It has long been my considered opinion that one of the few things better than a Tunnock’s Teacake would be a dancing Tunnock’s Teacake. So imagine my joy when I sat down to watch the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games last night.
It may not have had the budget that the London 2012 olympic opener had, but it had more than its fair share of fun and the enthusiasm of the volunteers and performers involved was infectious enough to be classified as a notifiable disease.
I’m not a fan of John Barrowman, but I jumped from my seat and applauded his fabulous kiss that was clearly aimed at the forty-two Commonwealth nations where homosexuality is still a crime.
I could have done without Susan Boyle (fluffing her words and sounding awfully nervous) and Rod Stewart (just sounding awful).
But there were plenty of reasons to be cheerful about the whole thing, not least the genius idea of having Scottish terriers leading out each of the national teams.
Of course, the main reason to be cheerful is what lies behind the fluff and glitter of the opening ceremony and that is the dedication and determination of the four-and-a-half thousand athletes who will compete in Glasgow over the coming days.
I salute each and every one of them (from the comfort of my sofa, of course). With the news headlines so full of doom and misery it is their spirit that serves to maintain my faith that humanity is still capable of a greater good.
Enjoy the games!
Field of (Wedding) Dreams
The perfect summer wedding – a bright blue sky with whisps of white cloud; the warm sun smiling down on your guests; the heady scent of flowers and new-mown grass. It’s the stuff wedding dreams are made of and fills countless blogs, magazines and Pinterest boards.
And when Chris and Amie got married recently in Arlingham, Gloucestershire, they got just such a day.
I was booked to sing during the drinks reception and wedding buffet which were being held in a traditional pole marquee in the garden of groom Chris’ family home which just happens to be a farm.
The ceremony had taken place in the village church, St Mary the Virgin, which was literally next door to the farm.
Being part of a farming family there was really only one way for Chris to arrive at church for his wedding:
The bride opted for a slightly more traditional mode of wedding transport:
After the ceremony guests made their way to the reception on foot and were welcomed in a manner that reminded me of one of my favourite books, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden”:
The wedding marquee looked absolutely stunning with beautiful flowers outside and in:
Each place setting was adorned with a single stem of lavender.
Chris and Amie’s arrival into the marquee was greeted with loud cheers and thunderous applause.
The atmosphere was delightful as guests chatted and the bride and groom mingled with the family and friends who had gathered to share their day.
Chris’ mother had made a special request for the song “All the Things You Are” and I was delighted to learn it and sing it for her. I sang for two-hours, but the time flew by.
A wonderful day and it was a pleasure and an honour to have been part of it. Congratulations to Amie and Chris!
I f you’re looking for live entertainment for your won wedding, part or event then you can find out more about my services by visiting www.simonpartridge.com
London Vintage Wedding Fayre is a Knockout
The London Vintage Wedding Fayre took place on May 11th at York Hall in Bethnal Green. The hall, world famous as a venue for boxing, was opened in 1929 by the then Duke of York (later King George VI).
As with previous Vintage Wedding Fayres, organiser Hayley Turner had hand-picked a splendid selection of vintage-related wedding vendors of which I was delighted to be one.
The fayre showcased a wide range of wedding inspiration from dresses to decorations, photographers to phascinators (sorry).
Here are a few choice shots from the fayre. All pictures are by Kate Nielen.
The Vintage Wedding Fayre takes a break now until the autumn. Keep up to date with the fayres by following them on Facebook.
For more information on Kate Nielen’s photography visit www.katenielen.com.
Featured suppliers:
Simon Partridge – www.simonpartridge.com
The Great British Florist – www.greatbritishflorist.co.uk
Alissia Couture Boutique – www.alissiacouture.com
The Origami Boutique – www.theorigamiboutique.com
A Phoenix Rises in The Secret Courtyard
I know the title of this post sounds like an episode of “Game of Thrones”, but the story I have to share with you could easily come from the pen of a television drama writer.
Those of you that follow me on Twitter or Facebook may already know a little about vintage headband and tiara maker Sheena Holland and the grim saga that her life became towards the end of 2013. For those unfamiliar, here’s a quick “Previously On…”
Sheena Holland has worked for fashion legend Katharine Hamnett and as a professional florist (providing flowers for HRH The Queen Mother, Elton John and Michael Jackson). She’s even sung at The Brit Awards (backing Sting and M People). In 2003 she began making one-off vintage headbands and spent the next decade building her business. Clients included Alan Carr and singers Pink and Lily Allen. Having latterly taken the plunge into high street retail with her own shop on Queen Street in Derby, in early 2013 she moved into larger premises where she expanded her stock range to include all manner of exquisite vintage goods.
At the beginning of October 2013 the building housing her shop was encased in scaffolding. The motives of her landlords, Derby City Council, were laudable – to renovate the building, including offices above, for creative start-up businesses to use – but their execution left a lot to be desired. And I mean a lot.
Sheena’s shop was almost entirely hidden from view to customers and trade plummeted. I can’t say much more because there may still be further legal wrangles to come, but in spite the incredible efforts of Sheena and her many supporters the situation became untenable and Sheena was forced to close her shop just before Christmas. In less than ten weeks, all that Sheena had worked so hard to build up had been razed to the ground.
Well, I’m delighted to say that, like the proverbial phoenix, Sheena has risen from the ashes and opened a new shop in The Old Blacksmith’s Yard, Derby and I went to pay her a visit last week to find out how she was getting on.
I say “new”, but this shop is actually 600-years old, or, at least the front of it is. It was a merchant’s house and stood originally in the city’s market square, but had been hemmed in and hidden away over the years by neighbouring buildings.
It was revealed in 1977 during demolition work to make way for the new Assembly Rooms and was meticulously dismantled, brick by brick and put into storage for twelve years before finally being reconstructed in 1982 in what became known as the Old Blacksmith’s Yard.
Sheena’s new shop looks fabulous in this splendid “secret courtyard” just off Sadler Gate in the heart of Derby’s Cathedral Quarter. The interior is just as charming as the exterior.
The shop is packed with vintage loveliness and Sheena’s beautiful handmade tiara’s and headbands look great in their new home.
Sheena has really made the shop her own – I love the vintage sheet music adorning the wall behind the counter.
As if bouncing back from her previous woes to open a new shop in the Old Blacksmith’s Yard wasn’t enough, Sheena is now aiming to completely revitalise the fortunes of the whole courtyard by running a Vintage, Arts and Food Market there. The first is on Saturday March 1st and Sheena is planning to make it a regular fixture.
I’m so pleased that Sheena has managed to find another outlet for her work. Independent makers and sellers on our high streets are to be celebrated and encouraged and I look forward to seeing her business go from strength to strength.
Find out more about Sheena Holland by visiting www.sheenaholland.com. Her new shop is at 10 The Old Blacksmiths Yard, Derby DE1 3PD and is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10am til 5pm.
Elegant Focus – Part 2
As promised, here are some more photos from the shoot I did with Gemma Williams.
The style and feel of the pictures is exactly what I wanted to referesh my website and advertising literature.
Gemma loved picking up on the details which was nice because I’m so particular about things like that myself (some may even say obsessive!). These cufflinks were a gift from my wife and are a treasured possession as well as completing my look perfectly.
Special thanks must also go to Swinfen Hall Hotel for letting us use their wonderful hotel as our shoot location. We were spoilt for choice when it came to photo opportunities and the hotel’s elegant Georgian grandeur provided numerous beautiful settings.
This was the last picture that Gemma Williams took on the day. It rounded of the day splendidly as well as echoing the photo that had turned me into such a fan of Gemma’s work (see Part 1 for that).
Elegant Focus – Part 1
It may be true that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but when it comes to publicity shots we’ve all seen some horrors in our time, haven’t we? So when I decided I needed some new pictures for my website, Facebook page, Twitter account, Preview CD and promotional literature I knew it had to be Gemma Williams behind the camera .
I first met Gemma two years ago when she was photographing a wedding I was singing for at Parkfields Country House. She took this wonderful, candid shot of me then and I’ve been a fan of her work ever since.
The choice of venue for the shoot was an easy one too. Swinfen Hall Hotel is a beautiful eighteenth-century manor house just a few minutes drive from my home city of Lichfield in Staffordshire.
Gemma is so much fun to work with, but all the time her brain is whirring away to ensure she gets amazing results. In the hotel’s ballroom, working with only a couple of flash guns mounted on tripods, she turned this…
…into this…
Outside, the hotel terrace provided another great setting.
When I’d talked to Gemma before the shoot about what photos I hoped to get out of the day I’d mentioned the work of George Hurrell. If you don’t know the name you’ll certainly know his work. In the 1930s and 40s Hurrell was the Hollywood photographer and his trademark use of lighting and shadows became the archetype for photographs of that era. I told Gemma that I would love my own Hurrell shot.
I knew it was a lot to ask. Hurrell, after all, worked in a studio with a custom lighting rig, numerous assistants and as much time as he needed to get his results. Could Gemma do the same on location with limited resources? Of course she could!! She worked her magic and produced some outstanding pictures that any Hollywood star would be proud of.
I love the way Gemma has used the natural light and my reflection in this shot.
There were plenty of laughs too…
The results are everything I’d hoped for and more.
There are far too many fabulous photos to include in one post so I’ll share some more soon. In the meantime you can see Gemma’s pictures on my website www.simonpartridge.com and find out more about her work by visiting www.gemmawilliamsphotography.co.uk.
A Worcester Source of Vintage Inspiration
Last weekend I had the pleasure of singing at The Vintage Wedding Fayre in Worcester. Organised by the utterly splendid Hayley Turner, the venue was the Guildhall in the heart of the city.
The fayre was spread over two floors of the magnificent eighteenth-century building. I was upstairs in the Assembly Room which no lesser personage than King George III, on a visit to the Guildhall in 1788, pronounced “a handsome gallery”. I think George was being a little ungenerous in his praise – the Assembly Room is, frankly, stunning.
The ceiling of the Assembly Room is something of a hidden gem as the room is not ordinarily open to the public, but the painted plasterwork is really something to behold.
The room provided the perfect setting for me to serenade visitors to the wedding fayre with songs from my extensive repertoire of vintage songs.
The next Vintage Wedding Fayre is in Gloucester on October 20th and I will be singing there all day too.
To find out more about The Vintage Wedding Fayre visit their Facebook page here.
Thanks for the Memory
The question I get asked more than any other when I’m working is, “How on earth do you remember all the words?”
There are over seventy songs on my repertoire. That’s maybe ten thousand words in all. Obviously some lines and phrases are repeated within a song so the total number of different words is smaller, but even so, I admit it still seems like an awful lot to carry around in your head, available for instant recall.
The honest answer to the question is that I don’t know how I remember them. I’ve always found learning the words to new songs relatively easy. The key for me is making sure I really understand a lyric fully. If you don’t understand a song you might just as well be trying to memorise a list of random words, but once you have that understanding the words connect together properly and those connections make the song much easier to remember. After that it’s really just a matter of repetition until the whole thing becomes second nature and you stop thinking about it; somehow the words are just there when you need them.
Forgetting the words is the ultimate nightmare of any performer. Most actors and singers have had the dream where they’re standing on stage in front of an expectant audience, paralysed with terror, unable to recall a single syllable.
There are many famous examples of “drying” as it’s known. One of my favourites was attributed in the version I heard to the great actor Dame Edith Evans, best known for her portrayal of Lady Bracknell in the 1952 film version of “The Importance of Being Earnest”.
Onstage with her fellow actors the dialogue suddenly ground to a halt and a deathly hush ensued. The prompt whispered the next line from the wings, but was met with silence. The prompt repeated the line, slightly louder, but the silence continued. The prompt offered the line a third time, now clearly audible to the whole audience, but still none of the actors spoke. Eventually Dame Edith turned to the wings and said, “We know what the line is, dear, we just can’t remember who says it”.
Sometimes, forgetting the words can lead to something extraordinary. Have a listen to Ella Fitzgerald performing “Mack the Knife” live in Berlin in 1960.
At 1m 40s you hear her sing, “Oh, what’s the next chorus?” having, clearly, forgotten the words. Then, displaying a confidence that most singers would give their right arm for, she goes on to give a live masterclass in jazz improvisation. The show was being recorded for an LP release and the decision was taken to leave the “mistake” on the album. That version is now regarded as a jazz classic.
So have I ever forgotten the words? Well, that would be telling. Let’s just say that I’m pretty sure none of my audiences have ever suspected a thing! I only hope that if, one day, I do have a major memory lapse I can carry it off with Ella’s style and panache.
Now, where did I leave my car keys…..?
A Ghost of Christmas Past
Now that the weather has finally got its act together and nudged the mercury above freezing I thought today would be the perfect time to share a Christmas wedding with you!
Kyle and Alexandra married last December at Stancliffe Hall , a fabulous old house nestling in the heart of the Peak District with over fifty acres of parkland. Its transformation from delapidated former school to stylish wedding and conference venue is all down to owner Deborah Fern.
Stancliffe Hall is full of fabulous features and some splendid artworks.
Being Christmas, there were also some delightful festive touches to the decor too.
I sang during the post-ceremony drinks reception, serenading the guests from the balcony of the building’s central hall.
It was a pleasure to have been part of such a wonderful day at a marvelous venue like Stancliffe Hall.
Congratulations to Kyle and Alexandra and I look forward to singing again at Stancliffe Hall very soon.
I Second That Emulsion
Someone once said to me, “Every day is a day at school”. The phrase has stuck with me ever since. The idea that we never stop learning is a potent one and although the job that I do is, largely, a superficial one it takes me in all kinds of directions, both literally and metaphorically, and I’m constantly surprised by the things that turn up.
Take nineteenth-century paint magnate Charles Benjamin Mander for example.
I came across him when I was booked to sing at Rachael and Tom’s wedding last December at The Mount Hotel near Wolverhampton. Mander made his fortune as a paint and varnish manufacturer and The Mount was formerly his lavish family home.
Rather than be content to sit at home counting the loot generated by his highly profitable paint business though, Mander was notably progressive and public spirited both in thought and deed. He established the first publicly funded British art school in 1852 and, as a town councillor, oversaw the installation of public water fountains and the setting up of a free library in Wolverhampton.
You have to love Victorian philanthropists like Mander. In our world of colossal bankers’ bonuses and self-indulgence it’s heartening to remember the wealthy industrialists of the nineteenth century who used at least part of their wealth for the betterment of their fellow men and women.
As well as his legacy of good deeds Mander left behind The Mount. The Grade II listed building is now a hotel and conference centre.
The interior has changed very little over the years as these two pictures of the hotel’s reception area show.
Which in 1919 looked like this:
The Mount is a popular West Midland wedding venue and Rachael and Tom had chosen it’s romantic refinement for their late-December wedding. The marriage ceremony took place in the hotel’s wood-panelled Great Hall.
I was set up in the adjoining bar area and serenaded the newlyweds and their guests during the post-ceremony drinks with songs from the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
I had first met Rachael and Tom at The Vintage Chic Wedding Fair over a year before their wedding and it was an absolute pleasure to be part of their special day.
I like to think that Charles Benjamin Mander, with his altruistic leanings, would thoroughly approve of his old home now being the centre of so much fun, love and laughter. I certainly look forward to singing at The Mount again soon.
Simon Partridge - The Vintage Singer 