Up feeling a bit tired, but after a slap up breakfast I was ready for the run over to Hellesdon at 10am. Arrived just after 11am and met up with Tina who briefed me to expect up to 150 in the big room. Actually the big room was smaller than I remembered – why is that? As I came out to back the car to the door, up rolls Mick so I guided him in first. As we started to get the gear in, Nigel arrived so we were triumvirate to go. Got the gear in and set up fairly quickly. We said hello to Dorothy and Nige took the opportunity to ask Tina if she would be wearing her Santa boots. 'Maybe' she said! Tina had a very good looking bunch of enthusiastic helpers and they had the room set up for lunch about the same time as we sound checked very briefly and quietly. Then she emerged in a very fetching Santa outfit complete with the long boots – getting a round of applause from Nigel.
I then made a huge mistake in asking Tina if we could be released to go to the pub next door (for beer and chips); 'cos when we got back we found we had missed being invited to Xmas dinner in the foyer with Tina and her beautiful helpers! As they were finishing their pudding and coffee, we opened up with our first set at about 2:30pm and played about an hour of lowish volume, easy listening, bantery material. I slipped in “Around The World” and “Rockin Around the Xmas Tree” and Nige did a good “Phoenix” (he got special thanks for thsi from a gent in the crowd who enjoyed the jazzy feel) and we continued the running joke about Mick being in the finest Everly's tribute seen in East Anglia this year. In the break a lady came up and reminded me that she helped me pull down my trouser leg at the do earlier in the year! We went on to do another couple of sets featuring Mick doing an excellent Jim Reeves “He'll Have to Go into Anna Marie” and “White Xmas” accompanied by Nige and I doing some nice Foot Tappery busking and harmonising. Nige did a pleasant little country set which was much appreciated. The Searchers went well and actually got a lot up to dance. I slipped in the other couple of Everlys and we did enough of the party dance stuff to get the crowd well on side singing and dancing along. About 5:30pm our audience started to dwindle as the buses arrived to take them home. We started our close down a bit later with “Never Walk Alone, which Mick sang well considering he stretched his voice on it the previous night. Nige has identified a high phrase in this song which Mick needs some support on and will try to join in and double track in future. We were pretty pleased with the audience reaction; Nige and I had been a little concerned that, without Dave's joviality and character we might struggle; but all the feedback we got was very positive. We finished about 6pm playing out the final stragglers to “Saw Her Standing There”. Pack and load up went steadily and I took my opportunity to take my leave of Tina, stealing a peck on her cheek as I encouraged her to book us back for the next event. “Budgets Permitting” she said!
