Remember all the young performers?
How well I remember Peter Pan’s Playground and Uncle Jack. I had such fun playing the piano, cello and singing Old Tyme Music Hall songs on his stage every day in the summer holidays from 1968 to 1977. I remember Johnny who sung ‘Bachelor Boy’, Karis who did the Charleston, the talented sisters Jeanette and Jean, Michael who sang ‘Day by Day’, Louise who sung ‘All I want is a Room Somewhere’. Her sister Lorna, was the girl who sung ‘Paper Roses’ in 1977. I remember Adam, the little boy who did Batman, Grant who tap danced, and Andreas from Germany who played Beethoven on the piano, (and I had my first kiss with him).
Did you ever go up on Uncle Jack’s stage? Share your memories with us by posting a comment below.
Very happy days
Then of course there was Rosie and her wonderful parents. Her father would regularly get up on the stage and sing ‘On Mother Kelly’s Doorstep’. I wonder who remembers Geoffrey, the wonderful Downs syndrome boy and Jamie the lovely adopted boy from Africa. And there was the very talented Mark Prade who was narrowly pipped for the main part in ‘Black Beauty’ by Mark Lester, and who sung ‘Puppet on a String’ in the late 60s. And finally, I would love to hear from my old friend Susie, who was so very kind to me. They were very happy days.
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Hi Amelia. This is Adam, the little boy you remember that sung batman!
I found myself on this page after randomly following some Brighton links and then seeing this one about dear old Uncle Jack. If he died in 77 then I couldn’t have been more than 6 at my oldest (I was born in 71). My memories are obviously pretty hazy but I remember Uncle Jack had that special gift that he made us all feel that we were important to the show, he used to call me ‘stage manager’ 🙂 I recall the days at Uncle Jack’s were always sunny, although I guess there was no show when it rained. And I remember rows of deckchairs put out for people to watch. I also remember one of the Volks railway attendants taught me another song about being ‘a barrow boy’. Batman was definitely my favourite though! I used to put my mask and cape on sometimes I think, my cousin still ribs me about it to this day:) If only there had been digital cameras back then!
I also remember, like everyone else, being heartbroken when my mum told me he had died, I think we still have the clipping from the Argus somewhere.
Interestingly I think we may have been filmed one time and that it was shown on TV. I definitely remember somebody rubbing my head once and saying ‘I saw you on TV’. Do you remember anything about that? Can you imagine if such a film exists!? Anyway, thanks for sharing, you gave me such a happy feeling to know someone remembers me and I’m so glad it was a happy time for you too. All the best.
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