Memories of Douglas Number 13

MUSIC

My late husband Douglas wasn't really musical. He had no natural rhythm ( his own words - not mine ) but in his youth he went to classes to learn ballroom dancing. ( He said " In those days going to a dance hall was the only way to meet girls" )

The company Douglas worked for often held dinner dances and Douglas and I received our first invitation. Well I panicked as I couldn't dance. The only dancing I had ever done was Country Dancing - learned at school and since forgotten.

So Douglas decided to teach me - we moved the sofa etc in the front room so we had a bit of space and he showed me the basics - just enough to get round the dance floor - a blind man would have been pleased with my efforts.

In the end I just sort of glided/shuffled around the floor at the dinner dance and seemed to get away with it. We attended many more dances and it was fine - good job I wasn't asked to dance by anyone else as it would have been a shambles.

My blip shows the old gramophone player which Douglas owned - he also had around 50 records. He kept it in the spare room which he used as a study - housed all his collections in there..

When Becky and Neil were little they would often ask their Dad if they could listen to his music. So they would troop off to the study and Douglas would put on one of his old 78's. Becky and Neil were fascinated with the gramophone - watching Douglas winding it up, putting the needle down on the record and the best bit for them was when you wanted the sound to be louder so you opened a couple of little doors on the front.

I picked out 3 records to put in my blip.

The little one on the left is " TIRED HANDS " by Harry Bidgood and his Broadcasters with The Stoll Picture Organ. Priced at 1/3d

The one on the right is " WHERE MY CARAVAN HAS RESTED" by The Zonophone Salon Orchestra

The red one in the middle is " THAT'S WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT THE WEST" by Tex Williams and his Western Caravan

They sure don't have titles/artists like that any more.

The 78's Douglas owned were kept as more of a collection than to be listened to. He enjoyed listening to The Seekers - Judith Durham and her strong clear voice.