Abba’s biggest fan
The Filey Ladies Monday Club was on the evening of a bitterly cold, frosty evening. Brenda the chairperson welcomed everyone including the speaker who was waiting until all other business was done. There were reminders of angelic contributions to the club’s tree in Christmas Tree Festival week and the order of the festive party at the next meeting before bits of information from the past were read out and discussed.
On November 28 in 1582 William Shakespeare paid a £40 bond for a marriage licence. He was 18 and his bride Ann Hathaway was 26. There was only time for the banns to be read out once; in 1961 the actor Martin Clunes was born; in 1963 the Beatles sang She Loves You which was number one in the charts.
Clive Roe the speaker was welcomed with special applause because he was needed to replace the arranged entertainment and came at short notice. His subject was covering his chest - white printed ABBA on a bright red shirt, and he described himself as a ‘fanatic’ of the group.
Clive remembered as a young man admiring the many groups of singing talent in the 1960s - the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers etc and how they changed musical culture, but it was in 1974 that he watched a TV programme that featured a new group from Sweden. Their title derived from the first letters of their names - ABBA - and he declared them the ‘best group ever’ and his enthusiasm remains to this day.
Clive revealed the stories of their lives before they came together as a singing group and of their swift rise to fame and fortune. He spoke of their performance at the Albert Hall as two hours of brilliant entertainment, their tour of Australia making them super stars and Sweden’s biggest export.
Clive finished his story by describing the room that held his huge collection of the group’s memorabilia with hundreds of records, CDs, DVDs, programmes, magazines and shirts.
Clive answered many questions from his enthralled audience, many of whom agreed with him, and there were hummings of Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia over tea and cake.
The next meeting will be the Christmas party on Monday December 12 at 7.30pm in the community centre. Members will bring a contribution to the buffet supper table and a present from Santa’s sack plus of course their best glittery outfits. All welcome.