It is with great sadness that I must report of the passing of one of the Society's most popular members. Honorary member Jack Jones died on Sunday 3rd February 2002. Jack was always the 'popular' choice at any of the Blackpool conventions and was always allowed to sing as many songs as he liked, the members never tired of listening to him. "I Promised To Be Home By Nine-O-Clock", "My Plus Fours", "Believe It Or Not", "On The Other Side Of The World" - these and many more songs were always demanded when Jack took to the stage. Jack was featured in the Vellum last year and here are reproduced some of the words from the article. Jack was 14 years old and in hospital when he first heard George Formby on the radio and from that day George never left him. "I struck up a friendship with a lovely nurse who came to see me whenever she could. One night she brought me some chips which was a real treat. I asked her to put the wireless on and the first thing I heard was somebody singing With My Little Ukulele In My Hand. I was so dumbfounded I forgot to eat my chips! The nurse told Jack that he was listening to George Formby playing a uke/banjo. "Well, I thought it was just tremendous. I'd never heard anything like that " Jack was friendly with the chap in the next bed who was given a uke for a Christmas present. One of the nurses could play and soon Jack had learned the three basic chords. "I saw George Formby for the first time in No Limit at the local cinema. It was just wonderful and I couldn't rest until I'd got my own uke which I practised in the front room. I bought a record -TT Races- and played along until I could keep up with it. My family and friends thought I was great and I was thrilled by the whole thing. "My neighbour got me my first booking in Newton-Le-Willows, the audience loved it and they wouldn't let me off. I was paid 15 shillings and it was the greatest night of my life, I was 20 years old." Jack would continue to entertain audience for the rest of his life and he never lost his enthusiasm for the instrument or for George Formby and the Society.. He joined the George Formby Society in 1969, just 8 years after the formation of the society and over the years he has worked in official roles both on the committee and he also served as secretary at one period. "The Society has been my lifeline" he said in 1995 when the committee of the GFS had the good sense to bestow Honorary Membership on Jack. "The society had very few members when I first joined and was always struggling to survive. Today it is very strong and much bigger than any single member, so long as it remains a place where people can make new friends, it can never fail." In spite of the fact that Jack was bound to a wheel chair, he rarely failed to attend the Blackpool weekends from his home in St Helens. Future conventions just won't be the same without him, he will be sadly missed and on behalf of all members of the GFS I would wish to express sincere condolences to Jack's family and to his close friend Pat. Jack was laid to rest at St. Theresa's Church, St. Helens on Friday 8th February. Many Society members were in attendance including Jim Bramwell, Peter Pollard, Gerry Mawdsley, Dennis Mitchell, Dickie Speake, Mac McGee, Phil Forrest, Mike Turner, President of the Society Dennis Taylor and his wife Pat, Joe and Alice Hodkin, Alan and Hilda Southworth, Tony, ElAine and Paul Kenny, John Croft, Anthony Mason, John Shreeve and Dick Eaves. Apologies if I have missed anyone. PP

From The Vellum, Summer 1989. Click to enlarge