The Sound Engineer

Originally, we were booked to use the larger Lancastrian Suite, but at the last minute, the Imperial management switched us back to the picturesque and atmospheric Washington Suite. As a result, when we arrived on Friday afternoon, no chairs had been set out. With our regular sound engineer, Kevin Staniland, unfortunately incapacitated, there was plenty to do. Thankfully, our loyal members along with those who are always present on Friday afternoons – worked tirelessly to ensure everything was ready for the arrival of the wider membership on Saturday morning. Although Kevin could not be with us, he had prepared detailed set- up plans in advance to assist with the sound arrangements. Thanks to his foresight, the sound throughout the weekend remained consistently well-balanced, managed by Stuart Lowther and on Sunday evening, Dale Norman and Nicki Sinclair-Smith. When the members arrived on Saturday, they did so in force—so much so that there were few spare seats left once the concerts began at 1:00 p.m.

Entertainers in abundance!

The concerts are always a highlight, with no shortage of eager performers, both new and long-standing, ready to take to the stage and deliver a George Formby favourite or two. Once again, this meeting proved that there is only one place to experience the best of Formby entertainers performing the best of Formby songs—and that is at a George Formby Society convention. The GFS Shop was ably run by Kathryn Pollard, assisted by a new face, Christine Kershaw. Both ladies were kept busy throughout the weekend. Although no records were broken, a sizeable amount was nevertheless passed on to the GFS Treasurer from the proceeds of the shop and the raffle, which Pat Silcock and Sally Fletcher-Bennett promoted with their usual enthusiasm.

The Saturday Evening Announcer!

My weekend was made even more special when our President, Andrew Poppleton, asked if I would introduce the performers during the second half of Saturday evening’s entertainment. It is somewhat ironic that—with a film showing, the raffle results, and the usual auction, the remaining part of the program, namely the Saturday night concert is actually the shortest session of the weekend, yet it’s often the most enjoyable. An evening filled entirely with George Formby songs, and when I was handed the list of performers, I was thrilled by the line-up. On Sunday morning, a gentleman approached me to thank me for what he described as a high-quality evening. I appreciated his kind words but explained that all I did was introduce the players—it was they who made the evening so special for all of us. My sincere thanks go to Frances Lister, who ensured everything ran smoothly. She coordinated all the names and made sure that each performer was tuned, in place, and ready for their turn, helping to make the concert run without a hitch. Every performer contributed to a truly memorable evening for both the audience and myself.

Rare Archives - For Sale!

On view this weekend were many fascinating and rare archives, some of which were brought by members of the late Alan Randall’s family to sell to Formby fans. Among the highlights was Beryl’s enormous scrapbook of newspaper clippings — a book so large it’s difficult to comprehend, and probably even harder to lift! I photographed the Randall-Formby archive around twenty-five years ago and have since noted some deterioration in the scrapbook. While it remains a treasure trove of material chronicling George and Beryl’s careers — complete with Beryl’s own annotations — its sheer size has undoubtedly contributed to its decline. Had Beryl chosen to have the material bound in smaller volumes, it might have better withstood the test of time. Due to its fragility and bulk, scanning the pages today would almost certainly require specialist equipment. Another remarkable archive on display was courtesy of founder member John Walley. As John and his wife Gill are preparing to move house, he felt it was the right moment to down-size his extensive collection. Around twenty albums of Formby memorabilia were made available for members to bid on — so many, in fact, that one wondered how long the auction might take! That question was quickly answered when one dedicated Formby collector purchased the entire collection for £1,000 — a sum which John then generously donated in full to the George Formby Society. From the very beginning, John Walley has served the GFS in almost every role imaginable, and even now, more than sixty years later, he continues to give his all for the Society he has loved since its formation in 1961.

Where would be be without…

In summary, it was another successful weekend for all who attended and for everyone working behind the scenes to make it happen. The band, the sound engineers, the shop volunteers, the stage coordinator, the raffle ticket sellers, and the committee members who manned the door all deserve heartfelt thanks. Not forgetting Gill Walley who takes countless photographs throughout the weekend. Without these dedicated individuals, these weekends simply would not be possible.

We’ll Meet Again

We now look ahead to the September meeting and the always eagerly awaited Sunday morning AGM. The George Formby Society inevitably lost momentum during the pandemic, with the sad loss of members through bereavement and some drifting away. However, I’m delighted to hear that our membership is now increasing once again. It’s quite remarkable when you consider that the man we all support and sing about was born 121 years ago and passed away over 64 years ago. It just has to be the magic of George Formby! PP - June 2025