charlie hever
Gone but not forgotten…
CHARLIE
It is my very sad duty today to announce the passing of another
great friend and GFS member. I am referring to the one and only
Charlie Hever. A Society member and staunch Yorkshire Ukulele
Circle member for many years and a wonderful entertainer in his
own right. Charlie played the ukulele-banjo but his best skill was
his singing, not just George Formby songs but also those of Al
Jolson. He also had a love of Irish songs and actually, any song
worth singing, Charlie would make it his own.
SENSE OF HUMOUR
Charlie’s sense of humour was second to none and when he was
on the Uke Circle stage he would have his audience in the palm
of his hand with his wonderful singing, the twinkle in his eye and
his way of telling a tale. He was the only man I know of who
could repeat jokes and still make them sound fresh and funny!
Charlie was a real character, in an age when such people are
becoming rare indeed, as we all get sucked into social media and
political correctness.
THE GREEN HOWARDS
Charlie joined the Army as a young man and was proud to have
served in The Green Howards.
He saw serious action in the jungles of Malaya during the
Malayan Emergency around 1948 – 1950 and he never lost his
military bearing or the habits that military life will teach you.
I visited him at his home many times over the years and he
would love to reminisce of his army adventures and especially of
jungle warfare in Malaya. The walls of his home would be
adorned with photos of him and his army friends and I know that
he kept in touch with many of them.
CHARLIE AND KATH
Charlie and his late partner, Kathleen enjoyed many happy years
together before Kath sadly passed away some years ago. On
many visits, he would be always cheerful and singing and we
would have a good laugh but I know that he seriously missed
Kath.
LOST AND FOUND
I lost touch with Charlie when he moved to a new address and
was unable to let anyone know. I visited the area and called
on his neighbours, but could only learn very limited
information of his whereabouts.
Thankfully in late last year, a lady called Lynn contacted the
Uke Circle Facebook page and solved the mystery of where
Charlie was to be found, in a new retirement home in Batley,
my home town!
This was in October 2019 and when I visited Charlie, to my
dismay his mobility was seriously affected and he was
confined to bed. I was delighted though that he still easily
remembered me and all his old friends and on the occasions
that I visited him he would still sing those familiar songs and
we could still laugh when I reminded him of better days by
showing him photographs and video clips from a computer
tablet that I would take with me. Then, of course, the dreaded pandemic struck so my visit, in February was to be the last.
Lynn contacted me on Monday 24 August to inform me that sadly Charlie had passed away.
On behalf of myself and Kathryn, Lionel Owen, Paul Mountain, Dennis Mitchell, Dickie Speake, Mac and Millie McGee, Dale
Norman and Brian Knott and all the other friends that Charlie met in the last thirty years within the Uke Circle and The
George Formby Society, I offer sincere condolences to Lynn and her family and to any other of Charlie's family that
may still be about.
When this dreaded virus has passed us by and life returns to something like normality and we are all able to
meet up again, I know that when we sing our songs and enjoy each other's company, Charlie's name and
memory will come flooding back for us to laugh and reminisce over.
Gone but never forgotten...
Peter Pollard 25/08/2020
MEMORIES OF CHARLIE
I have had the nicest of mornings today, going
through the photos that I have of Charlie and his
Uke Circle pals and remembering so many happy
times. I am delighted to be able to present a nice
collection at the link below.
CHARLIE RECITES GUNGA DIN AND SINGS
This YouTube clip was filmed in 2001 at a
Yorkshire Ukulele Circle meeting.
CHARLIE SINGS ALABAMY BOUND
A Charlie Hever classic! Nobody could do
this like Charlie!
Charlie loved a good Irish tune and sang many at the Uke Circle
over the years, often accompanied by Dickie Speake. Here
Dickie plays three Irish tunes on his Martin ukulele to honour
Charlie’s memory
CHARLIE
It is my very sad duty today to announce the passing of another
great friend and GFS member. I am referring to the one and only
Charlie Hever. A Society member and staunch Yorkshire Ukulele
Circle member for many years and a wonderful entertainer in his
own right. Charlie played the ukulele-banjo but his best skill was his
singing, not just George Formby songs but also those of Al Jolson.
He also had a love of Irish songs and actually, any song worth
singing, Charlie would make it his own.
SENSE OF HUMOUR
Charlie’s sense of humour was second to none and when he was on
the Uke Circle stage he would have his audience in the palm of his
hand with his wonderful singing, the twinkle in his eye and his way of
telling a tale. He was the only man I know of who could repeat jokes
and still make them sound fresh and funny!
Charlie was a real character, in an age when such people are
becoming rare indeed, as we all get sucked into social media and
political correctness.
THE GREEN HOWARDS
Charlie joined the Army as a young man and was proud to have
served in The Green Howards.
He saw serious action in the jungles of Malaya during the Malayan
Emergency around 1948 – 1950 and he never lost his military
bearing or the habits that military life will teach you.
I visited him at his home many times over the years and he would
love to reminisce of his army adventures and especially of jungle
warfare in Malaya. The walls of his home would be adorned with
photos of him and his army friends and I know that he kept in touch
with many of them.
CHARLIE AND KATH
Charlie and his late partner, Kathleen enjoyed many happy years
together before Kath sadly passed away some years ago. On many
visits, he would be always cheerful and singing and we would have
a good laugh but I know that he seriously missed Kath.
LOST AND FOUND
I lost touch with Charlie when he moved to a new address and was
unable to let anyone know. I visited the area and called on his
neighbours, but could only learn very limited information of his
whereabouts.
Thankfully in late last year, a lady called Lynn contacted the Uke
Circle Facebook page and solved the mystery of where Charlie was
to be found, in a new retirement home in Batley, my home town!
This was in October 2019 and when I visited Charlie, to my dismay
his mobility was seriously affected and he was confined to bed. I was
delighted though that he still easily remembered me and all his old
friends and on the occasions that I visited him he would still sing
those familiar songs and we could still laugh when I reminded him of
better days by showing him photographs and video clips from a
computer tablet that I would take with me. Then, of course, the
dreaded pandemic struck so my visit, in February was to be the last.
Lynn contacted me on Monday 24 August to inform me that sadly
Charlie had passed away.
On behalf of myself and Kathryn, Lionel Owen, Paul Mountain,
Dennis Mitchell, Dickie Speake, Mac and Millie McGee, Dale Norman
and Brian Knott and all the other friends that Charlie met in the last
thirty years within the Uke Circle and The George Formby Society, I
offer sincere condolences to Lynn and her family and to any other of
Charlie's family that may still be about.
When this dreaded virus has passed us by and life returns to
something like normality and we are all able to meet up again, I know
that when we sing our songs and enjoy each other's company,
Charlie's name and memory will come flooding back for us to laugh
and reminisce over.
Gone but never forgotten...
Peter Pollard 25/08/2020
MEMORIES OF CHARLIE
I have had the nicest of
mornings today, going through
the photos that I have of
Charlie and his Uke Circle pals
and remembering so many
happy times. I am delighted to
be able to present a nice
collection at the link below.
CHARLIE RECITES GUNGA DIN AND SINGS
This YouTube clip was filmed in 2001 at a
Yorkshire Ukulele Circle meeting.
CHARLIE SINGS ALABAMY BOUND
A Charlie Hever classic! Nobody could do
this like Charlie!
Charlie loved a good Irish tune and sang many at the
Uke Circle over the years, often accompanied by Dickie
Speake. Here Dickie plays three Irish tunes on his
Martin ukulele to honour Charlie’s memory
Gone but not forgotten
