The first meeting of the year

Another highly successful event was staged by the George Formby Society as members gathered once again for the first national convention of 2026 at their usual venue, the Imperial Hotel Blackpool. A good crowd of well over two hundred people were present at the start of the Saturday proceedings, and this strong attendance was maintained throughout the weekend, with the only noticeable reduction occurring after the Sunday afternoon events, when many members returned home to prepare for work or school. All GFS meetings, whether branch gatherings or Blackpool conventions, traditionally begin with the thrash, and this weekend was no different, with the large stage instantly filled and overflowing to either side. The GFS Shop was once again open, with members welcomed by Kathryn Pollard and Karen Evered on Saturday, and by Kathryn alone on Sunday. Over the many years behind the shop counter, Kathryn has enjoyed the company of many loyal and enthusiastic helpers. As she prepares to manage the final two conventions of 2026 before we both step down at the end of the year, it is fitting to recall some of those names. Grateful thanks go to Pat Taylor, Dolwyn Shone, Nicki Sinclair-Smith and Christine Kershaw. Entertainment on stage was continuous throughout the weekend, with members of all playing standards performing the best of Formby songs and other popular tunes until eleven o’clock on Sunday night, when the customary closing thrash brought the weekend to a rousing conclusion. It seems that no matter the state of the world or the pressures on people’s finances, all roads still lead to Blackpool for GFS members and visitors. On this occasion, a photographer and reporter from the Blackpool Gazette were in attendance and produced an excellent full-page feature, giving the Society valuable publicity. Readers of The Vellum may have been surprised to see Yorkshire member Daz Barry, (who had previously written that he would be unable to attend conventions for family reasons), appear on stage as the first Master of Ceremonies of the weekend. Other MC’s during the convention were Charlie Evered, Andrew Poppleton, Caroline Stewart, Andrew Higham, Frances Lister and a newcomer to the role, but a very welcome one, Jamie Routledge. Charlie and Jamie both joined the Society in 2023, and it is reassuring to know that these two young men wish to be involved as more than just playing members. I first met Charlie on 26 May 2023, when he and his father joined many members and friends for a Zoom Thrash session celebrating the birthday of George Formby. By the following month, Charlie and his parents had joined the Society, with Jamie and his family following later that year. Both families have blended into the GFS community with remarkable ease. These two young men are already in the top drawer with their playing skills and I feel sure that they will both play major roles in the development of the GFS in future years.

On a personal note

On Saturday evening, I was unexpectedly invited onto the stage to receive only the second Gold Award ever presented within the George Formby Society. The other recipient is my great friend John Walley, who received this honour in 2011 when former President Gerry Mawdsley made the presentation. President Andrew Poppleton delivered a short speech before inviting me to the stage, and I must say that this was an unexpected but very pleasurable surprise. Being taken completely unaware, I had not prepared any words but thankfully, I was able to offer grateful thanks to those who had some involvement in this decision.

A Few Memories

The following day, one member asked me what had given me the greatest satisfaction during my years with the Society. I believe it must be the creation of the website in 1997. I first began thinking about it in 1996, but, as with many things, time was needed to develop the necessary knowledge. I also took great pleasure in producing four George Formby Songbooks along with my good friend Dickie Speake who’s guidance of song chords throughout all four books was invaluable. I must not forget that I followed in the footsteps of the late Dennis Taylor, who did so much for the Society and produced the first Songbook in 2000. Speaking of Dennis, another memory was the GFS Shop, which I started in 1997 but after three conventions I had to hand over to Dennis who made a brilliant job of development. He only took the job to see what it entailed but ended up running it until his untimely death in 2011. Then of course, Kathryn and I took on the responsibility once again. I was Assistant Secretary in those far-off days so I was managing the membership subscriptions, running the cinema and of course running the new website, something had to give! We retired from shop management in July 2020 and in moved Steve Langford. Steve managed the shop until December 2023 and then as no one was willing to take on the job, Kathryn and I once again stepped up. I had always wanted a complete set of Vellum magazines, but when I joined in 1991 that seemed impossible. Thanks to the kindness of generous members and the development of computer technology, I was able to assemble every issue by 2010. With the help of a close friend, we scanned every page of every magazine, and the project was launched in the GFS Shop in time for the Society’s fiftieth anniversary in 2011. Even today, I read something from that collection almost daily. It remains, without doubt, the finest research resource for anyone wishing to chronicle the history of the Society, and it continues to assist me when maintaining the website or preparing articles for The Vellum. All I truly wish to say is that everything I have done has always been undertaken in the hope that the George Formby Society might be left slightly better than it was before. I never regarded any of it as work. I have loved almost every minute of my thirty-five years with the Society, and I still hope to make contributions—no matter how small—for many years to come. I thank the committee and members who supported this award, and of course President Andrew Poppleton for presenting it on Saturday evening in front of such an enthusiastic audience.

And finally

Over the last thirty-five years, I have recorded many conventions, the earliest in my collection dating from 1993. They would have begun in 1992, but sadly whatever I filmed that year has been lost. Nevertheless, I am proud to have recorded more than sixty convention weekends, along with numerous other video projects, thanks to my long-standing interest in video editing and photography. The March 2026 convention will, I am sad to announce, be my final event to edit. I am now approaching my eightieth birthday in May, and spending an entire weekend walking around the room carrying two video cameras can be physically demanding and very tiring. I am deeply grateful to all those kind people who have purchased video recordings from the GFS Shop over the years. Your support and encouragement have meant a great deal to me. My thirty-five years of recording conventions have been a genuine pleasure and have provided me with countless happy memories. I will always have a camera with me in Blackpool, but from the May convention onwards I look forward to simply enjoying the weekends once again—as I did back in 1992—taking a few photographs and perhaps capturing the occasional short video clip for the GFS YouTube channel.