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Mum's Gone To …

Travel tales of an empty nester
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Home  >  Blog  >  Mum’s Gone to Meet Matthew Kelly – nearly!

Mum’s Gone to Meet Matthew Kelly – nearly!

Trish Burgess Posted on30/01/201007/04/2016 Lucky Dip 16 Comments

Big shout out for Linda Jones who has tagged me in the blogging version of “Let’s see if we can work out how old you are by reading your childhood memories”: my goodness, that old, oh I wasn’t even born then..

Unfortunately for me I was certainly around for her Shang-a-lang trip down memory lane. So I will keep her company by sharing a memory from when I was six in 1971 (you’re doin the math already, I just know….go on, get your calculator out, best be sure). My mum, a semi-professional singer who had a belter of a voice, decided on a whim to apply for Opportunity Knocks. When she was told she had passed the first audition and would be on the show, my mum told me but said it was a big secret. So the next day I wrote about it at school in “My News” – ‘my mum is going to be on the telly but it’s a big secret’. The teacher saw my mother in the co-op later that week and gave the game away!

Mum had wanted to sing an aria from Carmen but the powers-that-be insisted she sing a Northern folk song, Blow the wind Southerly so they could market her as a nice housewife from Newcastle. Nice enough song, fishing boat dragged on the stage behind her, but hey, it’s not exactly The Habanera. My dad was drafted in to do the introduction with Hughie Green, my mum sang beautifully, she scored 86 on the clap-o-meter but was beaten by the little Scottish boy, Neil Reid, who had all the grannies voting with his rendition of Mother of Mine.

Race forward in time to the year 2000 when in my infinite wisdom, and most probably under the influence, I applied to go on Stars in Their Eyes. I sent in an echoey tape of me singing in the bathroom Don’t it Make my Brown Eyes Blue by country and western singer Crystal Gayle. I can’t hear those mellow tones of our Crystal now without remembering a trip to a hotel in Nottingham where I joined some other sad buggers to audition in front of the producers. I didn’t get any further (they had already had a Crystal Gayle a few years before anyway) but did get down to the last 200 from 20,000 applications (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). Months later I watched the programme and saw the little blonde lad from the hotel transformed into Bon Jovi and winning his heat. Bastard.

The video below is of the actual Crystal Gayle. No, I will not be vlogging my own version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGrmRGw8PZs&feature=related

I think some of my bloggy mates may have done this meme already but I will tag the following to think of their own childhood memory and tell us a song that reminds them of a special place and time. If anyone else feels inspired, please join in.

Footballer’s Knees

She was not at all Domestic

Glowstars

Very Bored in Catalunya

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16 Comments

  1. Footballers Knees Reply
    30/01/2010 at 6:30 pm

    Trish, am so impressed – the last 200 out of 20,000? Go on, please, please, please capture it for us and put it on your blog. Go on, I dare you!

  2. Kelloggsville Reply
    30/01/2010 at 11:16 pm

    Opportunity Knocks Clapometer 86! wow . The first LP I ever bought was Opportunity Knocks winners – I loved it! That confession is way sadder than wanting to be Crystal Gayle. But I loved Stars in their eyes too. Do you know by sharing your own you brought back some lovely memories for me tonight. Thank you xx

  3. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    31/01/2010 at 8:05 am

    Footballer's Knees – oh God I don't think I could – I would then hear myself back and realise the real reason I wasn't picked!!!

    Kelloggsville – was there REALLY an LP of Opportunity Knocks winners (Lena Zavaroni etc?)? Haha, that is a cracker of a confession. So pleased to have brought back memories for you. Thanks for coming over xx

  4. Very Bored in Catalunya Reply
    31/01/2010 at 10:03 am

    Go you, I am very impressed. Thanks for the tag. xx

  5. Crystal Jigsaw Reply
    31/01/2010 at 11:58 am

    Oh I really think you should vlog your version!! What a great story to tell your grandchildren!!

    CJ xx

  6. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    31/01/2010 at 3:20 pm

    Very bored – looking forward to seeing what you come up with (only if you fancy giving it a go, of course)

    CJ – Oh God not you aswell?! I could just mime – you'd never know 😉

  7. Tattie Weasle Reply
    31/01/2010 at 5:06 pm

    I remember Opportunity Knocks et al but it was your mention of Lena Zaveroni that had me backin our TV room with it's orange walls and big brown sofa and macrame hanging baskets with spider plants in…ver impressed with your audition you must be really good and dead brave!

  8. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    31/01/2010 at 8:24 pm

    Tattie – ooh you had a room like that too? Spider plants….easy to grow and so messy with all the baby ones hanging off! Glad to have taken you back in time with my Tardis post!

  9. The Dotterel Reply
    01/02/2010 at 8:53 am

    Oh, Trish… I read all the way down (having spied a video link at the bottom of the post) with mounting anticipation, positively salivating at the prospect of your Crystal Gayle rendition. You can't do this to your fans! (And I mean that… most sincerely, folks!)

    (PS: Great pic of Pingvellar on your header!)

  10. Anonymous Reply
    01/02/2010 at 10:21 am

    Oh Trish lovely to read your memories and Opportunity Knocks being an important one at that!!! I remember it was a marvellous experince singing with a big orchestra instead of a piano. I remember your brother Steve accusing you of using the 'Jackie' as your bible as you kept quoting from it. That happened 38 years ago Ah happy days luv Mum xxxxxx

  11. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    01/02/2010 at 12:10 pm

    The Dotterel – I'm starting to feel I should step up to the plate. Will think about it!
    (Glad you like the header photo – the most beautiful place I think I've ever been)

    Mum – seems like only yesterday you and Dad were on the show. Lovely memories xx

  12. notwavingbutironing Reply
    01/02/2010 at 2:06 pm

    I enjoy learning a little more about you each time you post, you dark horse, you! Auditioning for Stars in their Eyes! Pictured topless in a holiday brochure! Can't wait for the next surprise…

  13. deer baby Reply
    01/02/2010 at 11:01 pm

    Six in 1971? I'm crap at Maths but that makes you….exactly the same age as me! Oh I remember Opportunity Knocks so well. What a claim to fame that your parents were on it. Hughie Green turned out to be a bit….how shall I put it? of a dark horse?

    And you…getting down to the last 200. That's serious stuff. I've got some Crystal Gayle on my iPod – You've Been Talking in your Sleep, and of course your song. What else do you have up your sleeve?

  14. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    02/02/2010 at 8:23 am

    Ladies – I couldn't possibly tell you everything about my secret little life; well, not yet anyway (don't want to give away any potential blog material!)
    Deer baby – the other Crystal Gayle mimic had sung Talking in Your Sleep; lovely song. Might just have to have a warble while I'm mopping the floor.

  15. ELS Reply
    02/02/2010 at 7:46 pm

    MAMA, he's makin' EEEYYYYYYEEESSS at me – god, I thought LZ was so glamorous. AND Crystal Gayle.

    Your family is a bit like the Partridges, innit? Does Steve look like David Cassidy?

    Tada! My age in a one-er…

  16. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    02/02/2010 at 10:30 pm

    ELS – my brother Steve looks uncannily like Bill Clinton. However he has quite a voice, sings in a Free/Bad Company tribute band yet has a hankering to be Pavarotti. It was always a bloody fight to do a turn in our house….

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