This DVD is remarkable in two ways. Firstly for the content, which gives us a

rare insight into George's public and private life, and secondly, for the way

Peter Pollard has compiled it.

He has applied all his video editing skills to bring us a product to rival

anything commercially produced. Transitions are smooth and simple -

unmarred by silly special effects - and the incidental music is tastefully

included.

At two hours it's a bit long and would have benefited from the exclusion of

some unedited clips, but for Formby fans, the more you see of George the

merrier it is.

The newsreel clips can be run continuously or selected individually. This is a

neat feature because there will always be some clips that you want to watch

more times than the others (such as the blistering solo in Blackpool Rock at

the Blackpool Opera House).

There are also three slideshows that are accompanied by several of George's

best solos. This is a rare chance to study his technique and you have to

admire the man for providing such a high standard for our young players to

aim for.

The content is certainly revealing. In home movies, George and Beryl are

seen enjoying private moments with their friends. There is a piece showing

George's mum celebrating her 100th birthday, and a bit with Pat Howson and

a tongue-tied George.

It wouldn't be complete without wartime shots and there are plenty,

demonstrating the enormous, positive influence that George (and Beryl too)

had on the moral of our fighting men.

They open race meetings, charities and judge bathing beauty contests. At

these, we see Beryl dragging George away from the girls in a mock show of

annoyance. This is an amusing gesture for the crowd but you wonder how

well it reflects their real life.

They clamber in and out of fabulous cars - George always smoking a

cigarette. The ladies will love seeing Beryl's outfits but the big surprise is

hearing her speak. Her polished diction is far removed from her Lancashire

upbringing in Accrington.

But an even bigger surprise is watching George perform. I never saw George

sing and play and it comes as a shock to finally see the great man doing his

stuff. You suddenly realise that the only time you have seen him in action is in

his films. His stage performances are quite a different thing and this is why

this DVD is such a treat.

We get to see how he regularly changes ukes, how he plays with his thumb

when singing, his gestures, his mannerisms and above all his supreme

confidence. But I began to notice his habit of giggling during a song and also

when he talks to people - a trait I found overdone that soon became irritating.

We are brought up-to-date with TV reports on John Walley and Gerry

Mawdsley who equip themselves exceedingly well, and a hilarious conclusion

from the Two Ronnies.

This DVD is a tour de force - goodness knows how long it took Peter to make

it. Above all else, it shows that whatever gift George had, it was one his fans

loved to receive.