Various photos of Graham from a lad to his last few years.
On ther left is Jack Hunt, then Len Merewood. Far right is Reg Aldridge, who was also manager at the Empress Ballroom. The lad is Graham Hunt, Jack was his father.
Jack Hunt is second from right in the back row. Second from left in the mddle row is Reg Aldridge, and the lad is Gaham Hunt
Drummer Alf Pink of the Dynamos reealls, that they all worked in Portsmouth Dockyard where Reg recruited them including my dad, Mr. Pink (Electrician), ”Blackie” Stevens (Blacksmith), Jack Hunt (Graham’s Dad), Alec Emery (Electrician) and others.
The Frivolities
My dad and Reg did that old monologue “There’s a one eyed yellow idle to the north of Katmandu” with my dad reciting, with a pasty face and no personality, and Reg doing the actions whilst standing behind him.
Jack Hunt played the piano and accompanied his son Graham who starred as a five year old drummer. Alec Emery was a singer with a powerful voice and he later chased a career as a solo singer. He did not make it but got a speaking part in the Jack Hawkins film “The Cruel Sea”. Blackie Stevens played the ukulele like George Formby and his wife called “Scruffs” was the wardrobe mistress backstage.
Reg did everything and had each audience in fits when he hypnotised a few people and had them marching around the room selling newspapers at the top of their voices. He also sang“I-tiddly-i-ti-island” dressed as a Hawaiian girl in grass skirt, long blonde wig and a bra with two saucepan lids as the cups. It was hysterical as he would get hold of the knobs on the lids and pull them out in front of him and clap along with the song.
We often watched them in the shows at the Unity Hall in Arundel Street.
Reg got himself and about seven of the male members of the cast, including my dad, onto the Carroll Levis Discovery show on TV. They dressed in evening suits and were a male choir singing the Whippenpoof Song. Alas they did not win.
Reg eventually left the Dockyard and became a holiday camp entertainer.
In later years Graham played drums for J Crow Combo, Crow, 3rd Dimension, Academy, Cherry Smash and others.
Aubrey Small
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Graham
Graham was the cousin of the entertainments agent John Bedford
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