Our step was as light as the dancing of Fred Estaire…..
Oh, hello, I didn’t see you there – mm? What’s that? Oh yes, I’m fine, thank you, just a silly old
man singing to no one. Yes, thank you,
let’s sit. Oh, what is it – whisky? Scotch?
Oh, you are a kind young man.
Thank you. Mmm, warms that
cockles nicely, doesn’t it?
Well, I’ve been out with some old colleagues for our Christmas
party – I’m retired now, of course, but a few of us are invited back every year
to join the young ones. Yes, it was very
nice, most convivial. The group all went
for drinks after, as usual, but I find I can’t keep pace with the young ones
anymore, these places are so loud – but I don’t like to complain, and we’d had
a lovely dinner so I left them to enjoy themselves. Oh, it was a classy dinner – I daresay my old
friends are now over-compensating with a distinct lack of class! Haha, well
you’re only young once – make the most of it!
Well, I was just heading home, and I stumbled upon the
square. Haven’t been here for
years.
What’s that, young man – do please speak up a little, won’t
you? My hearing…
Ah, yes, well, there’s a story to all that, the singing, I
mean.
Tell me, young sir, are you familiar with the song about
Berkeley Square? Long before your time,
I imagine! Oh you do know? Oh, how wonderful – Nat King Cole, that’s the
one! Vera Lynn sang it as well, but Nat
King Cole, he was the one I always liked.
My father used to sing the songs.
And a friend, a very dear old friend…
I will always associate that song with summer, with Riley – and
with Jimmy.
These were my musician friends, you see. We played together for many years, mostly in
the summer, you know, festivals, those kinds of things. Yes.
What magnificent players they were!
Jimmy was a horn player – trumpet man.
Could play with everyone, would sit there all night and play with every
band that came through. Tom Riley, one of
the finest piano players – sang the blues.
We played the festivals, toured around all over the place,
what fun we had…Jimmy was a terrible man for the drugs – oh, have I shocked
you? Well, your generation aren’t the
only ones who know how to rebel and have fun doing it! But they were more innocent times, drugs were
simply a part of things then, it was just about expanding the mind, that sort
of thing, you know. It wasn’t dingy, it
was nice – older people simply knew nothing about it, so it wasn’t really an
issue.
Well, Jimmy was a raconteur, had everyone in stitches –
filthy, but very very funny! Younger
people now, think they invented it all….but we knew how to have a good
time. Oh, you are nice, thank you. Do you know, people say that the young have
no respect these days – I’ve never believed it.
Never. Ah, Cheers! They said the same thing about my generation,
exactly the same. They were scared of
us, so scared – the way we carried on, I can understand it now that I’m older,
you know. Give us oldies a break,
eh? We’re not all like that – that’s
right, and we need to do the same, let young people be young – you enjoy
yourselves, there’s plenty of time to settle down and be boring! Let he without sin cast the first stone, all
that. Not that I’m religious, mind you.
Well, late at night, at these festivals, after hours, they
used to sing that one, about Berkeley Square. Jimmy
would surprise everyone, grab a microphone and join in the singing. Everyone heard him speak and thought he
couldn’t sing! But he could, had a decent
voice did Jimmy. Riley was the real
singer, Jimmy could hold a tune, but he saved his breath for playing the
trumpet. They would be there all night,
singing and mucking about, just enjoying themselves. I played too, you know, joining in with
them. Oh yes, I played with them. We were friends, good friends. But we were always on the road, you know
musicians…
Oh, oh, forgive me, I’m rambling on like a boring old – oh,
well, thank you, don’t mind if I do – nice drop that. A wee dram, as my father used to say.
Hahaha, he used to go to the big stages, you know – Jimmy – with
his trumpet! And he’d stand in the crowd
and join in with the band! And, well,
everyone could hear him, he played so clear and so loud. One time we were watching….God, what were
they called? Well, you’d know them,
young as you are – trust me, you’d know them.
Anyway, Jimmy’s there, in the crowd, big crowd. And he just starts – hahaha – he just starts
playing, you know, blaring it out, nice and loud. And the singer stops everything, right in the
middle of a song, and he says “Where’s that bloody trumpet?!” And it’s Jimmy, of course – and they invite
him up on stage! And there he is, up on
stage, like it’s just another day, grinning with his big, fa – ah….oh, I’m
sorry. A silly old man getting choked
up. After all this time. It’s been so long.
A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square…
You know, whenever I hear that song now, I think of
Jimmy. He’s gone now, of course, like
most of them – but he went so young. It
was so sad. I know the song is really
about the Berkeley Square in London, not this one – but I sing it to myself and
think of Jimmy every time I see this place. And here I am, like a lost child…..but I
remember him laughing, grinning, playing – he was a happy chap, you know,
tremendous fun. You young fellows enjoy
yourself! Make the most of your friends
– nothing better in this world than friends, I can tell you, they’re so impor –
oh, forgive me, I do feel silly, getting all emotional.
But I must go, it’s getting late. You have yourself a lovely evening, all of
you.
Yes, and Happy Christmas to you all!
And like an echo, far away, a nightingale sang in Berkeley
Square.
Goodnight!
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