If you are a regular reader you will have seen my post about the Wonderful Mr Tom Carradine.

Vintage Musical Leader of several Twinwood Cockney Sing-A-Long’s, he is many peoples highlight of the weekend, mine included.

During the COVID situation, Tom has had to stop his regular gigs and has instead been entertaining and educating many of us with his Thursday night Facebook Live Sing-A-Longs instead!

From this there has evolved a whole ‘sub-community’ of Vintage Enthusiasts that have become part and parcel of Tom’s Troupe. Watching, commenting, laughing and joking and coming up with some fantastical ideas for gigs, merchandise and more.

I was very fortunate to spend an hour chatting with Mr Carradine, asking him all those little things that had been running around in my brain.

It was an amazing interview and as I previously said, I could have spent hours talking to him about life, vintage loves and more.

Enjoy!

It was a strange progression. I was actually born in Coventry so there is not a Cockney bone in my body! I loved the idea of London from being a young child. I studied it, read the history, pored over maps and loved the idea of the city. Before I ever moved to London, I felt I ‘knew’ London inside and out.

I actually went to university to study for a Biochemistry degree. I was always a bit of a science geek and my love of London contributed to my decision to go to Imperial College, South Kensington. I had always loved Musicals and joined the Operatic and Musical Theatre Societies whilst there. Basing myself in London meant I could go to the theatre as much as I wanted and see all the shows I loved.

I started taking part in shows with the university societies.  In my third year of Uni I had to do a year in industry and I started working at a lab in Slough. This made me realise that I never wanted to work in a lab for a living! Thankfully Slough is near enough to London that I could continue with the university shows so I could get my music fix while still completing my work in the lab.

Through making contacts while doing these shows I then fell into the London Cabaret and Fringe scenes.  This made me hope that opportunities would still be there after I graduated. Through playing on Fringe shows, I was lucky enough to have made some good contacts and to be in the right place at the right time when an emergency last minute cover was needed on the professional touring production of Blood Brothers. This led to me touring as a conductor/keyboard player on other shows which I did for around seven years.

Back during my time at university I would often find myself at after-show parties where there were pleas for a ‘Piano Monkey’ to play something to sing along to. I would play show tunes or the old music hall classics, that no matter who you were or your background, you inherently knew.

I actually moved out of London to Kent around ten years ago as I decided to hang up my touring shoes and settle down with my wife, Fay and start a family.  I had worked with the fabulous Dusty Limits in my time on the cabaret circuit and it was was Dusty who asked me to accompany him at the Twinwood Festival and the rest is history!

It was 2013 and the visit was also my first proper foray into wearing vintage clothing. Working as a pit musician I had been wearing black all day every day, or a ‘uniform’ of jeans and a black T-shirt, so when I could I decided to wear clothing that I enjoyed being in, but hadn’t yet found my true ‘groove’.  I was an avid reader of The Chap magazine and appreciated vintage style.

Twinwood was an amazing revelation to me. I felt like I had found ‘My People’ and I learned that there were actually people out there that were dressing like this every day!

I started getting a better understanding of vintage clothing and this has continued to develop over the last eight years. I can honestly say I have never felt as comfortable in my own skin.

I enjoy that classic, timeless look. Dressing well is a lost art.

I started learning to play the piano when I was around six years old. My sister was learning to play the flute so I chose the piano. I took my grade exams and got as far as Grade 5 before stopping.

I never warmed to the classical repertoire; I love listening to it, but I just didn’t enjoy playing it. I stopped taking Grades when I was around 13 or 14.

As a teenager growing up in Coventry, I would go into town on a Saturday, head to the library and back then you could borrow musical scores. You could take out 5 or 6 at a time so I would choose the scores then head to the tape/CD section and find the matching performances. I would take them home, listen to the music and play along with it until I had it down pat. It gave me a real grounding in reading scores, chord charts and playing by ear.

That also helped when I started to make a living from playing; I toured with The Sound of Music, Cabaret and Joseph. All with only grade 5 piano. I was always worried that I would get found out! But I think people aren’t too fussed how you get to where you are, as long as you can do the job!

This certainly stood me in good stead for the sing-a-longs. You need to be able to adapt and improvise. Whilst I know the majority of the songs that are requested, there will always be some that I don’t and the ability to ‘busk’ and improvise is invaluable.

That is a tough one! I have loved Musicals all my life and have made a living from them, but I have such a wide repertoire and eclectic tastes that there are so many to choose from. It also depends on what mood I am in.

I think though, if there was a ‘go to’ song, it would have to be ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’. I love the way the melody flows before moving into the bridge and then resolving back. It is classic and timeless. It also sits really well with my voice.

Oh, I wish they were. However I couldn’t wear true vintage all the time unless I had a bank balance to match!

I would say I wear 40% true vintage and the rest is reproduction or revival. There was a great Victorian and Edwardian revival in the 60’s and 70’s; straight cut waistcoats and long length jackets. I have quite a collection of those, especially waistcoats.

I guess they are still vintage, being from the 60’s and 70’s but not the original era. As with many fashions, it is cyclical and will come around again!

Because I am not a re-enactor, I mix items and styles up, however if I am doing something for a shoot then I aim for a period look. I did some promotional work for Mr Fogg’s Tavern, my regular Thursday night gig, and I dressed in my full finery.

I have collaborated with Joolz Guides; a most charming man who makes videos of things to do in London, including hidden gems and secret spots. One of the videos sees us learn to ride Penny Farthings and I can now say I have ridden through London on a Penny Farthing all decked out in a high collar and top hat – Check them out on Youtube, it is hilarious.

If I am working, I usually dress in an Edwardian style. I often wear my ‘Stroller Suit’ – pinstripe high waisted trousers, spats, waistcoat and a high starched collar. In the Summer you can find me in cream linen or flannel trousers with waistcoat, cravat and blazer with a straw boater or 1940’s style khaki shorts and shirts.  In the Winter I am a fan of tweed and lean more towards the 1930’s country gent look.

Top of the list would have to be Dandy Wellington! I love all his different styles and he is not afraid to mix colours and patterns. He is also one of the nicest men I have had the pleasure to meet. So very warm and welcoming, he makes you feel like you have known each other for years.

I also love quite a few Instagrammers; in particular Tony Warren (@bunnysvintagewardrobe) and a fantastically stylish Danish gentleman Lasse Hedensted (@haethaenstat) who both have wonderful wardrobes.  They both adore classic British tailoring.  I also love TV style icons Jeeves and Wooster, David Suchet as Poirot and the original ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’. The styles just call to me.

I think people love the idea of nostalgia and this then creates a resurgence. Back in the 80’s my parents house was all two types of wallpaper split by a dado rail, just like back in the Victorian era. The resurgence just hit at the right time, in the fast paced world we are living in, people are looking for a simpler way of life.

Prior to COVID, people were already harking back to those eras which bring a comforting feeling. The popularity of the Thursday night Sing-a-long proves this, people want to join together and feel a camaraderie whilst reliving those bygone years.

That is why the Thursday night Facebook Live sing-a-longs have surprised me. We did the first one the week before full lockdown and we had over 750 people watching. In total, that video had 30,000 views which is phenomenal. Obviously over the course of the weeks the viewers have naturally declined, but last week there were 290 which still makes for a fantastic evening.

Thankfully I am a quick learner and as much as I love the vintage style, I am so thankful for my iPad. Back in the day, I would lug around a large suitcase with all my sheet music. I used to play the piano at ballet classes which gave me experience in sight reading and improvising as I could play anything I liked as long as it went in time with the ballet exercises.

The sing-a-longs do take some time to prepare however; I would estimate that I have played 60% of the tunes already, 30% that I know but have never played before and 10% I have never heard of.

Someone requested 47 Ginger Headed Sailors the other week. A fabulous song which I knew of but had to learn. Quite often I will play something and someone will say ‘Oh my gosh, I genuinely didn’t realise that was a real piece of music, I thought it was something my Mum/Nan had made up’.

I usually transcribe the music or learn it by ear. Chord progressions are often very similar; quite often people will come up and ask to sing something. If I don’t know it, I will probably know other pieces of work by the same composer and can work my way through it.

I will let you into a secret: when everyone is singing along in a crowded pub, it doesn’t really matter what I play on the piano. You can’t hear it!

I am blown away by the popularity. It started off as a small gathering around 7 years ago and has gone on from strength to strength. I have to admit though, I preferred it when it was in The Nags Head. It was a proper cramped pub sing-a-long which many said was the highlight of their Twinwood weekend.

The reason I prefer The Nags Head is that I feel that I can always connect with the audience. The Colonial Club is so big that I can’t tell what the crowd at the back are getting out of it, whether they are enjoying themselves.

It was at this stage that I recommended a Main Stage performance by Tom. Saturday night with a screen showing all the words to the songs. Tom wasn’t too keen on the idea as he said he had done a fair few outdoor sing-a-longs but said you can’t lose yourself in everyone’s voices, there is not that ‘surrounded by sound’ feeling.

I then mooted the option of combining with the newly formed Twinwood Philharmonic. Surely that would give a surround sound feeling, as the Sunday Morning performance in 2019 was a rousing success; People singing patriotic songs, waving flags and coming together as one.

Tom and I did talk a little about how patriotism can become fervent and racist, yet many of the songs were written by immigrants in the melting pot that was London at the time.

He  went on to say…

Dandy Wellington has a phrase: Vintage Style not Vintage Values and this is very true, One of the most outstanding things about the Vintage Community is the acceptance, friendship and camaraderie that is a given. Twinwood has grown in size and also era, which I am glad of.

I never felt that there was a snobbery in the Festival; you can have Dusty doing the Weimar sets, Champagne Charlie in the 20’s and then you jump right to the Soul Shack where I have danced many an hour away to Northern Soul before going to the Moonshine Glade.

It encompasses all genres and I think it will only go on from strength to strength.

My last question was regarding Merchandise which had been suggested during a recent Facebook Live Session. Mugs, Sock Garters and lapel pins were all discussed and I for one would purchase them.

Of course, us sing-a-longers had to take it one further with the suggestion that when meeting a fellow Tom’s Troupe member, you had to use the super secret phrase ‘Let’s All Go Down The Strand’ to which the perfect reply would be ‘Ave a Banana’.

There was simply only one other question that I had to ask….

I have already started getting onto this. Lapel Pins are easy enough and possibly mugs, but I am not sure how easy it is to source sock garters!

So, there you have it, a fantastic hour spent with Mr Carradine. I wish I could have spent several more hours as I was thoroughly entertained and a bit like his meeting with Dandy Wellington, I felt welcomed into the world of Tom’s Cockney Sing-a-Long in a way I never expected.

My intention is that after the COVID Crisis is over, an overnight stay in London (or two) so that I can partake in Wiltons AND Mr Foggs is way overdue.

After all, You can’t beat a good old Sing-a-Long to lift  your Spirits and Your heart.

Thank you Tom, You were a delight to talk to and I know my readers will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Till next time,

SPSG xxx