TV star draws from heart in music debut
‘You are the only person of your age we have passed in 15 years.’”
Fred, a father-of-four, is known the world over for his amateur radio activity.
He transmits almost every day under his call sign M3CTW.
He said: “I started with CB radio in the 1980s and it’s in my blood, I love it.”
And although he suffered terribly from ulcers and internal bleeding when he was a lad and was not expected to live, the widower has shown an iron will and a carefree determination to enjoy life.
This was evident in his mid-90s when he was still climbing on his roof to put up aerials though a few years ago, he broke a limb when he fell out of a tree while doing similar work.
Fred, whose second wife, Molly, died around 11 months ago, said: “I’ve had cancer in my left lung for the past four years but the medics keep on top of it and I’m doing great.
“I have a very loving family who are in regular touch and it was lovely on Tuesday night when I came back from York and everyone in the courtyard where I live came out to greet me and wish me well.”
As for the secret to his long life... he says he is teetotal and makes sure he eats well.
The tester said I had seen something he had missed. I even did my three-point turn in
two!
AMANDA Holden has promised her debut album, titled Songs From My Heart, will draw inspiration from both the ‘darkest and happiest’ times of her life.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 49, will release the record, featuring 13 tracks from the world of musicals, on October 2 after the project was put on hold due to Covid-19.
The Olivier Award nominee will duet with Sheridan Smith on I Know Him So Well from Chess and sing solo on standards including Somewhere from West Side Story and I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables.
The idea for the album came about after Holden and her daughters, Lexi and Hollie, recorded The Greatest
Showman’s Tightrope for her husband, record producer Chris
Hughes, to mark their 10th wedding anniversary in
2018.
That song, performed by Michelle Williams in the Hugh Jackman-starring film, also appears on the album.
Songs including When She Loved Me from Toy Story were chosen because they reminded Holden of the ups and downs of motherhood.