1940s show Scotland Archives

Remembrance Day Singer

November 16, 2017 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

I had a busy weekend for last week’s Remembrance Day, performing my 1940s wartime show in Glasgow and Fife, Scotland. It was a lovely sunny but briskly cold November weekend, and it was great to see such a large turnout for both events.

Remembrance Day, also known as Armistice Day, is a memorial day held every year on 11th November to commemorate the end of the First World War, when hostilities finally ended in 1918 at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. It gives people the opportunity to honour the memory of the members of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in the line of duty.

My venue in Glasgow was the Kirkintilloch Rangers Supporters Club, a lovely friendly club with a really strong community spirit about it. Everybody had turned out in force wearing their poppies with pride, and the band played a rousing selection of hymns and marches.

I sang my selection of old-time classics by Vera Lynn, Gracie Fields and many other wartime favourites, and it was great to hear everyone singing along.

At the end of the day a beautiful memorial bench was presented in honour of a local member of the community who had fought in the First World War. What a beautiful gesture on a lovely occasion, and a privilege for me to be a part of.

On Remembrance Sunday I travelled across to Glenrothes in Fife to perform at the CISWO club. Another fab club, CISWO host a broad selection of events for the local community to enjoy. I was made very welcome by staff and customers alike, and enjoyed performing a wide range of music for the afternoon, beginning with my wartime show and ending with modern songs for dancing.

This will be my last opportunity to perform at this venue as they are moving next week to new premises across the road. I wish them the best of luck, and look forward to returning to see the new club.

Vera Lynn Tribute – Happy 100th Birthday

March 20, 2017 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

Today is a very special day, as it’s the centenary of 1940s World War 2 singer Dame Vera Lynn. Vera Lynn, ‘The Forces Sweetheart’ started her singing career at the tender age of seven, and she’s still going strong now, having just released her latest album to celebrate her hundredth birthday!

Vera Lynn captured hearts across the nation during the Second World War, keeping the home fires burning and spirits high with her popular radio show ‘Sincerely Yours’. She entertained the troops in Egypt, India and Burma, remaining a total professional despite terrible conditions.

After the war she remained very popular around the world, with hit records, TV shows, and Royal Variety Performances.

To this day she remains a national treasure, and has been honoured for her centenary by a special variety performance at the London Palladium theatre. Her image has even been projected onto the white cliffs of Dover as a special tribute to this living legend.

I made my own tribute to Vera Lynn with this video of my rendition of one of her most beautiful songs: The White Cliffs of Dover.

Happy Birthday to a truly remarkable woman!

1940s style 80th Birthday Party

December 18, 2015 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

This month I performed at my most important VIP gig of the year – my mum’s 80th birthday party! We decided to have a 1940s / 1950s theme to give her a little reminder of what life was like when she was a young slip of a thing 😉

Nobody needed much of an excuse to get into the mood and dress up accordingly. It helps that 1940s fashion is so easy to access nowadays with many online shops providing cool vintage looks.

My gorgeous cousins suit the 1940s look!

I did a little snippet of my 1940s and 1950s show to get the party started, then two of my cousins (Shirley and Becca) took to the mic and kept the singing going (what a talented family we are!). My partner Stephen is also a singer and musician, so he finished the night off with some music to keep everyone dancing.

My mum had a brilliant time, she was grinning from ear to ear from the moment she walked in. She was up on the dancefloor all night – I don’t know where she gets her energy from – she’s living proof that age really is just a number!

The birthday girl looking fabulous

It took me two car journeys to get all the presents and cards back to my mum’s house – not to mention the all-important birthday cake.

It was so nice to get to see all my family, as I really don’t see enough of everyone now that I live up in Glasgow. Big thanks to everyone that helped organise the party, including my brother Danny and his girlfriend Barb who laid out a delicious buffet, my cousins Kate and Shirley for providing a stunning vintage-style birthday cake plus some lovely party decorations, and everyone else for joining in with all the fun!

Afternoon tea party at the Marriott Hotel Glasgow

October 21, 2015 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

The Marriott Hotel in Glasgow was the venue for a vintage-style afternoon tea party I performed at recently. Based in Argyle Street in the centre of Glasgow Scotland, the Marriott is a very popular choice for corporate functions and parties.

The event was hosted by a pharmaceutical company, who had invited patients to an open day and wanted to finish off with afternoon tea and entertainment. I came along with a mixture of golden-oldies to cheer up the visitors who had had a long morning taking in information, so they were glad of a little light entertainment with some tea and cake to refresh themselves!

Many thanks to Catherine Price from MPI for ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Vintage tea party at Pollokshields, Glasgow

October 13, 2015 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

I recently sang at a lovely vintage tea party at Pollokshields Burgh Hall in Glasgow. The special occasion was the 40th birthday party of Jo Pirie, an award winning film-maker who runs Bowery Productions, an independent film and production company that makes promotional films, wedding videos, and various films for other events.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the gardens in Maxwell Park were all in bloom. Jo had opted for an afternoon tea party to celebrate her birthday, as she was pregnant with her 2nd child so it seemed like a refreshing non-alcoholic alternative to a late-night party!

Vintage music lends itself perfectly to this kind of thing, so she booked me to sing some 1940s and 1950s songs while everyone relaxed and tucked into some delicious looking cakes and sandwiches. It was a lovely informal family affair, with lots of children running about and enjoying the retro-style candy on offer, while people meandered in and around the hall and gardens, making the most of the sunshine.

I included plenty of great old unforgettable classics in my set, such as ‘Fly me to the moon’and ‘My baby just cares for me‘, plus some modern songs with a vintage twist, like this version of Meghan Trainor’s ‘All about that bass‘

A vintage tea party is a unique family-friendly way to celebrate a special occasion in style – and Glasgow has plenty of classy venues that lend themselves perfectly to these occasions. Pollokshields Burgh Hall certainly added a special something to a perfect day.

VE Day Show in Altrincham

May 12, 2015 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

I spent a lovely afternoon in the beautiful village of Hale Barns near Altrincham last week, commemorating VE Day at Sunrise Senior Living retirement home. What a gorgeous place – it was more like a luxury hotel than a retirement home! I asked if I could move in but unfortunately I’m not eligible yet! 😉

I performed my 1940s VE day show to the residents and staff there, with plenty of great wartime classics from Vera Lynn, plus some other popular songs from the 1950s and 1960s. We had a good old singalong and really enjoyed ourselves. Even the resident Sunrise dog, Alfie, got into the spirit of things as he wandered about checking it all out (thankfully he didn’t ‘mark his territory’ on my mic stand, ha!).

It was great to see the staff had really made an effort to get in the mood, decorating the lounge with bunting and dressing in 1940s style. A big thank you to Ashleigh and her team for making me feel so welcome, and to Terry of Steppin’ Out Entertainments, hopefully I’ll be back again soon.

Vintage 1940s & 1950s Show Newtonmore

April 29, 2015 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

This Saturday (2nd May) I will be heading up north to Newtonmore to perform my 1940s / 1950s show at the Village Hall for Friends of the Main House. We’ll be commemorating the 70th anniversary of VE Day by singing all the great songs from that fabulous era.

There are still some tickets left for this event, so if you fancy spending your May Day weekend celebrating vintage-style up in the beautiful village of Newtonmore, call 01540 662294. Tickets are £12.50 and include a light supper. The show starts at 7.30pm. Hope to see you there!

1940s Wartime Tribute Show in Cumbria

October 21, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

I recently paid a visit to Grange-Over-Sands where I was booked to perform my 1940s wartime tribute show at the Cumbria Grand Hotel.

The Cumbria Grand Hotel is a lovely old building which overlooks Morecambe Bay. I have great memories of this area as we used to go on holiday there to Pontins when I was little – ahh the exotic and glamorous vacations of my youth!

The Grand Ballroom at the Cumbria Grand is a very good size with an excellent dancefloor. I was reliably informed by one of the audience members (who was 83 and still cut a fine figure on the dancefloor!) that the floor was one of the best around for dancing as it ‘wasn’t sticky’. Apparently a lot of places are reticent about having a slippery dancefloor these days due to the risk of anyone having a fall and claiming compensation.

The audience were up for dancing from the word go, so for my 2^nd set I did my 1950s show, with plenty of rock and roll numbers for jiving to. After the show it was nice to get a chance to go around and have a chat to the audience members to find out where everybody had come from.

There were groups who hailed from all around the UK, including London, Newcastle, Wales, and even some from near my hometown on the Wirral. It was nice to hear that familiar accent again, as I don’t get to hear it that much nowadays, having lived in Scotland for the past several years.

Normandy Veterans Association war memorial

The next morning was a lovely day with lots of autumn leaves around, giving a real rustic look which seemed to really suit the hotel off to its best advantage. I had a look around the area, stopping at the train station and the Normandy Veterans Association war memorial, which was set in a very peaceful and picturesque sunken garden. According to the plaque, this area is thought to be the most historic place in Grange-Over-Sands, and it was certainly a charming place to visit on a sunny autumn morning.

Beautiful countryside in Cumbria

Sunrise at Grange-Over-Sands train station

Cumbria really is a beautiful part of the UK, and the Cumbria Grand is well worth a visit, especially if you like dancing.

Golden Wedding Anniversary at Douglas Park Golf Club

October 6, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

Last weekend I sang at a beautiful Golden Wedding Anniversary party at Douglas Park Golf Club. It was a nice local booking for me as Bearsden is less than an hour away.

It’s the first time I’ve performed at Douglas Park Golf Club, and I must say I was very impressed, not only by the stunning views of the golf course, but also by the lovely staff, who were genuinely friendly and very welcoming. A big thank you goes out to Moses and Lisa for all their help and hospitality on the night.

The clubhouse itself was very nice indeed: a perfect venue for an intimate gathering. The room was a nice comfortable size for a small party, plus it also featured a good-sized dancefloor. Excellent use of lighting gave the room that extra-special touch too.

I always love to perform at Golden Wedding Anniversary functions, as it feels such a wonderful and important thing to celebrate a couple who have stayed happily together for such a long time. It’s so lovely to be part of that very special celebration.

When I look around at all the guests I wonder who was originally present at the wedding and imagine what life was like for them on that day 50 years ago; how they have changed, and how the world around them has changed too.

In this case it would have been 1964, and the world was indeed a very different place back then. The average weekly wage was £16, BBC2 made its first broadcast (which was Play School!), the Forth Road Bridge was opened, and Harold Wilson was poised to become Britain’s first Labour Prime Minister in 13 years.

Music was very different back then too. Whenever I sing at a Wedding Anniversary party I like to look back and see what was in the ‘Hit Parade’ back then, so I can include some of the songs that would have been around when the happy couple were in the first blush of romance.

In 1964 Beatlemania was in full flow, and they had pretty much taken over the charts. Their first film, A Hard Day’s Night, was released in July of that year. The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and Cilla Black were also very popular.

James Bond featured in the cinema and in the charts too, as there were two ‘007’ movies out that year: ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘From Russia with Love’, with their respective theme tunes becoming huge hits for Shirley Bassey and Matt Monro.

On this occasion however, I had been asked to perform music from a slightly earlier era: Swing songs and other classic easy-listening standards. I was glad to do so as this is my personal favourite genre of music!

I chose a mixed program that included plenty of lovely old romantic songs such as ‘Fly me to the moon’ by Frank Sinatra, ‘I only have eyes for you’ by Ella Fitzgerald, and the 1950s Jo Stafford hit ‘You belong to me’.

I soon realised that the guests were really up for a party as they were up on the dance floor from the word go. So as the night went on I shifted from swing music to timeless pop classics such as ‘Baby Love’ by The Supremes and ‘Kissin’ in the back row’ by The Drifters, to keep everybody happy on the dancefloor. I also got a request for some country music, so I added a bit of Dolly Parton into the mix, plus a Boney M medley in response to numerous ‘Slosh’ requests!

I finished off a lovely evening with what is in my opinion the perfect Golden Wedding Anniversary song: ‘The Anniversary Waltz’ by Vera Lynn.

My warmest congratulations go out to Andrew and Brenda. May they enjoy many more happy years together.

1940s themed party night at BMC Club Edinburgh

October 1, 2014 By Lisa Martin 2 Comments

The BMC Club in Edinburgh held a fantastic 1940s themed party last Saturday night.

The club was decorated beautifully with 1940s memorabilia and bunting to get everybody in the mood, and the club members had really gone to town with their cool vintage outfits – everyone looked fabulous.

When I arrived to perform my 1940s wartime show it really felt like I had been transported back to the 1940s as I looked around at a packed club full of land girls, officers, home guards, sailors and American GI’s. I even caught a glimpse of Adolf Hitler loitering at the bar!

Belles of the ball

And I must say, I think it’s amazing how all those land girls ever got any farmwork done in their 6 inch stiletto heels 😉

A special mention must be made to our irrepressible trio of Andrews Sisters, who were good enough to join me in an impromptu performance of their hit ‘Don’t sit under the apple tree’ (although I’m not quite sure where their allegiance lay, as they were to be spotted later on carousing with some SS officers!)

Fun-loving Andrews Sisters

Everybody really got into the party mood, waving their flags and singing along to old favourites such as ‘Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag’ and ‘Bless em all’, plus of course the Vera Lynn classic ‘We’ll meet again’.

Captured by the enemy!

Rab the DJ from Chaplins Disco helped create just the right atmosphere with his friendly banter and great collection of 1940s themed party tunes, and of course he looked the part too in his wartime uniform.

It was a lovely surprise to see Anne Nelson and her team of ‘Jump ‘n’ Jive’ dancers turn up to entertain the crowd with their wonderful dancing. These guys are the friendliest group of people you could hope to meet, and their dancing brings a great retro feel to any occasion.

Want to learn how to dance like this? Well you can! Anne holds ‘Jump ‘n’ Jive’ dance classes (beginners / intermediate) around the Glasgow area on the following nights:

Monday: United Reform Church Hall, Rutherglen, 7.30 – 10pm

Tuesday: St. Columba Scottish Episcopal Church Hall, Bathgate, 8 – 10 pm

Wednesday: Goodyear Social Club, Drumchapel, 7.30 – 10pm

Yvonne and the troops at The BMC Club

A big thank you to Yvonne and the team at the BMC club for organising such a fantastic 1940s themed party night. They thought of everything – even bringing out some delicious ‘stovies’ at half time.

It just goes to show that with a bit of imagination and some good organisational skills, clubs can still pull in a full house and have a really successful night, even in this day and age.

About Lisa Martin