I just discovered the wonderfully named ‘Dogging Around’ performed Jackie Wilson, who suggests his girl had “better stop dogging around”. I must admit that at first I misread it as Nancy Wilson, and wondered what had happened to her between  ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ but that’s by the by.

Now those of you not familiar with the activity currently referred to as ‘dogging’ may want to look away now. The Urban Dictionary tells us it “derives from the term ‘walking the dog’. It is a pastime that has evolved from blokes taking their dogs for walks and stumbling across couples at it in bushes etc.” you can guess the rest. It does give a contextual use: “I’m just taking the dog out for a walk love”, “Okay, don’t be 5 hours this time, and try not to get so muddy”. Mr Wilson had a hit with his song in 1960 when I dare say “dogging” meant something else, though judging from the rest of the lyrics I’m not so sure: “Now you know you go out nights, to have yourself a ball, sometimes you don’t make it home at all.” Either way, Mrs Wilson is clearly a tart. (more…)

If you imagined the British manufacturing industry to be dead, take a trip to the charming village of Earls Barton in Northamptonshire and you’ll find a British firm that’s still putting it’s best foot forward after over 125 years.

Barkers is one of the few survivors of the days when Northampshire was as synonymous with shoes as Wocestershire was with pots. As a long time fan of their shoes I jumped at an invitation from UK Sales and Marketing Manager Adrian Gell – a self acknowledged shoe obsessive – for a tour of their factory. (more…)

Last Saturday night’s Classics in the Park with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra in Brantingham was great fun. The weather was perfect and over 1500 people attended to enjoy the show and help raise money for local charities including the Dove House Hospice which by coincidence I did a benefit for way back in 1994 at the Hull City Hall. It was so nice to catch up with old friends and work with the band again. Eleanor Keenan is always so good to work with and sounds better than ever. The video here was posted by someone on YouTube, and gives you a little taste of the end of the concert. The Hull Daily Mail said “The star of the West End’s Rat Pack wowed the crowd as he performed alongside the world famous Syd Lawrence Orchestra”. Here’s a link a piece in the Hull Daily Mail.

Click here to hear me being interviewed by Gary King on Jazz FM.

After a show in the middle of the Baltic the other night, a nice couple from Grimsby stopped me and said they first saw me performing when I started out about twenty years ago in a social club there. “Oh wow”, I said “what was I singing back then?”, “Exactly the same as you are now” she replied.

Crushed. (more…)

The tabloids are already bristling with excitement and soon flags will be fluttering from every patriot’s bedroom window. With the same grim inevitability as a trip to the dentist, I have to accept it’s football time again. (more…)

Tune in this Sunday (13th June) between 3 and 6pm to hear Gary’s interview with Ernie Almond. Click here for more details and to listen again. Gary was also featured on Desmond Carrington’s and Elaine Paige’s last Radio 2 shows.