Thanks to William for filling in some details. So Ivor Novello wrote "We'll Gather Lilacs?" I had no idea. I was so sure that song was from my Dad's distant past, i.e., the First World War. Glad you corrected one line, William, which I had wrong in my quote.

My Dad had a number of specials. His "Sheik of Araby" number was popular, so it's the performance I remember the most clearly. When conversation was abuzz during the evening, at one of our many family gatherings, Dad would silently slip from the room, only to bring everything to a halt a few minutes later by bounding through the door wrapped sheik-style in a white sheet, and wearing a woolly beard from his theatrical makeup box. The rest of his face had an impressively swarthy complexion, thanks to greasepaint from the same box.

As he sang the words "I'm the Sheik of Araby/ Your love belongs to me!/ At night when you're asleep/Into your tent I'll creep/ The stars that shine above/ Will light our way to love...etc." (it looks a bit sordid on paper, but it was all very innocent) Dad would stride about the room, perching on this squealing aunt's lap, rubbing his bearded chin against that aunt's cheek, smudging her with greasepaint as he swept her into a stumbling waltz, and generally acting exaggeratingly seductive in a Victorian melodramatic way. Often, he whipped out a stalk of celery from his robe, brandishing it defensively like a dagger, at one of the uncles. All this to the delighted shrieks and giggles of the ladies and children, and guffaws of the gents.

Oddly, although I was proud of Dad's singing voice, and the fact that everyone loved to see him perform, humorously or seriously, I always felt somewhat uncomfortable about seeing my own father cavorting about in costume. I used to try to become invisible, so he wouldn't land on my lap. Maybe he sensed how I felt, for I made it all through life never having the Sheik of Araby on my lap!

Can anyone can fill me in on the words that complete the song?

Other than Dad, as a child I used to like the gentle voice of Donald Peers ("In a Shady Brook, by a babbling brook" etc.) I'd say that Vera Lynn was the one woman singer that I thought was wonderful. As a child, I could never understand the attraction of Gracie Fields, though. To me her voice seemed rather harsh (or had Hitler's bombs affected my ears? ).

I remember George Formby, but not his lyrics. I wonder what there was about them that made the Home Office suspect him during the war? Anyone remember?

Was it Robb Wilton who used to ramble on about "The day the war broke out, my missus said to me..." Was he the one who also used to talk about someone dying of a "collision of wind and water in her stomach"?

Speaking of monologues, Joyce Grenfell was my all-time favorite entertainer. She had a lovely singing voice too.

Frances

"Copyright Frances R. Pullen"

Do you remember George Formby?

> >British papers today are running a story from a new biography that he was >under investigation by the Home Office during the war years because some of >his lyrics were considered "enemy-friendly"

> >Can I ask another really cheeky question....... are there any members of >this group who actually still live in the UK? or are you all ex-pats?

> >William

Hi William and Gang,

Don't say "I'm only 44," I can guarantee that most of the people on this chat group would love to be your age again, I know I would, I'm rapidly running into the old geezer stage.

The short answer to your "cheeky question" is yes, There is one other member who lives somewhere in the UK. His name is Ernie Burton, but we haven't heard much from him, so I can't tell you where he lives, etc. The rest of us are indeed ex-pats. We currently live in The US, Canada & Australia, and from the general tone of the conversation, for various & sundry reasons, I believe that most of us would sooner live abroad than in the UK.

I remember George Formby well. He used to accompany himself on a ukelele banjo. I seem to remember that he also used to be featured in a weekly comic book called either Radio Funnies, or Film Funnies along with Laurel & Hardy, Old Mother Riley and her daughter Kitty (Arthur Lucan?? & Kitty McShane, his real life wife) and several other comedians.

Martha & I just came home from a weekend trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which is about 1 1/2 hours driving time from Baltimore. The Lancaster area is in the heart of the Amish & Mennonite country. Some of their communities have rather odd names. Just east of Lancaster are the towns of Intercourse, Paradise & Blue Ball. I thought you might like to know that.

The next item is for those of you living in the US and maybe maybe Canada. I just picked up a CD from the International Bin at SAM GOODY's record store today that you might want to purchase.

It's called English Pub Sing Along, and contains the following songs that you all know from way back when:

Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner
Hello, Hello Who's Your Lady Friend
Barrow Boys Song
Henry the 8th
Roll Out The Barrel
Knees Up Mother Brown
Lily of Laguna
My Old Man's a Dustman
Underneath The Arches
There's a Tavern in The Town
Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty
I've Got a Loverly Bunch Of Coconuts
Cruising Down The River
What A Mouth
White Cliffs of Dover
We'll Meet again
Talk about nostalgia...

The best part is, is that they're closing it out at only one buck.

The singing group are not Brits, but what the h... at $1.00, it's a real bargain.

Lastly, to Stan Pierce,

I loved your last, very well-written piece about Canvey Island and will put on your personal story page on the Evac Web Page.

Cheers!