She was not formally trained as a musician but had a good ear and a sweet singing voice. I recall her lulling me to sleep with "She’ll be coming round the mountain" whilst she played the guitar accompaniment. Her personality could bring music to life. One day a monk made a serious prediction saying that she could, if she wished, become a famous pop star! Instead, she chose a more important life, though she had a few minutes on national fame when one day the BBC Radio 1 Roadshow came to town…

That day they were in Birmingham and entered "Pranee’s Thai Restaurant" in Selly Oak. I really don’t know how they landed there. Anyway, the forthright DJs challenged the rather shy Thai staff to sing for charity, but received a polite and rather timid refusal. Finally, Mum, seeing that no-one else would make the effort, volunteered and gave a rendition of ‘Daisy Daisy’ in Thai!

This really is true since I was studying down at Southampton University at the time and one of my friends, Carl Maynard, surprised me one day, "Your Mum was on the radio. She has a nice singing voice!"

- Paul