The Honeys, formerly the Liddell Sisters

The Honeys They were three sisters their surname was Liddell. They were pro from 1957 to 1963/4 They started by miming to records of the Beverley sisters and others around the local Portsmouth clubs. There first major show was to Skegness with Larry Grayson In 1957 they were in Panto at Southend They made no proffesional recordings. The Honeys was a British group, consisting of three sisters in close harmony. Their true surname was Liddell and They began around 1952 as the Liddell Triplets, but they were not triplets. Pearl Liddell, married George M D Allport July 1966 Portsmouth Anita Liddell, married Maurice J Lockhart married Jan/Mar qtr 1964 Gosport Vilma Liddell, married Christpher D Harvey. July 1963 Portsmouth They toured with Jackie Dennis, the poster read;- Scotland's Own Teenage Star... at the Caird Hall Sunday August 17 1958 Jackie Dennis Larry Grayson, Emerson and Jayne, The Liddell Triplets, Wally McKinlay, Hans, Bela and Mary, The John Barry Seven "from TV's Six Five Special". Book now:- 5/-, 4/-, 3/-, 2/-. Largs and Sons, Whitehall Street, Dundee. They toured with Adam Faith in 1958 They also toured with helen Shapiro. On the same tour was the Beatles. One of their singles went to No1 during the tour so they were replaced by Tony Meehan and Jet Harris mod tour Actual tour venues are disputed as some oth the date were by the Beatles only. Feb 2 Bradford, Gaumont cinema (Recorded for ATV???) Feb 5 Doncaster, Gaumont cinema Feb 6 Bedford, Granada cinema Feb 7 Wakefield, Regal cinema Feb 8 Carlisle, ABC cinema Feb 9 Sunderland, Empire Theatre Feb 10 Peterborough Embassy Feb 23 Mansfield, Granada cinema Feb 24 Coventry, Coventry Theatre Feb 26 Taunton Gaumont Feb 27 York Rialto Feb 28 Shrewsbury, Granada cinema Mar 1 Southport, Odeon cinema Mar 2 Sheffield, City Hall Mar 3 Hanley, Gaumont cinema March 16 Birmingham Town Hall March 17 Derby, Gaumont cinema March 18 Maidstone Granada March 20 Aylesbury Granada March 21 Cheltenham Gaumont March 22 Plymouth A.B.C HELEN SHAPIRO TOUR PART 1, 1963 2 February Gaumont, Bradford 5 February Gaumont, Doncaster 6 February Granada, Bedford 7 February Regal, Kirkgate 8 February ABC, Carlisle 9 February Empire, Sunderland 12 February Azena Ballroom, Sheffield 12 February Astoria Ballroom, Oldham 13 February Majestic Ballroom, Hull 14 February Locarno Ballroom, Liverpool 15 February Ritz, Birmingham 16 February Carfax Assembly, Oxford 18 February Queen’s Hall, Widness 19 February Cavern Club, Liverpool 20 February Swimming Baths, Docanster 21 February Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead 22 February Oasis Club, Manchester HELEN SHAPIRO TOUR PART 2 23 February Granada, Mansfield 24 February Coventry Theatre, Coventry 26 February Gaumont, Taunton 27 February Rialto, York 28 February Granada, Shrewsbury 1 March Odeon, Southport 2 March City Hall, Sheffield 3 March Gaurnont, Hanley The Helen Shapiro Tour 02.02.1963 - 03.03.1963 Support Acts: The Beatles, Danny Williams, Kenny Lynch, The Kestrels, Red Price Orchestra, The Honeys, Dave Allan. The following songs were played by The Beatles: Chains, Keep your hands off my Baby, A taste of honey, Please please me 02.02.1963 Gaumont cinema, Bradford 05.02.1963 Gaumont cinema, Doncaster 06.02.1963 Granada cinema, Bedford 07.02.1963 Regal Cinema, Wakefield 08.02.1963 ABC-Theatre, Carlisle 09.02.1963 Empire Theatre, Cunderland 10.02.1963 Embassy, Peterborough 12.02.1963 Azena Ballroom, Azena 12.02.1963 Astoria Ballroom, Oldham 13.02.1963 Majestic Ballroom, Hull 14.02.1963 Locarno Ballroom, Liverpool 15.02.1963 Ritz Ballroom, King´s Heath 16.02.1963 Carfax Assembly Rooms, Oxford, not part of the Helen Shapiro Tour 18.02.1963 Queen´s Hall, Widnes 19.02.1963 Cavern, Liverpool 23.02.1963 Granda Cinema, Mansfield 24.02.1963 Coventry Theatre, Coventry 26.02.1963 Gaumont Theatre, Taunton 27.02.1963 Rialto Theatre, York 28.02.1963 Granada Cinema, Shrewsbury 01.03.1963 Odeon cinema, Southport 02.03.1963 City Hall, Sheffield 03.03.1963 Gaumont Cinema, Hanley Outside the Tour With Helen Shapiro The Beatles played following dates: 03.02.1963 Rhythm and blues festival Cavern, Liverpool 04.02.1963 Cavern, Liverpool (last afternoon concert) 25.02.1963 Casino Ballroom, Leigh The father of the Honeys was a drummer and ran a dance band "J Liddell and the Dance Timers" The Honey's surround Bobby Vee!

One known TV appearence BBC Television Tuesday 7 February 1956 20.00 Camera One Kenneth Horne brings to Camera One forty-five minutes of non-stop Variety from the Television Theatre with Digby Wolfe, Cortez and Pam, Les Marthys, Rayne, Victor Labati, The Liddell Sisters, Norman Vaughan, Jack Beckitt, The George Mitchell Singers.

From the Portsmouth NEWS 25th June 2011 Bob Hind Last Saturday you may remember I reviewed a new book by Martin Creasy all about The Beatles on tour in the early 1960's. On one tour before they were the world's top band - they were support to Helen Shapiro. But also on the bill were a trio of singing sisters, The Honeys. The three Liddell girls were all born in Portsmouth and found fame, if not fortune, touring with some of the biggest names in pop and rock during the Sixties. The girls were Anita, the oldest, then Vilma and finally Pearl. Pearl now lives in Spain but I met up with Vilma and Anita in Farlington where they told me of their lives as The Honeys. Their father, Jay Liddell, was a drummer and band leader and when the girls were quite young the family moved from their home in Dartmouth Road, Copnor. Their father made sure two of the girls played instruments and Pearl took piano lessons while Vilma learnt to play drums. Moving back to the city in their early teens, they lived in Commercial Road and their father put them on stage where they used to mime to famous acts of the day. They called themselves The Liddell Triplets and Anita was lead singer, while the other two followed in harmonies. They appeared in many clubs in the Portsmouth area and one day someone asked them why they didn't sing. They got the message and local pianist Bill Cole -who was very well-known in Portsmouth at the time for playing with the Johnny Lyne Band - arranged all the harmonies for the girls and, after learning some songs of the time, the girls were on their way. In the late 1950's they appeared on television most days on a lunchtime magazine programme for Southern Television, as it was then, based in Southampton. They acquired an agent, Eve Taylor, whose father was an impresario of some repute. Eve herself was not one to toy with. She was Adam Faith's agent and later Eurovision competition winner Sandie Shaw came under her wing. Eve got them work, at the normal agents' fee of course, and tours and television beckoned. In 1960 while on tour with Adam Faith, Vilma tells me that he received as warm as a reception as The Beatles later did. They also toured with Cliff Richard and the Shadows to Israel. Some of the more wellknown people the girls appeared with were Frankie Vaughan, Englebert Humperdink, Ken Dodd and Joe Brown and his Bruvvers. They also appeared with Larry Grayson, who was later to take over Bruce Forsyth's mantle on television's The Generation Game. But it was 1963 when they met an up-and-coming band from Liverpool. Top of the bill for this tour was Helen Shapiro, who had just had two hit records with Walking Back to Happiness and Please Don't Treat Me Like a Child, along with other top artists of the day. Second billing went to a group that was to become more famous in the world than any other - The Beatles. Although The Beatles were support to Shapiro, half-way through the tour they had become so well-known that they were taken off it. Jet Harris and Tony Meehan the former bass guitarist and drummer with The Shadows took their place. So, were The Beatles much fun? Anita says that Paul was shrewd, George serious and John thoughtful. Ringo didn't get a mention! `When we were all on the tour bus the boys always grabbed the back seats so that they could rehearse new songs they had written,' she adds. `They used to hand around sheets of paper with lyrics on them, so we must have been the first to have seen the lyrics to many of their early hit songs. If only they had managed to keep hold of some of those bits of paper, eh? Vilma says: `One song we used to sing on stage was Manyana and the boys used to take the mickey and have a sing-a-long on the bus.' I asked the girls how they were fed in those days before decent motorways. "We used to stop off at places that became wellknown to touring bands," says Vilma. `We used to say "Shall we stop off for a plate of grease?" Such were the meals served up at transport cafes of the time". By 1967, touring had taken its toll and the girls started to settle down, with Vilma and Anita both retiring from showbiz. But Pearl went on to become a magician's assistant. She married him and they toured the world, entertaining on liners and cruise ships. Yes, Vilma and Anita missed the lifestyle. But once marriage and children came along, that took over their lives and it all became a thing of the past. What marvellous memories they have of their lives as the singing Honeys though. Sadly, Anita died May 11th 2019 age 84. Sadness as one of stars of 60's pop group Honeys passes away, By Bob Hind of the Portsmouth NEWS, 28th May 2019 Some eight years ago I wrote an article on The Honeys, the three sisters originally fron 20, Elm Road, Mile End, Portsmouth who rose to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They even toured with the Beatles. I am sorry to tell you that this much-loved trio recently lost elder sister, Anita, who died on May 11, at the age of 84. The girls were known as the Liddell Sisters in their early days and used to mime to the Beverley Sisters hits. They took singing lessons and before they knew it they were appearing on television’s Six-Five-Special and radi0’s Workers Playtime. They topped the bill at Hull, Cleethorpes and Colwyn Bay appearing with such big stars of the time such as Cliff Richard and Helen Shapiro, who was top of the bill along with the Beatles. When the Beatles had a top 10 hit they left the tour with Helen and Jet Harris and Tony Meehan took their place. The Honeys also appeared with Danny Williams, Kenny Lynch, Bobby Vee and Ken Dodd. l could go on. By 1967 touring had taken its toll and Vilma and Anita retired from show business, although Pearl travelled the world as a magician’s assistant. For anyone wishing to attend the funeral it will be held tomorrow, May 29, at The Oaks Crematorium, Havant at 12.15pm. Last week I reported the death of Anita June Lockhart (née Liddell), one of The Honeys, the Portsmouth singing sister trio. I attended her funeral last week at which it was mentioned that when Anita retired from show business in the late 1960s she and husband Maurice took over a fruit and veg shop in Leigh Park. They later ran a fish and chip shop next door. With her showbiz background Anita always appeared in the shop as if she was going on stage, beautiful hair and looking glamorous. The customers loved to talk about her appearances with the likes of Cliff Richard, The Beatles and Adam Faith. The shop was in the parade of shops on the roundabout junction of Purbrook Way and Middle Park Way and I’m sure many will recognise Anita and her husband.

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