Opportunity Realized

During WW2, my father ran a South London voluntary Concert Party in which as a teenage musician/vocalist I participated. Along with a handful of enthusiastic variety artists we gave freely of our time to entertain Home-Guard, Hospital patients, Factory workers and overnight tube station campers. "The Broadway Entertainers" - entertained.

Being rejected for army call-up at seventeen, led me to touring UK & US army camps at home and abroad. After the war, a spate of undistinguished radio, TV & stage appearances, was followed by employment as a Tin Pan Alley 'song plugger'. This in turn led to me composing the score of "Jane Eyre-The Musical" which premiered during Ascot week (1961) and was graced by HRH, The Duke of Edinburgh, plus family and friends. The musical played variously around London, Canada and South Africa, but failed to reach the big time.

An engagement as lounge pianist at the Royal Albion Hotel (1958), led to me relocating from London to become proprietor of the Malacca on Duke Street, Brighton, one of the City's first coffee bars. This in turn led to a string of Vegetarian Health Food Restaurants in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings
The rest as they say - is history.

Advice to young ambitious wannabe's: Recognize opportunity when it knocks. Open your eyes, hearts and mind: Hard work is the key.
So: Good Luck and Rich pickings to one and all.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.