from memory, of more than 565 songs to acoustic guitar plus, a growing library, of around 300 songs to backing tracks ‘Almond’s Orchestra in a Box’

‘Sing-a-Long Songs’

‘Music Hall’, ‘World War I’ ‘World War II’

Songs from 1940’s to the end of the ‘Crooners’.

1950’s and the beginning of Rock and Roll, the 1960’s and the beginning of Pop through to the

1970’s singer songwriters and one or two of the melodic songs from the current era.

In my career I have performed in twenty two countries so I really do not mind where the show is. However, I concentrate on the South East corner of England - London, Essex, East from Guildford, South of the river Thames, East along the Southern coast from Worthing, to Brighton, Hastings, Dover Ramsgate etc. Performances in other areas are possible for a suitable fee or for a group of venues over a few days.

Clubs and Organisations for the over fifties, Derby and Joan Clubs, Active Retirement Organisations, Day Centres, Pop In Centres, Sheltered Housing Schemes, Residential Homes, Nursing Homes, Homes for those living with Dementia, EMI, Pubs, Clubs, Restaurants, Theatres……….

Bank Holidays £10.00

Special Days £20.00

London Congestion Charge £10.00.

Parking charges if no free parking is available.

Dartford Crossing £3.00.

Outside the area indicated on the map 25 pence per mile